[Listen Again] Dear Stellar Teacher: Our Phonics and Intervention Confessions (and What We Would Do Differently!)

[Listen Again] We’re bringing back this episode because it’s just too good not to share again! As we continue talking about supporting struggling readers, this conversation feels just as relevant today. If you missed it the first time—or could use a refresher—we’re revisiting some of the biggest lessons we learned about phonics, intervention, and foundational reading skills in upper elementary.

Many upper elementary teachers know their struggling readers need support with foundational reading skills, but knowing exactly what to teach—and how to fit it into an already-packed school day—can feel overwhelming. In this Dear Stellar Teacher episode, we're sharing our biggest phonics confessions, including the mistakes we made in our own classrooms and what we wish we had known about supporting struggling readers.

In this episode, we're talking all things phonics, phonemic awareness, and reading intervention in upper elementary. We'll share why we didn't always prioritize systematic phonics instruction, why intervention can't simply become someone else's responsibility, and what we've learned about helping older students strengthen the foundational skills they need to become more confident readers.

In this episode, we'll discuss:

• The biggest mistakes we made when supporting struggling readers in our own classrooms
• Why systematic phonics instruction still matters in upper elementary
• Why we wish we had incorporated more phonemic awareness into our literacy instruction
• How a lack of knowledge and confidence can make foundational skills instruction feel overwhelming
• Why classroom teachers still play an important role in supporting students who need intervention
• What we've learned about providing more effective decoding and foundational skills support

Resources Mentioned:

⭐ The Stellar Literacy Collective: stellarteacher.com/intervention