Research should guide our teaching, but too often, it feels locked away in academic journals, filled with jargon, or disconnected from classroom realities.

In this episode of Literacy in Color, I talk with Dr. Neena Saha: educator, researcher, EdTech innovator, and creator of the Reading Research Recap. She’s on a mission to make reading research clear, digestible, and actionable for teachers. So, if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by academic papers, or wondered how to tell whether research is relevant, this episode will help you feel more confident as a critical consumer of evidence.

Key Takeaways:

• Why accessing research is harder than it should be and the barriers teachers face.
• The different types of studies (correlational, experimental, randomized control trials) and how to interpret them.
• What “peer-reviewed” really means and why it’s only the starting line for credible research.
• Red flags to watch for when you hear claims like “everything I do is research-based.”
• Neena’s hopes for dismantling the wall between research and practice, and what needs to shift at the system level.

Resources Mentioned & How to Connect with Dr. Neena Saha:

• Reading Research Recap on YouTube
• Neena’s Top Reading Research Picks for July 2025
• Dr. Neena Saha on LinkedIn

Connect with Me:

• Follow me on Instagram: @michelle_thecolorfulclassroom & @logosliteracyacademy
• Join our Facebook Community
• Sign up for my Newsletter
• Shop on TPT: The Colorful Classroom
• Visit: www.michelleandthecolorfulclassroom.com
• Join The COLORFUL Literacy Toolkit Membership

Want to Support the Podcast?

• Make a Donation to Support Production

Interested in Learning More about Morphology?

• Take our Course: Mastering Morphology: Foundations for Every Educator