Together in Literacy

In this special episode, we’re joined by Jennifer Bernheim, founder of Right To Read Advocacy for a conversation about advocacy and the family vision for student success. As the mom of a dyslexic learner, Jennifer knows how challenging it can be to navigate the special education process in a public school district, and she helps parents demystify this overwhelming process and empower them to suppo...

In this special episode, we’re joined by Erika Lopez for a conversation about using our gifts in our own way to make an impact in this world! Erika was raised in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. by her mother, an immigrant from Guatemala. She attended college at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. She started her career in finance in Washington D.C. but realized the thing she li...

In this special episode, we’re joined by Heather O’Donnell for a conversation about shifting from the classroom to private practice and how we can support parents and classroom teachers.   Heather O’Donnell MS.Ed and Ed. M began her career as a classroom teacher. Working in both special and general education classroom settings, she left the classroom in 2018 to open New Paltz Multisensor...

We know that language is a vehicle for learning. Everything we do in education is connected to language. Whether it is instructions in math and science, ELA classes, literacy learning, and intervention, language plays an important role in learning about the world around us and how we interact with academics. In this episode, we discuss the connection between language and literacy and what this mea...

For us here at the Together in Literacy podcast, dyslexia is an everyday thing. We also want to highlight that October is dedicated to dyslexia awareness. With this in mind, in this episode, we’re sharing tips for talking to parents about dyslexia and tips for parents when speaking to their children about dyslexia. Resources mentioned in this episode: Decoding Dyslexia Made by Dyslexia Overcoming...

We’re back with season 3 of the Literacy Project Podcast! This first episode of season three is a continued invitation to look deeply at what structured literacy really is. When we left off last season, we discussed the Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading, referred to as the KPS, and the importance of having highly trained educators.  Tune in as we review the KPS, look at...

We’re wrapping up season 2 of the Together in Literacy podcast! And what a season it’s been! This podcast was built upon a commitment to spreading factual information about dyslexia awareness, structured literacy, social-emotional learning, and the science of learning. As we look back on season 2, we are so proud to see our mission of supporting parents, teachers, and learners come to fruition. In...

In this episode, we’re joined by Ryan Pool. Ryan is a high schooler who is taking on the world! Ryan is an entrepreneur and nationally ranked tennis player. In May, he secured funding from Orange County investors for his most recent business, Tennisify. He serves as an Ambassador for Economics for Leaders and coaches tennis in his spare time.  Ryan trains hard on and off the tennis court. Whe...

In this episode, we’re joined by Adrianne Meldrum. Adrianne Meldrum is the founder and owner of Made for Math (MFM), an all-online math center focused on serving students with dyslexia, dyscalculia, and math learning disabilities.  She is a certified Multisensory Math Instructor through Marilyn Zecher. She holds a Master’s Degree from Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity.  We c...

In this episode, we’re taking a closer look at neurodiversity. We’re seeing the term neurodiversity come up in a lot of different places from social media, to newspapers, to articles, and more. It is a global conversation that we should all be looking at with a fresh view and perspective.  Tune in as we discuss what neurodiversity means to us, and, based on the current research, where dyslexi...

In this episode, we’re joined by Katy Vassar. Katy is a Dyslexia and Reading Consultant, Licensed Dyslexia Therapist, Qualified Instructor of therapists, and Educational Diagnostician with over 20 years of experience in the field of education. Her history includes roles in special education, general education, reading/dyslexia intervention, and coaching at the elementary and secondary levels in bo...

At the heart of the Science of Reading, we look deeply at how we learn, not just how we read. Studying how we learn has been a dynamic field of research in education for years. In this episode, we are looking to further our scientific study and knowledge and remembering that education is not a static field. We are all always learning.  Tune in as we talk about how we can advocate the shift fr...

