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. 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

Michelle's course

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.decodingdyslexia.net/

🎧 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)
• Brilliance of Babies (Salley’s book series and resources)
• "How Knowledge Helps" (Willingham)