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

What if one of the richest language opportunities in your literacy block is already hiding inside your phonics word list? Even the simplest decodable words can carry surprisingly rich meanings. A word like “cap” might be something you wear on your head, the top of a bottle, an action you perform when you cover something, or even part of the phrase “no cap.” Simple to decode doesn't necessarily mean simple in meaning. In this episode, I share a few simple ways to intentionally sprinkle meaning into the decoding and spelling practice you're already doing.
Key Takeaways:
Why multiple-meaning, or polysemous, words offer such rich opportunities for language development
Why a quick contextual sentence during decoding or dictation is so important
How "Word of the Day” and/or Multiple-Meaning Word Anchor Chart get students noticing interesting words across the school day
Even while sprinkling in meaning, it’s still essential to keep the pace and offer repetitions students need during phonics
It’s unnecessary to explore every potential meaning at once

We know explicit & systematic phonics helps students unlock the code, but meaning gives them something worth unlocking.
Want to go Beyond Phonics?
Join Beyond Phonics Club: A Membership Community with Michelle Sullivan & Sarah Paul (Logos Literacy Academy)
Inside the Beyond Phonics Club, Michelle Sullivan and Sarah Paul have created ready-to-use lessons and resources, including lessons targeting multiple-meaning words, that help you expand phonics into richer work with meaning, morphology, vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension in mind.
Go beyond phonics – without leaving phonics behind!
This podcast is brought to you by Reading Science Academy, where our friend Stephanie Stollar is giving Literacy in Color listeners an exclusive, free grouping resource bundle to help you turn fall screening data into skill-based groups that actually move students forward.
Get your FREE grouping resource bundle here.
Or, become a member of Reading Science Academy to learn in community and receive research-backed support alongside over 1,400 literacy educators.
Connect with Michelle:
Visit: www.michelleandthecolorfulclassroom.com
Follow me on Instagram: @michelle_thecolorfulclassroom & @logosliteracyacademy
Join our Facebook Community
Sign up for my Newsletter
Shop on TPT: The Colorful Classroom
For Phonics Resources, grab: The COLORFUL Phonics Toolkit

Want to Support the Podcast?
Make a Donation to Support Production

Interested in Learning More about Morphology?
Logos Literacy Academy with Michelle Sullivan & Sarah Paul
Join: Beyond Phonics Club - our Membership Community

Mentioned in this episode:
Reading Science Academy
Get your FREE grouping resource bundle here: https://www.stephaniestollarconsulting.com/groupingsheets?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=podcast

Join The Reading Science Academy: https://www.stephaniestollarconsulting.com/register?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show-notes&utm_campaign=literacy-in-color
SOR Fall Book Study
Join us: https://colorful-classroom.mykajabi.com/sor-fall-book-study-2026

What happens after students master single-syllable words in phonics, but the words in their books keep getting longer?
Dr. Devin Kearns takes us for a deep dive into polysyllabic word reading and what the research tells us about helping students tackle increasingly complex words. He explains why the transition into longer words presents challenges that simply don't exist in single-syllable words, including the unpredictability of single-letter vowels, reduced vowels & schwa, and the growing prevalence of derivational suffixes. He also challenges some long-standing approaches to syllable division and explains why more rules and terminology aren't necessarily better for students.
You'll learn about ESHALOV ("Every Syllable Has At Least One Vowel") as well as the “peeling-off strategy” for recognizing affixes and accessing the base of polymorphemic words.
The conversation also explores lexical verification (i.e., set for variability): how readers adjust an initially decoded pronunciation until it connects with a word in their mental lexicon.
Key Takeaways:
What the research suggests about traditional syllable division rules
How to use the strategy: ESHALOV for polysyllabic words
How to use the “Peeling-off” strategy for polymorphemic words
How lexical verification helps students move from a plausible pronunciation to a known spoken word
What advanced decoding instruction might look like in the upper elementary classrooms

