

Melissa & Lori Love Literacy ® | Science of Reading for Teachers
Supported by Great Minds
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, we explore key topics in the science of reading and literacy instruction through thoughtful conversations with researchers, authors, and classroom teachers who are putting reading research into practice.Melissa & Lori are your classroom-next-door teacher friends turned podcasters, learning alongside you and asking the same questions teachers everywhere are asking: What does the research say about reading? What does strong literacy instruction actually look like in real classrooms? And how can teachers apply the science of reading in ways that make sense for their students?Through conversations with leading literacy experts and educators from classrooms across the globe, Melissa & Lori help bridge the gap between reading research and day-to-day teaching. Whether you are a classroom teacher, literacy coach, interventionist, or school leader, you’ll find clear explanations of science of reading concepts and practical insights for your classroom, school, or district.Topics across the podcast align to science of reading research, including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, writing, and spelling, along with broader conversations about reading development, multi-tiered systems of support, and supporting struggling readers.If you care about strong reading instruction, evidence-based literacy practices, and helping every student become a successful reader, you’re in the right place.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 28, 2023 • 1h 4min
[Listen Again] Ep. 116: Sonia Cabell on the Importance of Content-Rich ELA Instruction
Dr. Sonia Cabell, Associate Professor at Florida State University, shares the importance of both oral language and content knowledge instruction. Why? Oral language skills underlie our ability to comprehend text. At the same time, the knowledge we bring to a text is THE key determinant on how much we understand that text. This episode speaks to the entirety of the reading rope! If you’re enjoying Melissa & Lori Love Literacy, bring us to your school or event.We offer keynotes, presentations, and live podcast-style sessions focused on practical, science of reading–aligned strategies aligned to our podcast and book, The Literacy 50. Email LiteracyPodcast@greatminds.org to learn more.Get free resources and updates at literacypodcast.com.

25 snips
Apr 21, 2023 • 57min
Ep. 146: Reading Comprehension is Not a Skill with Robert Pondiscio
Robert Pondiscio, a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, challenges the notion that reading comprehension is merely a skill. He argues that comprehension relies heavily on background knowledge and discusses how knowledgeable readers excel in understanding texts. He also contrasts 'mirror' curricula that reflect students' experiences with 'window' curricula that expand their knowledge horizons. Pondiscio stresses that while independent reading is valuable, it cannot replace structured, knowledge-building instruction, which is crucial for real-world readiness.

10 snips
Apr 14, 2023 • 57min
[Listen Again] Ep. 118: Rethinking Reading Comprehension with Researcher Hugh Catts
In this episode, researcher Hugh Catts discusses his pivotal piece titled Rethinking How to Promote Reading Comprehension | American Federation of Teachers. He asserts, “Reading comprehension is thinking with a book in your hand.” There are three factors that impact reading comprehension: the reader, the text, and the activity (task or purpose). He talks with Melissa and Lori about the role knowledge plays in reading comprehension, the interaction of the knowledge the text demands vs. the knowledge a student brings to a task, and the implications of knowledge in instruction and assessment.Resources Rethinking How to Promote Reading Comprehension | American Federation of Teachers Language and Reading Research Consortium Study Listening strategies in the L2 classroom: more practice, less studyConnect with us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter. Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculumIf you’re enjoying Melissa & Lori Love Literacy, bring us to your school or event.We offer keynotes, presentations, and live podcast-style sessions focused on practical, science of reading–aligned strategies aligned to our podcast and book, The Literacy 50. Email LiteracyPodcast@greatminds.org to learn more.Get free resources and updates at literacypodcast.com.

