Literacy in Color: A Science of Reading Aligned Podcast for Educators

Michelle Sullivan is joined by her co-founder of Logos Literacy Academy, Sarah Paul, for a deep dive into K–2 morphology through a base-centered lens. Together, they unpack a question teachers hear all the time: “Morphology is important… but isn’t that for later?” Michelle and Sarah explain why morphology does not start with Greek and Latin – and why young learners are more than ready to explore w...

Returning guest Fiona Hamilton, an international literacy consultant and founder of Word Torque, unites with her partners Lauren Hateley-Crowe and Angela Brienza – the team behind Engage with the Page and Search Engage . Together, they help teachers bring meaningful, joyful word inquiry into their daily read-alouds. Together, they unpack how their collaboration began, why picture books are such po...

Artificial intelligence is everywhere – but what does it actually mean for structured literacy and foundational skills instruction? In this episode, I sit down with Viv Ramakrishnan, co-founder of Project Read AI, to unpack what educators truly need to understand about AI, large language models, and how thoughtfully designed technology can support (not replace) teachers. We explore why tools like...

Holiday Word Study: Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa In this cozy, end-of-year episode, we’re slowing things down for a short and joyful holiday word study investigation. Instead of a full instructional deep dive, this episode invites you to get curious about three words we hear everywhere this time of year: Christmas Hanukkah Kwanzaa Together, we explore where these words come from, what their sp...

In this inspiring conversation, Dr. Jennifer Throndsen, author of Raising Up Readers: 25 Scaffolding Strategies to Help Students Access Challenging Texts , breaks down what it really takes to accelerate reading achievement for all learners, including multilingual students and those reading multiple years below grade level. Drawing from decades of experience across classroom, district, and state sy...

In today’s episode of Literacy in Color, we’re chatting with Ashley Doty, founder of Uncomplicate Ed, an organization dedicated to making teaching and learning clearer, simpler, and more effective. Drawing on two decades of experience across the education landscape (and even a past life as a theater educator!), Ashley brings both heart and science to this conversation. They dig into what the scien...

In this powerful and deeply moving episode, Michelle welcomes Hilderbrand Pelzer III — award-winning principal, author of Unlocking Potential, national speaker, and a transformational leader whose work inside one of the largest jail systems in America has reshaped conversations about literacy, justice, and hope. Michelle heard Hilderbrand as a keynote speaker at The Reading League Conference and w...

In this solo episode, we take an honest, unflinching look at what are traditionally called Kindergarten Reading Levels: Guided Reading Levels A, B, C, and D — and why these levels do not reflect how children actually learn to read. If you’re a kindergarten teacher, literacy coach, interventionist, or a parent of a beginning reader, this episode will give you the clarity you’ve been craving. Key Ta...

In this powerful episode, Michelle is joined by legendary reading experts Linda Farrell and Michael Hunter, Founding Partners at Readsters. With more than 40 years of experience helping struggling readers — from kindergarten through adulthood — Linda and Michael break down what effective intervention truly looks like, why older learners often continue to slip through the cracks, and how to use ass...

In this episode, Michelle talks with Dr. Julia Lindsey about her brand-new book “ Small Groups, Big Results: Evidence-Based Routines to Get Every Child Reading ”, a practical guide to designing effective small-group instruction with the Science of Reading in mind. Julia shares her journey to researcher and author, and explains why the “leveled-text ladder” needs to be left behind. Together they ex...

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed teaching writing, you’re not alone. In this episode, Michelle sits down with educator, author, and founder of Reimagine Writing, LaNesha Tabb, to talk about her framework in building confident, independent writers. For years, LaNesha admits she either “barely taught writing” or avoided it altogether — not because she didn’t care, but because it felt impossible to ma...

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month, and today’s conversation shines a light on the power of online instruction to reach and teach our one in five students with dyslexia. In this episode, I’m chatting with Michelle Breitenbach, founder of Read to Rewire, certified dyslexia practitioner, and creator of the Online with Ease Academy, where she trains teachers to bring multisensory, structured literac...

Literacy in Color is officially ONE year old! I’d like to start this anniversary episode from a place of gratitude with a huge THANK YOU to my Top 10 Guest Episodes of the Year: Dr. Stephanie Stollar , Justin Browning , Lindsay Kemeny , Sarah Paul , Fiona Hamilton with Rebecca Loveless , Dr. David Kilpatrick , Dr. Molly Ness , Dr. Treasa Bowe , Christina Winter , and Jake Daggett . To celebrate th...