Resources Mentioned:
Phinder
High-Frequency Syllables & Morphemes (compiled by Dr. Devin Kearns)
The Word Complexity of Primary-Level Texts: Differences Between First and Third Grade in Widely Used Curricula by Devin Kearns & Elfrieda Hiebert
Helping Students With Dyslexia Read Long Words by Devin Kearns & Victoria Whaley
Building BRIDGES: A Design Experiment to Improve Reading and United States History Knowledge of Poor Readers in Eighth Grade - O’Connor, Beach, Sanchez, Bocian, & Flynn - ESHALOV principle (Every Syllable Has At Least One Vowel)
Components of effective remediation for developmental reading disabilities: Combining phonological and strategy-based instruction to improve outcomes - Lovett, M. et al. - “Peeling Off” Strategy

Connect with Dr. Devin Kearns:
Website: https://www.devinkearns.com/
LinkedIn
Instagram: @devin.kearns
X: @devin_kearns

This podcast is brought to you by Reading Science Academy, where our friend Stephanie Stollar is giving Literacy in Color listeners an exclusive, free grouping resource bundle to help you turn fall screening data into skill-based groups that actually move students forward.
Get your FREE grouping resource bundle here.
Or, become a member of Reading Science Academy to learn in community and receive research-backed support alongside over 1,400 literacy educators.
Connect with Michelle:
Visit: www.michelleandthecolorfulclassroom.com
Follow me on Instagram: @michelle_thecolorfulclassroom & @logosliteracyacademy
Join our Facebook Community
Sign up for my Newsletter
Shop on TPT: The Colorful Classroom
For Phonics Resources, grab: The COLORFUL Phonics Toolkit

Want to Support the Podcast?
Make a Donation to Support Production

Interested in Learning More about Morphology?
Logos Literacy Academy with Michelle Sullivan & Sarah Paul
Join: Beyond Phonics Club - our Membership Community

Mentioned in this episode:
Reading Science Academy
Get your FREE grouping resource bundle here: https://www.stephaniestollarconsulting.com/groupingsheets?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=podcast

Join The Reading Science Academy: https://www.stephaniestollarconsulting.com/register?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show-notes&utm_campaign=literacy-in-color
SOR Fall Book Study
Join us: https://colorful-classroom.mykajabi.com/sor-fall-book-study-2026

What does it actually mean for a word to become "stored" in the brain – and how do we design instruction that helps that happen for every student?
In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Katie Pace Miles, associate professor at Brooklyn College, founder of The Reading Institute, co-founder of CUNY Reading Fellows, and one of today's leading voices in reading science.
She not only shares about the cognitive process of orthographic mapping, but also why understanding how words become permanently stored in memory changes the way we think about reading instruction and intervention.
Dr. Miles also shares the fascinating origin story behind Reading Ready, the structured literacy intervention she originally created while teaching her own daughter to read during the pandemic, and explains how both Reading Ready and Reading Go have expanded to support thousands of students through The Reading Institute and CUNY Reading Fellows.
She shares the dramatic literacy shifts happening across New York City Public Schools: from increased use of structured literacy and decodable texts to high-impact tutoring, universal screening, and stronger teacher preparation – and what still lies ahead.
Key Takeaways:
What orthographic mapping really is
Why oral language is foundational for orthographic mapping
The origin behind Reading Ready and Reading Go
Why intervention dosage matters more than many educators realize
How The Reading Institute and CUNY Reading Fellows are expanding access to high-quality literacy intervention
The biggest shifts happening across New York City Public Schools
Why teacher preparation must include authentic practice, not just coursework

Resources Mentioned:
The Reading Institute
Reading Ready
Reading Go
10-hour Science of Reading Micro-Credential
CUNY Reading Fellows
Brooklyn College: Advanced Certificate in Reading Science
Book: Making Words Stick by Dr. Katie Pace Miles & Dr. Molly Ness
Publications written by Dr. Katie Pace Miles

