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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