Throwback Thursday: Unlocking Literacy: Why the Way We Teach Reading Matters

Welcome to our Summer Throwback series… Every Thursday June - August, we will revisit some of the articles that launched our platform…

While your here visit the Literacy Underground… this is a place where I post print and go lessons, and an occasional PD… but that’s not the exciting part… the Literacy Underground is a grassroots movement that quietly funds student access to explicit literacy instruction. It’s where the real work happens.

(Plus: A Free Sneak Peek Inside the Literacy Underground)

When we talk about the reading crisis in schools, we often jump straight to curriculum, test scores, or intervention programs.

But here’s the truth:
The most powerful change doesn’t come from new products—it comes from better understanding.

That’s why I created the Litercacy Underground —a monthly membership where I take the science of reading and turn it into tools that actually make sense for real people doing real teaching.

Whether you're a parent helping your child blend sounds, a tutor supporting decoding gaps, or a literacy leader guiding Tier 3 teams—you deserve resources that are grounded in research and ready to use.

Phoneme awareness—the ability to hear, segment, blend, and manipulate individual sounds in words—is one of the most predictive skills for reading success.

And yet, it's still misunderstood or skipped entirely in many programs.

We assume older struggling readers “should already have it,” but they often don’t.

• Without phoneme awareness, phonics won’t stick.

• Without solid sound work, decoding falls apart.

• And without the right tools, we can’t teach these skills effectively.

To show you exactly what’s inside, I’m sharing one of this month’s Pro Tier resources with you for free:

This oral-only, low-prep resource gives you:

• Build daily routines for explicit oral sound work and track students ’ growth in key phonemic awareness skills: Isolate, Blend, Segment, Manipulate Routine Cards (Use Daily – 5–7 minutes)

Want the full lesson packs, monthly trainings, and coaching tools? Checkout our full suite of professional learning and print-and-go lessons:

https://thedyslexiacenter.thinkific.com/

If you’re craving clarity, community, and content that actually works—you’re invited.

Check out our Summer Literacy Bundle: thedyslexiacenter.thinkific.com/courses/take/summer-literacy-pass-2025

Let’s make the Science of Reading doable. Together.

With gratitude,
Lynn