The Reading Symphony
Hosted by Katie Megrian - literacy leader, former principal, and mom of two young readers - The Reading Symphony brings the science of reading to life for parents, teachers, and school leaders who want clarity, not confusion. Each episode blends research-based insight with real-world strategies for helping children thrive in reading, writing, and comprehension.From phonemic awareness and decoding to fluency, vocabulary, and background knowledge, Katie demystifies what great instruction looks like and how families can support it at home. You’ll hear from expert guests in literacy education, cognitive science, and classroom practice - along with relatable stories from pa...
How to Build Your Child’s Curiosity Through Science and Reading | Rudo Kashiri
In this episode of The Reading Symphony Podcast, Katie talks with science educator, author, and former NASA educator Rudo Kashiri about bringing science, reading, storytelling and hands-on learning together. Rudo shares how her work with students and teachers at NASA inspired her to create children’s books that explain challenging science concepts through stories. She and Katie discuss why building science knowledge early matters, how misconceptions can make later learning more difficult, and how reading about science can strengthen children’s vocabulary, background knowledge and understanding.
Why Literacy Instruction Must Be Explicit and Coherent | Dr. Jen O’Sullivan
In this episode of The Reading Symphony Podcast...
Katie talks with Dr. Jen O’Sullivan, education researcher and lecturer, about what effective reading instruction looks like beyond phonics - and why strong literacy teaching needs to connect the different skills involved in learning to read.
About Dr. Jen O’Sullivan
Dr. Jen O’Sullivan is an education researcher and lecturer specializing in literacy education. A former primary school teacher, her work focuses on early reading development, early intervention for reading difficulties, teacher professional learning, and the role of children’s literature in literacy instruct...
Crafting Reading Minds | Dr. Melissa Orkin
Katie talks with Dr. Melissa Orkin, educator and developmental psychologist, about dyslexia, structured literacy, reading fluency, and why the emotional side of learning matters.
Melissa explains how motivation, confidence, and a child’s willingness to make mistakes can affect reading development. They discuss intrinsic motivation, the RAVE-O approach, the Science of Reading, and practical ways parents and teachers can support struggling readers.
They also explore dyslexia screening, effective reading intervention, and how progress monitoring can help families understand whether instruction is actually working.
About Dr. Melissa Orkin
Dr. Melissa Orkin is an...
Why Writing Instruction Is Essential | Dr. Stephen Ciullo
In this episode of The Reading Symphony Podcast, Katie talks with Dr. Stephen Ciullo, Professor of Education, about why writing instruction can get left behind and what effective writing instruction actually looks like.
They discuss why more writing practice isn't always enough, the importance of explicit instruction and modeling, and why teachers need more support in teaching writing.
Dr. Ciullo also shares practical advice for parents of struggling writers, including questions to ask at school, how reading comprehension can affect writing, and how to develop more useful IEP writing goals.
About Dr. Stephen...
Why Background Knowledge Is Essential for Reading Comprehension | Lauren Brown
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Why do some students understand what they read more easily than others? Background knowledge may be a much bigger part of reading comprehension than we realize.
Katie talks with longtime history educator and education consultant Lauren Brown about why building knowledge through science, history, and social studies can help children become stronger readers.
They explore how background knowledge supports reading com...
What Do I Do When My Child Isn't Responding To Traditional Reading Interventions? | Dawn Jagannath
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IN THIS EPISODE
Katie talks with reading specialist Dawn Jagannath about what happens when struggling readers aren't responding to traditional reading interventions.
They explore structured linguistic phonics, speech-to-print instruction, why older striving readers need meaningful "catch-up growth," and how parents can tell whether an intervention is actually working. Dawn also shares practical ways families can support struggling readers at home wit...
Don't Accept "They're doing fine" | Reading Assessments Every Parent Should Understand
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Have you ever been told, "They're doing fine," even though you know your child is struggling to read?
In this solo episode of The Reading Symphony Podcast, Katie Megrian explains how to understand your child's reading assessments, why vague reassurance isn't enough, and the questions every parent should ask before accepting that answer.
D...
How to Build "Word Wealth" | Sean Morrisey
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Katie welcomes Sean Morrisey, creator of the Word Mapping Project, for an engaging conversation about vocabulary instruction, morphology, the Science of Reading, and why building "word wealth" is essential for every child's literacy development.