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month, and every Friday Michelle is highlighting voices who are changing the landscape for students with dyslexia and their families. In this episode, Michelle sits down with Melanie Brethour, a Montreal-based resource teacher, founder of Decoding Dyslexia Quebec, and the voice behind Soar With Dyslexia. Inspired by her son’s journey with dyslexia, Melanie has become...

How does the brain actually learn or remember something new? In this fascinating episode of Literacy in Color, Dr. Shane Saeed joins Michelle to break down the Science of Learning in a way that’s simple, practical, and classroom-ready. Shane is an Elementary ELA Curriculum Coordinator, national presenter, and author who has spent years helping teachers translate research into action. Together, the...

In this Dyslexia Awareness Month bonus episode of Literacy in Color, I’m joined by Jean Peake, Lower School Literacy Specialist and Orton-Gillingham Practitioner. Jean shares about the importance of early screening, diagnostic assessments, and data-driven interventions – especially for those with dyslexia. Jean’s insights are both practical and heart-centered, reminding us that literacy work is ab...

Research should guide our teaching, but too often, it feels locked away in academic journals, filled with jargon, or disconnected from classroom realities. In this episode of Literacy in Color, I talk with Dr. Neena Saha: educator, researcher, EdTech innovator, and creator of the Reading Research Recap. She’s on a mission to make reading research clear, digestible, and actionable for teachers. So,...

What does it really mean to teach beyond the diagnosis? In this inspiring Dyslexia Awareness Month conversation, I sit down with Casey Harrison—Licensed Dyslexia Therapist, Certified Academic Language Therapist, and founder of The Dyslexia Classroom®—to unpack how we can meet the academic needs of students with dyslexia and nurture their confidence, self-understanding, and advocacy skills. Casey h...

Phonemic awareness (PA) interestingly is one of the most debated areas of literacy instruction. Should it be taught with letters, without letters, or both? Which tasks matter most? And how much is enough? In this episode of Literacy in Color, Michelle sits down with Dr. Jane Ashby, professor, researcher, and first author of Teaching Phonemic Awareness in 2024: A Guide for Educators . This conversa...

We’re kicking off Dyslexia Awareness Month with a conversation that every educator and parent needs to hear: what does dyslexia really look like – and what can we do about it?  In this episode of Literacy in Color, I sit down with Heather O’Donnell, founder of New Paltz Multisensory Tutoring, Wilson Dyslexia Practitioner, and Associate-level Orton-Gillingham Academy member. Heather has built...

In this Coaching Conversation, I sit down with Christina DeCarbo, a Pre-K–5 literacy coach, teacher, national presenter, and curriculum author from Northeast Ohio. Christina is also known as Miss DeCarbo, and her work is fueled by a passion for making professional learning engaging, joyful, and practical. Christina shares her journey from first-grade teacher to literacy coach, including her school...

We all know the saying “when you know better, you do better.” But what happens when we know better…and still don’t see the needle move in reading outcomes? In this episode of Literacy in Color, I sit down with Justin Browning, national literacy consultant and founder of SoR for More, to talk about the missing piece: implementation. Justin draws from years of experience as a teacher, instructional...

Have you ever had a student rattle off the sounds in a word—/b/… /a/… /t/, only to say “tab,” “balloon,” or even “chicken”? If so, you’re not alone. And here’s the thing: these blending errors aren’t always decoding issues. Often, they’re tied to working memory. In this solo episode of Literacy in Color, we unpack why blending matters, what research tells us, and most importantly, practical scaffo...

What if high-frequency words aren’t “irregular” after all? In this episode of Literacy in Color, I sit down with Rebecca Loveless and Fiona Hamilton, co-authors of The High Frequency Word Project, to dig into the stories behind some of the most common words in English. Too often, these little “function words” get handed to students on flashcards with the message: just memorize it. But Rebecca and...

In this pivotal episode of Literacy in Color, Michelle is joined by psychologist, professor, and reading researcher Dr. David Kilpatrick to untangle some hotly debated ideas surrounding phonemic awareness in the Science of Reading community. This conversation isn’t about taking sides in the “with letters vs. without letters” debate. It’s about getting honest about what the research says, and more...