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Episode 207 from Oct 11 2024 Imagine facing not only the struggles of growing up in a challenging environment,  but also battling a learning difference that went undiagnosed for years. Hear the inspiring story of Ameer Baraka as he discusses his book: Undiagnosed: The Ugly Side of Dyslexia. Ameer will discuss:  How he grew up in New Orleans, facing unimaginable obstacles His experiences with being misunderstood and how it impacted his life How he transformed his life by reclaiming his education while incarcerated How he is now dedicated to helping others recognize their potential By the end of this episode, you'll see how Ameer’s journey not only sheds light on the challenges of dyslexia but also highlights the incredible strength it takes to overcome adversity. Want to Learn More? Undiagnosed: The Ugly Side of Dyslexia by Ameer Baraka Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com. Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at [email protected].

Episode 262 In this episode, we sit down with Nancy Blair and Pat Roberts, co-founders of AIM Academy and the AIM Institute for Learning & Research, to talk about how a school built on research came to be. Nancy and Pat share the story of meeting as parents of newly diagnosed daughters, and how that friendship grew into a non-profit school and a research institute that is celebrating its 20th year. We discuss the early warning signs of dyslexia that too many families are told to wait out, why oral language and vocabulary deserve attention well before kindergarten, and how AIM's classrooms shifted over the years toward a fully integrated literacy model. Nancy and Pat also talk about AIM's ongoing partnership with literacy researchers, their free annual research symposium, and a forthcoming book meant to help any school or teacher follow a similar path. This conversation is a fitting way to open Dyslexia Awareness Month, and a reminder of how much faster research and classroom practice can move when they move together. Resources Learn more about AIM Academy and see their list of dyslexia warning signs and red flagsLearn more about AIM's March Research to Practice Symposium:The Impact of Language on Reading and Writing. Registration is open for this free event! AIM is hosting, as part of our Road to Symposium events, a free Dyslexia Awareness Month webinar on Wednesday, October 21 with Dr. Shelly Gray and Dr. RJ Risueno who created a Dyslexia and DLD Screener Questionnaire for pediatricians.  "Understanding Dyslexia: How Early Intervention Can Change Lives"Podcast Episode: "The Relationship Between Phonics and Language Comprehension" with Tiffany HoganPodcast Episode:"Building Fluency with POSSUM" with Maryanne Wolf and Melissa Orkin Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com. Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at [email protected].

Episode 100 from April 1, 2022 Over time, the chronic trauma of not being successful with reading wears down  many students. It has devastating effects. In our official 100th episode, Dr. Steven Dykstra discusses trauma and reading. He explains the connection between not being taught to read using evidence-based practices and the subsequent, unnecessary trauma this causes in children’s lives. This is a pervasive problem happening everywhere.  Dr. Steven Dykstra is a psychologist, advocate, and troublemaker in the reading world. His passion for reading comes from the recognition that the thousands of children he has served often pay the highest price for our failures and mistakes.  Resources:  Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) NAEP Report Card: Reading Teaching Reading is Rocket Science by Louisa Moats Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com. Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at [email protected].

Episode 261   In this episode, Caitlin Lucas shares innovative routines for kindergarten literacy instruction, emphasizing consistency and active participation to build foundational skills. Caitlin also uses sign language as part of her routines and shares easy ways teachers can use it too.  Resources  Maximizing Instructional Time Through Routines and Rehearsal  Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com. Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at [email protected].

In this episode, we talk with Julia Lindsey about her book, Reading Above the Fray: Reliable, Research-Based Routines for Developing Decoding Skills. Julia shares why decoding is one of the most important skills we can help students develop and how research-based instructional routines can make that learning more efficient, effective, and joyful. Together, we explore the foundational skills that support decoding, the role of purposeful practice, and how consistent routines help students know what to expect as they build confidence with sounds, words, and increasingly complex texts. Decoding isn't the end goal of reading! It's the gateway. When students develop strong decoding skills, they gain the independence needed to tackle new words, access meaning, and fully engage with reading. Whether you're a classroom teacher, literacy coach, interventionist, or school leader, this conversation is packed with practical, research-based ideas you can put into practice right away. Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com. Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at [email protected].

Episode 260 In this episode, Wiley Blevins shares practical strategies for differentiating phonics instruction in both whole group and small group settings. We explore high impact routines, effective use of decodable texts, and how to meet diverse student needs efficiently. Wiley walks us through how to design routines that are expansive enough to serve everyone in whole group, while using small group for the high-intensity, targeted practice that takes kids further faster. Differentiation does not have to happen only in small group. It can live right inside the phonics routines you are already using every day.  Resources Differentiating Phonics Instruction for Maximum Impact by Wiley Blevins  Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com. Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at [email protected].

