play on words

Understanding Your School's Reading Curriculum

March 20, 2026·21 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Episode 87: In this episode, Beth answers one of the most common questions she gets from parents: What reading curriculum should I be looking for and how to I know what my school uses? She breaks down why reading is not a natural process, what phonological awareness really means, and what to look for in a strong reading curriuclum program (plus red flags that a curriculum may be doing more harm than good.) * Why curriculum matters and the different types of curriculum schools can use * What to do if your child's curriculum isn't working * What phonological awareness is and why it predicts reading success * How to evaluate your child's school reading curriculum * What parents of struggling readers and kids with dyslexia need to know * How fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary all fit together Topics science of reading · phonological awareness · structured literacy · reading curriculum · phonics instruction · dyslexia · early literacy · reading fluency · parent questions about reading Links Mentioned Kindergarten On-Demand [https://www.bigcityreaders.com/kindergarten-ready] First Grade On-Demand [https://www.bigcityreaders.com/first-grade-bootcamp] 2nd & 3rd Grade On-Demand [https://www.bigcityreaders.com/mastering-spelling-rules] Play on Words Episode 52: [https://tinyurl.com/n3b9nxkv] 3 Cuing and Reading Struggles [https://tinyurl.com/n3b9nxkv] About the Host Beth Gaskill (Miss Beth) is a reading specialist, early childhood educator, and founder of Big City Readers. She helps parents support their children's literacy development through research-backed, science of reading strategies. Follow Miss Beth on Instagram @BigCityReaders Browse Big City Readers resources at BigCityReaders.com

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