Drawing on his experience as both a former school psychologist and a fifth-grade teacher, Sean explains why vocabulary should be taught explicitly, how spelling strengthens long-term word learning, and why students can learn far more sophisticated language than we often expect. Together, Katie and Sean explore orthographic mapping, morphology, structured literacy, dyslexia, developmental language disorder, reading fluency, and...
"Do No Harm" | Phyllis Hakeem
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Katie hosts Phyllis Hakeem, Professor of Education at Bay Path University, for a thought-provoking conversation about the science of reading, neuroscience, structured literacy, and why educators must embrace the principle of "do no harm" when teaching children to read.
PHYLISS'S LINKS
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phyllis-hakeem-a92b4838
Email:phakeem@baypath.edu
Bay Path University: https://www.baypath.edu/
Faculty Profile: https://www.baypath.edu/academics/faculty-directory/biography/phyllis-hakeem/
Reading & Literacy Programs: https://www.baypath.edu/academics/graduate-programs/reading-literacy-instruction-msed-eds/
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Rethinking Adolescent Literacy | Kate Crist
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Katie hosts Kate Crist, founder of Education 4500 and literacy consultant, to discuss one of the biggest challenges facing schools today: why so many students reach middle school and high school without being able to read grade-level texts fluently.
Kate's Links:
Website: https://www.education4500.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katecrist/
CHAPTERS
00:00 – Why So Many Students Still Can't Read
00:46 – Meet Kate Crist & Education 4500
03:25 – The Goal: Every Student Graduates Literate
05:00 – Literacy Outcomes Are Designed, Not Accidental<...
The Importance of Teachers Supporting Teachers | Jaenine Cortazar Rodriguez
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Katie welcomes Jaenine Cortazar Rodriguez, literacy consultant, educator, and co-founder of Boston Literacy Ladies, for a conversation about teacher coaching, literacy instruction, educator burnout, and the support teachers need to help students thrive.
Jaenine shares how she and her business partner built Boston Literacy Ladies to provide personalized coaching and practical support for educators navigating curriculum changes, literacy instruction, classroom management, scheduling, intervention planning, and professional growth.
Together, Katie and Jaenine discuss the science of reading, teacher efficacy, family-school partnerships, professional development, dyslexia screening, instructional coaching, and why supporting tea...
Setting The Record Straight On How We Learn with Holly Korbey
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Katie hosts education journalist and author Holly Korbey to discuss the science of learning and what parents and educators should understand about how children actually learn.
Holly explains concepts like cognitive load, explicit instruction, retrieval practice, background knowledge, and why step-by-step teaching matters more than many people realize.
Katie and Holly discuss study habits, flashcards, the science of reading, writing instruction, and how evidence-based teaching practices can help more students succeed.
Holly Korbey writes The Bell Ringer newsletter focused on the science of learning.
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Trust Your Gut and Raise Your Voice with Missy Purcell
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Katie Megrian hosts Missy Purcell, a literacy and inclusion advocate, educator, and parent, to discuss what parents can do when they know something is wrong but the school data says their child is “fine.”
Missy shares how advocating for her dyslexic son’s right to read led her into parent advocacy, structured literacy work, and state-level dyslexia reform. She explains why grades can hide serious reading struggles, how dyslexic children often compensate, and why parents should trust their gut when reading, spelling, writing, or school avoidance feels off.
Katie a...
From Confusion to Confidence. Navigating Dyslexia & Empowering Parents with Michelle Henderson
Katie Megrian hosts Michelle Henderson, a literacy and dyslexia specialist and creator of the Parent Blueprint, to discuss how reading develops and how parents can advocate for struggling readers. Michelle shares that her son’s reading struggles led her to study the science of reading and focus on equipping parents, noting many children fall through cracks due to gaps in training, not lack of care. They explain why “just read more at home” is insufficient, contrasting structured literacy (explicit, systematic, evidence-based) with balanced literacy, and connect NAEP results to the need for better instruction. Michelle outlines early dyslexia signs, stress...
Episode 16: From Confusion to Confidence. Navigating Dyslexia & Empowering Parents with Michelle Henderson
Katie Megrian hosts Michelle Henderson, a literacy and dyslexia specialist and creator of the Parent Blueprint, to discuss how reading develops and how parents can advocate for struggling readers. Michelle shares that her son’s reading struggles led her to study the science of reading and focus on equipping parents, noting many children fall through cracks due to gaps in training, not lack of care. They explain why “just read more at home” is insufficient, contrasting structured literacy (explicit, systematic, evidence-based) with balanced literacy, and connect NAEP results to the need for better instruction. Michelle outlines early dyslexia signs, stress...
