The Structured Literacy Podcast

S7 E8 - Why Your Spelling Approach Might Be Working Against You (Part 2)

21 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The fastest way to make spelling instruction fail is to assume every student is starting from the same place. They are not and your planning shouldn’...

S7 E7 - Why Your Spelling Approach Might Be Working Against You

14 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Spelling is not a side quest. When it isn’t automatic, it quietly steals the working memory students need for ideas, sentence craft, and clear argum...

S7 E6 - Practical Steps When Grouping for Phonics

07 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We map out a practical path to targeted phonics that lifts every learner. We define instructional precision, show how to gather the right data, and sh...

S7 E5 - What Does the Research Actually Say About Grouping Students for Phonics?

28 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We challenge the assumption that whole-class phonics with a little extra is the most effective route and explore why targeted Tier 1 grouping often de...

S7 E4 – The Top 5 Mistakes We Make When Using Decodable Texts

21 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We unpack how to use decodable texts with precision so beginners practise the code instead of guessing. We share the biggest mistakes schools make, ho...

S7 E3 - What Does Research Really Say About Decodable Texts?

15 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we weigh the current research on decodable and leveled texts, separate durable findings from weak claims, and explore which research ...

S7 E2 - The Top 5 Ways to Ensure Reading Success in Years 3 to 6

07 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We share five evidence-informed moves to boost reading in Years 3–6, from language-rich talk and explicit code knowledge to partner reading and smar...

S7 E1 - The Three Critical Questions Your Students Are Silently Asking You

31 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! Are your students good readers, but poor spellers? If so, you are not alone. Spelling ...

Summer Series - The Key to Successfully Implementing a New Program in Your School

24 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What is the Summer Series?A collection of listener favourites from the Structured Literacy Podcast to get you prepared for 2026.Today's EpisodeJo...

Summer Series - Keeping Your Team's Bus on the Road When Onboarding New Staff

17 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What is the Summer Series?A collection of listener favourites from the Structured Literacy Podcast to get you prepared for 2026.Today's EpisodeIn...

Summer Series - When Repeated Reading Doesn't Work

10 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What is the Summer Series?A collection of listener favourites from the Structured Literacy Podcast to get you prepared for 2026.Today's EpisodeRe...

Summer Series - Are Comprehension Strategies Still a Thing?

03 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What is the Summer Series?A collection of listener favourites from the Structured Literacy Podcast to get you prepared for 2026.Today's EpisodeIn...

Summer Series - How to Maintain High Engagement in Low Variance Instruction

27 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What is the Summer Series?A collection of listener favourites from the Structured Literacy Podcast to get you prepared for 2026.Today's EpisodeIn...

Summer Series - Tracking Reading Growth Without a Benchmark Assessment

20 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What is the Summer Series?A collection of listener favourites from the Structured Literacy Podcast to get you prepared for 2026.Today's EpisodeIn...

Summer Series - What Goes into a Great Text-Based Unit?

13 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What is the Summer Series?A collection of listener favourites from the Structured Literacy Podcast to get you prepared for 2026.Today's EpisodeIn...

Summer Series - Do Nonsense Words Have a Place in Upper Primary?

06 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What is the Summer Series?A collection of listener favourites from the Structured Literacy Podcast to get you prepared for 2026.Today's EpisodeIn...

S6 E24 - 98 and ¾ Percent Guaranteed: Our Collective Commitment to Every Student

29 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The difference between curiosity and commitment can make or break a literacy journey. We close our sixth season by drawing a clear line between being ...

S6 E23 - Text Complexity: It’s About So Much More Than Levels

22 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This episode explores how to select rich texts for comprehension instruction by moving beyond traditional levelling systems. Jocelyn introduces four d...

S6 E22 - When Comfort Steals Confidence – The Unintended Consequences of PowerPoints

15 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This podcast episode argues that while PowerPoints became widespread during COVID and helped reduce teacher cognitive load, over-reliance on them can ...

S6 E21 - Why Exposure is a Poor Substitute for Learning

08 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The word exposure gets thrown around a lot in schools, especially when a student is behind in phonics or spelling. In this episode, Jocelyn takes a ha...

S6 E20 - A Simple Way to Make School Improvement Stick

01 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

School leaders and teachers constantly face the challenge of turning great ideas intolasting change. In this episode of the Structured Literacy Podcas...

S6 E19 - The Secret to Truly Universal Phonics Instruction (Part 2)

25 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tired of racing through content only to find the learning didn’t stick? In this episode, we take a hard look at the final 5 factors that truly drive...

S6 E18 - The Secret to Truly Universal Phonics Instruction (Part 1)

18 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This podcast episode outlines the first five of ten critical factors for achieving universal student success in phonics instruction, emphasising that ...

