Foundations of Reading Audio Guide- For Teachers and Parents

Jennifer Ewing
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Foundations of Reading Audio Guide is the no-fluff prep companion for teachers and parents. Each episode breaks down tough literacy concepts, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, with practical examples straight from real classrooms. Whether you’re studying for the Praxis or the Utah Foundations of Reading exam, or just sharpening your instruction, you’ll get clear explanations, memorable stories, and encouragement from a teacher who gets it. We call this show Real, Raw, and Ready because it’s recorded in the middle of real life-kids, pets, and neighbor noise.

  1. 2D AGO

    Season 2 Episode 9: The Open Response- Thinking Like a Reading Specialist

    In this episode, we break down the most intimidating part of the Foundations of Reading test- the open-response section, worth 20% of your score. Together, we walk through how to think like a reading specialist using a simple formula: Identify, Explain, Apply. You’ll hear real examples, practical strategies, and a calm reminder that you already do this work every day in your classroom. sss this exam with confidence. This podcast is completely raw and unedited, recorded after long days, because like many of you, I’m balancing teaching, my own children, a second job, and pure exhaustion. YOU'VE GOT THIS! We are raw, we are real, and we are ready!!

    12 min

  2. OCT 7

    Season 2, Episode 8: Comprehension: Making Meaning From Text

    In this episode, Jenn brings the focus to the heart of reading—comprehension. After weeks of building the layers of sound, symbol, fluency, and vocabulary, this conversation brings it all together in a way that feels both personal and practical. Through thoughtful reflection and classroom insight, Jenn explores how readers move beyond decoding words to truly making meaning from text. From background knowledge and vocabulary to active engagement and strategy use, this episode highlights the intentional teaching that turns reading into understanding. If you’ve been following along through the Foundations of Reading journey, this one will remind you why it all matters. Teaching reading is teaching children to make sense of their world, one story, one strategy, one brave moment at a time. Real. Raw. And Ready.

    9 min

  3. OCT 5

    Season 2 Episode 7: The Foundation Checkpoint- How It All Fits Together

    In this extended episode, we pause to look at the full picture of reading development-how every piece connects from sound to meaning. Jenn walks listeners through the progression from phonological and phonemic awareness to phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, weaving in real-world classroom examples and test-ready explanations. This “Foundation Checkpoint” is part review, part reflection. It revisits key ideas about explicit, systematic instruction, shows how one skill builds upon the next, and reminds educators why these fundamentals matter for every child learning to read. Whether you’re studying for the Foundations of Reading exam or simply refreshing your understanding of effective literacy practice, this episode brings it all together with clarity, warmth, and purpose.

    20 min

  4. SEP 30

    Season 2, Episode 6: Vocabulary: Words That Unlock Meaning (short)

    Today’s episode is going to be a short one. We’re starting our conversation on vocabulary, one of the five pillars of reading. Think of this as a quick, focused study session — the essentials you need for the Foundations of Reading exam and the big ideas you’ll want to carry into your classroom. Later this week, we’ll come back for a full deep dive, but for now, let’s ground ourselves in what vocabulary really is, why it matters, and the strategies that make the biggest difference.

    7 min

  5. SEP 28

    Season 2 Episode 5 Fluency Deep Dive: Accuracy, Automaticity, and Prosody

    In this extended episode, we take a deep dive into fluency- the essential bridge between phonics and comprehension. Together, we’ll explore the three pillars of fluency: accuracy, automaticity, and prosody. You’ll hear classroom examples (with hypothetical names only to protect student privacy), practical strategies from UFLI routines to Reader’s Theater, and clear guidance on what the Foundations of Reading exam expects you to know. This episode is real, raw, and ready — a blend of test prep and encouragement for teachers navigating the challenges of balancing classrooms, families, and life. Have a great day! Jenn

    18 min

  6. SEP 21

    Season 2, Episode 4 Finding the Flow: Fluency (short)

    I’ll start with a picture. This morning, I sat with a group of kinders at the U-table for UFLI. We had our review deck in hand. Card after card, clean sounds: /s/, /a/, /t/. Then I slid a blending line across the pocket chart: sat, sap, sip, Sam. They labored through it, finger under each sound, voices halting. “Ssss…aaah…t.” A victory, yes. But also a reminder — they weren’t fluent yet.

    12 min

  7. SEP 18

    Season 2 Episode 3- Cracking the Code: Phonics

    In this full-length episode of the Foundations of Reading Audio Guide, Jenn dives deep into phonics — the critical connection between sounds and print. Through real classroom stories and practical examples, you’ll hear how systematic, explicit phonics instruction helps children crack the code of reading. Whether you’re preparing for the Foundations of Reading test or working with students every day, this episode gives you the clarity, repetition, and encouragement you need. This is real and raw. Thank you for listening!

    27 min

  8. SEP 17

    Season 2 Episode 2- Cracking the Code: Phonics

    What Is Phonics? At its core, phonics is the teaching of letter–sound relationships. In other words, phonics is helping children understand that the squiggly shape we call m stands for the sound /m/. Once they know that, we can start blending sounds together. I’ll give you an example from my kindergarten class. One of my students, let’s call him Mason, loved cars but struggled with letters. We started with “m” because it’s in his name. I showed him the letter card, we said “mmm,” and I said, “That’s the sound at the start of Mason. Mmmmason.” His eyes lit up. That’s phonics — connecting something abstract, a letter, to something very real, a sound he already knows.

    11 min
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About

Foundations of Reading Audio Guide is the no-fluff prep companion for teachers and parents. Each episode breaks down tough literacy concepts, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, with practical examples straight from real classrooms. Whether you’re studying for the Praxis or the Utah Foundations of Reading exam, or just sharpening your instruction, you’ll get clear explanations, memorable stories, and encouragement from a teacher who gets it. We call this show Real, Raw, and Ready because it’s recorded in the middle of real life-kids, pets, and neighbor noise.

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