In the latest episode of Literacy Talks, our hosts Stacy Hurst, Donell Pons, and Lindsay Kemeny return with the third installment of a fan-favorite tradition: sharing their biggest science of reading pet peeves. This candid and often humorous episode surfaces deep concerns about what’s still holding educators back from achieving literacy success for all students.

From outdated beliefs to systemic issues, this conversation pulls no punches—and listener submissions prove that these frustrations are widely shared across classrooms and communities.

What’s Inside Episode 9 of Literacy Talks?

Each round of pet peeves brings new angles, but the core frustrations remain deeply relevant. Here’s a quick snapshot of what you’ll hear in Episode 9:

1. “Reading Will Be Obsolete”? Not So Fast.

Stacy kicks off with a jaw-dropping moment: a fellow professor suggesting reading will soon be unnecessary. The team unpacks the dangers of minimizing literacy in a tech-forward world.

2. Why Are We Still Here?

Donell shares her perennial peeve: Why are we still having basic conversations about dyslexia and evidence-based reading practices decades into the science of reading movement?

3. Stop Blaming Teachers

Lindsay dives into how the burden of literacy reform is unfairly placed on classroom teachers—often without the necessary training, tools, or support.

4. Intervention Needs an Overhaul

Stacy and Donell discuss the gap between general education and special education, and how interventionists are often underprepared to support struggling readers effectively.

5. Cut the Fluff (Phonics Crafts, Anyone?)

Phonics activities that prioritize glue over graphemes? The hosts argue for maximizing instructional time with meaningful practice.

6. Let Kids Choose What to Read

Listeners shared frustration over limiting student book choices based on arbitrary levels. The team advocates for preserving the joy of reading.

7. Assessments Are Only as Good as Their Follow-Through

Data without action is a wasted opportunity. The team stresses the importance of using screeners, like Acadience, meaningfully.

8. Can We Check Our Egos?

Professional growth only happens when we admit we don’t know it all. Donell and Lindsay emphasize the importance of humility in the literacy space.

9. Can Research Meet Real Life?

Educators want answers they can actually apply. The hosts highlight the need for better bridges between research and classroom practice.

Resources Mentioned in the Episode

• A History of Reading by Alberto Manguel
• Rock Your Literacy Block by Lindsay Kemeny
• Scarborough’s Reading Rope
• Acadience Learning

Related Episodes

• Pet Peeves, Part 1 (Season 1, Episode 3)
• Pet Peeves, Part 2 (Season 6, Episode 15)

Join the Conversation What are your literacy-related pet peeves? Share them with us in the Science of Reading Collective and they just might make it into our next episode.

The post Pet Peeves, Round 3: What Still Bothers Literacy Experts (and Why It Matters) appeared first on Reading Horizons.

This post is Part 4 of a six-part series, “Inside the RH Method,” exploring how the science of reading connects to daily classroom practice.

If there’s one universal truth among teachers, it’s this: there’s never enough time in the day—especially in the reading block. Between planning, prepping, and keeping students engaged, the literacy block can easily become overwhelming. I’ve been there as a classroom teacher, a literacy coach, and now as a professor working with future educators. I’ve felt the same tension that so many of you feel each day—how to simplify your reading block while delivering instruction that’s meaningful, engaging, and research-based. 

Planning an effective literacy block can take hours—sorting through activities, organizing materials, and managing transitions. Teachers want to implement evidence-based instructional routines, but the sheer amount of options can feel overwhelming.

That’s why a simple, repeatable framework makes such a difference. It saves valuable planning time, streamlines instruction, and gives students the consistency they need to thrive. With a steady structure in place, teachers can focus less on managing and more on teaching, while students experience reading as a clear, connected journey.That’s precisely why the Reading Horizons (RH) Method includes the Daily Core 4 Routine. Grounded in the evidence-based principles of structured literacy instruction, it’s one of the most powerful time-saving practices—and one of the reasons RH has become such a trusted resource for teachers across the country.

