When educators discuss reading comprehension, the conversation often centers around vocabulary, background knowledge, and comprehension strategies, but what if we’ve been overlooking one of the most critical components of comprehension all along? Research scientist, Dr. Julie Van Dyke shares about the powerful role syntax plays in reading comprehension. Drawing from decades of research in cognitive…
Drawing from decades of experience in literacy, school psychology, systems-level leadership, and MTSS implementation, Dr. Sarah Brown and Dr. Kimberly Gibbons explain why strong universal instruction is the true foundation of student success. They explore what Tier 1 actually includes, why intervention alone cannot solve widespread literacy struggles, and how leadership, collaboration, fidelity, coaching, and…
Melissa Loftus and Lori Sappington from the Melissa & Lori Love Literacy podcast take their hosting hats off for the day to share their expertise around fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension – and why comprehension instruction is far more complex than simply teaching “strategies.” Melissa and Lori explain why comprehension is considered an unconstrained skill, how…
Exciting news! Sarah & Michelle share their signature A4 Framework for teaching affixes inside of Logos Literacy Academy! Rather than treating prefixes and suffixes as isolated definitions to memorize, we explore how affixes function as meaningful structural units that help words grow and change across the English writing system. If you loved the BASE Framework…
Dr. Timothy Rasinski, Melissa Cheesman Smith, and Savannah Campbell join the show to discuss their newest resource, The Megabook of Vocabulary. They unpack why vocabulary is far more than a list of words to memorize. This conversation explores the research behind vocabulary instruction, why background knowledge matters, and how teachers can intentionally build language-rich classrooms…
We hear an awful lot about the importance of foundational literacy skills, but exactly belongs in that foundation? Educational linguist and author Lyn Stone discusses her newest resource: Foundations for Life — a structured literacy intervention manual designed for educators, interventionists, and parents supporting developing readers and writers. Lyn also shares her thoughts on the…
Linguist and author, Dr. Danny Bate brilliantly shares the fascinating history of the alphabet, while also uncovering some of the logic behind English spelling. You’ll hear about the surprising origins of letters (yes, <A> was once an ox’s head!), that vowels weren’t originally part of the alphabet, how the Great Vowel Shift transformed pronunciation, and…
Vocabulary may be just one pillar of literacy, but it’s also the thread that connects reading, writing, speaking, and thinking. In this episode, I’m breaking down why vocabulary truly changes everything when it comes to student learning – and why it deserves more intentional focus in our classrooms. I’ll also share 3 simple, high-impact shifts…
Stephanie Barber (Learning Product Manager) and Molly Sullivan (Curriculum Manager) from Reading.com share how families can support early reading development at home, without needing a background in education. Together, they unpack what makes Reading.com different from typical literacy apps: it’s not a passive, screen-time experience. Instead, it’s built around co-learning, where a caregiver and child…
Dr. Melissa Orkin and Sarah Gannon, co-authors of The Structured Literacy Playbook, join Michelle to unpack what it really takes to move students from accurate decoding to fluent, meaningful reading. They explore how teachers can intentionally plan to build fluency using a backward design approach rooted in the brain science of reading. Drawing on the…