For the Love of Literacy podcast

The Science of Reading & why it matters-- my thoughts & some research I've conducted over the last year.  I hope everyone will give this episode a listen, and if intrigued, go back & listen to other episodes dealing with how to teach reading & why it matters. 

Speaking to Wendy of BYU Radio was a true joy! She's a fountain of knowledge about storytelling & relating to kids. She directs three podcasts now, which everyone can listen to, but they're specifically for kids. (Apple Seed, Wish & Kaboom. )

In this episode you will learn all about a language-based approach (mired in phonics & phonemes...the basics!) to teaching your child to read. Alana & I discuss teaching our children & the transition from teachers being responsible for kids learning to read, to parents accepting more of that responsibility. Alana provides tools, tips & resources for anyone & everyone on that journey! 

I've been longing to interview someone as interested in happiness & joy research as me-- possibly more so! And Leighton fit the bill. He just published this new book, and offers amazing resources to all my listeners too, as you try to find & hold onto happiness in your life. 

So many things went into this conversation, from writing backgrounds & then producing manuscripts, indie authors, myths about publishing & how to foster a love of literacy & spread that love!

Enjoy this delightful conversation with children's author Patricia Toht, who has written several children's books about transformational holidays: Halloween, Christmas, & Easter. We specifically discuss "Pick a Pine Tree" since this episode was airing close to Christmas. Tune in for fun parenting stories, family traditions, writing tips & more!

Have you ever wondered what it takes to get your manuscript published? Or what the process is like for authors? And if you have any questions about editing or book coaching, Josee & I address that in this episode. Hopefully you enjoy! :) 

Lenora Edwards is so mindful & intentional about communication; this chat was not just centered around speech pathology (her specialty) but about all the ways we can communicate, read & encourage our kids to read & speak more mindfully. You'll love this one!

Since we are always discussing SEL and how it impacts our kids, I decided to find an author out on a mission to publish children's books that address the various emotional issues facing our kids today. It was a nice author-author chat, but also mom-mom in many parts of the conversation; hope you enjoy it!

Summer has come & gone by quickly! But don't feel discouraged if your kiddo lost or didn't retain some of the intelligence and skills from last school year; there's still a lot you can do at home to get them on-level & in a good place for a new year of learning!

A discussion of why writing matters.

Learn all about better ways to protect our environment & educate our youth with kids' nonfiction author & Sibert award winner, Patricia Newman.  So many helpful tips and a lot of passion about saving and protecting our beloved earth!

Everything you've been wondering about the basics involved in teaching your kids to read, is included in this episode. It also made for a great conversation since Karla & I both are former educators. We loved discussing how we stepped outside the box many times to help our students, & how that led to Karla's journey in her masters of educational curriculum development. 

Georgia is a mastermind on writing for children and publishing the books! She now runs her own publishing house, Salus Publishing. Tune in to hear more of her story & insights! 

Just another fun children's author to author chat with new author Liz Leonard, who published Frizzy Lizzy earlier this year. She has a cute back story to her character & a great story that kids are just eating up! 

While I set out to interview a bookstore owner from Arkansas, this conversation turned into a lovely discussion on children's literature, board & card games, & what I want to be when I grow up; a librarian or bookshop owner! So many good things shared in this episode. 

Did you grow up watching "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood?" If so, Wysteria's chat with me about her research into Mr. Rogers' life (for her book) about attachment styles is probably going to blow your mind. And also make so much sense!  She has a new book for you to check out & a website with a plethora of useful information & tips for all attchment types. ...& it's not just limited to children's attachment styles. 

Have you become a fan of audiobooks over the years? Have you wondered why audiobooks are good for learning? What the differences are between podcasts and audiobooks? Well please tune in, because Becky Parker Geist is the guru on all things audiobooks; you'll probably want to check out her website & company Pro Audio Voices, the AMPlify app, & her podcast. There's so many good things we get into in this episode! 

If you're intrigued by STEM & AR, books for kids, traveling the world without leaving your couch, writing for kids or maybe interactive books for kids, this conversation with engineer & creative mind, Riyon Harding, will probably be one of your favorites! And you'll have to go check out her books after this, just so you can see what we were talking about. 

Meet Adam Wallace & the creative genius behind many of his books for children.  We had a very long discussion from writing books for kids & publishing, to doing book tours & author visits....plus, my son makes a little appearance & we discuss his love of dinos too. 

It was time to do a little solo episode & I hope you'll appreciate my thoughts on why we should get kids reading, how to get kids reading & how to make it enjoyable for everyone!

Have you wanted to learn more about hybrid publishing? What the steps are to get a manuscript ready to publish? Add to that, Miss Carrie has a fascinating background in Hollywood & learned a lot of what she applies to children's literature & hosting storytime from those times.  You'll be intrigued by our convo! 

Bruce is a fun, older grandparent who just wrote & sold his first children's book "Tina & the First Tooth Fairy." His theme was sustainability, but he presented it in a fun, engaging fashion. Be sure to tune in & learn more about the publishing process & options!

If you have a child learning to read, or even a student who is a reader and needs extra assistance, you do not want to miss this episode! We also discuss the Science of Reading movement at length & then Marnie explains the background that influenced her to create the program, Reading Simplified. 