S6 E17: How to Streamline Your Assessment Schedule

11 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This episode helps schools cut bloated assessment schedules by focusing on two essential questions:1. Who is at risk?2. What skills lead to success?Ke...

S6 E16 - How to Know Whether to Quit or Persist

04 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

School improvement is slow, and many quit right before breakthrough. This episode uses the story of gold miners who quit just one metre from striking ...

S6 E15 - What Does Research Say About Novel Study?

27 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Novel study has gained traction in teaching circles, but important questions arise about its suitability for all students, time management challenges,...

S6 E14 - Should We Be Teaching Phonics in Years 3-6?

20 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Should we be teaching phonics beyond the early years? This question lands in my inbox regularly, and for good reason – it touches on critical decisi...

S6 E13 - We Fall to the Level of Our Systems

13 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We examine why educational practices often fail to stick in schools despite initial enthusiasm and training. The key insight is that sustainable imple...

S6 E12 - When Repeated Reading Doesn't Work

06 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Repeated reading doesn't work for all students because fluency issues have different root causes. Understanding four reading profiles helps targe...

S6 E11 - The Trap Inside the Teachable Moment

31 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We must be strategic about harnessing teachable moments to ensure they enhance rather than distract from our learning objectives. Even experienced edu...

S6 E10 - Before You Commit to a Program, Listen to This

23 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Structured Literacy Podcast, Jocelyn provides essential guidance for educational leaders navigating the complex process of sele...

S6 E9 - From Wasted Hours to Real Impact: Research Findings About PD That Actually Works

16 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Too much professional development feels like a box-ticking exercise with little to show for the time invested. In this episode, Jocelyn unpacks decade...

S6 E8 - From Compliance to Commitment: Transforming School Improvement

09 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sustainable school improvement happens when change is done with teachers, not to them, and when professional learning builds genuine understanding rat...

S6 E7 - Is Your PL Transformative or Transactional?

02 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Jocelyn unpacks a crucial distinction in the world of education: the difference between professional learning that simply ticks a box...

S6 E6 - Why Confidence is a Misleading Measure of Capability

26 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn challenges the common assumption that teacher confidence equals competence, drawing on the...

S6 E5 - How to Reclaim Your Professional Judgement

19 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Professional judgment grows from a foundation of deep, defensible knowledge about how learning actually works. When you understand the cognitive scien...

S6 E4 - Should We Bring Back the Read-Aloud?

12 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn argues for reintroducing regular read-alouds in upper primary classrooms, which have large...

S6 E3 - How Do We Prevent Progress Being Wiped Out In a Swing Of The Pendulum?

05 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn addresses how to safeguard the progress made in evidence-based literacy instruction by mak...

S6 E2 - Simple Levers to Pull to Increase Your Impact

28 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn outlines five strategic refinements to boost teaching effectiveness once foundational stru...

S6 E1 - Staying Motivated in Tough Times

21 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn addresses how educators can maintain momentum during challenging periods by celebrating in...

Listener Favourites - 5 Evidence Informed Alternatives to Independent Silent Reading

14 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today, I want to talk to you about an issue that has had me with a bee in my bonnet for a little while now,  and that is the large amount of time tha...

Listener Favourite - Planning To Make Report Writing Easier

07 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ready to transform the headache of report writing? Join me, Jocelyn, on the Structured Literacy Podcast, where we unpack the art of aligning curriculu...

S5 E20 - If They Knew It, They Would Do It

31 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn challenges the common teacher assumption that students "know" content simply bec...

S5 E19 - Why Students Find Writing Persuasive Texts So Difficult

24 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn explores why students struggle with persuasive writing despite teachers implementing tradi...

S5 E18 - Why an Evidence-Based Literacy Block Might Not Be the Best Goal for Your School

17 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this thought-provoking episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn challenges the common goal of implementing an "evidence-based liter...

S5 E17 - MTSS for Reading with Stephanie Stollar

10 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this interview episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn speaks with educational consultant Stephanie Stollar about Multi-Tiered Systems ...

S5 E16 - Is Whole Class Phonics Instruction Really Equitable?

03 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn challenges the common assumption that whole class phonics instruction is more equitable th...

S5 E15 - Interview with Jenny Cole - Navigating Leadership in a Changing Landscape

26 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this interview episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn speaks with leadership coach and "recovering principal" Jenny Cole abo...

S5 E14 - It's Time to Say Goodbye to the Independent Research Project

12 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn argues for abandoning traditional independent research projects, which she contends harm s...

S5 E13 - Maximising Your Lesson Prime Time

05 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn explores the cognitive science concept of primacy and recency, first researched by Hermann...