From Struggling to Successful: Teaching Reading with Linda Farrell and Michael Hunter
Linda Farrell and Michael Hunter are founding partners at Readsters in Alexandria, VA. They work in schools all over the country to help educators provide assessment and instruction that ensures all students learn to read.
Teachers tell Linda and Michael that they appreciate the practicality of their consulting and their presentations. The reason they can provide practical solutions for helping struggling readers is that they have taught struggling readers from ages 4½ to 81 to read. They also learn from the hundreds of teachers they have worked with in the classroom who work their magic every day with students.
Babies, Books, and Brilliance with Salley King Edwards
🎧 Episode Summary
In this episode of the Reading Symphony Podcast, I sit down with early childhood educator Salley King Edwards, whose 25+ year career spans classrooms, coaching, and national literacy work through Cox Campus.
We explore how language, knowledge, and everyday interactions lay the foundation for reading long before formal instruction begins.
Salley shares her personal journey as both an educator and a parent navigating reading challenges, including the early signs she noticed, what she missed, and what she wishes more families understood.
This conversation is both deeply practical and inc...
Books, Bonds, and Beyond with Kindred Obas
In this special live episode of The Reading Symphony Podcast, Katie sits down with colleague and friend Kindred Obas for a conversation about joyful reading culture, complex texts, identity, and the kinds of classroom experiences that help children see themselves as readers.
Together, Katie and Kindred discuss:
how to build a classroom culture where reading feels joyful, social, and meaningfulwhy classroom libraries should include both mirrors and windowswhat Kindred learned from watching students move from books like Dog Man to much more complex texts over timehow her sixth grade Jane Austen...Balancing Trust and Urgency in Early Reading with John Bennetts
Episode Show Notes
In this episode of The Reading Symphony Podcast, Katie sits down with national literacy consultant John Bennetts to discuss what reading development actually looks like in real classrooms and real families.
John shares how an unexpected start in education led him to work alongside renowned literacy expert Linda Farrell early in his career, shaping his approach to evidence-based reading instruction.
Together, Katie and John explore a question many parents quietly carry: How do we know if a child is progressing normally in reading?
Their conversation unpacks...
Decodables, Advocacy, and Supporting Teachers with Elise Lovejoy
Episode Summary
In this episode, Katie sits down with literacy advocate and author Elise Lovejoy, creator of Express Readers and founder of The Teacher’s Table. Elise shares her journey into the science of reading, explains the critical difference between leveled readers and decodable books, and offers practical guidance for parents supporting early readers at home. She also discusses the importance of research-aligned instruction in schools and how The Teacher’s Table is helping teachers access credible, evidence-based resources.
In This Episode, We Discuss:
How Elise began writing decodable books to make earl...Insights on Literacy and Policy with Chad Aldeman
Katie Megrian speaks with education policy expert Chad Aldeman, founder of Aldeman Education LLC and creator of ReadNotGuess.com, about early reading development, intervention, and broader K–12 trends.
Chad shares that his son’s kindergarten experience during COVID revealed that his son had not been taught to decode and was guessing words. That realization led him to create Read Not Guess, a free, sequential, parent-facing resource with Levels 1–3, a “daily-ish decodable” program, and an optional app to support sound practice at home.
They discuss declines in national achievement that began around 2013–2015, with the largest drops among lower...
Escape Velocity: Helping Kids Crack the Reading Code Faster with Dr. Marnie Ginsberg
Episode Summary
In this episode, Katie talks with Dr. Marnie Ginsberg about what helps kids learn to read and why so many teachers were never given the tools to fix word-reading problems. Dr. Ginsberg shares the story that launched her career: sixth-grade students reading years below grade level and a breakthrough approach that helped them make dramatic gains in a single spring.
Together they unpack the research-to-practice gap (and why effective interventions still “sit on a shelf”), and then get very practical: Marnie explains how Reading Simplified teaches phonics without over-relying on r...
