Stellar Teacher Podcast with Sara Marye

If you’re looking for a more effective way to help your students expand their vocabulary—without relying on endless word lists—this episode is for you! Today, we’re diving into morphology instruction and how a simple five-step routine can transform the way your students learn new words. By teaching morphemes explicitly, you can give your students the tools to decode unfamiliar words, make meaning independently, and support them in expanding vocabulary in a meaningful, lasting way.

Fluency is more than just reading fast. It’s about reading with accuracy, appropriate pacing, and expression—all of which help students fully understand what they read. Without strong fluency skills, students often struggle with comprehension, and those gaps can persist well into middle and high school. That’s why today’s conversation is all about making fluency a priority in upper elementary and finding simple, effective ways to incorporate fluency practice into your literacy block to set students up for reading success.

Lindsay’s book, Seven Mighty Moves: Research-Backed, Classroom-Tested Strategies to Ensure K-3 Reading Success, is packed with strategies that help teachers bridge the gap between research and classroom practice in a way that truly benefits students. In this conversation, Lindsay shares how her personal journey supporting her son through dyslexia led her to completely transform her teaching. She walks us through the seven powerful strategies for reading instruction that have made a huge impact in her classroom and can help all students—whether they’re just beginning to read or still struggling in upper elementary. These strategies are not only backed by research but have been tested in real classrooms, making them practical and easy to implement.

Teaching is full of big goals, high expectations, and never-ending to-do lists—but what if you could make meaningful progress without feeling overwhelmed? In this Dear Stellar Teacher episode, Emily and I are breaking down simple, actionable strategies to help you stay on track, build momentum, and reach your goals without burnout.