

The Science of Writing Instruction
April Smith
Join author and professional learning coach April Smith as she explores research and insights into effective writing instruction in K-12 classrooms. She delves into methodologies, interviews experts, and shares practical strategies to support our students – all backed by evidence and research. Whether you're an educator, parent, or simply curious about literacy development, tune in to discover practical strategies that foster confident and successful writers.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 30, 2025 • 33min
Ep. 27: Confessional: Things I Would Change About My Past Writing Instruction
Anna Geiger is the creator of The Measured Mom, Author of Reach All Readers, and the Host of Triple R Teaching podcast.
Learn More from Anna:
https://www.themeasuredmom.com/
https://www.instagram.com/themeasuredmom/
https://www.facebook.com/themeasuredmom
April Smith is the author of the book Simplify Your Writing Instruction: A Framework For a Student-Centered Writing Block. You can find her on socials at the links below. Find her free writing training at https://www.simplifywriting.com/training
Learn More from April:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-smith-ed
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprilsmithliteracy
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@aprilsmith

Mar 16, 2025 • 28min
Ep. 26: Intrinsic Motivation in the Writing Block
Phillip is a serial entrepreneur. He has started numerous businesses in many different industries, including publishing, early childhood education, health and wellness, financial planning and consumer electronics. He is the inventor of the invisibleSHIELD and founder of ZAGG. But Phillip's greatest passions in life are story and kids. When his three oldest children were diagnosed with reading disabilities, he decided to do something about it. OperationREAD and DIVI are the results.
Learn More from Phillip:
https://operationread.com
https://linkedin.com/in/phillipchipping
April Smith is the author of the book Simplify Your Writing Instruction: A Framework For a Student-Centered Writing Block. You can find her on socials at the links below. Find her free writing training at https://www.simplifywriting.com/training.
Learn More from April:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-smith-ed
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprilsmithliteracy
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@aprilsmith

Mar 2, 2025 • 32min
Ep. 25: Uncovering the Logic of English
Denise is the president and founder of Logic of English, a mission-driven publisher that empowers students of all ages to become fluent readers and spellers. Denise is passionate about providing all students access to evidence-based literacy education. When her sons struggled to learn to read, she discovered that there are answers to the “whys” of English spelling. Upon seeing her sons go from nonreaders to reading chapter books within months, she decided to write Uncovering the Logic of English, an award-winning book about reading. She continues her life work of sharing the power of knowing how English works by speaking, writing, and publishing.Learn more about Logic of English at www.logicofenglish.com
April Smith is the author of the book Simplify Your Writing Instruction: A Framework For a Student-Centered Writing Block. You can find her on socials at the links below. Find her free writing training at https://www.simplifywriting.com/training
Learn More from April:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-smith-ed
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprilsmithliteracy
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@aprilsmith

Feb 16, 2025 • 27min
Ep. 24: Using the Painted Essay to Structure Writing for Students
Linda Rhyne is the owner of Linda Rhyne Consulting and founding president of The Reading League North Carolina. Linda is an award-winning National Board Certified, LETRS & Orton-Gillingham trained educator with over 16 years of experience in education including Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, one of the nation's 20 largest urban school districts located in Charlotte, NC. She served in multiple positions in CMS: classroom teacher, literacy facilitator, new teacher support coordinator, and Southeast Learning Community coordinator, with 10+ years of experience as an instructional coach. In her free time, you can find her playing with her two boys, hanging with her husband, reading, and working out.
Learn More from Linda:
Website: https://www.lindarhyneconsulting.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindarhyneconsulting/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lindarhyneconsulting
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-rhyne-91704b93/
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/lindarhyne.bsky.social
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@lindarhyne8246
The Reading League: https://nc.thereadingleague.org
April Smith is the author of the book Simplify Your Writing Instruction: A Framework For a Student-Centered Writing Block. You can find her on socials at the links below. Find her free writing training at https://www.simplifywriting.com/training
Learn More from April:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-smith-ed
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprilsmithliteracy
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@aprilsmith