Apr 7, 2023 • 60min
Ep. 145: Debunking Balanced Literacy Arguments with Pamela Snow
Pamela Snow, professor at Latrobe University in Australia, discusses the arguments that keep surfacing when educators are resistant to move away from balanced literacy. You might have heard a few: Systematic phonics teaching is just for Tier 2.The goal of balanced literacy is for children to love reading. Explicit teaching kills the love of reading. Give them time, they’ll catch on or catch up. Teachers should choose what they think is best. Pam’s blog post, Balanced Literacy Bingo, debunks each idea listed above and more. ResourcesThe Snow Report Blog and Balanced Literacy BingoA School Leader’s Sliding Doors Moment by Sue Knight Dear Balanced Literacy Teacher Podcast and Blog La Trobe University’s Short Courses: Introduction, Intermediate, Secondary and Masters in LinguisticsConnect with usFacebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to stay connected with Melissa and Lori! Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. If you’re enjoying Melissa & Lori Love Literacy, bring us to your school or event.We offer keynotes, presentations, and live podcast-style sessions focused on practical, science of reading–aligned strategies aligned to our podcast and book, The Literacy 50. Email LiteracyPodcast@greatminds.org to learn more.Get free resources and updates at literacypodcast.com.

Mar 31, 2023 • 1h 3min
[Listen Again] Ep. 112: Kareem Weaver on Levers for Literacy Change
In this episode, Melissa and Lori have a candid discussion about change with Kareem Weaver, co-founder of FULCRUM Oakland: Full and Complete Reading is a Universal Mandate. FULCRUM’s goal is to ensure that every Oakland child is an 'on-time' reader provided with full LITERACY: a fundamental civil right, a powerful protection from the school to prison pipeline, and the cornerstone for a life of choice and fulfillment. In this episode, Kareem discusses the change he is fighting for and the elements he believes are necessary to make it happen. Related EpisodesEp. 19: Getting at the Root of the School to Prison Pipeline with NCTQ President, Kate Walsh Ep. 82: [CLEAN] Minneapolis Public School Parents: Accepting Nothing Less Than Evidence-Based Reading in Schools Ep. 100: Trauma and Reading with Dr. Steven Dykstra ResourcesFULCRUM Oakland: Full and Complete Reading is a Universal MandateConnect with usFacebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to stay connected with Melissa and Lori! If you’re enjoying Melissa & Lori Love Literacy, bring us to your school or event.We offer keynotes, presentations, and live podcast-style sessions focused on practical, science of reading–aligned strategies aligned to our podcast and book, The Literacy 50. Email LiteracyPodcast@greatminds.org to learn more.Get free resources and updates at literacypodcast.com.

Mar 24, 2023 • 58min
Episode 144: The Science of Reading as More Than a Pendulum Swing
We want the shift to reading science to be permanent, not perceived as another ‘educational pendulum swing.’ To do this, it’s necessary to recognize what worked and didn’t work within balanced literacy. Today’s guests, UnboundEd’s Lacey Robinson and The Right to Read Project’s Margaret Goldberg, both shifted from teaching using balanced literacy (specifically Lucy Calkins’ Workshop Model, also known as Units of Study) to structured literacy and became powerful literacy advocates in the process. ResourcesSold a Story podcast and other APM Reports by Emily HanfordThe Right to Read Project UnboundEdSeeing the Good in Balanced Literacy... and Moving On by Margaret GoldbergThe Truth About Reading Film website (and trailer)Connect with usFacebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to stay connected with Melissa and Lori! Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. If you’re enjoying Melissa & Lori Love Literacy, bring us to your school or event.We offer keynotes, presentations, and live podcast-style sessions focused on practical, science of reading–aligned strategies aligned to our podcast and book, The Literacy 50. Email LiteracyPodcast@greatminds.org to learn more.Get free resources and updates at literacypodcast.com.

Mar 17, 2023 • 60min
[Listen Again] Ep. 37: Placing Text at the Center of the ELA Classroom with Meredith Liben & Sue Pimentel
Episode 37 The article Placing Text at the Center of the Standards-Aligned ELA Classroom is a must-read — before or after you listen to this episode!Meredith Liben and Sue Pimentel join us to unpack the true intentions behind the Common Core State Standards and how they’ve sometimes been misinterpreted in practice. They share what they’ve observed in classrooms and schools — both when high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) are in place and when they’re not.We also ask them some tough (and important!) questions:What does this mean for assessment, especially “data-driven” instruction?What are better ways to assess and track student progress?Meredith and Sue are smart, funny, and incredibly relatable — you’ll love this conversation. It’s truly a must-listen episode!📖 Read the article that inspired this episode: Placing Text at the Center of the Standards-Aligned ELA ClassroomIf you’re enjoying Melissa & Lori Love Literacy, bring us to your school or event.We offer keynotes, presentations, and live podcast-style sessions focused on practical, science of reading–aligned strategies aligned to our podcast and book, The Literacy 50. Email LiteracyPodcast@greatminds.org to learn more.Get free resources and updates at literacypodcast.com.

