Free Daily Podcast Summary
On the Road to Literacy Success: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Dr. Staci Bain
"On the Road to Literacy Success" is here to be a helpful part of your daily teaching, learning, and leadership life. If you're striving to get the most amount of kiddos as possible reading, spelling, writing, listening, speaking, and critically thinking — this is the place for you. We take the messiness of teaching, learning, and leading and ask people who have figured things out to share their minds with us. So join us and come on the road as we drive for literacy and justice for all 8 billion humans on this planet. -staci
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 4 days ago51 min
Season 2, Ep. 15: Write ON! with Enid Bailot
In this episode, we connect with Enid Ballot, a deeply committed and knowledgeable literacy expert who has helped shape and expand the national and international Science of Literacy conversation. Through her leadership in multiple educator communities on social media, Enid continues to push the field beyond narrow conversations about reading alone and toward a fuller understanding of literacy instruction. Together, we discuss vocabulary development, syntax and grammar, handwriting, writing, and the instructional decisions that help students become stronger readers, writers, and thinkers. This conversation is a powerful reminder that literacy success is not built through isolated skills or one narrow slice of instruction. It is built through clear, connected, evidence-aligned teaching that honors the complexity of language and the expertise of educators.
- May 14, 202646 min
Season 2, Ep. 14: Literacy Implementation Leadership w/Dr. Liz Ritz
On this episode of On the Road to Literacy Success, Dr. Liz Ritz describes how school districts can implement Science of Reading-aligned practices in a way that is cohesive, clear, and coherent across classrooms, schools, and systems. She shares practical insight into what it takes to move beyond awareness and into implementation: building shared language, supporting teachers, aligning instructional expectations, and creating the conditions for literacy practices to actually take root. This conversation is for leaders, coaches, and educators who know the goal is not simply to talk about the Science of Reading. The goal is to bring it to life in classrooms so more students learn to read, write, think, and thrive. It was an honor to have Dr. Ritz on the show. To learn more about Educate's Tier 1 support and literacy implementation resources, visit goodhumanseducate.com.
- Mar 18, 202643 min
Season 2, Ep. 13 - A Superintendent's Message: Centering the Humanity of Our Work w/Dr. Tim Lawless
NOTE: We apologize for the audio quality on Dr. Bain’s track and appreciate your understanding. Season 2, Ep. 13: A Superintendent’s Message: Centering the Humanity of Our Work w/ Dr. Tim Lawless In this meaningful conversation, Dr. Tim Lawless reflects on his journey through education and shares a powerful message for teachers, leaders, and school communities: the work is always about people. Together, we discuss what it looks like to lead with love, build trust over time, hire with heart, and create a school culture grounded in honesty, consistency, faith, humor, and human connection. This episode offers practical insight for educators and leaders who want to strengthen relationships, communicate more effectively, and cultivate school systems where both adults and students can thrive. Dr. Lawless reminds us that strong leadership is not only about systems and strategy. It is also about the way people feel seen, valued, supported, and inspired within the work. Whether you are a superintendent, principal, teacher, coach, or district leader, this conversation will encourage you to keep the humanity of the work at the center. In this episode, we discuss: --The role of love and trust in school leadership --Hiring for heart, character, and relational capacity --Building trust through honesty, consistency, and follow-through --The importance of humor and human connection in schools --Strategies for communication, relationship building, and positive culture
- Mar 6, 202621 min
Season 2, Ep. 12: Supporting Multilingual Learners w/Karen Wattenmaker
In Season 2, Episode 12 of On the Road to Literacy Success Podcast, Staci Bain sits down with Karen Wattenmaker of Edu-Partners to discuss the comprehensive language and literacy work required to build a literate society. At GoodHumansEducate.com, we aim to support female entrepreneurs who are doing this important literacy work. In this episode, you will gain research insights, helpful instructional moves, and insightful systems advice to move your thinking forward. Whether you are working to strengthen classroom practice or build stronger MTSS and Tier 1 systems for all students, this conversation will encourage and equip you. To learn more, feel free to check out Staci Bain, Ed.D. at GoodHumansEducate.com or our good pal Karen at Edu-Partners.