This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting the podcast!
Connect with Dr. Katie Pace Miles:
Instagram: @thereadinginstitutenyc
LinkedIn: The Reading Institute
Facebook: The Reading Institute
Website: https://www.katiepacemilesphd.com/

This podcast is brought to you by Reading Science Academy, where our friend Stephanie Stollar is giving Literacy in Color listeners an exclusive, free grouping resource bundle to help you turn fall screening data into skill-based groups that actually move students forward.
Get your FREE grouping resource bundle here.
Or, become a member of Reading Science Academy to learn in community and receive research-backed support alongside over 1,400 literacy educators.
Connect with Michelle:
Visit: www.michelleandthecolorfulclassroom.com
Follow me on Instagram: @michelle_thecolorfulclassroom & @logosliteracyacademy
Join our Facebook Community
Sign up for my Newsletter
Shop on TPT: The Colorful Classroom
For Phonics Resources, grab: The COLORFUL Phonics Toolkit

Want to Support the Podcast?
Make a Donation to Support Production

Interested in Learning More about Morphology?
Logos Literacy Academy with Michelle Sullivan & Sarah Paul
Join: Beyond Phonics Club - our Membership Community

Mentioned in this episode:
Reading Science Academy
Get your FREE grouping resource bundle here: https://www.stephaniestollarconsulting.com/groupingsheets?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=podcast

Join The Reading Science Academy: https://www.stephaniestollarconsulting.com/register?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show-notes&utm_campaign=literacy-in-color
SOR Fall Book Study
Join us: https://colorful-classroom.mykajabi.com/sor-fall-book-study-2026

Transitioning from classroom teacher to literacy coach is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. How do you build trust? Support veteran teachers? Know when to offer advice...and when to simply listen?
Today’s episode is part Coaching Conversation, as literacy coach Leah Ruesink shares about her transition to coach and what coaching really looks like behind the scenes. Leah shares some lessons she’s learned along the way, including how to build meaningful relationships, navigate imposter syndrome, and support teachers through instructional change.
Then the conversation shifts into one of Leah's greatest passions: writing instruction. Leah introduces listeners to Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD), an evidence-based writing framework that explicitly teaches students how to plan, organize, and write – all while regulating themselves throughout the writing process.
So, while this episode speaks directly to a literacy coach’s heart, classroom teachers will walk away with some really practical ideas and valuable insights for explicitly teaching writing in your classrooms.
Resources Mentioned:
Leah Ruesink's Literacy Coaching Hub
Book: The Impact Cycle by Jim Knight
Book: Better Conversations by Jim Knight
SRSD - Self-Regulated Strategy Development
Releasing Writers (Formerly Think SRSD)
Releasing Writers Facebook Page
Book: Executive Skills and Writing Instruction by Dr. Leslie Laud
Book: Rock Your Literacy Block by Lindsay Kemeny
TIDE chant and writing routines
Book: The Writing Rope by Joan Sedita

This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting the podcast!
Connect with Leah Ruesink:
Instagram: @theearlyliteracycoach
TikTok: @theearlyliteracycoach
Literacy Coaching Hub
Leah’s Stan.Store

This podcast is brought to you by Reading Science Academy, where our friend Stephanie Stollar is giving Literacy in Color listeners an exclusive, free grouping resource bundle to help you turn fall screening data into skill-based groups that actually move students forward.
Get your FREE grouping resource bundle here.
Or, become a member of Reading Science Academy to learn in community and receive research-backed support alongside over 1,400 literacy educators.
Connect with Michelle:
Visit: www.michelleandthecolorfulclassroom.com
Follow me on Instagram: @michelle_thecolorfulclassroom & @logosliteracyacademy
Join our Facebook Community
Sign up for my Newsletter
Shop on TPT: The Colorful Classroom
For Phonics Resources, grab: The COLORFUL Phonics Toolkit