The Daily Core 4 Routine breaks each literacy block into four essential components:

1. Review (5 minutes): Revisit previously taught skills to strengthen prior learning and build readiness for new learning.
2. Instruction (5–10 minutes): Teach a new skill explicitly and systematically, modeling the concept and process clearly for students.
3. Dictation (10–15 minutes): Guide students in multisensory practice—hearing it, saying it, writing it, and reading it—with feedback. This step builds accurate and automatic phoneme–grapheme mapping of the newly learned orthographic pattern.
4. Transfer (20–30 minutes): Guide students in applying the new skill through structured reading of words, sentences, and decodable or controlled text—first chorally, then with a partner, and finally independently. The focus here is on building fluent reading with feedback from the teacher as needed.

If you’re familiar with the gradual release of responsibility model (“I do, we do, you do”), the Daily Core 4 will feel like second nature—it follows that same progression in a simple, repeatable structure.

By using this structure, teachers experience multiple benefits. First, it simplifies planning. Instead of creating separate lesson plans for different days, teachers can anchor every lesson in the same reliable flow. Second, it provides students with consistency—a critical component for learning. They know what to expect, which reduces anxiety and increases engagement.

Another powerful element is the connection to the science of reading. Each piece of the Daily Core 4 is designed to align with cognitive principles of how students acquire and retain reading skills. Dictation, for instance, connects multiple brain pathways by integrating listening, speaking, writing, and reading—a perfect example of multisensory instruction.

When I implemented the Daily Core 4 in my own classroom, I noticed its value. My students were more focused and less fatigued. And I was less overwhelmed because I wasn’t reinventing my routine every day. Instead, I could focus on the joy of teaching and the progress my students were making.

If you’re searching for a way to simplify your reading block without sacrificing instructional quality, I can’t recommend the Daily Core 4 enough. It’s efficient, research-aligned, teacher-friendly, and student-centered.

To see how easily this routine can fit into your own classroom, I invite you to explore the free Teacher Edition of Reading Horizons Discovery. It’s an opportunity to simplify your teaching—and help your students thrive.

Make your reading block easier — start free with RH Discovery!

Read Part 3 in the series or move on to Part 5, coming soon.

Stacy Hurst

Assistant Professor of Teacher Education

Stacy Hurst is an assistant professor of Teacher Education at Southern Utah University, where she teaches courses in literacy and early childhood education. She also serves as one of six members of the Science of Reading Faculty for the state of Utah. Stacy holds degrees in Sociology and Elementary Education, as well as a master’s degree in…

Stacy Hurst is an assistant professor of Teacher Education at Southern Utah University, where she teaches courses in literacy and early childhood education. She also serves as one of six members of the Science of Reading Faculty for the state of Utah. Stacy holds degrees in Sociology and Elementary Education, as well as a master’s degree in Education. Over her twenty-plus years as an educator, she has been a first-grade teacher, ELL teacher, literacy coach, and reading specialist. Her extensive experience includes coordinating and providing interventions for struggling readers and training teachers in structured approaches to literacy instruction. Stacy is the Chief Academic Advisor for Reading Horizons, co-author of a foundational literacy program, and a founding member of the Utah Literacy Coalition. She is passionate about literacy and believes that learning to read well is a civil right.

Read More >> << Read Less

The post How to Simplify Your Reading Block with the Daily Core 4 Routine appeared first on Reading Horizons.

Why a “Reading Reset” Matters

As Lindsay points out, the beginning of the year is a natural time to reflect on teaching practices—what worked, what didn’t, and what can be improved. Donell frames the conversation around seeing each year as an opportunity to refine and adjust, rather than overhaul. Stacy highlights how even small tweaks, guided by reflection and data, can lead to significant improvement over time. These are key elements of effective back to school reading strategies.

The Foundations: Structured Literacy & Science of Reading

A key focus of this episode is on the components of Structured Literacy, which align with the Science of Reading. Donell revisits foundational elements such as:

• Phonemic Awareness
• Phonics
• Orthography
• Morphology
• Vocabulary
• Syntax
• Discourse Comprehension

For educators seeking to deepen their understanding, the hosts recommend reviewing past podcast episodes on Structured Literacy and checking out Louise Spear-Swerling’s work, including her book, The Power of RTI and Reading Profiles. Her insights into discourse comprehension and the importance of integrating reading components are especially valuable.

