Shannon and Mary look back over Season 7 and reflect on what really matters for our reading students.   "The right things for our learners" emerged as the unofficial theme of our seventh season. This phrase encapsulates what each of us strives for – cutting through the noise to identify the most impactful practices for the unique students in front of us.

The conversations with our guests this season revealed a common thread: the need to simplify and focus on what's most important. In this episode, Shannon and Mary share some of their key takeaways from the discussions with the podcast guests over the course of the season.  They also provide details about the professional learning they've done over the past year,  changes they've made in their own teaching practices, and new resources they're using with their students.  

We want to hear from YOU in Season 8! If you're interested in joining us as a guest to discuss real classroom experiences, email us at [email protected] or reach out through our social media handle @ReadingTeachersLounge

LINKS FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

1. Magic School AI
2. Chat GPT (Mary uses for decodables)
3. Dyslexia GA DOE resources
4. Season 7 overall link
5. SWI resouces
6. Uncovering the Logic of English by Denise Eide *Amazon affiliate link
7. All About Spelling
8. Spelling for Life by Lyn Stone *Amazon affiliate link

• Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

Shannon and Mary chat with Dr. Katie Pace-Miles about MTSS and RTI, sharing practical tips for delivering effective reading interventions, choosing quality resources, and running efficient team meetings to support struggling readers.   Whether you're a classroom teacher trying to support struggling readers, a specialist designing intervention programs, or a parent advocating for your child, this conversation provides clear, actionable guidance for making literacy interventions both manageable and truly impactful.

LINKS FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

1. Easy CBM
2. Making Words Stick by Katie Pace Miles and Molly Ness *Amazon affiliate link*
3. our episode with Molly Ness from Season 6
4. overview of MTSS/RTI from understood.org
5. meeting norms
6. FCRR Fast Phrases
7. Wrights Law
8. Caregiver Guide from Katie Pace Miles
9. Letter Knowledge Guide from Katie Pace Miles
10. The Reading Institute website
11. The Reading Institute on IG
12. The Reading Institute (LinkedIn)
13. The Reading Institute (Facebook)
14. Katie Pace Miles' website
15. Connect with Katie through LinkedIn
16. Find Katie on IG
17. McGraw Hill Science of Literacy Library:
    A free resource hub containing blogs, videos, research reports, and more— designed to connect teachers with practical classroom resources and Professional Learning tips.

• Bonus Episodes access through your podcast app
• Bonus episodes access through Patreon
• Free Rubrics Guide created by us

Support the show

• Get Literacy Support through our Patreon
• Bonus Episodes access through your podcast app
• Bonus episodes access through Patreon
• Buy us a coffee
• Get a FREE Green Chef box using our link

Shannon and Mary chat with Dr. Katie Pace-Miles about MTSS and RTI, sharing practical tips for delivering effective reading interventions, choosing quality resources, and running efficient team meetings to support struggling readers.   Whether you're a classroom teacher trying to support struggling readers, a specialist designing intervention programs, or a parent advocating for your child, this conversation provides clear, actionable guidance for making literacy interventions both manageable and truly impactful.

LINKS FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

1. Easy CBM
2. Making Words Stick by Katie Pace Miles and Molly Ness *Amazon affiliate link*
3. our episode with Molly Ness from Season 6
4. overview of MTSS/RTI from understood.org
5. meeting norms
6. FCRR Fast Phrases
7. Wrights Law
8. Caregiver Guide from Katie Pace Miles
9. Letter Knowledge Guide from Katie Pace Miles
10. The Reading Institute website
11. The Reading Institute on IG
12. The Reading Institute (LinkedIn)
13. The Reading Institute (Facebook)
14. Katie Pace Miles' website
15. Connect with Katie through LinkedIn
16. Find Katie on IG
17. McGraw Hill Science of Literacy Library:
    A free resource hub containing blogs, videos, research reports, and more— designed to connect teachers with practical classroom resources and Professional Learning tips.

• Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

For the June 2025 bonus episode of the Reading Teachers Lounge podcast,    Shannon and Mary discuss the article "Lost in Translation? Challenges in Connecting Reading Science and Educational Practice"  by Seidenberg, Borkenhagen, and Kearns.
The article explores why the science of reading often fails to transform into successful instruction. The most significant gap is what the authors refer to as "translational research," which explicitly connects laboratory findings to practical classroom applications. Looking toward solutions, we discuss the authors' recommendations for cross-disciplinary collaborations, developing a true science of teaching, avoiding a narrow focus on phonics, investing in early learning, ensuring research applies to diverse populations, and examining existing instructional systems.

Join us in understanding why teachers have struggled with conflicting directives and why it's not their fault they've had to piece together approaches without clear, research-based guidance. The goal isn't "balanced literacy" but "balanced learning"—providing each student exactly what they need, when they need it.


