Sara Marye, founder of The Stellar Teacher Company, joins Michelle to unpack what effective upper-elementary reading intervention can actually look like in the general classroom setting. Together, they explore why students in grades 3–5 may continue to struggle with decoding, how phonics gaps impact both reading and writing, and what classroom teachers can realistically do to support older students who still need foundational skill support.

Sara shares the thinking behind the Stellar Reading Intervention Toolkit, including its intentional structure, focus on multisyllabic words, and commitment to dignity-preserving, age-appropriate materials for older students.

Key Takeaways

Reading challenges do not end in second grade and they don’t resolve themselves without explicit instruction
Upper-elementary students often struggle not because they can’t learn phonics, but because they were never explicitly taught
Short, systematic, and well-structured lessons are more likely to be used consistently by classroom teachers
Intervention should feel connected to Tier 1 instruction, not isolated or “in a box”
It is never too late to address reading gaps, but supports become harder to access as students get older

Resources

Connect with Sara Marye

Thank you to Express Readers for supporting the production of this episode.

Express Readers creates thoughtfully designed decodable texts that align with the Science of Reading and support developing readers at every stage. You can visit their website to learn more and grab a

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