Are you a morning person? I'm usually not, but my kids sure are! And I have a fun new book for you to check out, as well as a fantastic person-- Robyn. She wrote a book for starting your day, without having a background as a writer or author. Her thoughts & tips are fascinating....plus you'll hear some funny mom stories as we relate to one another this week. 

Do you value social emotional learning & how have you taught it?  Children need to know how to talk about their feelings & voice their opinions; we need to give them the tools to do so (as their caretakers, educators, parents, etc.) Books are a valuable way to put into words what we don't quite know how to say. Tune in for some great SEL dialogues, Lynn's podcast, books & for some tips for writers who want some help publishing. 

If you've ever experienced Yoga, you know how relaxing, meaningful & special it can be. Well, think about what Yoga can mean to young kids, especially as we try to teach them about relationsihps & mindfulness. Author Sarah Finniss just wrote her first children's book about Yoga (a girl named Iris who does yoga with her mom) & you'll love our chat about this.

I have always loved reading books that win awards, & wanted to research more of the criteria that goes behind the major book awards. Join me as I cover everything from Caldecott & Newbery medal winners, to Coretta Scott King & the Nautilus award (which was new to me!)  There was so much information & I have the feeling this episode will have a sequel; so stay tuned! 

Have you ever heard that motions can help children learn phonics? Do you know a kinesthetic learner? An audiovisual learner? This would be the best way to get them blending sounds & digraphs, segmenting sounds, & phonics as a whole, and has proven to be a very effective method, that works for everyone. The work they've done is fascinating at P.I.M & also incredible because of the research behind language mapping and development in the brain.  If we want to encourage & motivate young readers, this is the route to take!  

If you've dealt with serious loss & grief, but have wondered how best to discuss it with kids, you'll want to tune in to today's episode. Former Harpers Collin editor & now children's author Jayne has incredible insights for how to help children (and adults) cope with grief, specifically death & loss and she has written the sweetest, most special children's book that you'll want to add to your library after listening! 

More in-depth discussion of what it looks like to create a culture around reading in the school environment by delving into the Cowboy Reads program, Harry Potter, & other great reading material both Terry & Katie enjoy. 

This episode dives into the importance of making reading appealing & exciting to kids, as librarian Terrie & I discuss Cowboy Reads & ways to make reading even more inviting  (and not so intimidating) to children. 

Some great tips for early literacy & how to foster a love of it in your home, with book expert Aimee Smith of @keepabookout.

This half of the podcast has Aimee's favorite books, authors & illustrators. Get a pen & notepad ready to take some notes! 

Aimee & I discuss everything from kids' education (both as former educators) to current status as stay-at-home moms, trying to educate our children & expose them to literacy. She shares great tips, awesome authors & illustrator recommendations, & even some novels for older kids too! Aimee is the person you want to ask for book recommendations; she's always expanding her reach & just started a blog, which you should check out: keepabookout.com 

Listen to Jen's take on the world of bookstagram, teaching, & what her favorite picture books are.

What is bookstagram? And what are some good books for  my kids? Join charming teacher Jen & I as we discuss the world of children's literature!

More fun chatting with Apryl about what it takes to be a picture book creator! Loved this conversation & all I learned from her!

Are you a fan of beautifully illustrated children's books? How about Grandpa Beck's card & board games? You gotta tune in & learn more from the creative mastermind behind Share Some Kindness, Bring Some Light & Almost Always Best Friends. 

All about writing books for kids & how Sandy started her nonprofit organization. Such a fascinating, heartwarming conversation! 

Tune in for a fascinating chat with fellow children's author & podcaster Lorrie Grant, who loves telling & writing stories. Her specialty is writing books for kids with morals. 

Coming back at ya with some of the important stuff related to reading; reading for adults & reading for kids! 

There is great power & bonding between parent & child, that comes from reading aloud. Join Dr. Kim Dwyer (a psychologist & author) & I as we discuss tips for writers, why reading aloud is important, the writing process for authors, & much more! 

Wrapping up season 2 & you've gotta tune in this week for some great kids lit & book recommendations, tips for reading with kids & taking trips to the library, mom life, etc. All the things! 

Tune in as new author Jessica & I talk about how best to reach a teenage audience, by making literature accessible & interactive. And we just talked about friendships & good literature in general!

I had a delightful time talking all things author & storytelling with Kathleen. She's Scottish-Irish, has an amazing accent, & a passion for storytelling & story writing. So many good tidbits in this episode; you will not want to miss it! 

Tune in as Rachel & I discuss the ins & outs of motherhood, highlighted by her product, the Flecks of Gold journal, how to promote literacy at home, & how to balance work life & mama life ....all the things! 

Ali & I are both children's book authors. We had a great time discussing balancing mom life, writing, publishing, and Instagram & marketing promotion. You won't want to miss this convo! We snuck in some favorite picture books of course, too! 

It's World Science Day this week & this was the perfect episode to release to celebrate that! Marsha is an author (of 3 middle grade books based on scientific principles) as well as a fascinating scientist & engineer. She has encouraging words for women who want to pursue careers in STEM & you won't want to miss this one! 

Sharing some important points about why rereading & repetition in reading matters this week! And hopefully providing some validation for you parents who are sick of reading the same books over & over.