
Melissa & Lori Love Literacy ™
Melissa & Lori Love Literacy™ is a podcast for teachers. The hosts are your classroom-next-door teacher friends turned podcasters learning with you. Episodes feature top literacy experts and teachers who are putting the science of reading into practice. Melissa & Lori bridge the gap between the latest research and your day-to-day teaching.
Latest episodes

Sep 3, 2021 • 48min
Ep. 70: Science of Reading Part 1: Decodable Texts, Sound Walls, & the Aim of Early Literacy
What 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! Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.Grab free resources and episode alerts! Sign up for our email list at literacypodcast.com.Join our community on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

Aug 27, 2021 • 34min
Ep. 69: Wondering about Wit & Wisdom ELA?
In today's episode, Melissa and Lori break down the components of Wit & Wisdom ELA. Curious about Wit & Wisdom's texts and tasks? Wondering what 'integrated approach' means? Want to learn more about the role of knowledge building in comprehension? Implementing the curricula for the first time? Then this Wit & Wisdom primer is JUST. FOR. YOU. Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter and podcast! https://www.literacypodcast.com/Connect with Melissa & Lori:TwitterInstagramFacebookToday is a great day to start your own podcast... If you’re thinking about it, we say GO FOR IT! We love Buzzsprout for so many reasons, but especially because it’s easy to use and their customer service rocks! Use our Buzzsprout affiliate link to sign up for their podcast media hosting and get a $20 Amazon gift card. We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.Grab free resources and episode alerts! Sign up for our email list at literacypodcast.com.Join our community on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

Aug 20, 2021 • 50min
Ep. 68: How Does Using a Text Analysis Toolkit Support Student Success?
Dr. Alfred Tatum asked the question, "I constantly ask myself of all of the texts in the world, why do I want to put this text in front of my students?" Melissa and Lori explore this question with Quintin in today's episode! Dr. Quintin Bostic joins us to tell us all about Student Achievement Partner/Achieve the Core's new and improved text complexity toolkit. The updated toolkit helps teachers reflect on their identity of self and their students, analyze texts with multiple lenses, and consider implications for the use of texts. Read this interview with Quintin, where the Text Analysis Toolkit is available for download. Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter and podcast! https://www.literacypodcast.com/Connect with Melissa & Lori:TwitterInstagramFacebook We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.Grab free resources and episode alerts! Sign up for our email list at literacypodcast.com.Join our community on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

Aug 13, 2021 • 1h 7min
[Listen Again] Ep 43: Writing about Reading and the Role of Knowledge-Building
Melissa and Lori are obsessed with the knowledge building connection to writing in this episode, and thought it deserved another release! How can educators support students in clearly communicating their understanding through writing? How do HQIM support and execute this approach to writing for understanding? The Vermont Writing Collaborative authors chat with us about this grounded in a knowledge-building approach. Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter and podcast! https://www.literacypodcast.com/Connect with Melissa & Lori:TwitterInstagramFacebookToday is a great day to start your own podcast... If you’re thinking about it, we say GO FOR IT! We love Buzzsprout for so many reasons, but especially because it’s easy to use and their customer service rocks! Use our Buzzsprout affiliate link to sign up for their podcast media hosting and get a $20 Amazon gift card. We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.Grab free resources and episode alerts! Sign up for our email list at literacypodcast.com.Join our community on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

Aug 6, 2021 • 49min
Ep. 67: Learning to Read at 62 Years Old: A Conversation Illuminating Adult Literacy
In this episode we talk with David Chalk, a successful and self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur. As an adult, David was diagnosed with dyslexia and ADD and learned to read at the age of 62. He shares 'aha' moments and how learning to read decreased his anxiety and bettered his emotional state. Look forward to watching more of David's story unfold on the upcoming literacy documentary titled The Truth About Reading: The Invisible Crisis Hiding in Plain Sight. His story is incredibly compelling and we hope it will resonate deeply in your heart, mind, and soul. Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter and podcast! https://www.literacypodcast.com/Connect with Melissa & Lori:TwitterInstagramFacebookToday is a great day to start your own podcast... If you’re thinking about it, we say GO FOR IT! We love Buzzsprout for so many reasons, but especially because it’s easy to use and their customer service rocks! Use our Buzzsprout affiliate link to sign up for their podcast media hosting and get a $20 Amazon gift card. A gigantic THANK YOU to David for being incredibly brave and sharing his story. David, we appreciate you as a new friend and fellow literacy advocate. And, we'd like to also send a big hug to a fellow kindred literacy spirit, Nora Chahbazi, founder of Evidence-based literacy instruction. Thank you for taking time to share your evidence-based work with David. XOMelissa & Lori We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.Grab free resources and episode alerts! Sign up for our email list at literacypodcast.com.Join our community on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