S5 E12 - The Secret Weapon for Effective Retrieval Practice

29 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Curriculum organisers are powerful tools for implementing effective retrieval practice in the classroom. These simple three-page documents provide cla...

S5 E11 Research to the Classroom - Connecting Reading and Writing Part 3 (Teacher Talk)

22 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this final episode of the research to classroom series on connecting reading and writing, Jocelyn interviews Rachael, a deputy principal at a small...

S5 E10 Research to the Classroom - Connecting Reading and Writing Part 2 (Practical Application)

15 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this second installment of the research to classroom series on connecting reading and writing, Jocelyn presents five evidence-informed strategies f...

S5 E9 Research to the Classroom - Connecting Reading and Writing Part 1 (The Research)

08 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this first episode of a new research to classroom series, Jocelyn explores the scientific foundation for integrating reading and writing instructio...

S5 E8 - When Teachers are Learners - Making Professional Development Work

01 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn explores how to make teacher professional development more effective by applying Rosenshin...

S5 E7 - What Does Research Say About Homework?

22 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn examines the mixed research on homework effectiveness, exploring two key studies that prov...

S5 E6 - Keeping Your Team's Bus on the Road When Onboarding New Staff

15 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn addresses the challenges of successfully onboarding new staff members while maintaining in...

S5 E5 - AI: A Tool, Not a Teacher

08 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This episode discusses the nuanced role of AI in education, emphasizing that while it can enhance teaching, it should not replace the expertise of ski...

S5 E4 - Help! My Students Aren't Writing Enough!

01 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn addresses the common teacher concern about insufficient student writing by sharing her own...

S5 E3 - Quick Phonics Assessment to Start the Year

25 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn provides a practical whole-class method for efficiently assessing phonics knowledge at the...

S5 E2 - My Most and Least Favourite F-Words (about teaching)

18 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week's episode is a little fun with a serious message. I will tell you about my most and least favourite F words, but don't worry; ther...

S5 E1 - 5 Ways To Get The Best Out Of The New School Year

11 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We start each year with big plans and goals. In this episode of the Structured Literacy Podcast, I'd like to share five practical ways to get clo...

Summer Series - Why It's So Scary To Let Go Of Guided Reading

04 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What is the Summer Series? A collection of listener favourites from Structured Literacy Podcast to get you prepared for 2025.Today's EpisodeIn th...

Summer Series - High Engagement in Low Variance Instruction

28 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What is the Summer SeriesA collection of listener favourites from the Structured Literacy Podcast to help you prepare for 2025. Todays EpisodeYou may ...

Summer Series - Research to the Classroom: Dyad Reading Part 3 (Teacher Talk)

21 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What is the Summer SeriesA collection of listener favourites from the Structured Literacy Podcast to help you prepare for 2025. Today's Episode.I...

Summer Series - Research to the Classroom: Dyad Reading Part 2 (Practical Application)

14 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What is the Summer SeriesA collection of listener favourites from the Structured Literacy Podcast to help you prepare for 2025.  This Week's Epi...

Summer Series - Research to the Classroom: Dyad Reading Part 1 (The Research)

07 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What is the Summer SeriesA collection of listener favourites from Structured Literacy Podcast to help you prepare for 2025.  Today's Episode.Thi...

Summer Series - Five Ways to Get Ready for the Coming Change

30 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What is the Summer SeriesA collection of listener favourites from the Structured Literacy Podcast to help you prepare for 2025. Todays EpisodeEver won...

S4 E14 - Guidance for Evaluating Impact

23 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Unlock the secrets to achieving literacy goals that truly make a difference. This episode of the Structured Literacy Podcast promises to equip educato...

S4 Ep13 - Let's Talk Year 3-6 Reading Assessment and Grading

16 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What if your current reading assessments fall short of truly capturing your students' abilities? Get ready to transform your approach as we unrav...

S4 E12 - The Secret to Grading Early Years Reading

09 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn provides practical guidance for accurately grading early years reading by focusing on Aust...

S4 E11 - Making Decisions When the Floor is Lava

02 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn addresses the overwhelming pressure school leaders face when transitioning to structured l...

S4 E10 - Instructional Spring Cleaning - Timers During Classroom Fluency Work

25 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wondered if the ticking of a timer could transform reading fluency in young learners? Join us on this episode of the Structured Literacy...

S4 E9 - Instructional Spring Cleaning - One Student at the Front

19 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn examines the common classroom practice of bringing one student to the front to answer ques...

S4 E8 - Instructional Spring Cleaning - Student News

12 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we are going to have a spring clean. In this episode, I'll share a practice that I think we should reconsider.I'm not focusing on...

S4 Ep7 - The Critical Issue of Teacher Knowledge Building

05 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn explores why traditional professional learning fails to improve student outcomes, drawing ...

