Melissa & Lori Love Literacy ® | Science of Reading for Teachers

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Melissa & Lori Love Literacy® is a science of reading podcast for teachers who want to understand how reading really works and what that means for classroom instruction.Each month, Melissa & Lori explore topics in reading instruction by talking with researchers, authors, and classroom teachers who are bringing reading research into their classrooms.Melissa & Lori are like the teachers next door, now behind the mic. They learn alongside listeners and ask the same questions educators everywhere are asking: What does the research say about reading? What does strong literacy instruction actually look like in real classrooms? Through these conversations, the podcast helps bridge the gap between reading research and day-to-day teaching.Episodes explore topics including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, writing, spelling, reading intervention, and other key areas of structured literacy instruction.Melissa & Lori help teachers think through what reading research can look like in their own classrooms.

  1. 2d ago

    Helping Every Reader Move Past the Decoding Threshold with Rebecca Kockler

    Episode 257 Why do so many students appear to thrive in early literacy, only to stall by middle school? In this episode, we talk with Rebecca Kockler to unpack what literacy data from Louisiana revealed about a common but often misunderstood pattern: strong early reading results followed by flat or declining comprehension growth in later grades. At the center of the conversation is the concept of the Decoding Threshold: the point at which students can read words accurately and automatically enough to access grade-level text and grow in comprehension. Rebecca explains: What happens when students never fully cross that thresholdWhy decoding instruction must continue through middle schoolHow multisyllabic decoding becomes a critical turning point around fourth gradeThe powerful connection between morphology, vocabulary, and spellingWhy fluency is the first true step of applicationHow reader identity influences students’ willingness to grapple with challenging textWhat effective assessment actually looks like for older readersYou’ll walk away with practical strategies to support multisyllabic decoding, vocabulary and spelling development, integrated fluency practice, & tier 1 instruction that adapts to increasing language complexity. If you’ve ever wondered why students who “learned to read” struggle later — this conversation will reshape how you think about literacy instruction in elementary and middle school. Resources Resources for Educators Why "Learn to Read, Read to Learn" Fails Older Readers - And How To Fix ItAction Guide for Educators ROARStandards & Instructional Practices We Never Stop Learning to Read by Chase Young (blog) Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com. Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at literacypodcast@greatminds.org.

    Helping Every Reader Move Past the Decoding Threshold with Rebecca Kockler

  2. Jul 24

    Routines for Reading & Spelling Big Words with Faith Howard

    Episode 256  Faith Howard shares practical strategies for improving literacy skills in middle and high school students, focusing on decoding multisyllabic words, spelling routines, and fluency practices. This episode offers actionable insights for educators aiming to enhance reading comprehension and word attack skills. Resources  Encoding & Decoding with Word Pyramids BlogI Was Doing Fluency Wrong - Until I Made It About Knowledge BlogTeachers Teach Teachers | Science of Reading YouTube Channel VideoRead Like Us Podcast Episode with Jake Downs & Chase Young Tight Ten ArticleLiteracy Lab with Faith Facebook Page Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com. Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at literacypodcast@greatminds.org.

