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Episode 257

Why do so many students appear to thrive in early literacy, only to stall by middle school?

In this episode, we talk with Rebecca Kockler to unpack what literacy data from Louisiana revealed about a common but often misunderstood pattern: strong early reading results followed by flat or declining comprehension growth in later grades.

At the center of the conversation is the concept of the Decoding Threshold: the point at which students can read words accurately and automatically enough to access grade-level text and grow in comprehension.

Rebecca explains:

• What happens when students never fully cross that threshold
• Why decoding instruction must continue through middle school
• How multisyllabic decoding becomes a critical turning point around fourth grade
• The powerful connection between morphology, vocabulary, and spelling
• Why fluency is the first true step of application
• How reader identity influences students’ willingness to grapple with challenging text
• What effective assessment actually looks like for older readers

You’ll walk away with practical strategies to support multisyllabic decoding, vocabulary and spelling development, integrated fluency practice, & tier 1 instruction that adapts to increasing language complexity.

If you’ve ever wondered why students who “learned to read” struggle later — this conversation will reshape how you think about literacy instruction in elementary and middle school.

Resources

• Resources for Educators 
• Why "Learn to Read, Read to Learn" Fails Older Readers - And How To Fix It
• Action Guide for Educators 
• ROAR
• Standards & Instructional Practices 
• We Never Stop Learning to Read by Chase Young (blog) 

Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com.

Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email us at literacypodcast@greatminds.org.