Listen to our past episodes on Structured Literacy here: Structured Literacy Series

Seven Mighty Moves for Literacy Success

Lindsay highlights her book, Seven Mighty Moves, which organizes key instructional shifts she made based on evidence-based practices. These include:

• Teaching phonemic awareness intentionally
• Explicit phonics instruction
• Intentional fluency practice
• Strategic use of reading strategies
• Emphasizing vocabulary and background knowledge
• Centering text in instruction

Explore Lindsay’s resources: Seven Mighty Moves

Making Data Work for You

Both Lindsay and Stacy stress the importance of using data to understand student needs. Lindsay shares how she uses end-of-year data from kindergarten (like Acadience) to form student groups and plan early interventions. Stacy emphasizes the importance of interpreting data through frameworks like the Simple View of Reading and Scarborough’s Reading Rope.

Learn more about Acadience Reading Review Scarborough’s Reading Rope.

Integrating Core Reading Skills into Daily Practice

One of the episode’s most practical discussions centers on how to integrate key reading components into everyday teaching. Lindsay reminds listeners that while instruction may be segmented (phonics, vocabulary, comprehension), the goal is integration. Teachers can begin with small, manageable changes that accumulate over time. Donell and Stacy emphasize that understanding data and knowing student profiles are crucial for delivering targeted, effective instruction. These tips are foundational to strong back to school reading strategies.

Challenges and Support for New Teachers

Stacy offers thoughtful advice for new teachers, including:

• Play the “rookie card” to ask questions and seek help.
• Learn student names and build relationships early.
• Use data not only to identify needs but also to celebrate growth.

She also recommends using familiar models and theories (like the Simple View of Reading) to guide instruction and assessment choices.

Resetting as a Tutor

Donnell shares her unique perspective as a tutor, emphasizing how goal setting and student interest help maintain motivation year-round. She also discusses the long journey of supporting students with dyslexia, highlighting the importance of persistence and individualization.

Keeping Momentum Alive

The hosts agree that maintaining momentum is about setting realistic goals, celebrating small wins, and having a support system. Lindsay suggests doing early assessments to track progress and using that data to keep motivated. Stacy adds that looking for students’ strengths can help inform instruction and sustain energy through the year.

Final Thoughts

This episode is a rich reminder that a “Reading Reset” doesn’t require a full-scale overhaul. Instead, it’s about thoughtful reflection, strategic adjustments, and consistent effort. Whether you’re setting up your classroom, analyzing data, or planning phonics lessons, each small step contributes to stronger outcomes for students. By following these back to school reading strategies, educators can start the year grounded in research and purpose.

Resources Mentioned:

• Structured Literacy Episodes – Literacy Talks
• Louise Spear-Swerling: The Power of RTI and Reading Profiles
• Seven Mighty Moves by Lindsay Kemeny
• Acadience Learning
• Scarborough’s Reading Rope
• Reading Horizons At-Home Resources

Stay tuned for upcoming episodes, which will dive deeper into many of the themes discussed here. Let this be the year your reading instruction resets and re-energizes!

The post Reading Reset: Kicking Off the School Year with a Fresh Start in Literacy Instruction appeared first on Reading Horizons.

This post is Part 3 of a six-part series, “Inside the RH Method,” exploring how the science of reading connects to daily classroom practice.

The Five Phonetic Skills: More Than Just Syllable Patterns

Let’s face it: English is a tricky language to learn and teach. It’s full of surprises—especially when it comes to vowels. I can’t tell you how many times students (and teachers!) have thrown up their hands and said, “This doesn’t make any sense!” I’ll never forget the day when a kindergartner, upon learning about silent e, exclaimed, “You mean there are letters that DON’T make sounds?!” 

But here’s the thing—the English spelling system does make sense. You just need a framework that makes the patterns visible in a simple to more complex order, starting with long and short vowel sounds. That’s exactly what the Five Phonetic Skills in the Reading Horizons (RH) Method do.

Yes, they align with familiar syllable patterns (Closed, Open, VCe, and Vowel Teams), but they’re so much more than that. These five skills serve a few powerful purposes that go way beyond basic decoding.

