Melissa & Lori Love Literacy ® | Science of Reading for Teachers

In this episode, we talk with Julia Lindsey about her book, Reading Above the Fray: Reliable, Research-Based Routines for Developing Decoding Skills. Julia shares why decoding is one of the most important skills we can help students develop and how research-based instructional routines can make that learning more efficient, effective, and joyful.
Together, we explore the foundational skills that support decoding, the role of purposeful practice, and how consistent routines help students know what to expect as they build confidence with sounds, words, and increasingly complex texts.
Decoding isn't the end goal of reading! It's the gateway. When students develop strong decoding skills, they gain the independence needed to tackle new words, access meaning, and fully engage with reading.
Whether you're a classroom teacher, literacy coach, interventionist, or school leader, this conversation is packed with practical, research-based ideas you can put into practice right away.
Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com.
Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at literacypodcast@greatminds.org.

Episode 260
In this episode, Wiley Blevins shares practical strategies for differentiating phonics instruction in both whole group and small group settings. We explore high impact routines, effective use of decodable texts, and how to meet diverse student needs efficiently.
Wiley walks us through how to design routines that are expansive enough to serve everyone in whole group, while using small group for the high-intensity, targeted practice that takes kids further faster. Differentiation does not have to happen only in small group. It can live right inside the phonics routines you are already using every day. 
Resources
Differentiating Phonics Instruction for Maximum Impact by Wiley Blevins 

Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com.
Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at literacypodcast@greatminds.org.

Episode 259
In this episode, we’re joined once again by literacy researcher and educator Brennan Chandler for a practical, teacher-friendly conversation all about spelling routines that support students as spellers and writers. Brennan walks us through a sequence of short, research-based routines including 
Sound Check
Pattern Power Up,
Word Workout
Heart Word Heroes
Sentence Sprint
Spell Streak
Free scripts and printables for all six routines are here: Spell Squad
We talk about how these routines build from sounds to patterns to words to sentences, helping students move toward applying spelling knowledge in authentic writing. 
Throughout the episode, Brennan shares clear examples teachers can try right away, along with ideas for scaffolding instruction, providing immediate feedback, and making spelling practice more engaging and meaningful for students. We also discuss the importance of cumulative review, sentence-level practice, and transfer into real writing, especially for students who continue to need spelling support in upper elementary and beyond.

Resources
Free scripts and printables for all six routines are here: Spell Squad
Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) Brennan references Fuchs’ peer-assisted learning work. 
Anita Archer’s instructional routines
How to Teach Students to Read Irregular Words with Danielle Colenbrander & Katie Pace Miles Podcast episode featuring Danielle Colenbrander discussion heart words.
Follow Brennan Chandler
Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com.
Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at literacypodcast@greatminds.org.

Episode 96 from 3/4/2022
We’re bringing back one of our most requested conversations about spelling and the important role it plays in reading development. In this episode, we revisit our conversation with literacy expert J. Richard Gentry, author of Brain Words , to explore how spelling supports automatic word recognition and stronger reading and writing overall.
Throughout the conversation, Richard explains how spelling connects directly to students’ speech and language systems. He also shares practical, science of reading-aligned strategies teachers can use to make spelling instruction more intentional.
Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com.
Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at literacypodcast@greatminds.org.

Episode 258
In this episode, we sit down with literacy researcher Brennan Chandler to talk about the science of spelling instruction and why spelling deserves a much bigger role in science of reading conversations. Brennan explains how spelling supports stronger writing, more precise word knowledge, and better reading outcomes.
We discuss why spelling should be taught explicitly rather than left to chance, why patterns matter more than memorized rules, and how phonology, orthography, and morphology all work together when students learn to spell. Brennan also shares why morphology belongs in the early grades, how retrieval practice strengthens spelling knowledge, and why traditional Friday spelling tests often fail to lead to lasting learning.
This conversation is full of practical insights for teachers who want to move beyond isolated spelling activities and toward instruction that truly supports literacy development.
And this is just part one. Brennan will be back in our next episode focused entirely on practical spelling routines teachers can use right away in the classroom.
Brennan mentioned his TAP model of spelling instruction (Teach, Practice, Apply) in this episode. He's built six routines that put it into practice, called Spell Squad. Each one comes with scripting and a timer so you can teach it straight from the screen. Free teaching scripts and printables are on his site: Spell Squad
Resources
Free teaching scripts and printables are on Brennan's site: Spell Squad
"Spelling Is an Integral Part of Learning the Language, Not a Matter of Memorization."
"How Spelling Supports Reading" by Louisa Moats
This resource from Logic of English shares several high-utility spelling patterns and generalizations that may feel more useful and transferable than the long lists of spelling “rules” many of us learned in school.
Follow Brennan Chandler
Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com.
Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at literacypodcast@greatminds.org.