- Jan 23, 202637 min
Season 2, Ep. 11: A Conversation with Literacy Expert Jan Hasbrouck
In this conversation, Jan Hasbrouck shares practical, research-aligned insight on what strengthens literacy outcomes in real schools. She explains why explicit instruction remains essential, why many systems are overloaded with assessment, and how leaders can support clearer, more effective literacy implementation. Jan also clarifies what reading fluency actually is—accuracy and automaticity that protect comprehension, not just speed. This episode offers a grounded, doable lens for teachers and school leaders who want literacy instruction to be more cohesive, clear, and coherent. Want to grab the book Jan Hasbrouck spoke about? Grab it here: https://www.amazon.com/Reading-Fluenc... Want to grab Staci Bain’s new book? Grab it here: Empowered to Teach and Lead
- Jan 22, 202612 min
Season 2, Episode 10: A Joy-Filled Chat with Author Kristen Wilks
In this episode of On The Road To Literacy Success, host Dr. Staci Bain sits down with children’s author Kristen Wilks to explore how storytelling helps build strong, motivated readers. Kristen shares how her love of writing began early, and how she now creates stories that make kids belly-laugh, stay engaged, and feel genuinely connected to the characters. She unpacks what keeps young readers hooked—especially the blend of humor and action—and explains how books can nurture hope and resilience along the way. The conversation also highlights how schools and author visits can help grow confident readers and inspire young writers. Whether you’re a teacher, school leader, parent, or literacy advocate, this episode is a reminder that literacy success is built—one story at a time. Connect with Kristen: kristenjoywilks.com Connect with Dr. Bain: GoodHumansEducate.com
- Jan 20, 202640 min
Season 2, Ep. 9: Learning About Language Development w/Arti Shah
In this cozy, practical conversation, Dr. Staci Bain sits down with speech-language pathologist and literacy advocate Arti Shah to unpack how language development fuels reading and writing success—from babies (0–3) to early elementary (K–2). You’ll leave with doable ways to strengthen language at home and at school. Arti Shah is a speech-language pathologist (13+ years) who has worked across early intervention, community health, and schools. She also hosts the podcast Human Chapters, where she explores meaningful “chapters” of people’s lives with deep curiosity and connection. ▶️ To connect with Arti, watch/listen to Human Chapters on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@humanchapters To collaborate with Staci Bain on K–12 Tier 1 systems, feel free to connect. Educate supports teachers and school leaders with practical, research-aligned tools to strengthen Tier 1 literacy instruction—so the work becomes cohesive, clear, and coherent in real classrooms. Learn more: https://goodhumanseducate.com If this episode helped you think differently, lead more confidently, or support kids more clearly—leave a Good Human review on YouTube. It helps other educators and families find the show.
- Jan 19, 202619 min
Season 2, Ep. 8: Literacy Instruction with Dr. Throndsen
🎙️ On the Road to Literacy Success Podcast In this episode of On the Road to Literacy Success, host Staci Bain, Ed.D. sits down with Jennifer Throndsen, founder of Impactful Learning Designs and former Department of Education leader, for a grounded, practical conversation about what Tier 1 instruction actually needs to look like in real classrooms. Together, they explore why strong literacy outcomes don’t come from initiatives alone—but from clear, cohesive systems that translate into daily instructional practice for teachers. Dr. Throndsen shares her personal journey into education, her passion for teaching, and her unwavering commitment to improving literacy outcomes for all students. She also names several common instructional pitfalls she sees across schools and districts, including: 📌 The need for explicit, intentional instruction 📌 Increasing meaningful engagement with grade-level texts 📌 The danger of over-scaffolding, which can unintentionally limit student independence and cognitive growth This episode is a must-listen for teachers, instructional coaches, principals, and district leaders who are serious about strengthening Tier 1 literacy in a way that is doable, effective, and sustainable. 👩🏫 About the Guest Dr. Jennifer Throndsen is the founder of Impactful Learning Designs and a former Department of Education leader. Her work centers on helping educators build instructional systems that improve outcomes while honoring the realities of classrooms and schools. 💛 About Good Humans Educate and Dr. Staci Bain Good Humans Educate supports teachers and school leaders with practical, research-aligned tools for Tier 1 literacy instruction. Staci Bain, Ed.D. is the author of Empowered to Teach and Lead: Whole-Group Literacy Instruction Made Easy—your go-to elementary school playbook for whole-group literacy that’s cohesive, clear, and coherent. 📘 Learn more at GoodHumansEducate.comExplore:Asynchronous Tier 1 Roadmap CoursesProprietary whole-group Tier 1 instructional frameworksVirtual and onsite professional learning designed to reduce overload and increase clarity ✨ If this conversation resonated with you, be sure to like, subscribe, and share this episode with a fellow educator committed to Tier 1 excellence. 📚 Education is liberation. 🦄 Whole-group is the work.
About On the Road to Literacy Success
"On the Road to Literacy Success" is here to be a helpful part of your daily teaching, learning, and leadership life. If you're striving to get the most amount of kiddos as possible reading, spelling, writing, listening, speaking, and critically thinking — this is the place for you. We take the messiness of teaching, learning, and leading and ask people who have figured things out to share their minds with us. So join us and come on the road as we drive for literacy and justice for all 8 billion humans on this planet. -staci
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