Dr. Erin Bailey speaks with licensed pediatric psychologist Dr. Caitlin Khoury about her role in developing Lovevery's Reading Skillset. Dr. Khoury shares her journey from graduate school research and reading clinics to clinical practice assessing children for learning disabilities, and how those experiences shaped her approach to creating evidence-based reading materials for families. The conversation explores the core components of the Reading Skillset—including phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, and oral language development—and how play makes learning to read joyful and engaging. Dr. Khoury offers practical guidance on using alphabet books intentionally, maximizing wordless picture books for storytelling, practicing shared reading with turn-taking, and selecting decodable books that match a child's developing skills. She also discusses signs that children are ready to transition to chapter books and how series can build reading stamina and lifelong love of reading.

About Dr. Caitlin Khoury:
Dr. Caitlin Khoury, PhD, is a licensed pediatric psychologist and product strategist at Lovevery. She specializes in integrating behavioral health care with children’s academic learning needs, with particular expertise in early literacy development. Her research and dissertation focused on the relationship between early literacy skills and self-regulation in young children. Dr. Khoury previously worked at the National Institute for Direct Instruction and has extensive experience partnering with families to identify targeted learning supports through comprehensive evaluations. She also supported the development of Lovevery’s Reading Skill Set, translating literacy science and child development research into practical, parent-friendly tools that support early reading success.

Lovevery Reading Skill Set: The Reading Skill Set | Reading Programs for Kids | Lovevery

Dr. Erin Bailey talks with Dr. Jennifer Scoggin and Hannah Schneewind, founders of Trusting Readers and authors of Trusting Readers: Powerful Practices for Independent Reading. The duo shares their journeys from classroom teachers to literacy consultants and explains why trust—in teachers, students, and the independent reading process itself—is central to their philosophy. They break down the four essential components of effective independent reading: time, choice, talk, and teacher support, emphasizing that independent reading is an instructional time, not just "kids with books." The conversation covers practical strategies for families to cultivate reading habits at home, the powerful connection between reading and writing, and how reading identity shapes young learners. Both guests reflect on how reading inspires connection—with characters, with loved ones, and within classroom communities.

About Dr. Jennifer Scoggin:
Dr. Jennifer Scoggin has been a teacher, author, speaker, curriculum writer, and literacy consultant. Jennifer’s interest in the evolving identities of both students and teachers and her growing obsession with children’s literature led her to and informs her work.

Jen began her career teaching first and second grades in Harlem, New York. In her current role as a literacy consultant, Jennifer collaborates with teachers to create engaging literacy opportunities for children. She holds a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Teachers College, Columbia University and has previously published two books about literacy instruction and life in the classroom.

Jen lives in Connecticut with her two children, her husband, and her dog.

About Hannah Schneewind:
Hannah Schneewind has been a teacher, staff developer, curriculum writer, keynote speaker and national literacy consultant. She brings with her over 25 years of experience to the education world. Hannah’s interest in student and teacher agency and her belief in the power of books informs her work with schools.

Hannah often works close to home, in Connecticut and New York. She also frequently travels across the United States.

Hannah began her career as a first grade teacher at P.S. 321 in Brooklyn, New York, and her classroom was used as a model classroom for teachers around the city and country. The trust the administrators placed in her along with the culture of collaboration in the school formed her belief in the power and possibilities of schools.

Hannah lives in Connecticut with her three children, her husband, and the deer who eat her garden each summer.

Links:
Trusting Readers website: Trusting Readers
Trusting Readers Book: Trusting Readers by Jennifer Scoggin, Hannah Schneewind. Powerful

LinkedIn: (23) Trusting Readers LLC: Overview | LinkedIn

Dr. Erin Bailey welcomes Dr. Katie Sciurba, assistant professor at the University of Georgia and author of Reading and Relevance Reimagined: Celebrating the Literacy Lives of Young Men of Color. Dr. Sciurba shares how her experiences as a fourth and fifth grade teacher in the Bronx led her to question assumptions about what makes reading relevant to students. She introduces her four dimensions of relevance—identity, spatiality, temporality, and ideology—and explains how these factors intersect to shape students' reading experiences. The conversation explores why it's important to engage with texts that challenge your worldview, practical strategies for teachers navigating restrictive curricula, and how educators can foster joy in literacy even during challenging times. Dr. Sciurba also shares the story behind her book's cover art, illustrated by John Jennings and featuring her own son as a "reading superhero."

About Dr. Katie Sciurba:
Katie Sciurba (Sher-buh), Assistant Professor of Literacies and Children's Literature at the University of Georgia. Katherine (Katie) Sciurba received her PhD in English Education at New York University. She is an experienced elementary school teacher and, for nearly 20 years, has taught writing to K-12 children in after-school and intervention contexts. Her research focuses on reading and relevance, especially as connected to the experiences of Boys of Color, and representations of the sociopolitical world in children’s literature.

Links:
Website: katiesciurba.com

IG: @katiesciurba

READING AND RELEVANCE, REIMAGINED: CELEBRATING THE LITERACY LIVES OF YOUNG MEN OF COLOR was published by Teachers College Press in 2024. It won the 2025 Philp C. Chinn Multicultural Book Award from the National Association for Multicultural Education. Here is the link: https://www.tcpress.com/reading-and-relevance-reimagined-9780807786246

Cover Art by John Jennings: JOHN JENNINGS STUDIO