Knowledge for Teachers

In this special follow-up to the popular episode with Dr. Kent Johnson and Andrew Kieta on the Morningside Model that Guarantees Two Years of Growth in One, host Brendan Lee draws out the practical learning science expertise of university lecturer Dr Russ Fox and MTSS leader Karina Stocker. This conversation bridges the macro principles of the Morningside model directly with the reality of the classroom through the lens of the Instructional Hierarchy.

Listeners will hear Karina and Russ break down how to spot the hidden "tool skills" that frequently block student progress in reading and mathematics. They challenge common misconceptions about explicit instruction, detailing why the "We Do" phase must be a dynamic, data-driven interaction to build accurate acquisition. Plus, they share how to transition students into fluency building by measuring the rate of correct responses rather than simple percentages.

If you’re keen to delve deeper into the key mechanisms behind the Morningside Model of Generative Instruction and more, then this conversation is essential listening.

Resources mentioned:

MorningsideAcademy.org

Ryan O’Donnell’s documentary about Morningside Academy: The Morningside Model of Generative Instruction

Thomas Gilbert’s Mathetics

S01E01 – Dr. Russ Fox on building relationships, routines and using reinforcers 

Trina Spencer: Learning How Learning Works Helps Teachers Teach 

Mastery Schools Australia

Brendan Lee: "Engineering the Aha! When Discovery Learning Actually Works"

Stocker, K. L., Fox, R. A., Swain, N. R., & Leif, E. S. (2024). Between the lines: Integrating the science of reading and the science of behavior to improve reading outcomes for Australian children. Behavior and Social Issues, 33(1), 504-531.

You can connect with Karina:

Linkedin

You can connect with Russ:

Linkedin

 

You can connect with Brendan:

Twitter/X: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Linkedin: @brendan-lee-kft

Website: learnwithlee.net

Support the Knowledge for Teachers Podcast: 
https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

As teachers, we’ve all felt the frustration of watching a student fall through the cracks because the curriculum is moving faster than they are. We’ve all wondered: how do we actually catch them up without just ‘watering down’ the work?

In this episode, Brendan Lee is joined by Dr. Kent Johnson and Andrew Kieta from Morningside Academy. What makes this conversation so special is that it’s not just theory. Morningside has spent over 40 years in their Seattle lab school proving that these challenges have answers. They have essentially "cracked the code" on the most persistent problems we face in schools.

They dive into their world-renowned model of Generative Instruction, exploring how they use "Precision Teaching" to build effortless fluency and why they group students by achievement rather than age. You’ll learn why a student who is 100% accurate can still be struggling and how a "Money Back Guarantee" on student growth is actually possible when you engineer instruction with this much precision. This is a deep look at how we can stop "praying and spraying" our teaching and start giving every student the success they deserve.

Resources mentioned:

MorningsideAcademy.org

Morningside Summer Institute

John Dewey: How We Think

Lev Vygotsky

Michael Maloney

Israel Goldiamond

Tom Gilbert - Mathetics

Ogden Lindsley

Carl Binder

Owen White

Norris Haring

B.F. Skinner

Jerome Bruner

Fred Keller

Brendan Lee: "Engineering the Aha! When Discovery Learning Actually Works"

Ryan O’Donnell’s documentary about Morningside Academy: The Morningside Model of Generative Instruction

You can connect with Kent:

Linkedin

You can connect with Andrew:

Linkedin

 

You can connect with Brendan:

Twitter/X: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Linkedin: @brendan-lee-kft

Website: learnwithlee.net

 

Support the Knowledge for Teachers Podcast: 
https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

In this episode of the Knowledge for Teachers podcast we explore how to transform classroom outcomes using the science of behaviour. Brendan Lee chats with Dr. Kimberley Nix Berens, a scientist-practitioner and the founder of Fit Learning. Together, they unpack the role of behaviour science in education and why observable, measurable learning matters. You’ll hear why fluency—not just accuracy—is the true indicator of mastery, how precision teaching can transform the way we assess and respond to students, and why many common approaches to instruction fall short of producing lasting outcomes.

 

Kim also challenges some widely held assumptions, including the limits of discovery learning and the over-reliance on grades as meaningful measures of progress.

 

If you’re looking for practical, research-informed ways to sharpen your teaching and better support every learner, this episode offers a powerful new lens.