Why the Five Phonetic Skills Matter

Here’s what they really do:

1. They help students figure out if a vowel is long or short.
   And this is huge. Vowels can spell so many different sounds depending on the letters around them (because English is graphotactic—meaning letter sounds, especially vowels, are often determined by letters that follow the vowel). That’s a complicated concept to explain, but this framework makes it doable—even for first graders.
2. They make spelling rules (especially suffixes) easier to teach.
   Seriously. Teaching kids when to double a consonant before adding -ed or -ing becomes so much simpler when they’ve learned Skills 1, 2, and 4.
3. They give students a clear way to understand the many jobs of “y.”
   Whether “y” is standing in for a long /e/ or a long /i/, or showing up in multisyllabic words, this framework makes it easy to explain and apply.
4. They unlock proficient syllabication.
   Once students can recognize these patterns and spellings for other vowel sounds, they’re ready to divide and conquer multisyllabic words. In fact, by teaching the first 3 phonetic skills, you’ve already taught around 72% of any type of syllable a student will encounter. RH’s 2 Decoding Skills build on this beautifully (but that’s a blog post for another day).

I’ve taught all of this in many instructional settings, currently in my tutoring, and I can tell you—it works. These aren’t just abstract rules. They’re tools students actually use when they read and write.

What the Skills Actually Are

Here’s a quick look at the Five Phonetic Skills as they’re taught in the RH Method.

Phonetic Skill 1

A vowel followed by one consonant sound = short vowel sound. (Think cat.)

Phonetic Skill 2

A vowel followed by two consonant sounds = short vowel sound. (Think jump.)
This one may feel like a repeat of Skill 1, but trust me—it’s essential when teaching how to add suffixes and how to identify syllables in multisyllabic words.

Phonetic Skill 3

A vowel at the end of a word or syllable = long vowel sound. (Think go or the first syllable of robot. This is a very common syllable type in multisyllabic words and some high frequency single-syllable words like go, me, and we).

Phonetic Skill 4

A silent “e” following another vowel and consonant makes the preceding vowel long. (Think made.)
This was one of my favorite things to teach as a first grade teacher because the RH Method made it so easy to explain and build on.

Phonetic Skill 5

Two specific adjacent vowel combinations (e.g. ea or ai) = one long vowel sound. (Think team or rain.)
This one’s also super helpful for teaching spelling patterns. For example, the long /ā/ sound at the end of a word is usually spelled “ay” (ray), while in the middle, it’s spelled “ai” (rain).

And yes—there are other vowel sounds (i.e. syllable types) that are neither long nor short (R-controlled vowels, -CLE, variant vowels (e.g. oo) and vowel diphthongs (e.g. oi and oy), and the RH Method teaches those too. But the Five Phonetic Skills come first for a reason. Once students have mastered them, they’re ready for more. And the progression makes sense, so students aren’t juggling a million rules all at once.

From Patterns to Proficiency

When I started using this method, I finally had a way to explain vowel sounds, suffixes, spelling rules, syllable division—even the role of “y”—in a way that didn’t leave students confused or overwhelmed. Combined with loads of practice applying these patterns through reading and spelling, students succeed! 

So no, the Five Phonetic Skills aren’t just certain syllable patterns. They’re a powerful framework for helping students unlock the logic behind the English language.

If you’re looking for a quick reference, you can grab the free bookmark with the Five Phonetic Skills and Two Decoding Skills here:
Download the Bookmark (PDF)

And if you’re new to the RH Method, I can’t recommend the free Teacher Edition of Reading Horizons Discovery enough. It’ll walk you through all of this in a way that’s clear, practical, and classroom-tested. Sign up today.

Happy decoding!

Read Part 2 in the series or move on to Part 4.

Stacy Hurst

Assistant Professor of Teacher Education

Stacy Hurst is an assistant professor of Teacher Education at Southern Utah University, where she teaches courses in literacy and early childhood education. She also serves as one of six members of the Science of Reading Faculty for the state of Utah. Stacy holds degrees in Sociology and Elementary Education, as well as a master’s degree in…

Stacy Hurst is an assistant professor of Teacher Education at Southern Utah University, where she teaches courses in literacy and early childhood education. She also serves as one of six members of the Science of Reading Faculty for the state of Utah. Stacy holds degrees in Sociology and Elementary Education, as well as a master’s degree in Education. Over her twenty-plus years as an educator, she has been a first-grade teacher, ELL teacher, literacy coach, and reading specialist. Her extensive experience includes coordinating and providing interventions for struggling readers and training teachers in structured approaches to literacy instruction. Stacy is the Chief Academic Advisor for Reading Horizons, co-author of a foundational literacy program, and a founding member of the Utah Literacy Coalition. She is passionate about literacy and believes that learning to read well is a civil right.