Seidenberg, M. S., Borkenhagen, M. C., & Kearns, D. M. (2020). Lost in Translation? Challenges in Connecting Reading Science and Educational Practice. Reading Research Quarterly, 55(S1), S119–S130.

LINK TO OPEN-SOURCE RESEARCH ARTICLE:

Lost in Translation?  Challenges in Connecting Reading Science and Educational Practice by Mark Seidenberg, Matt Cooper Borkenhagen, and Devin Kearns (2020 ILA Reading Research Quarterly)

• Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

What's really happening when students struggle to stay on task, complete assignments, or transition between activities? In this illuminating conversation with literacy experts Dr. Matt Strader and Dr. Douglas Fisher, Shannon and Mary delve into the complex world of executive functioning and its impact on classroom performance.  Executive functioning isn't just about behavior—it's about cognitive processes happening in the brain's prefrontal cortex. Both guests help us understand the crucial distinction between the neurological processes of executive functioning and the observable skills of self-regulation. 

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

1. McGraw-Hill Science of Literacy Library:
   A free resource hub containing blogs, videos, research reports, and more— designed to connect teachers with practical classroom resources and Professional Learning tips.
2. Dr. Douglas Fisher's website
3. Dr. Matt Strader on LinkedIn
4. Executive Skills and Reading Comprehension:  A Guide for Educators by Kelly Cartwright and Nell Duke *Amazon affiliate link
5. Center on the Developing Child from Harvard University
6. Deborah Phillips-EF as the "air traffic control system"
7. Lynn Meltzer- mountain versus trees (cognitive flexibility)
8. Amy Berry- Teacher expectations on engagement
9. Timothy Shanahan's blog from 2022 on Executive Functioning and Reading
10. Center on the Developing Child (Harvard University):  EF- video
11. Unmasking Autism by Devon Price *Amazon affiliate link*
12. FCRR: Alphabet Arc
13. Promoting Executive Functioning in the Classroom by  Lynn Meltzer   *Amazon affiliate link*
14. Cognitive Challenges  article by Stephen Chew and William Cerbin
15. Bandura-outcome expectations
16. Understood.org:  What is neurodivers

Support the show

• Get Literacy Support through our Patreon
• Bonus Episodes access through your podcast app
• Bonus episodes access through Patreon
• Buy us a coffee
• Get a FREE Green Chef box using our link

What's really happening when students struggle to stay on task, complete assignments, or transition between activities? In this illuminating conversation with literacy experts Dr. Matt Strader and Dr. Douglas Fisher, Shannon and Mary delve into the complex world of executive functioning and its impact on classroom performance.  Executive functioning isn't just about behavior—it's about cognitive processes happening in the brain's prefrontal cortex. Both guests help us understand the crucial distinction between the neurological processes of executive functioning and the observable skills of self-regulation. 

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

1. McGraw-Hill Science of Literacy Library:
   A free resource hub containing blogs, videos, research reports, and more— designed to connect teachers with practical classroom resources and Professional Learning tips.
2. Dr. Douglas Fisher's website
3. Dr. Matt Strader on LinkedIn
4. Executive Skills and Reading Comprehension:  A Guide for Educators by Kelly Cartwright and Nell Duke *Amazon affiliate link
5. Center on the Developing Child from Harvard University
6. Deborah Phillips-EF as the "air traffic control system"
7. Lynn Meltzer- mountain versus trees (cognitive flexibility)
8. Amy Berry- Teacher expectations on engagement
9. Timothy Shanahan's blog from 2022 on Executive Functioning and Reading
10. Center on the Developing Child (Harvard University):  EF- video
11. Unmasking Autism by Devon Price *Amazon affiliate link*
12. FCRR: Alphabet Arc
13. Promoting Executive Functioning in the Classroom by  Lynn Meltzer  *Amazon affiliate link*
14. Cognitive Challenges  article by Stephen Chew and William Cerbin
15. Bandura-outcome expectations
16. Understood.org:  What is neurodiversity?

• Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

Shannon and Mary talk with Dr. Jeannette Mancilla-Martinez about supporting Multi-Language Learners, exploring language development, daily classroom language demands, and practical strategies to help MLLs thrive. The information presented is relevant for teachers, administrators, and support staff seeking practical tools to enhance instruction for multilingual learners.

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

1. Our Season 5 Episode 2: Supporting English Language Learners
2. McGraw-Hill Science of Literacy Library:
   A free resource hub containing blogs, videos, research reports, and more— designed to connect teachers with practical classroom resources and Professional Learning tips.
3. Vanderbilt University:   Jeannette Mancilla-Martinez
4. Edutopia:  Using SIOP with English Learners
5. Savvas Learning Company:  SIOP Model Professional Learning
6. Impact of Multilingualism and Learning Patterns on Student Achievement in English and other subjects by Raees Calafato and Kevin Simmonds
7. WIDA Can Do Descriptors for various grade levels
8. Reading Rockets:  What Does Research Tell Us About Teaching Reading to English Language Learners?
9. Academic Language and ELLS: What Teachers Need to Know
10. Reading Horizons:    What's the Difference Between ESL, EFL, ESOL, ELL, MLL, and ESP?

