Podcast: Literacy in Color

16. A Very Merry Phonological Awareness Lesson

It’s Christmas Eve! In today’s special holiday-themed episode, we’re bringing a little winter magic to phonological awareness. Whether you’re a teacher, parent, or just looking for a festive and educational activity, this interactive episode is for you! Together, we’ll play with sounds and words, engaging in fun phonological awareness activities that include rhyming, blending, segmenting,…

15. Black Language & Structured Literacy with Dr. Jasmine Rogers

In this heartfelt, powerful, and impactful episode, I am joined by Dr. Jasmine Rogers, a leading national voice in literacy instruction and a trailblazer in culturally competent teaching practices. Dr. Rogers specializes in approaches that affirm Black Language (Black English) in the classroom and has dedicated her career to revolutionizing literacy instruction by honoring every…

14. A Literacy Coach’s Role & Responsibilities with Alison Kantor (Literacy Coaching Conversations Series – Part 7)

We’re wrapping up this Literacy Coaching Conversations series with my good friend and colleague, Alison Kantor, a literacy coach and Orton-Gillingham trainer, to discuss the unique and impactful role of a literacy coach. Alison shares her journey from classroom teacher to literacy coach, her daily responsibilities, and her strategies for supporting teachers as they navigate…

13. What is Structured Literacy?

What is Structured Literacy, exactly? Let’s take a deep dive into this research-based instructional approach rooted in the Science of Reading. We’ll unpack the guiding principles and elements of Structured Literacy, explain how it differs from Balanced Literacy, and share why it’s so effective for teaching all students—especially those with dyslexia or other reading challenges….

12. Coaching into Foundational Skills with Merri Polhemus (Literacy Coaching Conversations Series – Part 6)

In this episode of The Literacy in Color Podcast, Michelle chats with Merri Polhemus, a district-wide literacy coach focused on supporting teachers in building strong foundational skills. Now in her second year as a literacy coach, Merri discusses her unique role, her journey from classroom teacher to coach, and the many ways she helps teachers…

11. Unraveling Scarborough’s Reading Rope: Fluency & Comprehension

In the final episode of this mini-series on Scarborough’s Reading Rope, we tie everything together by exploring the culmination of skilled reading: fluency and comprehension. We’ll recap the interconnected strands of Word Recognition and Language Comprehension, discuss the role of fluency as a bridge between decoding and comprehension, and unpack why both knowledge-building and strategy…

10. Building Trust with Teachers with Amie Burkholder (Literacy Coaching Conversations Series – Part 5)

In this Coaching Conversation, I chat with literacy coach Amie Burkholder about the importance of building trust with teachers. Amie opens up about her journey from classroom teacher to literacy coach, sharing strategies that have helped her foster supportive and impactful relationships with educators. Whether you’re a new or experienced literacy coach, Amie’s advice on…

9. Unraveling Scarborough’s Reading Rope: Language Comprehension

Join me as we explore the Language Comprehension side of Scarborough’s Reading Rope, a critical yet often under-discussed component in the Science of Reading. While Word Recognition gets much of the spotlight, Language Comprehension is equally vital for developing skilled readers. We’ll unpack the five strands of this half of the rope—Background Knowledge, Vocabulary, Language…