In this episode, we’re diving into handwriting. Even for those who do not have difficulty, handwriting in the early years is essential. When students have not yet reached automaticity or legibility in letter formation, it taxes their working memory and places a higher demand on cognitive resources. We want to look at how we can free up some of those cognitive demands.  Effective handwriting p...

Learning to read proficiently is not an easy task for most students without explicit, systematic instruction. Current US reading scores indicate that 67% of all 4th graders are reading at basic or below basic levels. This fact is leading to many conversations about how we teach reading, what is necessary for classroom instruction, and how we help struggling readers. We know that early readers, whe...

The Science of Reading is so much more than just a buzzword!  In this episode, we’re talking about The Science of Reading or SOR. We’ll cover what it is and what it isn’t. And, how it is becoming more mainstream! Tune in as we look at trends in education, and then get into 5 specifics of what SOR really is all about.  Make sure you hang around until the end when we’ll share actions you c...

In this episode, we continue the conversation around the power in saying dyslexia and we cover what that means for helping move our students toward self-advocacy. We’ll discuss how we can, as educators, speak to parents and students about dyslexia and shift the narrative to one of understanding.  Tune in as we share why it’s important to say dyslexia, some of the benefits of knowing how we le...

Structured Literacy is not just about phonics! In this episode, we get into the subject of writing. Mainly, the cognitive demands of writing and how you can thoughtfully incorporate writing into your structured literacy lessons.  We will share about writing from our perspectives as interventionists and also from our experience as classroom teachers.  Tune in as we discuss the ten most im...

In this episode, we’re joined by a fantastic change agent for families of children with dyslexia, Dr. Lauren McClenney-Rosenstein. Dr. Lauren is the CEO and founder of Think Dyslexia, LLC. She delivers training and professional development for teachers and administrators at the district level focusing on dyslexia awareness, dyslexia screening, and MTSS (Multiple Tiered Systems of Support). Dr. Lau...

You may have heard of Orton-Gillingham, but you may have questions about the principles and approach. We are both, Emily and Casey, structured literacy specialists trained in Orton-Gillingham and Orton-Gillingham-based programs.  In this episode, we’re addressing some common questions we see and hear being asked about Orton-Gillingham. We answer these questions from the perspective of interve...

In this episode, we continue our conversation about helping older dyslexic students. In season 2, episode 4, we broke down what struggles we see in our older students and the areas we notice are needed to help them. Here, we dive into the strategies we apply for our older students. Tune in as we share specific word attack strategies we use with our older students. Resources mentioned in this episo...

One of those topics we get asked about all the time is how to work with older students who are challenged by reading and writing. How can we work with them effectively? How can we give them what they need while also honoring where they are in their learning journey? In this episode, we will dig in and talk about our own experiences with working with older students. We have both been so lucky to wo...

In this episode, we’re joined by the incredible Cindy Hall. Mrs. Cindy Hall is the founder and director of Cindy Hall Consulting and Mustard Seed Tutoring and the author of Dyslexia Friendly Classroom professional development. It is her passion to help struggling students identify why they are struggling and architect a plan for success. Cindy is excited to work with individual students in a tutor...

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month. So, we’re kicking off October with a discussion of the Contradictory Signs of Dyslexia.  In this episode, we take a closer look at the importance of recognizing the common signs of dyslexia, the often contradictory signs of dyslexia, and if there is such a thing as late bloomers when it comes to reading instruction.   Tune in for a concise defini...

We’re back for season 2 of the Together in Literacy Podcast! We took the summer off from recording so that we could spend some time with our families and now we’re back and ready to dive even deeper into The Science of Reading! In this episode, we’ll fill you in on some of the exciting things we did (both professionally and personally) over the summer. Then, we’re digging into some important info...

We’re wrapping up season 1 of the Together in Literacy podcast!  When we started this podcast, our mission was to create a pathway to learning for educators and families, share our own expertise with you, create a dialogue around SEL and the link to dyslexia, and make the research of reading accessible. We had big goals for season one and we are so proud of how it went! In this episode, we sh...