From Our First Classrooms to Now: Opportunity and Impact with Rosy Hely Reed
Rosy Hely Reed. Rosy is a Director, Academics at TNTP - a non-profit organization that brings research, policy, and consulting together to reimagine America's K-12 public education system. She has been at TNTP since 2016, and currently leads the execution of academic reviews in schools and districts across the country, providing data and insights on students' and teachers' access to the resources that matter most. Prior to TNTP, Rosy was a literacy teacher and instructional coach in New York City and Washington, D.C., public schools, and then oversaw district-wide teacher-leader and instructional-coaching programs for Pittsburgh Public Schools...
Insights on IEPs and Student Success with Gaby Diller
In this episode of the Reading Symphony Podcast, host Katie Megrian engages in a comprehensive conversation with Gaby Diller, founder of Lotus Advocacy. Launched in 2020, Lotus Advocacy aims to support special education departments, families, and students by centering families as essential members of the special education team. Gaby shares insights on her personal journey with learning challenges and her extensive experience as a special education teacher and administrator. She offers practical advice on creating effective IEPs, the importance of specific and strength-based goals, the necessity of multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), and the benefits and limitations of private evaluations...
The Power of Speech to Print with Alyssa Althouse
Where to find Alyssa?
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/learn_with_alyssa/?hl=en
Website: https://www.learnwithalyssa.net/
Handwriting Resources: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Write-to-Read-Verbal-Cue-Handwriting-Cards-13558681
How Connections Build Reading Comprehension with Whitney Whealdon
In this episode of the Reading Symphony Podcast, Katie Megrian hosts Whitney Whealdon, a career educator and learning architect. They discuss the critical role of background knowledge in reading comprehension, the development of Louisiana's ELA guidebooks, and the importance of coherent and aligned literacy curricula. Whitney shares insights from her career journey, innovation in curriculum development, and the Wonderwood app, designed to help children build knowledge. They also explore practical ways parents can support their children's literacy development at home. Key takeaways include cultivating curiosity, leveraging interconnected knowledge, and advocating for robust science and social studies instruction.
00:00...
Structured Literacy and Purposeful Assessment with Kate Winn
The Reading Symphony Podcast helps families and caregivers understand how reading develops and what truly supports reading success, with clarity, compassion, and evidence-based guidance. Host Katie Megrian (educator, parent, and literacy advocate) interviews experts who translate research into practical next steps for home and school.
In this episode, Katie is joined by Kate Winn, an Ontario educator, literacy advocate, and co-author of Reading Assessment Done Right: Tools and Techniques for Data-Driven Instruction. With 25+ years of experience across K–8, Kate breaks down what structured literacy looks like in real classrooms an...
From Reading Research to Classroom with Dr. Julia B. Lindsey
In this episode of the Reading Symphony Podcast, host Katie Megrian interviews Dr. Julia B. Lindsey, a literacy expert and author of 'Reading Above The Fray.' They discuss how reading develops, the importance of evidence-based practices in literacy instruction, the role of phonics and comprehension, and the use of small group instruction. Dr. Lindsey shares her insights on the prerequisites for reading comprehension, ongoing professional development for teachers, and the integration of technology in reading instruction. She also emphasizes the significance of making reading instruction practical and actionable for educators and families. Throughout the conversation, the importance of...
Epidsode 1: Why this podcast exists
Episode 1: Why Reading Feels So Hard (and Why It Doesn’t Have to)
Welcome to the first episode of The Reading Symphony Podcast. I’m your host, Katie Megrian—educator, literacy leader, and mom to two very different readers.
In this episode, I break down the current state of reading in the U.S., why so many children struggle, and the hopeful truth that at least 95% of kids can learn to read with the right instruction. You’ll learn why reading isn’t natural, how it actually develops in the brain, and why all parts of reading...
Making Words Stick in the Brain and Leveraging Read Alouds with Dr. Molly Ness
🎙 Episode: Making Words Stick and Read-Alouds for All Learners (with Dr. Molly Ness)
In this episode of The Reading Symphony Podcast, Katie Megrian sits down with Dr. Molly Ness, former classroom teacher, reading researcher, teacher educator, and author of six books (with a seventh on the way). Molly is known for translating research into practical, usable moves for teachers and families, and this conversation is packed with exactly that.
Together, Katie and Molly dig into two big questions families ask all the time:
How do we help words actually “stick” so kids become fluent readers...The Reading Symphony Podcast Trailer
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