Literacy in Color: A Science of Reading Aligned Podcast for Educators

116. All 50 States Have Dyslexia Laws... So Why Are Kids Still Being Left Behind? with Missy Purcell (Dyslexia Awareness Month)

All 50 states now have dyslexia legislation on the books. So why are so many students with dyslexia still caught in a “wait to fail” system? Dyslexia advocate, Missy Purc

115. From Undiagnosed Dyslexia to Advocacy: Ameer Baraka on the Life-Changing Power of Reading (Dyslexia Awareness Month)

Emmy-nominated actor, dyslexia advocate, and speaker Ameer Baraka explores the human side of unidentified dyslexia. Ameer takes us back to his childhood, when difficultie

114. But what exactly are we "waiting to see"? with Barb Golub (Dyslexia Awareness Month)

What does dyslexia actually look like – from preschool through high school – and how can educators recognize when a student’s struggles may be telling us something more?

113. Integrated MTSS: Looking at Academics & Behavior Side by Side with Pam Radford and Dawn Miller, MTSS Innovations

What happens when schools treat academics and behavior as two completely separate systems? Dr. Dawn Miller and Dr. Pamela Radford of MTSS Innovations help us explore wha

112. Routines for Reading Results with Dr. Sarah Brown & Dr. Kelly Powell-Smith

Dr. Sarah Brown and Dr. Kelly Powell-Smith, co-authors of Routines for Reading Results: A Practical Approach for Accelerating Growth, alongside Dr. Stephanie Stollar and

111. When Language is the Missing Piece: DLD & SWI with Two SLPs, Kathleen Love & Beth Coppoc Gunshor

Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) affects approximately 1 in 14 people, yet many educators have never heard of it. So what might DLD actually look like in the classro

110. Decodable Texts Done Right: How to Leverage Them for Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary & Writing with Dr. Wiley Blevins

Decodable texts are an important tool for helping readers apply their phonics knowledge, but are we squeezing everything we can out of them? Dr. Wiley Blevins – longtime

109. Phonological Awareness & the Alphabet: What the Research Says – and What We Still Don't Know with Dr. Shayne Piasta

Before we get into what the research currently says about teaching phonological awareness and the alphabet, this episode begins by breaking down some key terminology. Wha

108. Making Phonics Richer with Multiple Meaning Words

What if one of the richest language opportunities in your literacy block is already hiding inside your phonics word list? Even the simplest decodable words can carry surp

107. Stop Overcomplicating Big Words: How to Teach Polysyllabic Word Reading with Dr. Devin Kearns

What happens after students master single-syllable words in phonics, but the words in their books keep getting longer? Dr. Devin Kearns takes us for a deep dive into pol

106. How New York City Is Transforming Reading Instruction with Dr. Katie Pace Miles

What does it actually mean for a word to become "stored" in the brain – and how do we design instruction that helps that happen for every student? In this episode, I'm j

105. From Imposter Syndrome to Impact: A Literacy Coach's Journey & the Power of SRSD for Writing Instruction with Leah Ruesink

Transitioning from classroom teacher to literacy coach is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. How do you build trust? Support veteran teachers? Know when to offer

104. Building the Biliterate Reading Brain: Multi-Component Instruction & Deep Reading with Dr. Maryanne Wolf

One of the most influential voices around “the reading brain”, Dr. Maryanne Wolf, joins the show to tackle that very subject. Our brains were never wired to read. Reading

103. 5 Quick Tips for b/d Letter Reversals

Letter reversals are one of the most common concerns among parents and teachers. In this episode, we dive into what’s happening in the brain when it comes to letter rever

102. Powerful Fluency Instruction & Performance-Based Practices with Dr. Chase Young

Fluency serves as the critical bridge between accurate word reading and deep comprehension, so how can we build it? In this episode, Michelle sits down with literacy scho

101. Science of Reading Hot Topics: Navigating the Nuance with Anna Geiger, Reach All Readers

The Science of Reading has transformed literacy instruction, but with that shift has come a new challenge: navigating the growing number of debates, disagreements, and ho

100. A Literacy Manifesto After 100 Episodes: 3 Hills I'd Die On, 3 Things I Hope We Leave Behind, and 3 Things I'm Watching Closely

Happy 100th Episode!!! To celebrate this milestone episode, I share: 3 literacy hills I’d die on3 things I hope we can leave behind, and3 things I’m watching closely

99. How PS 152Q Transformed Early Literacy with Reading Ready with Lisa Russo & the 1st Grade Team

What happens when a school decides that "business as usual" is no longer good enough? Principal Lisa Russo and the first-grade team at PS 152Q to discuss their remarkable

98. Syntax is Everything: The Backbone of Comprehension with Dr. Julie Van Dyke

When educators discuss reading comprehension, the conversation often centers around vocabulary, background knowledge, and comprehension strategies, but what if we've been

97. Effective Universal Instruction with Dr. Sarah Brown & Dr. Kimberly Gibbons

Drawing from decades of experience in literacy, school psychology, systems-level leadership, and MTSS implementation, Dr. Sarah Brown and Dr. Kimberly Gibbons explain why