    Routines for Reading & Spelling Big Words with Faith Howard

  3. Jul 19

    [Listen Again] Helping Students Read Multisyllabic Words with Devin Kearns

    If you’ve ever wondered how to help your students decode longer words, this episode is for you! We’re joined by literacy researcher and professor Devin Kearns to talk all about teaching multisyllabic words. Many phonics programs focus on single-syllable words, but what happens when students hit big words and get stuck? Devin unpacks the research behind why that happens and what we can do instead. We talk about: flexible decoding strategies,when and how to teach syllables and morphemes,and what “set for variability” really looks like in the classroom (spoiler: it’s not guessing!).You’ll walk away with practical, research-backed ideas to help your students read longer words with confidence. Devin M. Kearns, Ph.D., is the Goodnight Distinguished Professor in Early Literacy at NC State, where he studies early reading and collaborates with experts in psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience to explore the brain basis of reading. RESOURCES Helping Students With Dyslexia Read Long Words: Using Syllables and Morphemes by Devin M. Kearns and Victoria M. WhaleyFollowing the Rules in an Unruly WritingSystem: The Cognitive Science ofLearning to Read Englishby Devin M. Kearns and Matthew J. Cooper BorkenhagenSyllable Division: New Data that Can Inform Intervention by Joanne Marttila Pierson, Ph.D., CCC-SLPOn Eating Elephants and Teaching Syllabication by Tim ShanahanLooking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com. Connect with us! Email us at literacypodcast@greatminds.org. Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com. Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at literacypodcast@greatminds.org.

    [Listen Again] Helping Students Read Multisyllabic Words with Devin Kearns

  4. Jul 10

    Making Sense of Multisyllabic Words with Don Compton & Laura Steacy

    Episode 255 Experts Don Compton & Laura Steacy explore the complexities of multisyllabic word reading and the decoding challenges older readers encounter, especially those with dyslexia. They discuss how readers navigate complex words using different decoding strategies, the role of morphology and “set for variability” in reading development, and how tools like the DELP database help predict word difficulty. The episode offers practical insights into supporting literacy development and improving instruction for struggling readers. Resources  D-ELP Tool FCRR Student Center Activities  Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com. Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at literacypodcast@greatminds.org.

    Making Sense of Multisyllabic Words with Don Compton & Laura Steacy

  5. Jun 26

    Word Chaining for Building Phonemic Awareness with Anjanette McNeely

    Episode 254 In this episode, we sit down with kindergarten teacher Anjanette McNeely to take a close look at one powerful instructional routine: word chaining. Anjanette walks us through exactly what word chaining looks like in her classroom, from the materials she uses to the language she says, and explains why this routine is such an effective way to build both phonemic awareness and phonics at the same time. We also explore how word chaining supports orthographic mapping, why connecting sounds to print matters, and how small instructional shifts, like continuous blending and interleaving, can have a big impact on student learning. Whether you're new to word chaining or looking to refine your practice, this episode offers practical ideas you can try right away. Resources Word Chaining: An Efficient and Effective Alternative to Oral Phonemic Awareness by Anjanette McNeely: Blog post about word chaining and a video of Anjanette's classroom in action Word Chaining: A Simple Routine for Reading and Spelling (printable) You can see a picture of Anjanette's word chaining tray hereWord Chains for Decoding and Encoding Practice: An overview on how to make and use word chains to teach decoding and encoding (from UFLI) 44 Phonemes (video): Learn how to pronounce the 44 phonemes in the English alphabet (from Rollins Center for Language and Literacy) Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com. Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at literacypodcast@greatminds.org.

    Word Chaining for Building Phonemic Awareness with Anjanette McNeely

  6. Jun 19

    [Listen Again] What Research Says About Phonemic Awareness Instruction with Matt Burns

    We’re revisiting this episode with Matt Burns because it offers one of the clearest explanations of phonemic awareness and how it fits into reading instruction. In this conversation, Matt helps unpack what the research actually says and what that means for what we prioritize in the classroom. He explains why phonemic awareness is not a standalone precursor to reading, but develops alongside it, and why decoding should take center stage as students move into the upper elementary grades. If you’ve ever felt unsure about how phonemic awareness fits into your instruction, or what to focus on as students progress, this episode brings clarity and practical direction. Resources Phonemic Awareness, Research, Misconceptions, and Fads with Dr. Matt BurnsThey Say You Can Do Phonemic Awareness Instruction “In the Dark”, But Should You? A Critical Evaluation of the Trend Toward Advanced Phonemic Awareness TrainingRIP to Advanced Phonemic Awareness | Shanahan on LiteracyPhonemic Awareness with Letters YouTube video, Matt BurnsMatt Burns YouTube Channel National Reading Panel Report Elkonin Boxes, Reading RocketsFlorida Center for Reading Research UFLI Foundations Ep. 159: Back to School: Science of Reading or Snake Oil with Holly Lane Road to the Code, Book IES Practice Guides Empirical Analysis of Drill Ratio Research: Refining the Instructional Level for Drill Tasks, Matt Burns (meta-analysis) Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com. Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at literacypodcast@greatminds.org.

