

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

Aug 17, 2022 • 39min
[Listen Again] Ep. 71: Science of Reading Part 2: Decodable Texts, Sound Walls, & the Aim of Early Literacy
If you loved our recent episode with Julia Lindsey about her book, Reading Above the Fray, you won't want to miss our first episode with her last year! Check it out!From Sept 10, 2021What are we aiming to accomplish in early reading instruction? Dr. Julia Lindsey asks this as she tackles topics such as decoding, decodable texts, sound walls, and more.We discuss the role of instruction and how that pushes a child to be better instead of keeping them at the same place where they might not develop skills as an independent reader. This two-part SoR series is a must-listen for educators!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.

Aug 16, 2022 • 48min
[Listen Again] Ep. 70: Science of Reading Part 1: Decodable Texts, Sound Walls, & the Aim of Early Literacy
If you loved our recent episode with Julia Lindsey about her book, Reading Above the Fray, you won't want to miss our first episode with her last year! Check it out!From Sept 3, 2021What are we aiming to accomplish in early reading instruction? Dr. Julia Lindsey asks this as she tackles topics such as decoding, decodable texts, sound walls, and more.We discuss the role of instruction and how that pushes a child to be better instead of keeping them at the same place where they might not develop skills as an independent reader. This two-part SoR series is a must-listen for educators!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.

Aug 12, 2022 • 1h 11min
Ep. 120: Research-Based Routines for Developing Decoding Skills with Julia Lindsey
Talking with Dr. Julia Lindsey is like popping into the classroom next door to chat with your best teacher friend after school. On this podcast, Julia shares what evidence says that young readers need to know to help them decode words efficiently. We discuss foundational reading skills, starting with oral language and print concepts through multisyllabic word reading. Instructional swaps take this conversation to the classroom where Julia tells us what to swap to improve instruction. Efficient and effective instruction is critical when teaching decoding. ResourcesReading Above the Fray by Dr. Julia B. Lindsey Connect with us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to subscribe to our newsletter. 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.

Aug 9, 2022 • 51min
Book Talk: Reading Above the Fray
Reading Above the Fray: Reliable, Research-Based Routines for Developing Decoding Skills is a must read for all ELA educators Pre-K through 12. Dr. Julia Lindsey outlines the essentials of how children learn to read, the principles of high-quality foundational skills instruction, essential instructional "swaps" to improve reading instruction, and more. Connect with us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to subscribe to our newsletter. 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.

Aug 5, 2022 • 1h 5min
Ep. 119: How Reading Science Works for English Learners with Elsa Cardenas-Hagan
Dr. Elsa Cardenas-Hagan joins the podcast to share that reading science works for English Learners. What does it mean to use evidence-based instruction to teach English Learners? Dr. Cardenas-Hagan asserts that every language has its own history, its own culture, its own use. Language supports literacy, and literacy support language. With this cyclical understanding, she explains how to use effective strategies for ALL learners. Connect with us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to subscribe to our newsletter. 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.

Aug 2, 2022 • 34min
Book Talk: Literacy Foundations for English Learners
Literacy Foundations for English Learners prepares educators to enter the classroom with a full understanding of the language and literacy development of English Learners. Remember this: What's good for English Learners is good for ALL students! In this book talk, Melissa and Lori unpack the elements of an integrated approach to vocabulary learning in content-rich instruction. They consider how word learning strategies help English Learners move toward independence and explore how content-rich vocabulary instruction builds a strong foundation for text comprehension. They bring it together by applying evidence-based vocabulary strategies to practical examples of this approach in the classroom. Connect with us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to subscribe to our newsletter. 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.

Jul 29, 2022 • 57min
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 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.

Jul 22, 2022 • 57min
Ep. 117: The Writing Revolution with Authors Judith Hochman and Natalie Wexler
The Writing Revolution authors, Judith Hochman and Natalie Wexler, share a 'revolutionary' approach to writing. The best part: It begins at the sentence level AND content knowledge drives the rigor. Moreover, there is an overlap in reading, writing, and critical thinking. What are the principles of The Writing Revolution? There are six: Students need explicit instruction in writing, beginning in the early elementary grades.Sentences are the building blocks of all writing.When embedded in the content of the curriculum, writing instruction is a powerful teaching tool.The content of the curriculum drives the rigor of the writing activities.Grammar is best taught in the context of student writing.The two most important phases of the writing process are planning and revising. ResourcesThe Writing Revolution, Not for ProfitThe Writing Revolution, The Atlantic, October 2012Writing and cognitive load theory, Natalie Wexler Connect with us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to subscribe to our newsletter. 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.

Jul 19, 2022 • 42min
Book Talk: The Writing Revolution
Melissa and Lori talk about The Writing Revolution by Dr. Judith Hochman and Natalie Wexler. What distinguishes The Writing Revolution and everything else out there? There are two basic principles: To modulate the heavy cognitive load by beginning at the sentence level. To embed the writing activities into core content of curriculum so students attain knowledge needed (about knowledge building, about reading - and writing - for understanding) Listen and learn more about knowledge and explicit writing instruction. Connect with us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to subscribe to our newsletter. 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.

Jul 15, 2022 • 1h 4min
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! Connect with us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to subscribe to our newsletter. 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.


