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

Phonics is foundational — but it's not the finish line!
You've learned about phonemic awareness, phonics, and decodable text — but what happens when words get longer? When spelling gets more complex and sound alone doesn't tell the whole story? When students can read a word but don't fully understand how it works?
There's a bigger picture of literacy to explore, and we want to help you connect the pieces!
Introducing Beyond Phonics Club! 🎉
Sarah Paul and I created Beyond Phonics Club, our membership community for K-5 educators who want to deepen their understanding of the full picture of the Science of Reading so their students can become stronger readers, spellers, and word learners.
Why a membership?
When Sarah and I first launched Logos Literacy Academy, we created our Mastering Morphology course and our K–2 Morphology Course & Curriculum to help educators build their linguistic knowledge and bring meaningful morphology instruction into their classrooms.
We quickly realized we wanted to offer something more than standalone courses.
We wanted a place where professional learning didn't end when the video did. Where educators could ask questions, collaborate, share ideas, and continue growing alongside one another. And where the knowledge gained through professional learning was paired with practical lessons, routines, and resources that made classroom application easier.
So, we've reimagined our platform and transitioned to a membership model!
Beyond Phonics Club brings together our asynchronous course content, ready-to-use instructional resources, ongoing professional learning, live community calls, and collaborative support — all in one place.
Inside the Club, we're exploring how morphology, oral language, decoding, spelling, vocabulary, grammar, syntax, and more work together to strengthen literacy instruction.
The best part: This isn't about adding one more thing to your plate. It's about enhancing the instruction you're already doing by making meaningful connections across literacy.
We believe educators deserve more than information. They deserve the tools, confidence, and community to put that information into practice.
We'd love for you to be part of it!
👉 Explore Beyond Phonics Club & Join the Community
Let's keep learning, growing, and connecting the pieces of literacy — together!
-Michelle & Sarah
Founders of Logos Literacy Academy
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

What if the English spelling system isn't nearly as irregular as we've been led to believe? What if the letters we sometimes call “silent” are actually telling us something important about a word's structure, identity, or history?
Sue Scibetta Hegland, author of Beneath the Surface of Words: What English Spelling Reveals and Why It Matters joins the show for a fascinating conversation about what lies beneath the surface of English spelling.
Sue shares how her son's experience with dyslexia sparked her journey into understanding the English spelling system and why learning to read and learning to spell don't always develop in the same way.
We explore three foundational concepts: English spelling is structural, spelling reveals the identity of words, and written and spoken language are deeply connected yet distinct systems. Through examples like says, does, been, comfortable, and even leopard, Sue reveals how morphology, phonology, and etymology work together to make English spelling more understandable.
We also discuss why graphemes don't always represent phonemes, the different roles of graphemic markers, and how Sue's thinking has evolved as she works on the second edition of her book.
Plus, Sue shares insights from her conversations with renowned reading researcher Dr. Linnea Ehri, including the role of morphology in orthographic mapping and why morphological instruction doesn't need to wait until students are older.
Key Takeaways:
Morphology provides a structural framework for understanding English spelling
Spelling preserves word identity, even when pronunciation changes
Graphemes can serve purposes beyond representing phonemes
Why phonology and morphology should be taught in parallel from the beginning
Why teaching the English spelling system doesn't have to mean overwhelming young learners with complexity.

Resources Mentioned:
Book: Beneath the Surface of Words: What English Spelling Reveals and Why It Matters by Sue Scibetta Hegland (A 2nd edition is coming in 2027!)
Book: The American Way of Spelling: The Structure and Origins of American English Orthography by Richard Venetzky
Book: The Oxford Reference Guide to English Morphology
International Dyslexia Association (IDA)

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 Sue Scibetta Hegland:
Website: https://learningaboutspelling.com/
Resources & Linked Presentations on Sue’s Website

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 designed to help you spend less time figuring out what to do with screening data and move more quickly into purposeful, skill-based groups.
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 1,600 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
Beyond Phonics Club
Find out more about our membership community: https://beyond-phonics-club.circle.so/beyond-phonics-club

All 50 states now have dyslexia legislation on the books. So why are so many students with dyslexia still caught in a “wait to fail” system? Dyslexia advocate, Missy Purcell joins the show to explore the gap between passing legislation and actually changing outcomes for students.
Missy shares the deeply personal story of advocating for her own son after watching him go from a child excited to start school to one who was frustrated, anxious, and struggling. That journey, later featured in the Sold a Story podcast, ultimately led Missy from advocating for one child to helping families and educators navigate systems that too often fail to identify and support students early enough.
We unpack what “wait to fail” really looks like in schools, what dyslexia legislation can and cannot accomplish, and why screening alone is never enough. Missy shares lessons from Georgia’s evolving dyslexia and early literacy legislation, including what can happen when well-intentioned laws encounter policies and systems that don’t fully reflect their intent.
We also discuss the importance of early identification, Child Find and IDEA, the relationship between MTSS and special education evaluation, individualized intervention, teacher knowledge, and why a program alone cannot replace a highly trained, responsive educator.
Most importantly, Missy makes the case that dyslexia advocacy does not have to be parents versus teachers. Meaningful change happens when families, educators, school leaders, policymakers, and communities work together – with urgency – to make sure children get what they need before they fail.
Key Takeaways:
What “wait to fail” actually looks like for a child
Why dyslexia legislation is an important beginning, but not the finish line
The role of early screening
What can go wrong between legislation, policy, and implementation
Why growth is not necessarily the same as closing the gap
How parents and teachers can advocate alongside one another & how systems change requires the entire community to work together