Jul 30, 2021 • 1h 5min
Ep. 66 Re-thinking the Reading Rope with Nell Duke
Did you know that Scarborough's Rope is 20 years old?! That's why Nell K. Duke unpacks how the science of reading has progressed over the last 20 years, moving beyond the simple view of reading in this piece: The Science of Reading Progresses (co-authored by Kelly B. Cartwright). Check out page 9 for a graphic we discuss throughout the podcast in order to re-think the reading rope. To connect with a practitioner lens, Duke (alongside Ward & Pearson) also penned The Science of Reading Comprehension Instruction. They ask the question: What have decades of research told us about the nature of comprehension and how to develop students’ comprehension in schools? Listen to find out!Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter and podcast! https://www.literacypodcast.com/Connect with Melissa & Lori:TwitterInstagramFacebookToday is a great day to start your own podcast... If you’re thinking about it, we say GO FOR IT! We love Buzzsprout for so many reasons, but especially because it’s easy to use and their customer service rocks! Use our Buzzsprout affiliate link to sign up for their podcast media hosting and get a $20 Amazon gift card. We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.Grab free resources and episode alerts! Sign up for our email list at literacypodcast.com.Join our community on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

Jul 23, 2021 • 1h 3min
Ep. 65: Talking with the Literacy Documentary Team: The Truth About Reading
Join us as we talk with the talented team passionate about producing a literacy documentary titled The Truth About Reading: The Invisible Crisis Hiding in Plain Sight. You'll hear from Nora Chahbazi, founder of Evidence-based Literacy Instruction, Nick Nanton, Emmy-winning director, and John Corcoran, the teacher who couldn't read. We can't wait to watch this incredible film highlighting the need for literacy education reform. This spectacular team shares a bit about the documentary and how it transitioned from vision to reality... and what's been most surprising to learn along the way! To donate to the documentary, click here. Additional note: John has authored several books: "The Teacher Who Couldn't Read," "The Bridge To Literacy," and "The Reading Gap." His story has been featured on 20/20, the Oprah Winfrey show, Larry King Live, CNN, Fox News, ESPN, Phil Donahue, The Joan Rivers Show, and more. Hear John's story here. Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.Grab free resources and episode alerts! Sign up for our email list at literacypodcast.com.Join our community on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

Jul 15, 2021 • 58min
Ep. 64: James Murphy on The researchED Guide to Literacy
James Murphy, editor, tells us about the intention behind The ResearchED Guide to Literacy: An Evidence-Informed Guide for Teachers. He talks about why it's important for teachers to engage with <accurate, valid> research because "we don't know what we don't know" ... and how it's important to be able to determine what is truth vs. truth-y. James also mentions this article by Keith Stanovich titled Using Science and Reason in Education. If you'd like to hear more from James, watch this video: The Bridge Over the Reading Gap. Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter and podcast! https://www.literacypodcast.com/Connect with Melissa & Lori:TwitterInstagramFacebookToday is a great day to start your own podcast... If you’re thinking about it, we say GO FOR IT! We love Buzzsprout for so many reasons, but especially because it’s easy to use and their customer service rocks! Use our Buzzsprout affiliate link to sign up for their podcast media hosting and get a $20 Amazon gift card. We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.Grab free resources and episode alerts! Sign up for our email list at literacypodcast.com.Join our community on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

Jul 2, 2021 • 1h 16min
[Listen Again] Ep. 37: Meredith Liben & Sue Pimentel on the Standards, Assessment, & Data
Melissa & Lori are on vacation this week! We invite you to listen to one of our favorite episodes that we have listened to multiple times ourselves. If you haven't listened to our episode with Meredith Liben & Sue Pimentel - check it out this week! The article Placing Text at the Center of the Standards-Aligned ELA Classroom is a must-read before or after listening to this podcast! Meredith Liben and Sue Pimentel share the true intentions of the CCSS vs. the way they are currently interpreted. They also provide observations about how the Standards play out in classrooms and schools - within HQIM and what happens in absence of HQIM! We ask the gals some tough questions: What does this mean for assessment, especially "data-driven" instruction?What are better ways to assess and track student progress? They are hilarious and smart, and so very relatable. This one is a MUST listen!Read the article that prompted this conversation:Placing Text at the Center of the Standards-Aligned ELA ClassroomVisit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter and podcast! https://www.literacypodcast.com/Connect with Melissa & Lori:TwitterInstagramFacebookToday is a great day to start your own podcast... If you’re thinking about it, we say GO FOR IT! We love Buzzsprout for so many reasons, but especially because it’s easy to use and their customer service rocks! Use our Buzzsprout affiliate link to sign up for their podcast media hosting and get a $20 Amazon gift card. We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.Grab free resources and episode alerts! Sign up for our email list at literacypodcast.com.Join our community on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

Jun 22, 2021 • 1h
Ep. 63: Kindergarten Teacher Reaches 100% Success Using Evidence-Based Practices
Kristin Poppens teaches kindergarten in Iowa and is just learning about the science of reading! In fact, she's applied evidence-based, self-taught practices for less than six months, and her students reached end of year benchmarks with 100% success rate. Kristin's district uses Lucy Calkins Units of Study Phonics, Reading, & Writing as a core curricula ... but now that Kristin knows better, she's doing better for her students. Listen in as she shares the shifts she makes to take a science of reading, evidence-based approach to literacy! Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter and podcast! https://www.literacypodcast.com/Connect with Melissa & Lori:TwitterInstagramFacebookToday is a great day to start your own podcast... If you’re thinking about it, we say GO FOR IT! We love Buzzsprout for so many reasons, but especially because it’s easy to use and their customer service rocks! Use our Buzzsprout affiliate link to sign up for their podcast media hosting and get a $20 Amazon gift card. We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.Grab free resources and episode alerts! Sign up for our email list at literacypodcast.com.Join our community on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.