    [Listen Again] What Research Says About Phonemic Awareness Instruction with Matt Burns

  7. Jun 12

    Research-Based Shifts to Strengthen Phonemic Awareness with Marianne Rice

    Episode 253 In this episode, we talk with Marianne Rice about key findings from a Tennessee report examining how well early literacy materials align with research on phonemic awareness and early reading instruction. Marianne walks us through five essential practices that can help teachers make the most of their instructional time:  focusing on phoneme-level workusing articulatory gesturesconnecting phonemic awareness to printbeing mindful of instructional timeprioritizing blending and segmenting.Throughout the conversation, Marianne shares practical ways teachers can evaluate and adjust their current curriculum without starting from scratch.  The big takeaway: small instructional shifts, especially connecting sounds to print and focusing on blending and segmenting, can have a big impact on helping students become strong readers and spellers. Resources  Kindergarten and First-Grade HQIM Alignment with Research on Code-Focused Instruction: Tennessee Early Literacy Report (referenced in the episode)5 Focus Areas for Phonemic Awareness (printable)44 Phonemes (video): Learn how to pronounce the 44 phonemes in the English alphabet (from Rollins Center for Language and Literacy)Word Chains for Decoding and Encoding Practice: An overview on how to make and use word chains to teach decoding and encoding (from UFLI) What Works Clearinghouse Guide: Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd GradePhonemic Awareness: A Meta-Analysis for Planning (need ILA access)   Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com. Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at literacypodcast@greatminds.org.

    Research-Based Shifts to Strengthen Phonemic Awareness with Marianne Rice

  8. May 22

    Supporting Readers as Texts Get More Complex with Luke Morin

    Episode 252 What actually happens when students encounter a complex text? In this episode, we’re joined by Luke Morin to discuss his article "Wading Into the Deep End: What Reading Actually Requires When the Text Gets Hard." Luke shares a powerful classroom moment where students applied reading strategies before tackling a tough text and still couldn’t make sense of a single sentence. That experience led him to rethink what it really means to teach reading. In this conversation, we explore: Why using strategies doesn’t guarantee understandingHow text complexity is shaped by the interaction between text, reader, and taskWhat collective close reading looks like in practiceHow to provide “lily pad” supports without rescuing studentsLuke challenges the idea that comprehension can be reduced to checklists or isolated skills. Instead, he offers a vision of instruction that prepares students to wade into deep water with support, intention, and growing independence. RESOURCES "Wading Into the Deep End: What Reading Actually Requires When the Text Gets Hard" by Luke Morin"A Lily Pad, in Practice" (Collective Close Reading Sample)"Why Mastery Doesn't Matter" by Luke Morin "The Surprising Power of the Humble Worksheet" by Luke MorinLooking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com. Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at literacypodcast@greatminds.org.

    Supporting Readers as Texts Get More Complex with Luke Morin
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Melissa & Lori Love Literacy® is a science of reading podcast for teachers who want to understand how reading really works and what that means for classroom instruction.Each month, Melissa & Lori explore topics in reading instruction by talking with researchers, authors, and classroom teachers who are bringing reading research into their classrooms.Melissa & Lori are like the teachers next door, now behind the mic. They learn alongside listeners and ask the same questions educators everywhere are asking: What does the research say about reading? What does strong literacy instruction actually look like in real classrooms? Through these conversations, the podcast helps bridge the gap between reading research and day-to-day teaching.Episodes explore topics including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, writing, spelling, reading intervention, and other key areas of structured literacy instruction.Melissa & Lori help teachers think through what reading research can look like in their own classrooms.

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