• Bonus Episodes access through your podcast app
• Bonus episodes access through Patreon
• Free Rubrics Guide created by us
• Finding Good Books Guide created by us
• Information about our Patreon membership

Support the show

• Get Literacy Support through our Patreon
• Bonus Episodes access through your podcast app
• Bonus episodes access through Patreon
• Buy us a coffee
• Get a FREE Green Chef box using our link

Shannon and Mary talk with Dr. Jeannette Mancilla-Martinez about supporting Multi-Language Learners, exploring language development, daily classroom language demands, and practical strategies to help MLLs thrive. The information presented is relevant for teachers, administrators, and support staff seeking practical tools to enhance instruction for multilingual learners.

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

1. Our Season 5 Episode 2: Supporting English Language Learners
2. McGraw-Hill Science of Literacy Library:
   A free resource hub containing blogs, videos, research reports, and more— designed to connect teachers with practical classroom resources and Professional Learning tips.
3. Vanderbilt University:   Jeannette Mancilla-Martinez
4. Edutopia:  Using SIOP with English Learners
5. Savvas Learning Company:  SIOP Model Professional Learning
6. Impact of Multilingualism and Learning Patterns on Student Achievement in English and other subjects by Raees Calafato and Kevin Simmonds
7. WIDA Can Do Descriptors for various grade levels
8. Reading Rockets:  What Does Research Tell Us About Teaching Reading to English Language Learners?
9. Academic Language and ELLS: What Teachers Need to Know
10. Reading Horizons:    What's the Difference Between ESL, EFL, ESOL, ELL, MLL, and ESP?

• Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

Shannon chats with Laura Stewart (from 95 Percent Group) about bold moves that literacy leaders can take to transform the literacy practices in their learning communities.    Laura provides stories and strategies relating to successfully implementing best practices informed by the Science of Reading into schools and classrooms, and Shannon shares some real-life examples of what she's learned to do and not to do as a literacy leader.   Listen and also download the recommended resources from the show notes to be empowered in your transformation efforts.

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

1. The Courage to Lead: 10 Bold Moves for Transformational Change by Laura Stewart ebook (download link from our Google Drive)
2. bio for Laura Stewart, 95 Percent Group's Chief Academic Officer
3. Becoming a Literacy Leader by Jennifer Allen *Amazon affiliate link*
4. Cox Campus Structured Literacy training
5. The Courage to Teach:   Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's life by Parker Palmer *Amazon affiliate link
6. Science of Reading 2.0 ebook from 95 Percent Group
7. Uphill Climb article by Laura Stewart
8. NIRN Hub
9. EdWEb.net Recording with Laura Stewart and Ken Kirby regarding Professional Learning in 2025
10. 95 Percent Group on IG
11. 95 Percent Group on Twitter/X
12. 95 Percent Group on Facebook
13. Morpeheme Magic
14. Science of Reading Defining Guide (The Reading League)

• Bonus Episodes access through your podcast app

Support the show

• Get Literacy Support through our Patreon
• Bonus Episodes access through your podcast app
• Bonus episodes access through Patreon
• Buy us a coffee
• Get a FREE Green Chef box using our link

Shannon chats with Laura Stewart (from 95 Percent Group) about bold moves that literacy leaders can take to transform the literacy practices in their learning communities.    Laura provides stories and strategies relating to successfully implementing best practices informed by the Science of Reading into schools and classrooms, and Shannon shares some real-life examples of what she's learned to do and not to do as a literacy leader.   Listen and also download the recommended resources from the show notes to be empowered in your transformation efforts.

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

1. The Courage to Lead: 10 Bold Moves for Transformational Change by Laura Stewart ebook (download link from our Google Drive)
2. bio for Laura Stewart, 95 Percent Group's Chief Academic Officer
3. Becoming a Literacy Leader by Jennifer Allen *Amazon affiliate link*
4. Cox Campus Structured Literacy training
5. The Courage to Teach:   Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's life by Parker Palmer *Amazon affiliate link
6. Science of Reading 2.0 ebook from 95 Percent Group
7. Uphill Climb article by Laura Stewart
8. NIRN Hub
9. EdWEb.net Recording with Laura Stewart and Ken Kirby regarding Professional Learning in 2025
10. 95 Percent Group on IG
11. 95 Percent Group on Twitter/X
12. 95 Percent Group on Facebook
13. Morpeheme Magic
14. Science of Reading Defining Guide (The Reading League)

• Get Literacy Support through our Patreon