Want to Support the Podcast?
Make a Donation to Support Production

Interested in Learning More about Morphology?
Logos Literacy Academy with Michelle Sullivan & Sarah Paul
Join: Beyond Phonics Club - our Membership Community

Mentioned in this episode:
SOR Fall Book Study
Join us: https://colorful-classroom.mykajabi.com/sor-fall-book-study-2026
Reading Science Academy
Get your FREE grouping resource bundle here: https://www.stephaniestollarconsulting.com/groupingsheets?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=podcast

Join The Reading Science Academy: https://www.stephaniestollarconsulting.com/register?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show-notes&utm_campaign=literacy-in-color

One of the most influential voices around “the reading brain”, Dr. Maryanne Wolf, joins the show to tackle that very subject. Our brains were never wired to read. Reading is a learned, plastic circuit that develops through instruction – and how we teach profoundly shapes how that circuitry is built.
Dr. Wolf explains dyslexia, why fluency is much more than reading quickly, and why decoding alone is not enough for deep comprehension. She shares the research behind her POSSUM framework and explains why integrating phonology, orthography, semantics, syntax, and morphology creates stronger, more fluent readers.
The conversation also turns toward one of today's biggest challenges: the digital age. Dr. Wolf discusses how technology and AI are reshaping the reading brain, why deep reading matters now more than ever, and how parents and educators can intentionally cultivate what she calls a biliterate brain: one that can thrive in both print and digital environments.
This episode offers a hopeful vision for building readers who don't simply decode words, but think deeply, read thoughtfully, and engage fully with language.
Key Takeaways:
How reading circuitry develops
The evolving understanding of dyslexia
Why fluency is the bridge between decoding and comprehension
The importance of multi-component literacy instruction
Dr. Wolf's POSSUM approach: Phonology, Orthography, Semantics, Syntax, Understanding, and Morphology
The research behind the RAVE-O intervention
Why vocabulary and oral language matter for reading success
The importance of deep reading in the age of AI
How technology is changing the reading brain
Practical advice for raising lifelong readers

Resources Mentioned:
Book: Proust and the Squid by Dr. Maryanne Wolf
Book: Reader, Come Home by Dr. Maryanne Wolf
Program: RAVE-O
POSSUM Approach
Nido Learning
Reading Nest essays

This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting the podcast!
Connect with Dr. Maryanne Wolf & Nido Learning:
Website: https://www.nidolearning.com/
Email: david@nidolearning.com
LinkedIn

This podcast is brought to you by Reading Science Academy, where our friend Stephanie Stollar is giving Literacy in Color listeners an exclusive, free grouping resource bundle to help you turn fall screening data into skill-based groups that actually move students forward.
Get your FREE grouping resource bundle here.
Or, become a member of Reading Science Academy to learn in community and receive research-backed support alongside over 1,400 literacy educators.
Connect with Michelle:
Visit: www.michelleandthecolorfulclassroom.com
Follow me on Instagram: @michelle_thecolorfulclassroom & @logosliteracyacademy
Join our Facebook Community
Sign up for my Newsletter
Shop on TPT: The Colorful Classroom
For Phonics Resources, grab: The COLORFUL Phonics Toolkit

Want to Support the Podcast?
Make a Donation to Support Production

Interested in Learning More about Morphology?
Logos Literacy Academy with Michelle Sullivan & Sarah Paul
Join: Beyond Phonics Club - our Membership Community

Mentioned in this episode:
Reading Science Academy
Get your FREE grouping resource bundle here: https://www.stephaniestollarconsulting.com/groupingsheets?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=podcast

Join The Reading Science Academy: https://www.stephaniestollarconsulting.com/register?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show-notes&utm_campaign=literacy-in-color
SOR Fall Book Study
Join us: https://colorful-classroom.mykajabi.com/sor-fall-book-study-2026