The Reading Symphony

Setting The Record Straight On How We Learn with Holly Korbey

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. Holly’s links: Newsletter: https://thebellringer.substack.com/ [https://thebellringer.substack.com/] Website: https://hollykorbey.com/ [https://hollykorbey.com/] X/Twitter: https://x.com/hollykorbey [https://x.com/hollykorbey] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-korbey-21617331/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-korbey-21617331/] 📩 Join My Email List Get practical literacy tips, resources, podcast updates, and insights to help every child become a confident reader. Join here: https://link.fgfunnels.com/widget/form/M03vMOX9hAn6YOt6J7HN [https://link.fgfunnels.com/widget/form/M03vMOX9hAn6YOt6J7HN] Chapters: 00:00 – Why the Public Needs to Understand How Learning Works 00:43 – Meet Holly Korbey: Education Journalist & Author 05:00 – Why Holly Asked to Speak on Podcasts About Education 06:00 – “We Need to Understand How Humans Learn” 07:20 – Science of Reading vs. Science of Learning 10:40 – What Cognitive Load Theory Actually Means 15:00 – Homework, Apps & Cognitive Overload 17:00 – Why Explicit Instruction Matters 19:30 – Creative Thinking Is the Goal, Not the Starting Point 21:00 – Sports, Music & How the Brain Learns Skills 24:00 – Why Flashcards Are a Miracle for Learning 26:00 – Effective Study Habits & Spaced Retrieval 28:00 – What Gives Holly Hope About Education

Trust Your Gut and Raise Your Voice with Missy Purcell

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 and Missy discuss dyslexia, reading intervention, evidence-based instruction, Orton-Gillingham style support, IEP meetings, school pushback, dyslexia screening, and how to support children after a long, exhausting school day. This episode is for parents of struggling readers, educators, and advocates who want to better understand dyslexia, the science of reading, structured literacy, and how to support children who learn differently. Missy is the co-founder of Gwinnett Advocates for Dyslexia and serves as Education Chair with Decoding Dyslexia Georgia. Missy’s links: Website: https://misspurcell.com/ [https://misspurcell.com/] Instagram: @misspurcelladvocates Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/misspurcelladvocates/ [https://www.facebook.com/misspurcelladvocates/] X / Twitter: @MissyPurcell LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/missy-purcell-84061b143/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/missy-purcell-84061b143/] 📩 Join My Email List Get practical literacy tips, resources, podcast updates, and insights to help every child become a confident reader. Join here: https://link.fgfunnels.com/widget/form/M03vMOX9hAn6YOt6J7HN [https://link.fgfunnels.com/widget/form/M03vMOX9hAn6YOt6J7HN] Chapters: 00:00 – Opening: “I Shouldn’t Be the Most Knowledgeable Person in the Room” 01:18 – Meet Missy Purcell: Dyslexia Advocate & Educator 03:10 – Fighting the School System to Get Her Son Help 09:40 – When Good Grades Hide Reading Struggles 15:20 – How Parents Can Spot Dyslexia Early and Push for Support 33:59 – What Effective Reading Intervention Looks Like 36:20 – Why Dyslexia Laws Need Real Accountability 43:50 – How Parents Can Advocate With School Boards 50:20 – Being Brave When Your Child Is Being Failed 01:03:00 – Helping Dyslexic Kids Decompress After School #dyslexia #scienceofreading #structuredliteracy #strugglingreaders #parentadvocacy

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, stresses early action, and describes her $47 Parent Blueprint course and free parent-teacher conference guide at michellehendersonliteracy.com [http://michellehendersonliteracy.com]. They address older students whose grades mask deficits, the value of OG-style individualized intervention, graphic novels and movies for access and motivation, continuing read-alouds, and supporting children’s self-esteem and self-advocacy. 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:30 Meet Michelle Henderson 01:15 Why Advocacy Matters 03:13 Reading Symphony Analogy 04:43 Read Aloud Is Not Enough 07:46 Basics of Reading Skills 08:52 Structured Literacy Training 10:09 Balanced Literacy Debate 14:08 Why Dyslexia Name Matters 19:19 Kindergarten Wake Up Call 24:34 Early Signs of Dyslexia 27:17 Parent Blueprint Course 29:20 Tools Modules And PDFs 32:16 Pricing Giveaway And Free Guide 33:40 Teen Dyslexia Hidden Struggles 37:43 Orton Gillingham For Older Readers 43:20 Movies Graphic Novels And Joy 46:51 Read Alouds And Audio Access 49:55 Handling Discouragement And Hope 51:29 Final Thanks And Podcast Outro Michelle's Website [https://michellehendersonliteracy.com/] Michelle's course [https://stan.store/MichelleHendersonLiteracy]

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. Linda and Michael have presented workshops about effective instruction for beginning and struggling readers for more than 20 years. They participated in reviewing required early reading courses in all colleges and universities in two states. They have coauthored curricula for struggling readers and diagnostic assessments to pinpoint decoding difficulties. Linda is the instructor in Looking at Reading Interventions on the Reading Rockets website. Michael is featured in videos used to demonstrate effective teaching techniques in LETRS modules. Episode Summary Katie sits down with two titans of literacy intervention — Michael Hunter and Linda Farrell — whose unconventional paths from investment banking and concrete construction led them to become nationally recognized reading specialists. Together, they unpack the most common reasons children struggle to read, how to identify exactly where a student is stuck, and the powerful (and often overlooked) practice strategies that make the difference between a child who can read and a child who reads fluently and automatically. https://www.readsters.com/ [https://www.readsters.com/] https://www.decodingdyslexia.net/ [https://www.decodingdyslexia.net/]

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 incredibly reassuring: reading development doesn’t start in kindergarten—it starts from birth. And there is so much families can do, in simple and meaningful ways, to support it. 🔗 Resources Mentioned * Cox Campus (free courses for families and educators) [https://coxcampus.org/] * Brilliance of Babies (Salley’s book series and resources) [https://brillianceofbabies.com/] * "How Knowledge Helps" (Willingham) [https://www.aft.org/ae/spring2006/willingham]