7 snips
Mar 10, 2023 • 1h 6min
Ep. 143: Maximizing Small Group Reading Instruction
Today we’ll be talking to a team of authors about a recent article they published on small group instruction, titled Maximizing Small-Group Reading Instruction. We ask and answer important questions about small group instructional time: What is the appeal of small group reading instruction? Why has it been popular? What does the research say? What do we need to know about effective small-group reading instruction? What are some best practices? ResourcesMaximizing Small-Group Reading Instruction Dr. Neena Saha’s Reading Research Recap of this research What Should Small Group Instruction Look Like? Tim Shanahan Reinterpreting the development of reading skills Scott Paris Applying New Visions of Reading Development in Today's Classrooms Kay Stahl Text Project with Freddy Hiebert Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Our Children’s Learning by Peter JohnstonConnect with usFacebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to stay connected with Melissa and Lori! Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.If you’re enjoying Melissa & Lori Love Literacy, bring us to your school or event.We offer keynotes, presentations, and live podcast-style sessions focused on practical, science of reading–aligned strategies aligned to our podcast and book, The Literacy 50. Email LiteracyPodcast@greatminds.org to learn more.Get free resources and updates at literacypodcast.com.

Mar 3, 2023 • 44min
[Listen Again] Ep. 80: A Primary Teacher's Perspective on Science of Reading, Small Group Instruction, and Sound Walls
In this episode, Lindsay Kemeny, 2nd grade teacher, gives a deep dive into her evidence-based, small group instruction time. Her journey to the science of reading was necessary and life altering. It led her to clarity on structured, systematic approaches to teaching reading. She discusses informal and formal assessments, how she uses data to determine small groups, and center options for practicing reading and writing. Her best advice? KEEP. IT. SIMPLE! After reading this recent blog by Tim Shanahan, we couldn’t resist asking her about sound walls and how her students use them in her classroom. She shares, “The sound wall is not the main event in my classroom… structured literacy is the main event. The sound wall is a reflection of what’s happening in the classroom.” We discussed the following resources: Epic Books Lindsay’s blog post Sink or Swim: The Appearance of ReadingLinnea Ehri’s work, such as this research The Reading League If you’re enjoying Melissa & Lori Love Literacy, bring us to your school or event.We offer keynotes, presentations, and live podcast-style sessions focused on practical, science of reading–aligned strategies aligned to our podcast and book, The Literacy 50. Email LiteracyPodcast@greatminds.org to learn more.Get free resources and updates at literacypodcast.com.

Feb 24, 2023 • 58min
Ep. 142: Structured Literacy in Small Group Time
In today’s episode, we discuss the structure and content of the literacy block. How can we teach using structured literacy in small groups? Kinder teacher Casey Jergens and author Natalie Wexler join us to connect theory and practice. Casey previously taught using a guided (leveled) reading approach with lots of small group time. In recent years, he’s switched to focus on Tier 1 instruction aligned to structured literacy, which supports access for all students. ResourcesElementary Classrooms Are Too Noisy For Kids To Learn by Natalie Wexler Casey’s Twitter HandleNatalie Wexler’s Twitter Handle Connect with usFacebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to stay connected with Melissa and Lori! Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. If you’re enjoying Melissa & Lori Love Literacy, bring us to your school or event.We offer keynotes, presentations, and live podcast-style sessions focused on practical, science of reading–aligned strategies aligned to our podcast and book, The Literacy 50. Email LiteracyPodcast@greatminds.org to learn more.Get free resources and updates at literacypodcast.com.