Feb 2, 2025 • 31min
Ep. 23: Data-Driven Writing Instruction
As the Executive Director and Founder of Jana Lee Consulting, Dr. Jana Lee is a dedicated education professional with a wealth of experience spanning over 15 years.
Jana’ partners with school-communities nation-wide, offering sustainable strategies through personalized coaching, professional development, and keynotes. Jana's passion lies in helping close the achievement gap, empowering teachers, and guiding leaders to develop systems and processes that deliver results.With a PhD in Leadership, specializing in Reading, Language, and Literacy and a masters in Special Education and Educational Leadership, Jana brings a unique blend of classroom expertise, leadership experience, and instructional coaching skills to foster impactful learning outcomes for school-communities.
Learn More from Dr. Jana Lee:
www.janaleeconsulting.com
Instagram: @jana.c.lee
X: @jana_c_lee
LinkedIn: @https://www.linkedin.com/in/janaclee/
Youtube: @janaclee
April Smith is the author of the book Simplify Your Writing Instruction: A Framework For a Student-Centered Writing Block. You can find her on socials at the links below. Find her free writing training at https://www.simplifywriting.com/training
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-smith-ed
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprilsmithliteracy
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@aprilsmith

Dec 15, 2024 • 23min
Ep. 22: How WIN Time Can Help Our Students Be Better Writers
Stephanie is a seasoned school leader and Assistant Superintendent from Texas with over 20 years of experience transforming education. She specializes in cultivating strong school cultures, implementing data-driven instructional programs, and empowering educators through her consulting business, Principal Principles. Her latest initiative, WIN Time Software, reflects her passion for fostering academic excellence through innovative, student-centered interventions.
Learn More from Stephanie:
Website: Principal Principles https://principalprinciples.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/@principalprinciples
Instagram: Principal Principle
April Smith is the author of the book Simplify Your Writing Instruction: A Framework For a Student-Centered Writing Block. You can find her on socials at the links below. Find her free writing training at https://www.simplifywriting.com/training
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-smith-ed
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprilsmithliteracy
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@aprilsmith

Dec 8, 2024 • 26min
Ep. 21: Laying a Foundation With Sentence Building
Annie Boocher, a distinguished kindergarten teacher with 16 years of K-12 experience and the 2023 Local Teacher of the Year, shares her insights on effective writing instruction. She discusses the crucial role of scaffolding in sentence construction, especially for diverse learners. The conversation covers practical strategies to enhance young students' writing skills, including the importance of oral storytelling and collaborative activities. Anni emphasizes celebrating student work to nurture enthusiasm and promote confidence in budding writers.

Dec 1, 2024 • 27min
Ep. 20: Assessing Students Using Sentence Dictation
Kasey is in her 17th year as a middle school ELA teacher. For 13 of those years, she has also served as her school’s literacy coach. In addition to teaching in the classroom, she provides literacy-related professional development to staff and guides 5-8 ELA curriculum. Kasey holds a bachelor’s degree in 5-12 ELA education, a master’s degree in education, and is a certified K-8 reading interventionist and literary coordinator. For over a decade, she has created reading and writing resources for middle school students and written blog posts on her website, The Literacy Effect.
Learn More from Kasey:
The Literacy Effect
April Smith is the author of the book Simplify Your Writing Instruction: A Framework For a Student-Centered Writing Block. You can find her on socials at the links below. Find her free writing training at https://www.simplifywriting.com/training
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-smith-ed/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprilsmithliteracy
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@aprilsmith

Nov 24, 2024 • 29min
Ep. 19: Strategies for Spelling Instruction
Laura Jones is an experienced educator with over 16 years of teaching and coaching in grades K-8. She holds a degree in K-8 Education from Arizona State University, and most recently completed the Phonics First OG-accredited program through Brainspring’s Educator Academy. Now, Laura works with school leaders across the country to help improve writing outcomes for students by advocating for research-based literacy instruction.
Learn More:
Free Resource For Spelling
April Smith is the author of the book Simplify Your Writing Instruction: A Framework For a Student-Centered Writing Block. You can find her on socials at the links below. Find her free writing training at https://www.simplifywriting.com/training
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-smith-ed
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprilsmithliteracy
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@aprilsmith

Nov 17, 2024 • 23min
Ep. 18: How Teaching Students Leadership Skills Can Improve Our Writing Block
Todd Nesloney is the Director of Culture and Strategic Leadership for the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA). He has also served as an award-winning principal of a PreK-5th Grade campus of over 775 students in a rural town in Texas. He has been recognized by the White House, John C Maxwell, the Center for Digital Education, National School Board Association, the BAMMYS, and more for his work in education and with children. Todd has written six books, including the runaway smash Kids Deserve It and his newest book Building Authenticity: A Blueprint for the Leader Inside You. He is passionate about doing whatever it takes for our students and teachers and helping others tell their story.
Learn More from Todd:
www.toddnesloney.com
@TechNinjaTodd on social
April Smith is the author of the book Simplify Your Writing Instruction: A Framework For a Student-Centered Writing Block. You can find her on socials at the links below. Find her free writing training at https://www.simplifywriting.com/training
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-smith-ed
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprilsmithliteracy
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@aprilsmith