What happens when students are expected to “read to learn” — but haven’t yet fully learned to read?

Kyair Butts, a middle school literacy teacher and instructional leader in Baltimore, Maryland, joins host Rose Else-Mitchell, to explore what it means to teach reading to middle school students — and why this work is so urgent.

Kyair's journey into teaching via coaching debate shaped his approach to literacy instruction and continues to influence his work. He loves supporting middle schoolers with diverse reading needs, balancing grade-level material with continued development of foundational skills like decoding, fluency, and lots of oral language practice and comprehension.

They unpack the importance of knowledge-building curricula, the role of fluency in adolescent reading, and how creating a psychologically safe classroom allows students to take risks, self-correct, and grow into confident readers. Kyair also speaks candidly about his own growth as an educator, from early challenges integrating to his ongoing work refining small group instruction.

With the right support, strategies, and mindset, middle school classrooms can be places where students continue to build the skills and the identities they need as readers. You are never to old to learn to read.

References and Resources:

• The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
• Small Groups, Big Results by Julia Lindsey
• Know Better, Do Better by David and Meredith Liben
• Science of Reading Center at SUNY New Paltz

Credits:

• Guest: Kyair Butts, Middle School Literacy Teacher, Instructional Leader, and Goyen Literacy Fellow based in Baltimore, MD. In 2019, he was named Teacher of the Year for Baltimore City Public Schools.
• Host: Rose Else-Mitchell, Executive Director of the Science of Reading Center at SUNY New Paltz
• Produced by the Science of Reading Center at SUNY New Paltz, Rose Else-Mitchell, and Onalee Smith
• Original music and audio editing by Ross Gentry

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Keywords: middle school literacy, adolescent reading instruction, science of reading, fluency strategies, reading intervention, foundational skills in upper grades, literacy leadership, small group instruction, knowledge building curriculum, teaching older readers, reading confidence, literacy coaching, trauma-informed teaching, structured literacy, Baltimore City schools

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Get in Touch:

Have a question or topic you’d like us to cover? Interested in being on a future episode of Reading Realities?

Contact us at scienceofreading@newpaltz.edu.

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In this first episode of Reading Realities, host Rose Else-Mitchell talks with Caitlin Lucas, a kindergarten teacher and literacy specialist in Pittsburgh, PA, to unpack her journey from familiar routines to research-aligned reading instruction.

Through the disruption of the pandemic, Caitlin began rethinking everything—what mattered, what didn’t, and how to better support young learners. She shares how shifting toward explicit instruction, phonemic awareness, and intentional language modeling transformed her teaching and her students’ outcomes.

This conversation goes beyond instructional strategies to discuss what it feels like to question your practice, embrace vulnerability, and make meaningful change in the classroom.

References and Resources:

• The Knowledge Gap by Natalie Wexler
• Articulation Tips from Reading Universe
• Peachie Speechie SLP on YouTube
• Science of Reading Center at SUNY New Paltz

Credits:

• Guest: Caitlin Lucas, Kindergarten Teacher, Literacy Specialist, and Goyen Literacy Fellow based in Pittsburgh, PA
• Host: Rose Else-Mitchell, Executive Director of the Science of Reading Center at SUNY New Paltz
• Produced by the Science of Reading Center at SUNY New Paltz, Rose Else-Mitchell, and Onalee Smith
• Original music and audio editing by Ross Gentry

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Keywords: science of reading, kindergarten reading instruction, phonemic awareness activities, early literacy strategies, structured literacy, phonics instruction, teaching kids to read, literacy coaching, kindergarten classroom strategies, reading intervention, post-pandemic education, explicit instruction, early reading development

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Get in Touch:

Have a question or topic you’d like us to cover? Interested in being on a future episode of Reading Realities?

Contact us at scienceofreading@newpaltz.edu.

If this episode resonated with you, please:

• Follow Reading Realities
• Leave a rating and review
• Share with a colleague or educator in your network

Visit our website to learn more.