Literacy Talks

Welcome to Literacy Talks , a podcast from Reading Horizons, where reading momentum begins. Each episode features our trio of literacy champions: Stacy Hurst, an assistant professor of reading at Southern Utah University and Chief Academic Advisor at Reading Horizons; Donell Pons, a dyslexia specialist, educator, presenter, and writer, who now works with adults with reading challenges; and Lindsay Kemeny, a dedicated elementary teacher who is a CERI-certified Structured Literacy Classroom Teacher and author of 7 Mighty Moves . Each episode is a conversation among friends with practical literacy strategies, powerful tips, and a real passion for teachers and students alike. Listen, laugh, and learn with Literacy Talks , brought to educators everywhere by Reading Horizons.

Literacy Talks is a education podcast hosted by Reading Horizons, with 132 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Reading Horizons hosts Literacy Talks, a education show with 132 episodes published.

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  Episode #132

  Episode 132: When the Classroom Feels Different: Behavior, Boundaries, and Teacher Well-Being

  Sep 24, 202646 min

  Classroom management can test even the most experienced teacher—especially when the strategies that usually work suddenly don’t seem to be enough. In this episode, Lindsay, Donell, and Stacy have an open conversation about challenging classroom behavior, maintaining high expectations, setting boundaries, and the very real toll it can take on teachers. They share strategies, resources, and reminders for navigating the hard days while finding ways to support students and teachers. Show Notes When classroom behavior begins consuming more time and energy than instruction, what can teachers do? In this episode, the Literacy Talks trio explores the realities of classroom management—from explicitly teaching and practicing expectations to using positive reinforcement, individual supports, and consistent consequences. They also discuss something that often receives less attention: the emotional load teachers carry when managing challenging behavior day after day. The conversation includes ideas for setting boundaries, seeking support from colleagues and administrators, partnering with families, and recognizing when teachers themselves may need additional support. Books and Resources Mentioned in the Episode Ross Greene — Lost at School, 2014 Lost and Found, 2016 The central idea behind Greene's Collaborative & Proactive Solutions approach is that challenging behavior may reflect lagging skills rather than simply willful defiance. That's a very useful lens for teachers. https://drrossgreene.com/lost-at-school.htm The IRIS Center at Vanderbilt University — Behavior & Classroom Management Free, evidence-based resources for educators, including modules, case studies, skill sheets, and practical guidance on classroom behavior management, behavior-specific praise, active supervision, choice making, and more. https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/iris-resource-locator/?term=behavior-classroom-management The IRIS Center — Fundamental Skill Sheets Quick, practical resources covering strategies such as behavior-specific praise, proximity control, active supervision, choice making, and wait time. https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/fundamental-skill-sheets/ Dr. Anita Archer — “Pressing the Reset Button on Classroom Management” A practical presentation on research-based classroom management practices and creating an environment where students can learn and teachers can teach. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLG65NH6YMQ Love and Logic for Educators Stacy discusses using principles from Love and Logic to put responsibility for choices back on students while responding with empathy and consistency. Free educator articles and resources are available here: https://www.loveandlogic.com/pages/articles-and-advice-for-educators NeuroLaunch https://neurolaunch.com/mhi-mental-health/ Want more insights like this? Subscribe to the Literacy Talks Podcast Digest for episode recaps, resources, and teaching takeaways delivered straight to your inbox! Core Instruction and Reading Intervention. One System. One Path Forward. From Pre-K readiness to advanced fluency, Ascend®️ gives educators a consistent, needs-based approach to literacy—helping every teacher deliver the right instruction and every student build lasting mastery, one skill at a time. Coherent literacy for lasting impact. See how Ascend works . Do you teach Structured Literacy in a K–3 setting? Sign up for a free license of Reading Horizons Discovery® LIVE and start teaching right away—no setup, no hassle. Sign-up Now .