Episode 259 In this episode, we’re joined once again by literacy researcher and educator Brennan Chandler for a practical, teacher-friendly conversation all about spelling routines that support students as spellers and writers. Brennan walks us through a sequence of short, research-based routines including  Sound CheckPattern Power Up,Word WorkoutHeart Word HeroesSentence SprintSpell StreakFree scripts and printables for all six routines are here: Spell Squad We talk about how these routines build from sounds to patterns to words to sentences, helping students move toward applying spelling knowledge in authentic writing.  Throughout the episode, Brennan shares clear examples teachers can try right away, along with ideas for scaffolding instruction, providing immediate feedback, and making spelling practice more engaging and meaningful for students. We also discuss the importance of cumulative review, sentence-level practice, and transfer into real writing, especially for students who continue to need spelling support in upper elementary and beyond. Resources Free scripts and printables for all six routines are here: Spell SquadPeer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) Brennan references Fuchs’ peer-assisted learning work. Anita Archer’s instructional routinesHow to Teach Students to Read Irregular Words with Danielle Colenbrander & Katie Pace Miles Podcast episode featuring Danielle Colenbrander discussion heart words.Follow Brennan ChandlerLooking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com. Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at [email protected].

Episode 96 from 3/4/2022 We’re bringing back one of our most requested conversations about spelling and the important role it plays in reading development. In this episode, we revisit our conversation with literacy expert J. Richard Gentry, author of Brain Words , to explore how spelling supports automatic word recognition and stronger reading and writing overall. Throughout the conversation, Richard explains how spelling connects directly to students’ speech and language systems. He also shares practical, science of reading-aligned strategies teachers can use to make spelling instruction more intentional. Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com. Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at [email protected].

Episode 258 In this episode, we sit down with literacy researcher Brennan Chandler to talk about the science of spelling instruction and why spelling deserves a much bigger role in science of reading conversations. Brennan explains how spelling supports stronger writing, more precise word knowledge, and better reading outcomes. We discuss why spelling should be taught explicitly rather than left to chance, why patterns matter more than memorized rules, and how phonology, orthography, and morphology all work together when students learn to spell. Brennan also shares why morphology belongs in the early grades, how retrieval practice strengthens spelling knowledge, and why traditional Friday spelling tests often fail to lead to lasting learning. This conversation is full of practical insights for teachers who want to move beyond isolated spelling activities and toward instruction that truly supports literacy development. And this is just part one. Brennan will be back in our next episode focused entirely on practical spelling routines teachers can use right away in the classroom. Brennan mentioned his TAP model of spelling instruction (Teach, Practice, Apply) in this episode. He's built six routines that put it into practice, called Spell Squad. Each one comes with scripting and a timer so you can teach it straight from the screen. Free teaching scripts and printables are on his site: Spell Squad Resources Free teaching scripts and printables are on Brennan's site: Spell Squad"Spelling Is an Integral Part of Learning the Language, Not a Matter of Memorization.""How Spelling Supports Reading" by Louisa MoatsThis resource from Logic of English shares several high-utility spelling patterns and generalizations that may feel more useful and transferable than the long lists of spelling “rules” many of us learned in school.Follow Brennan ChandlerLooking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com. Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at [email protected].

In this bonus episode, we're bringing you research right from the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading (SSSR) conference, one of the biggest gatherings of reading researchers in the world. We break down the key takeaways, emerging trends, and standout research that caught our attention, and talk about what it all means for your classroom. If you want to know where the science of reading is headed next, this one's for you. Resources Mentioned Words as Tools (coming soon)Reading Ready + Reading Go How To Plan for Differentiated Instruction (ACCESS Reading) Anderson & Strong (2026)Jake Downs is the host of the Teaching Literacy Podcast (it's a M&L favorite!)Clarence Greene's British and American Word Families (BAWF) Database: https://cgg-projects.github.io/BAWF_V2/Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com. Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at [email protected].