Read More >> << Read Less

The post The 5 Phonetic Skills You Need for Teaching Phonics Effectively appeared first on Reading Horizons.

This post is Part 2 of a six-part series, “Inside the RH Method,” exploring how the science of reading connects to daily classroom practice. Read Part 1 here.

Why I Was Skeptical About Marking Systems

When I was first introduced to the Reading Horizons method, I’ll admit I was skeptical about the marking system. As a first-grade teacher, I worried that asking students to add all these symbols and marks to words might confuse them—or worse, that they’d start sprinkling random markings into their writing. I had seen other phonics programs use what felt like overly complicated marking systems, and I wondered if this would be the same. After all, authentic text isn’t written with diacritical marks or syllable lines, and my goal was to help students read and write fluently in the real world.

How Marking Systems Support Effective Phonics Instruction

But as I implemented the method in my classroom, I began to see something that changed my perspective. The RH markings were actually more simplified than other systems I’d seen, and for my first graders, they accelerated their learning of spelling patterns and made it easier for them to apply those patterns when decoding. The marks weren’t a distraction; they were a scaffold. When students came to a word they didn’t know, they had a strategy — something concrete they could do to analyze the word. Rather than guessing or giving up, they marked the vowels, divided the syllables, and applied what they knew. Over time, I saw them become more independent and confident, often figuring out unfamiliar words on their own.

Helping Older Students with Effective Phonics Strategies

Later, as a reading specialist in my K-5 elementary school setting, I saw the same success with other beginning readers as well as older students who had struggled for years. In small groups, we kept a whiteboard handy so students could write down tricky words they encountered and work through them with markings. Most of the time, they solved the word on their own, and the next time they saw it in print, they often recognized it right away—something that rarely happened when they were just told the word. The process of marking and decoding seemed to help them internalize the word’s pattern and pronunciation, aligning with what we know about orthographic mapping: the brain connects sounds and spellings more quickly when students actively analyze and pronounce words.

Making the Invisible Visible in Effective Phonics Instruction

For me, the marking system became a way to give students a tool — a sort of manipulative — to help mediate the cognitive load of learning new patterns. By making the invisible visible, it allowed them to focus their mental energy on applying phonics rules rather than holding abstract information in their working memory. And while research hasn’t yet definitively answered the question of exactly when to fade multi-modal scaffolds like this, I always kept in mind that markings are a means to an end. The goal is for students’ brains to recognize patterns and words so automatically that they can focus fully on comprehending the text.

Why Marking Systems Are a Scaffold, Not a Forever Tool

Like any scaffold, markings need to be thoughtfully introduced and gradually removed as students gain proficiency. I don’t advocate for students marking every word forever. I see it as a powerful instructional support — one that gives students something to lean on while they build the mental pathways that make reading efficient and effortless.

There’s still much to learn about how marking systems can most effectively support students. But in the meantime, my many years of experience with the Reading Horizons method have shown me that a marking system, when used well, can make a big difference in helping students move from guessing to decoding with confidence and understanding.

See RH’s marking system in action — try Reading Horizons Discovery for free today!

Read Part 1 in the series or move on to Part 3.

Stacy Hurst

Assistant Professor of Teacher Education

Stacy Hurst is an assistant professor of Teacher Education at Southern Utah University, where she teaches courses in literacy and early childhood education. She also serves as one of six members of the Science of Reading Faculty for the state of Utah. Stacy holds degrees in Sociology and Elementary Education, as well as a master’s degree in…

Stacy Hurst is an assistant professor of Teacher Education at Southern Utah University, where she teaches courses in literacy and early childhood education. She also serves as one of six members of the Science of Reading Faculty for the state of Utah. Stacy holds degrees in Sociology and Elementary Education, as well as a master’s degree in Education. Over her twenty-plus years as an educator, she has been a first-grade teacher, ELL teacher, literacy coach, and reading specialist. Her extensive experience includes coordinating and providing interventions for struggling readers and training teachers in structured approaches to literacy instruction. Stacy is the Chief Academic Advisor for Reading Horizons, co-author of a foundational literacy program, and a founding member of the Utah Literacy Coalition. She is passionate about literacy and believes that learning to read well is a civil right.

Read More >> << Read Less

The post Effective Phonics Instruction: My Journey with Marking Systems appeared first on Reading Horizons.