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  Episode #130

  Episode 130: Conference Rewind: What Educators Can Take Back from Big Sky

  Sep 10, 202647 min

  Fresh from the Big Sky Literacy Summit, Stacy Hurst and Donell Pons bring Lindsay Kemeny—and listeners—inside the conversations that had them thinking, questioning, and taking notes. Hear which ideas rose to the top and why they could matter for the way educators approach literacy instruction. Show Notes The best conferences don't just leave you with pages of notes—they leave you thinking differently about what happens when you return to the classroom. In this Conference Rewind episode, Stacy Hurst and Donell Pons recap the Big Sky Literacy Summit for Lindsay Kemeny, sharing ideas and conversations that stood out across several packed days of learning. Their discussion explores the connection between research and practice, including what teachers need to know about language and literacy, the role of teacher knowledge and preparation, and why practical experience matters. They also reflect on emerging questions around AI in education, the importance of syntax and language comprehension, assessment, self-regulation, and what it really means to move beyond simply finding or comprehending information to actually learning it. Throughout the conversation, one theme keeps resurfacing: strong research matters most when educators can translate it into stronger teaching and better learning for students. Resources Mentioned Big Sky Literacy Summit Bridges in Higher Education 10 Maxims: What We’ve Learned So Far About How Children Learn to Read (2026) — Reading Universe AI Hub for Education — Stanford University Want more insights like this? Subscribe to the Literacy Talks Podcast Digest for episode recaps, resources, and teaching takeaways delivered straight to your inbox! Core Instruction and Reading Intervention. One System. One Path Forward. From Pre-K readiness to advanced fluency, Ascend®️ gives educators a consistent, needs-based approach to literacy—helping every teacher deliver the right instruction and every student build lasting mastery, one skill at a time. Coherent literacy for lasting impact. See how Ascend works . Do you teach Structured Literacy in a K–3 setting? Sign up for a free license of Reading Horizons Discovery® LIVE and start teaching right away—no setup, no hassle. Sign-up Now .

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  Episode #129

  Episode 129: Is This Really the End of Reading?

  Sep 3, 202658 min

  Are we reading less—or is the way we read changing? Inspired by a provocative recent article in The Atlantic, Stacy, Donell, and Lindsay take on some big questions about reading, attention, and what it means to be a reader today. Their conversation explores what may be changing, what may be at stake, and what educators can do about it. Show Notes A recent Atlantic article makes a provocative claim: America may not be becoming illiterate, but post-literate—a society in which people can read but increasingly choose other ways to learn, think, communicate, and entertain themselves. In this episode, Stacy Hurst, Donell Pons, and Lindsay Kemeny unpack that idea and consider what declining reading habits, shorter attention spans, digital distractions, and changes in classroom reading experiences could mean for students and adults alike. Their conversation explores the difference between knowing how to read and actually being a reader, including: The distinction between reading ability, reading behavior, reading stamina, and reading culture How smartphones, social media, short-form content, digital devices, and AI compete for attention Why sustained reading asks something different of the brain than more passive forms of media Whether schools have unintentionally contributed to the problem by relying more heavily on excerpts and short passages instead of whole books Why explicit reading instruction and opportunities for deep, meaningful reading shouldn't be treated as competing priorities The importance of read-alouds and shared reading experiences at home and in the classroom What teachers can—and can't—control when it comes to helping students become lifelong readers Some encouraging signs that reading may not be disappearing after all Resources Mentioned in This Episode The Atlantic: “The End of Reading Is Here” by Rose Horowitch The August 2026 article that sparked this episode's conversation. Read the article in The Atlantic Maryanne Wolf: “Elbow Room: How the Reading Brain Informs the Teaching of Reading” Wolf explores the relationship between foundational reading skills and the development of deep reading and comprehension. Read Elbow Room at the Shanker Institute Daniel Willingham: Raising Kids Who Read: What Parents and Teachers Can Do Mentioned by Donell in the discussion of the many factors that contribute to developing an enjoyment of reading. Learn more about Daniel Willingham and the book at Reading Rockets Dallas ISD: Cellphone Restrictions and Library Checkouts Stacy and Lindsay reference reports of increased library use after cellphone restrictions. Dallas ISD reported more than 200,000 additional library checkouts through March 31, 2026—a 24.35% increase over the same period the previous school year. Read the CBS Texas report Want more insights like this? Subscribe to the Literacy Talks Podcast Digest for episode recaps, resources, and teaching takeaways delivered straight to your inbox! Core Instruction and Reading Intervention. One System. One Path Forward. From Pre-K readiness to advanced fluency, Ascend®️ gives educators a consistent, needs-based approach to literacy—helping every teacher deliver the right instruction and every student build lasting mastery, one skill at a time. Coherent literacy for lasting impact. See how Ascend works . Do you teach Structured Literacy in a K–3 setting? Sign up for a free license of Reading Horizons Discovery® LIVE and start teaching right away—no setup, no hassle. Sign-up Now .

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  Episode #128

  Episode 128: Should Struggling Readers Repeat Third Grade?