Resources mentioned:

https://fitlearning.com/

Blindspots by Kimberly Berens

The Technology of Teaching by B.F. Skinner

Theory of Instruction by Sigfried Engelman and Doug Carnine

The Standard Celeration Chart

The Morningside Model of Generative Instruction (Johnson, Street, Kieta and Robbins)

Program of International Student Assessment (PISA)

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

FitLite (and the FitLite Literacy model)

Scientist Educator Training Series 

You can connect with Kimberly:

Twitter: @KimberlyBerens5

Instagram: @drkberens

Linkedin

Website: https://www.drkimberlyberens.com/

 

You can connect with Brendan:

Twitter/X: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Linkedin: @brendan-lee-kft

Website: learnwithlee.net

 

Support the Knowledge for Teachers Podcast: 
https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

 

About Kimberly 
Kimberly Nix Berens, Ph.D., is the Founder of Fit Learning and CEO of Fit Learning Online.  She co-created a powerful system of instruction based in behavior science and the Technology of Teaching, which has transformed the learning abilities of thousands of children worldwide. For more than 20 years, her system of instruction has produced at least one year’s worth of academic growth in only 40 hours of training.  Her learning programs effectively target such essential areas as early learning skills, basic classroom readiness, phonemic awareness, reading fluency, comprehension, inferential language, basic and advanced mathematics, logical problem solving, grammar, and expressive writing.  From her early beginnings in a broom closet at the University of Nevada – Reno, Dr. Berens has helped grow Fit Learning to an organization with centers located throughout the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia.  In her current role as CEO of Fit Learning Online, she focuses on increasing access for learners living in regions without a Fit Learning center. Dr. Berens is a frequent invited speaker and a contributor to many popular press publications such as Thrive Global, 74 Million, and Medium.  Her first book, Blind Spots: Why Students Fail and the Science That Can Save Them, was released in October of 2020.

In this episode of the Knowledge for Teachers podcast, Brendan Lee is joined by Dr. Trina Spencer, a leading researcher in language and literacy and the co-developer of Story Champs. They dive deep into why oral language is the true, widely misunderstood foundation of reading comprehension. Dr. Spencer challenges the status quo of literacy instruction by unpacking why we absolutely shouldn't wait for skilled decoding before teaching comprehension.

Tune in as they explore:

Why the idea that academic language develops naturally is a damaging myth.

Why some students struggle despite strong phonics teaching

How just 30 minutes of explicit spoken language instruction daily can close the achievement gap.

Why expecting teachers to act as instructional designers is an unfair burden.

If you are looking for practical, evidence-based ways to boost your students' language skills without adding impossible workloads, this conversation is a must-listen.

Resources mentioned:

Story Champs

trinaspencer.com/

CUBED

DYMOND

MAP (Measuring Academic Progress)

Spencer, T. D. (2021). Ten instructional design efforts to help behavior analysts take up the torch of direct instruction. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 14(3), 816-830.

Pamela Snow, Why the Big Six should actually be the Big Five.

Doug Peterson

You can connect with:

Twitter/X: @TrinaDSpencer2

Facebook

Instagram: @trinastoolbox/

Linkedin

Website: https://trinaspencer.com/

 

You can connect with Brendan:

Twitter/X: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Linkedin: @brendan-lee-kft

Website: learnwithlee.net

 

Support the Knowledge for Teachers Podcast: 
https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

Fluency is often treated as a small piece of mathematics learning, but in reality, it may be one of the most important and overlooked foundations for long term success.

In this episode of the Knowledge for Teachers podcast, Brendan Lee speaks with Dr. Brian Poncy, Professor at Oklahoma State University and the creator of Facts on Fire, a highly regarded program designed to build maths fact fluency through short, structured, and evidence informed daily practice.

Brian challenges the common resistance to timed practice, arguing that fluency—defined strictly as accuracy plus speed—is the bridge that frees up working memory for higher-order problem solving.

Listeners will discover why timed practice only works when students are placed at the right starting point, how small sets and careful sequencing can dramatically improve motivation and success, and what schools can do to implement fluency routines effectively in just a few minutes a day.

The episode also explores the powerful concept of contingency adduction, where mastering component skills can lead students to solve complex problems they have never been explicitly taught.

A practical and thought provoking conversation for any educator serious about improving mathematics outcomes.

 

Catch Dr. Brian Poncy in Australia:

Tickets can be purchased here:
Perth: https://www.trybooking.com/DHYZM
Adelaide: https://www.trybooking.com/DHZSU
Melbourne: https://www.trybooking.com/DIABM
Sydney: https://www.trybooking.com/DHYZG
 
Resources mentioned:

M.I.N.D. 2.0 - FACTS ON FIRE

Chalk and Talk podcast (Anna Stokke)

Morningside Academy

PBIS (Positive Behavioral Intervention Supports)

Rocket Math 

Times Tables Rock Stars

Engineering the “Aha!”: When Discovery Learning Actually Works

 

You can connect with Brian:

Twitter/X: @brian_poncy

Website: M.I.N.D. 2.0 - FACTS ON FIRE

 

You can connect with Brendan:

Twitter/X: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Linkedin: @brendan-lee-kft

Website: learnwithlee.net

 

Support the Knowledge for Teachers Podcast: 
https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

 

Implementing Effective Primary Maths Instruction
For School Leaders
This is a two day online course for school and middle leaders and it is all about implementation. We look closely at curriculum and lesson design, assessment, coaching and the systems that help teachers change practice in a sustainable way.

Register here