Resources & References Mentioned:
Sold a Story Podcast with Emily Hanford
Sold a Story - Episode 6: “The Reckoning” features Missy Purcell
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Sec. 300.111 Child Find under IDEA
Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) guidance/letters regarding delaying or denying evaluations
Georgia HB 1193
Georgia: Literacy & Dyslexia
Georgia Dyslexia Informational Handbook
Georgia HB 538 (Early Literacy Act)

Connect with Missy Purcell:
Website: https://misspurcell.com/
Instagram: @misspurcelladvocates

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
Beyond Phonics Club
Find out more about our membership community: https://beyond-phonics-club.circle.so/beyond-phonics-club

Emmy-nominated actor, dyslexia advocate, and speaker Ameer Baraka explores the human side of unidentified dyslexia. Ameer takes us back to his childhood, when difficulties with reading left him feeling isolated, ashamed, and convinced that he simply wasn’t capable of learning. As his struggles went unidentified, school felt like it wasn’t a place of possibility, and he began searching for another way to make it in the world.
It wasn’t until Ameer was incarcerated as a young adult that his educational journey began to change. After being screened for dyslexia and finally having an explanation for the difficulties he had experienced throughout his life, Ameer describes an almost immediate shift in how he saw himself: he wasn’t “stupid.” He could learn.
For Ameer, literacy became freedom.
Throughout this deeply personal conversation, Ameer shares how learning to read transformed not only his opportunities, but his identity, his sense of hope, and ultimately the trajectory of his life. He also discusses the adults who believed in him when he struggled to believe in himself, the profound influence of his faith, and why he now feels called to advocate for children and incarcerated adults who struggle with literacy.
We also discuss what educators may see when reading difficulties show up as something other than reading difficulties – including acting out, frequent physical complaints, avoidance, or the child who quietly disappears into the back of the classroom.
Today, Ameer uses his story to advocate for early identification of dyslexia, stronger literacy instruction, prison reform, and greater awareness of the consequences that can occur when children spend years believing they cannot learn.
This conversation is ultimately about more than dyslexia. It is about literacy, identity, human potential, faith, and the extraordinary power educators have to help a child see possibilities they may not yet be able to see for themselves.
Stay tuned for more details on the film Undiagnosed, a biopic based on Ameer’s life and his experience with dyslexia. It’s the first film of its kind to explore what Ameer calls “the ugly side of dyslexia” – what can happen when a child’s struggles go unidentified and unsupported for far too long. Dyslexia organizations have already reached out in support of the project, and millions of people are anticipating to see this story on screen.
Key Takeaways:
Ameer's experience growing up with unidentified dyslexia
How reading struggles affected his identity, self-worth, and relationship with school
The connection Ameer sees between literacy struggles, environment, and the paths available to young people
Why receiving a dyslexia diagnosis felt liberating & Ameer's powerful belief that literacy is freedom
His advocacy for early dyslexia screening, literacy access, and prison reform
The message he would give his younger self – and the teachers who may have an “Ameer” sitting in their classroom today

See Ameer Baraka on:
Zatima
Jupiter Jones
A House Divided

Connect with Ameer Baraka:
Book: Undiagnosed: The Ugly Side of Dyslexia by Ameer Baraka
Instagram: @ameerbaraka
Facebook
LinkedIn
Support Undiagnosed: The Ugly Side of Dyslexia (the biopic)

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!
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 designed to help you spend less time figuring out what to do with screening data and move more quickly into purposeful, skill-based groups.
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 1,600 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:
Beyond Phonics Club
Find out more about our membership community: https://beyond-phonics-club.circle.so/beyond-phonics-club
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

What does dyslexia actually look like – from preschool through high school – and how can educators recognize when a student’s struggles may be telling us something more?
In this Dyslexia Awareness Month bonus episode, Certified Dyslexia Therapist and teacher educator Barb Golub joins the show for an honest, practical, and incredibly fun conversation about recognizing and supporting students with dyslexia.
Barb shares the personal story that ultimately led her into dyslexia therapy, and explains why dyslexia can be easy to miss, particularly in bright students who have become skilled at compensating. She walks through signs educators and families might notice at different ages. We also dig into why multilingual learners may be under-identified for dyslexia and why evaluators must consider both language acquisition and reading development rather than defaulting to a “wait and see” approach.
They also discuss what needs to change at the systems level, why intervention shouldn't become a permanent placement without meaningful progress, and what general education teachers can do when they suspect a student is struggling – even when they don't have a specialist standing beside them.
And because it's Barb, the episode ends with push-ups, miniature tchotchkes, irregular high-frequency words, crispy Diet Coke, and some literacy hot takes… obviously!
Key Takeaways:
What dyslexia is – and some persistent misconceptions about it
Signs of dyslexia from preschool through adolescence
Dyslexia therapy versus traditional tutoring
Fidelity, dosage, mastery, and responsive instruction
Why strong instruction for dyslexic readers can also support other readers
The importance of vetting literacy materials and practices

Connect with Barb Golub:
Website: https://www.barbgolub.com/
Email: hello@barbgolub.com
Instagram: @literacy_barb
LinkedIn

Mentioned in this episode:
Beyond Phonics Club
Find out more about our membership community: https://beyond-phonics-club.circle.so/beyond-phonics-club
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