Episode 257 Why do so many students appear to thrive in early literacy, only to stall by middle school? In this episode, we talk with Rebecca Kockler to unpack what literacy data from Louisiana revealed about a common but often misunderstood pattern: strong early reading results followed by flat or declining comprehension growth in later grades. At the center of the conversation is the concept of the Decoding Threshold: the point at which students can read words accurately and automatically enough to access grade-level text and grow in comprehension. Rebecca explains: What happens when students never fully cross that thresholdWhy decoding instruction must continue through middle schoolHow multisyllabic decoding becomes a critical turning point around fourth gradeThe powerful connection between morphology, vocabulary, and spellingWhy fluency is the first true step of applicationHow reader identity influences students’ willingness to grapple with challenging textWhat effective assessment actually looks like for older readersYou’ll walk away with practical strategies to support multisyllabic decoding, vocabulary and spelling development, integrated fluency practice, & tier 1 instruction that adapts to increasing language complexity. If you’ve ever wondered why students who “learned to read” struggle later — this conversation will reshape how you think about literacy instruction in elementary and middle school. Resources Resources for Educators Why "Learn to Read, Read to Learn" Fails Older Readers - And How To Fix ItAction Guide for Educators ROARStandards & Instructional Practices We Never Stop Learning to Read by Chase Young (blog) Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com. Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at [email protected].

Episode 256  Faith Howard shares practical strategies for improving literacy skills in middle and high school students, focusing on decoding multisyllabic words, spelling routines, and fluency practices. This episode offers actionable insights for educators aiming to enhance reading comprehension and word attack skills. Resources  Encoding & Decoding with Word Pyramids BlogI Was Doing Fluency Wrong - Until I Made It About Knowledge BlogTeachers Teach Teachers | Science of Reading YouTube Channel VideoRead Like Us Podcast Episode with Jake Downs & Chase Young Tight Ten ArticleLiteracy Lab with Faith Facebook Page Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com. Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at [email protected].

If you’ve ever wondered how to help your students decode longer words, this episode is for you! We’re joined by literacy researcher and professor Devin Kearns to talk all about teaching multisyllabic words. Many phonics programs focus on single-syllable words, but what happens when students hit big words and get stuck? Devin unpacks the research behind why that happens and what we can do instead. We talk about: flexible decoding strategies,when and how to teach syllables and morphemes,and what “set for variability” really looks like in the classroom (spoiler: it’s not guessing!).You’ll walk away with practical, research-backed ideas to help your students read longer words with confidence. Devin M. Kearns, Ph.D., is the Goodnight Distinguished Professor in Early Literacy at NC State, where he studies early reading and collaborates with experts in psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience to explore the brain basis of reading. RESOURCES Helping Students With Dyslexia Read Long Words: Using Syllables and Morphemes by Devin M. Kearns and Victoria M. WhaleyFollowing the Rules in an Unruly WritingSystem: The Cognitive Science ofLearning to Read Englishby Devin M. Kearns and Matthew J. Cooper BorkenhagenSyllable Division: New Data that Can Inform Intervention by Joanne Marttila Pierson, Ph.D., CCC-SLPOn Eating Elephants and Teaching Syllabication by Tim ShanahanLooking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com. Connect with us! Email us at [email protected]. Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com. Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at [email protected].

Episode 255 Experts Don Compton & Laura Steacy explore the complexities of multisyllabic word reading and the decoding challenges older readers encounter, especially those with dyslexia. They discuss how readers navigate complex words using different decoding strategies, the role of morphology and “set for variability” in reading development, and how tools like the DELP database help predict word difficulty. The episode offers practical insights into supporting literacy development and improving instruction for struggling readers. Resources  D-ELP Tool FCRR Student Center Activities  Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com. Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at [email protected].

Episode 254 In this episode, we sit down with kindergarten teacher Anjanette McNeely to take a close look at one powerful instructional routine: word chaining. Anjanette walks us through exactly what word chaining looks like in her classroom, from the materials she uses to the language she says, and explains why this routine is such an effective way to build both phonemic awareness and phonics at the same time. We also explore how word chaining supports orthographic mapping, why connecting sounds to print matters, and how small instructional shifts, like continuous blending and interleaving, can have a big impact on student learning. Whether you're new to word chaining or looking to refine your practice, this episode offers practical ideas you can try right away. Resources Word Chaining: An Efficient and Effective Alternative to Oral Phonemic Awareness by Anjanette McNeely: Blog post about word chaining and a video of Anjanette's classroom in action Word Chaining: A Simple Routine for Reading and Spelling (printable) You can see a picture of Anjanette's word chaining tray hereWord Chains for Decoding and Encoding Practice: An overview on how to make and use word chains to teach decoding and encoding (from UFLI) 44 Phonemes (video): Learn how to pronounce the 44 phonemes in the English alphabet (from Rollins Center for Language and Literacy) Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com. Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at [email protected].