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

Epizode

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  [Listen Again] What About Spelling? with Richard Gentry 21.08.2026 57min

  Episode 96 from 3/4/2022 We’re bringing back one of our most requested conversations about spelling and the important role it plays in reading development. In this episode, we revisit our conversation with literacy expert J. Richard Gentry, author of Brain Words , to explore how spelling supports automatic word recognition and stronger reading and writing overall. Throughout the conversation, Richard explains how spelling connects directly to students’ speech and language systems. He also sha...
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  The Science of Spelling with Brennan Chandler 14.08.2026 57min

  Episode 258 In this episode, we sit down with literacy researcher Brennan Chandler to talk about the science of spelling instruction and why spelling deserves a much bigger role in science of reading conversations. Brennan explains how spelling supports stronger writing, more precise word knowledge, and better reading outcomes. We discuss why spelling should be taught explicitly rather than left to chance, why patterns matter more than memorized rules, and how phonology, orthography, and morp...
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  Live from SSSR: What Reading Science Research Says Right Now 07.08.2026 56min

  In this bonus episode, we're bringing you research right from the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading (SSSR) conference, one of the biggest gatherings of reading researchers in the world. We break down the key takeaways, emerging trends, and standout research that caught our attention, and talk about what it all means for your classroom. If you want to know where the science of reading is headed next, this one's for you. Resources Mentioned Words as Tools (coming soon)Reading Ready + ...
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  Helping Every Reader Move Past the Decoding Threshold with Rebecca Kockler 31.07.2026 49min

  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 e...
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  Routines for Reading & Spelling Big Words with Faith Howard 24.07.2026 54min

  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 Read...
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  [Listen Again] Helping Students Read Multisyllabic Words with Devin Kearns 19.07.2026 53min

  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 wha...
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  Making Sense of Multisyllabic Words with Don Compton & Laura Steacy 10.07.2026 52min

  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 im...
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  Word Chaining for Building Phonemic Awareness with Anjanette McNeely 26.06.2026 42min

  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 so...
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  [Listen Again] What Research Says About Phonemic Awareness Instruction with Matt Burns 19.06.2026 45min

  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...
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  Research-Based Shifts to Strengthen Phonemic Awareness with Marianne Rice 12.06.2026 48min

  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 se...
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  Supporting Readers as Texts Get More Complex with Luke Morin 22.05.2026 57min

  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: W...
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  [Listen Again] Why Knowledge Matters for Comprehension with Daniel Willingham & Barbara Davidson 15.05.2026 1h

  Episode 139 As we continue our focus on comprehension this month, we’re revisiting one of our most essential conversations. In this episode, we explore a foundational truth about reading: comprehension depends on knowledge. We’re joined by cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham, who explains why background knowledge is one of the strongest drivers of reading comprehension and why strategies alone can’t compensate for gaps in knowledge. We also talk with Barbara Davidson, Executive Director of ...
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  To Read Stuff, You Have to Know Stuff with Kelly Gallagher 08.05.2026 55min

  Episode 251 One of the most consistent findings in reading research is this: how much you know determines how far you can go as a reader. In this episode, we’re joined by Kelly Gallagher, author of To Read Stuff, You Have to Know Stuff, to explore why knowledge is central to comprehension and what that means for classroom instruction. Kelly helps us rethink the long-standing emphasis on isolated reading strategies and instead focus on building knowledge at multiple levels: word, sentence, pas...
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  Vocabulary Strategies to Boost Word Learning with Melissa Cheesman Smith, Savannah Campbell, & Tim Rasinski 24.04.2026 1h 1min

  Episode 251 In this episode, we’re joined by Tim Rasinski, Melissa Cheesman, and Savannah Campbell, authors of The Megabook of Vocabulary, to talk about practical, classroom-ready strategies that actually work. We dig into the biggest misconceptions about vocabulary instruction, where vocabulary words should come from, how many exposures a word truly needs, and how to move words from simple recognition to confident use in speaking and writing. You’ll hear about: Why morphology and generative ...
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  [Listen Again] Ten Vocabulary Moves Backed by Research with Blythe Anderson 17.04.2026 47min

  What does the research really say about effective vocabulary instruction—and how can we translate it into daily classroom practice? In this episode, we’re joined by literacy expert Blythe Anderson to unpack vocabulary moves grounded in research that make a measurable difference for students. From intentional word selection to meaningful student talk, Blythe shares practical, classroom-ready strategies that help educators move beyond “word of the week” and into instruction that builds deep, la...
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  The Research on Vocabulary Instruction with Margaret McKeown 10.04.2026 52min

  Episode 250 In this episode, we’re joined by Margaret McKeown, a leading researcher in vocabulary and language development, to explore what effective vocabulary instruction really looks like in practice. Margaret helps us unpack common misconceptions about vocabulary teaching, including the pressure to ensure students “master” every word and the belief that vocabulary instruction must always be formal and pre-planned. She explains the power of informal instruction words “running through the c...
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  Small-Group Interventions That Actually Work with Kerry Cusick & Erin Sharon 27.03.2026 53min

  Episode 248 There’s a saying we hear often in literacy work: you don’t want to try to intervene your way out of a Tier 1 problem. Real change happens when classroom instruction and small-group support are aligned. In this episode, we’re joined by Kerry Cusick and Erin Sharon, two reading interventionists, who share how aligning Tier 1 instruction with the small-group work they lead every day transformed both their approach and student outcomes. While their work lives in intervention, the rout...
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  [Listen Again] Maximizing Small-Group Reading Instruction 20.03.2026 1h 5min

  Episode 143 This conversation remains one of our most downloaded episodes and for good reason. As we focus this month on small-group instruction, we’re revisiting this important discussion with a team of authors who published the article Maximizing Small-Group Reading Instruction. In this episode, we explore: • Why small-group reading instruction has been so widely adopted • What the research actually says about its effectiveness • Common misconceptions about small-gro...
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  Small Groups, Big Results with Julia Lindsey 13.03.2026 53min

  Episode 247 Small-group instruction can feel powerful and overwhelming at the same time. Questions about grouping, time, routines, and impact come up constantly. In this episode, we’re joined by Julia Lindsey, author of Small Groups, Big Results, to talk about what actually makes small-group instruction work. Julia helps break down small groups into manageable, intentional practices that don’t require more time or complexity, just clearer purpose. In this conversation, we discuss: Why small g...
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  Top Fluency Strategies Teachers Love from K–8 Classrooms 20.02.2026 50min

  Episode 246 Fluency looks different across grade levels, but it always matters. In this special mashup episode, Melissa and Lori bring together voices from seven classroom teachers, spanning first grade through eighth grade, to show how fluency comes to life in real classrooms. Each teacher shares a best practice they use to support accuracy, automaticity, and expression, always grounded in meaningful reading. You’ll hear about a range of approaches, including: Songs, shared reading, and read...