Before you start buying new resources, rewriting your literacy block, or planning every detail of next year, there is one thing that matters more than all of it: reflection.

In this episode, I share why the most effective teachers don't begin summer planning by searching for new programs or activities. Instead, they start by examining what actually worked, what didn't, and which instructional routines truly supported student growth throughout the year.

If you've ever felt pressure to completely reinvent your literacy instruction every summer, this episode will help you step back, simplify, and focus on what matters most.

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In this episode of the Route2Reading Podcast, I sit down with Maya Smart to explore how we can build stronger, more meaningful partnerships between schools and families to support early literacy.

Maya brings a powerful parent perspective to this conversation, helping us rethink how we communicate with families, what parents truly need to know, and how we can better invite them into the literacy process.

We talk about shifting from "sending work home" to building real partnerships, simplifying communication, and helping parents understand not just what to do—but why it matters.

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In this episode of the Route2Reading Podcast, I sit down with Pryor (Orton Gillingham Mama) to talk about how parents can support their young readers at home using simple, effective, and realistic strategies.

Drawing from her experience as both an Orton-Gillingham educator and a mom, Pryor shares what actually makes a difference—and what doesn't—when it comes to helping children learn to read.

We break down what parents need to understand about how reading develops, how to make the most of just 10 minutes a day, and how to support children emotionally when reading feels hard.

If you're a parent, or you work with families who want to help but aren't sure how, this episode will give you clear, doable next steps.

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In this episode of the Route2Reading Podcast, I sit down with Katie Pace Miles to unpack one of the biggest challenges in early literacy—why phonemic awareness and phonics instruction don't always translate into real reading and spelling success for struggling readers.

Katie shares insights from her extensive work in literacy research, teacher education, and intervention, along with the development of her program, Reading Ready. We dig into what's often missing in classroom instruction, how to intentionally build transfer from sounds to words, and what effective, efficient instruction actually looks like in real classrooms.

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In this episode, I sit down with Treasa Bowe, an educator from Ireland, to talk about literacy instruction across countries. We unpack the differences between Ireland and the U.S., what's contributing to teacher overwhelm, and what actually matters most when it comes to supporting students.

This conversation is a good reminder that we don't need to do more—we need to be more intentional with what we choose to focus on.

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If you've ever thought, "My students just can't write," this episode is for you.

Writing is one of the most misunderstood parts of literacy instruction — and often one of the most frustrating for teachers and students alike.

In today's conversation with Barbara Friedlander, we unpack what's really happening beneath the surface when students struggle with writing — and what actually makes a difference.

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This week on the podcast, I'm joined by educators from PS152Q in Queens to talk about what it really looks like to shift a school toward structured literacy. We dive into how their team moved away from practices that weren't serving all students and began building a literacy block grounded in explicit phonics, intentional routines, and strong Tier 1 instruction. What makes this conversation so powerful is that it's not theoretical—it's the story of teachers and leaders doing the hard work in real classrooms, navigating challenges, analyzing data, and watching students begin to thrive as instruction becomes clearer and more aligned.

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If your students can decode CVC words but completely shut down when they see fantastic or instruction, this episode is for you.

In today's conversation, we dig into what really helps students read multisyllabic words — and it's not just memorizing syllable types.

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In this episode, I sit down with speech-language pathologist Sydney Bassard to unpack one of the most powerful (and often misunderstood) tools in literacy instruction: spelling error analysis.

Together, we explore how spelling, reading, and writing are deeply interconnected—and why looking beyond percent correct can completely change how we support students.

Whether you're a classroom teacher, literacy coach, interventionist, or SLP, this conversation will help you see student spelling errors not as mistakes, but as meaningful data.

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In this episode, I'm joined by literacy researcher, former classroom teacher, and author Julia Lindsay for a powerful conversation about small group reading instruction—what works, what doesn't, and how we can rethink small groups in a way that actually supports students and teachers.

Julia shares insights from her brand-new book, Small Groups, Big Results, and brings clarity to one of the most debated topics in literacy right now.

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