Education Unlocked: Learn. Apply. Thrive.
Teach with confidence, lead with purpose, and inspire with impact — helping teachers thrive, one lesson at a time.
About the Podcast
Education Unlocked: Learn. Apply. Thrive. is a space created for educators who want to transform ideas into action and make a meaningful difference in their classrooms. Hosted by Marc Pietersen — an experienced teacher and M.Ed. educator — each episode blends practical strategies with powerful research insights to help you teach with confidence, lead with purpose, and inspire with impact.
From evidence-based approaches to literacy and language development to innovative uses of technology and pedagogy, this podcast provides actionable tools you can apply immediately. Whether you’re a new teacher discovering your voice or a seasoned educator refining your craft, Education Unlocked is your weekly dose of motivation, reflection, and real-world teaching wisdom — helping teachers thrive, one lesson at a time.
Education Unlocked: Learn. Apply. Thrive.
Episode 2 – Why Reading Fluency Matters: The Problem Behind the Research
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Episode 2 – Why Reading Fluency Matters: The Problem Behind the Research
In this episode of Education Unlocked — Learn. Apply. Thrive., Marc Pietersen explores the real classroom problem that led to his action research: low reading fluency among Year 6 EAL learners and the impact this has on comprehension, confidence, and engagement.
Marc unpacks why fluency is more than just reading speed, drawing on classroom observations and research to explain how weak fluency acts as a barrier to understanding. Using Timothy Rasinski’s concept of fluency as the bridge between decoding and comprehension, this episode highlights why students who can read accurately may still struggle to make meaning from text.
You’ll also hear about the international school context, the challenges faced by EAL learners, and why traditional reading approaches were not enough — leading to the need for a targeted, tech-supported intervention.
Whether you teach literacy, support EAL learners, or want to strengthen foundational reading skills, this episode will help you reflect on where fluency fits within your own classroom practice.
Learn. Apply. Thrive.
About the Podcast
Education Unlocked supports teachers in building confidence, clarity, and classroom impact through research-informed, practical strategies. Hosted by Marc Pietersen, this podcast bridges the gap between theory and practice — helping teachers thrive, one lesson at a time.
If this episode helped you reflect or refine your practice, consider following the podcast or sharing it with a colleague.
Learn. Apply. Thrive.