  Aug 27, 202639 min

  Third-grade retention laws are gaining momentum—but does repeating a grade actually help struggling readers? Stacy, Donell, and Lindsay explore what the research suggests and why earlier, evidence-based intervention may be the better answer. Show Notes More states are turning to third-grade retention policies as a way to improve reading outcomes. But as Stacy, Donell, and Lindsay discuss, the research raises an important question: Is retention itself making the difference, or are the interventions that come with it responsible for improved outcomes? In this episode, the hosts examine the complicated realities behind third-grade retention, including the social-emotional impact on students, the challenges faced by children with reading difficulties, and the role attendance can play in early literacy development. The conversation ultimately moves upstream. Rather than waiting until third grade to respond, what would happen if schools placed greater emphasis on early identification, strong Tier 1 instruction, evidence-based intervention, and educator knowledge beginning in preschool and the primary grades? In this episode: Why third grade became a major literacy benchmark What research suggests about retention versus intervention The potential social-emotional impact of repeating a grade Why attendance in kindergarten and the early grades matters The importance of identifying reading difficulties early How retention policies can change adult behavior and increase support Why effective MTSS and strong Tier 1 instruction matter Where schools and districts might reconsider how literacy resources are allocated Want more insights like this? Subscribe to the Literacy Talks Podcast Digest for episode recaps, resources, and teaching takeaways delivered straight to your inbox! Core Instruction and Reading Intervention. One System. One Path Forward. From Pre-K readiness to advanced fluency, Ascend®️ gives educators a consistent, needs-based approach to literacy—helping every teacher deliver the right instruction and every student build lasting mastery, one skill at a time. Coherent literacy for lasting impact. See how Ascend works . Do you teach Structured Literacy in a K–3 setting? Sign up for a free license of Reading Horizons Discovery® LIVE and start teaching right away—no setup, no hassle. Sign-up Now .

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  Episode #127

  Episode 127: When Reading Struggles Follow Students to Middle School | The Braxton Story, Part 1

  Aug 19, 202635 min

  Braxton was in kindergarten when the pandemic interrupted his first year of formal reading instruction. But his mother, Kristie, soon realized there was more to his struggles. Donell Pons talks with Kristie about the years Braxton spent “hanging on,” his eventual dyslexia identification, and what changed when he finally received targeted support—just as he prepares to enter middle school. Show Notes Today’s middle schoolers were just beginning their education when the pandemic disrupted classrooms across the country. For some students, that interruption came at a critical point in learning to read—and years later, foundational reading needs may still be following them into the secondary grades. Braxton was one of those beginning readers. He started kindergarten in fall 2019. When COVID closed his school the following spring, he spent the final two and a half months of kindergarten at home. That was when his mother, Kristie Nelson, a former kindergarten teacher, began noticing that something wasn’t right. Braxton struggled to identify letter names and sounds, and Kristie ultimately decided to have him repeat kindergarten. But the pandemic wasn’t the whole story. Kristie remembered concerns dating back to preschool, and as Braxton moved through elementary school, he continued to struggle with reading even as he found ways to compensate. He made progress. He worked hard. He was “hanging on.” And because he was never dramatically behind, the underlying problem remained difficult to see. But by fifth grade, the work had become harder and those compensatory strategies were no longer enough. In this episode of Literacy Talks, Donell Pons talks with Kristie about the journey that ultimately led to Braxton being identified with dyslexia. Kristie shares the signs she learned to recognize, how his school responded, and what began to change once instruction could target his specific needs. The results have been encouraging. With focused work on phonics and other foundational skills, Kristie reports substantial improvement in Braxton’s reading accuracy. Perhaps even more telling, a child who had found reading difficult and exhausting began asking to read aloud. Now another transition is coming: middle school. Instead of spending most of his day with one teacher who understands how he learns, Braxton will move among multiple teachers and face increasingly complex reading and writing demands. An IEP, targeted intervention, and continued support will be critical as he enters sixth grade. Braxton’s story is his own. But it also raises a much larger question: How many students are entering middle school with unfinished foundational reading needs—and what will it take to ensure those needs don’t follow them any further? This conversation is Part 1 of The Braxton Story, a Literacy Talks series following Braxton and his family through the transition to middle school. We’ll check back during his sixth-grade year to hear about his progress, the challenges that emerge, and what his experience can teach us about supporting older struggling readers. In this episode: How the pandemic interrupted the end of Braxton’s first kindergarten year The early reading difficulties Kristie noticed before and after that disruption How Braxton compensated for reading difficulties through the elementary grades Why increasing academic demands made his struggles harder to overlook How learning about dyslexia helped Kristie recognize what she was seeing What happened when his school identified his needs and targeted instruction accordingly Why putting an IEP in place mattered before the transition to middle school What Braxton’s experience can teach us about the unfinished reading needs students may carry into the secondary grades Want more insights like this? Subscribe to the Literacy Talks Podcast Digest for episode recaps, resources, and teaching takeaways delivered straight to your inbox! Core Instruction and Reading Intervention. One System. One Path Forward. From Pre-K readiness to advanced fluency, Ascend®️ gives educators a consistent, needs-based approach to literacy—helping every teacher deliver the right instruction and every student build lasting mastery, one skill at a time. Coherent literacy for lasting impact. See how Ascend works . Do you teach Structured Literacy in a K–3 setting? Sign up for a free license of Reading Horizons Discovery® LIVE and start teaching right away—no setup, no hassle. Sign-up Now .

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