The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers

Popular podcasters Loftus and Sappington present Teachers have questions, and nobody knows that better than Melissa Loftus and Lori Sappington, hosts of the popular "Melissa & Lori Love Literacy" podcast. They have assembled the questions teachers ask them most about how children learn to read-and provided solid, evidence-based answers inspired by interviews with their expert guests.

Their handy Q&A guide can be read from cover to cover, in sections, or by question, as your schedule allows. Written in a teacher-next-door style, it offers solid advice, references to reliable research, and lots of teaching ideas to put into action immediately.

Turn to it as you would a trusted colleague who can answer your most pressing questions about phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Understanding the science of reading just got easier and more fascinating, thanks to this essential new book.

Melissa Loftus is a National Board-Certified teacher who taught middle and high school ELA nearly 15 years in New Orleans and Baltimore. Her interest in teaching students how to read was sparked when she taught a reading program for ninth grade students in her second year of teaching. She briefly coached other teachers using the reading program before returning to the classroom and deciding to pursue a master’s degree to learn more about reading instruction. In addition to teaching, Melissa has served as a teacher coach at both the school and district level and as an adjunct professor of education at Johns Hopkins University. She has deep experience providing professional development to teachers about effective instruction, especially in literacy. Most recently, she created the popular podcast "Melissa & Lori Love Literacy" with her co-host Lori Sappington. She feels grateful to have hosted nearly 200 podcast episodes with experts about how to teach reading and writing that have reached more than 1 million listeners. A primary goal of the podcast, to bring research-based practices to teachers and elevate the voices of educators in the field, is also a goal of her new book coauthored with Sappington, The Literacy 50–A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night. In addition to hosting the podcast, she is currently a curriculum writer with Great Minds and lives in Pennsylvania with her son where they spend their free time in their beautiful garden.