S4 E6 - Five Reasons That Traditional Professional Learning Methods Don’t Build Long-Term Knowledge

28 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How can educators transcend the rote memorisation of teaching steps to foster genuine understanding and meaningful learning? Join me, Jocelyn, on this...

S4 E5 - The Key to Successfully Implementing a New Program in Your School

21 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What if implementing a new teaching program could transform your school's instructional practices and student outcomes? Promise kept! Join us on ...

S4 E4 - Connecting Explicit Teaching and Engagement in Years 3 to 6 Spelling

14 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What if you could transform your spelling lessons from monotonous drills to engaging, multi-dimensional learning experiences? This week on the Structu...

Listener Favourites - How Do I Fit Morphology Into My Literacy Block?

07 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our literacy blocks are so full that it's difficult to find time for all of the things we need to fit in, including morphology.   In this week&a...

S4 E3 - Can Great Teaching Be Scripted?

01 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn explores the nuanced debate around scripted teaching programs, moving beyond polarised vie...

S4 E2 - Tracking Reading Growth Without a Benchmark Assessment

24 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn addresses the common challenge of tracking student reading progress and communicating with...

S4 E1 - Harnessing Oral Language for Reading and Spelling Success

17 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Oral language is listed as one of the six key areas of reading instruction but what does it look like to really address it effectively across the scho...

Listener Favourites - Tier One Instruction That Hits the Mark

10 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It is wonderful to have Tier 2 support for students who need that little bit extra, but the real key to inclusive instruction is to make Tier 1 as rob...

Listener Favourites - Tier-Two Instruction That Hits The Mark.

03 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn addresses why Tier 2 intervention instruction often fails to produce results, identifying ...

Listener Favourites - Shifts to move to a structured approach in Years 3 to 6 Part 2

21 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this second part of the series on transitioning upper primary literacy instruction, Jocelyn focuses on essential shifts in reading comprehension an...

Listener Favourites - Shifts to move to a structured approach in Years 3 to 6 Part 1

13 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this first part of a two-part series on implementing structured literacy in upper primary, Jocelyn outlines critical shifts in word-level instructi...

S3 E23 - Supporting Your Year 3-6 Team to Board the Bus

06 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Discover the transformative power of structured literacy practices for grades three to six with our latest episode! What if you could create a consist...

S3 E22 - How to Choose a Phonics Program

29 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Structured Literacy Podcast, Jocelyn provides practical guidance for educators choosing phonics programs for their schools. She...

S3 E21 - 5 Ways to Get Ready for the Coming Change

20 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ever wondered why some schools are celebrating massive advancements in literacy while others are scrambling to keep up? Join us as we unpack the trans...

S3 E20 - 8 Reasons that the Same Page is a Great Place to be

15 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ever wondered why consistency in teaching practices is more than just a buzzword? Join me, Jocelyn, on the Structured Literacy Podcast as we unpack th...

New Online Course: Build the Foundations for Your Literacy Block in Years 3 to 6

11 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

I have some exciting news. For the past year, I've been delivering my Upper Primary Focused Workshop, Build the Foundations for Your Literacy Blo...

S3 E19 - How To Make Sure That Your Spelling Instruction Is Explicit

08 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Spelling knowledge is critical for strong text-level writing, but how do we know that our instruction is explicit and evidence-informed? This episode ...

S3 E18 - Explicit Instruction That Doesn't Come At The Expense Of High Flyers

01 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Discover practical strategies for engaging and challenging high-achieving students in our latest episode on the Structured Literacy Podcast. Many teac...

S3 E17 - Do Nonsense Words have a Place in Upper Primary?

25 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Nonsense words play an important part in phonics assessment, but what about in Years 3-6? This week's episode of the structured literacy podcast ...

S3 E16 - Planning To Make Report Writing Easier

18 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ready to transform the headache of report writing? Join me, Jocelyn, on the Structured Literacy Podcast, where we unpack the art of aligning curriculu...

S3 E15 - Four Points to Consider When Pacing Phonics Instruction

11 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There are four decisions we need to make in pacing phonics for our students. 1) when to begin phonics2) how much content to teach at once3) when to mo...

S3 E14 - It's Time to Take Radical Responsibility for Student Outcomes

04 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A characteristic of all high growth schools I work with is that they feel a deep sense of personal responsibility for student outcomes. In this week&a...

S3 E13 - Engaging Reluctant Students in the Classroom

27 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ever wonder why some students who can read and write with ease seem to stumble when it's time to shine in the classroom? Join me, Jocelyn, as we ...

S3 E12 - What to Expect When Working with a Consultant

20 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Could flashy credentials be leading us astray in educational consulting? Unpack these misconceptions with us as we reveal what truly makes a consultan...