Literacy Across Languages

Dr. Ingrid Heidrick joins Mary and Katherine to explore how educators can use district-adopted literacy curricula while making intentional adjustments for multilingual learners. The conversation examines language demands, background knowledge and comprehension, foundational literacy, oral language development, instructional routines, and the gradual release of scaffolds. Throughout the episode, Ingrid emphasizes teacher knowledge and agency in integrating language development across content area

Dr. Antonio Fierro explores why language must be understood as the foundation of literacy for English Learners, connecting phonological awareness, word recognition, sentences, and discourse. He discusses how teachers can create language-rich classrooms, listen closely to students’ oral language, build on cross-linguistic knowledge, and pair structured literacy with multilingual education so that rigorous instruction remains accessible without treating language differences as deficits. Antonio A

Kari Kurto of The Reading League joins Literacy Across Languages to explore how the science of reading and structured literacy can support multilingual learners and English learners. The conversation examines language as common ground between literacy and EL/EB education, including explicit and systematic instruction, linguistic assets, assessment, contrastive analysis, and how educators can provide comprehensive, evidence-aligned literacy instruction that is responsive to multilingual learners.

Meg Medina served as the 2023-2024 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. She is the author of many notable and award-winning works for young readers of all ages, including the Newbery Medal-winning and New York Times bestselling book Merci Suárez Changes Gears, the first in a trilogy. Her most recent novel, Graciela in the Abyss, was a 2026 ALSC Notable Children’s Book and a CCBC Choices 2026 selection. Illustrated by Anna and Elena Balbusso, the novel was also awarded the prestigio

Beth Bevars is a library director in the Finger Lakes region of New York and a literacy advocate focused on supporting families and educators through community literacy hubs. Marion Waldman comes from educational publishing and works to expand access to evidence-based literacy resources through partnerships with libraries, publishers, and literacy organizations. Together, they support libraries across the United States and Canada in building literacy hubs grounded in the science of reading thro

Yoshito Darmon-Shimamori is the founder of Library 4 Multilinguals, an author dedicated to empowering multilingual and multicultural children, and the host and organizer of the annual online conference, the Grand Multiliteracy Event. Drawing on his own bilingual upbringing, over 14 years of classroom experience, and his everyday life as a parent raising multiliterate children, he supports families and educators to nurture confident identities across languages and cultures. Yoshito has published

Shifa Saltagi Safadi is the National Book Award-winning author of Kareem Between, the Amina Banana series, and several picture books, including The Gift of Eid. Born in Syria and raised in the United States, she is a bilingual Arabic-English speaker, a former English teacher, and a former reviewer of Muslim children’s books through her blog, Muslim Mommy Blog. She is passionate about helping children develop a love of reading through engaging stories, school visits, and story times. In this epi

Brandon Cardet-Hernandez is an educator and leader whose career spans roles as a teacher, turnaround principal in the South Bronx, and leader within the New York City Department of Education, where he served as senior advisor of education to Mayor Bill de Blasio. As the son of immigrants and a former multilingual learner, his work is grounded in expanding opportunity and access for students through rigorous and equitable educational experiences. This episode explores the concept of the multilin

Dr. Ana Taboada-Barber is a professor of education at the University of Maryland whose research focuses on reading comprehension and motivation in emergent bilingual and bilingual students. A former ESL teacher, her work examines how cognitive and motivational factors influence literacy development, with particular attention to Spanish-speaking English learners in the United States and South America, as well as bilingual students in international contexts. This episode explores how multilingual

Amy Siracusano is the founder and owner of Know Better, Do Better Literacy, LLC, and brings 25 years of experience in public education, including roles as a classroom teacher, Title I teacher, vice principal, and literacy specialist for the Board of Education. She is an international literacy consultant, adjunct professor in the Reading Science Advanced Certificate Program at Brooklyn College, and a national advocate for ensuring teachers have deep knowledge of language systems and instructional

Renae Skarin is an educational linguist with more than three decades of experience across K–16 education, dedicated to serving multilingual and English learners through classroom teaching, curriculum and program development, and classroom research. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys spending time in nature, gardening, and being with her horse and donkey. In this episode, Renae Skarin explores what truly makes curriculum high quality for multilingual learners, arguing that language dev

Sally Baer is an educator with more than 22 years of teaching experience whose work has spanned elementary teaching, reading specialization, English language learning, and multilingual education. Her professional journey, including National Board Certification and doctoral study, is grounded in reflective practice and a deep commitment to improving outcomes for multilingual learners and other historically underserved students. In this episode, Sally explores why structured academic discourse is

Dr. Katie Toppel has 20 years of experience in education across preschool through university settings. She currently serves as a K–5 English language development specialist in Oregon, supporting multilingual learners through co-planning, co-teaching, and small group instruction. She is a member of the SIOP author team and co-authored the sixth edition of Making Content Comprehensible for Multilingual Learners. Her background includes classroom teaching in kindergarten and first grade, work at an

Dr. Eugenia F. Krimmel is a nationally recognized multilingual learner educator, author, and instructional coach with more than 30 years of experience advancing equitable literacy instruction for multilingual learners across K through 12, higher education, and adult education settings in the Middle East, Europe, Canada, and the United States. She is the author of Accelerating Newcomer Literacy, founder of ELWritingProcess.com, a former ESL Bilingual Advisor at the Pennsylvania Department of Educ

Dr. Timothy Rasinski is a professor of literacy education at Kent State University and director of its award-winning reading clinic. He has written more than 200 articles and authored, co-authored, or edited more than 50 books and curriculum programs on reading education, including work with Teacher Created Materials, Shell Education, and Scholastic. His scholarly interests include reading fluency, word study, reading in the elementary and middle grades, and readers who struggle. His research ha

Kelly Aldinger is a resource specialist for the New York Capital Region’s RBERN, Regional Bilingual Education Resource Network, and a TESOL adjunct professor at Siena University, supporting districts, schools, and educators in strengthening programs and practices for multilingual learners. Previously, she served as an English as a New Language educator in upstate New York working with K through 12 students and their families. Marie Chieco is a kindergarten teacher at Genet Elementary School in

Michelle Posner is a bilingual speech language pathologist who has worked in the field since 2006. Inspired by her younger brother’s autism diagnosis and the harm caused when her family was advised to stop using Spanish at home, she centers communication, inclusion, and support for neurodivergent individuals. Michelle is an Ashkenazi Jew whose family fled Russia and Poland during the Holocaust, found refuge in Mexico, and later immigrated to the United States when she was nine, shaping her bilin

Valentina Gonzalez is an accomplished teacher, educator, author, and national speaker with more than 25 years of experience dedicated to supporting multilingual learners and the educators who serve them. She has served as a classroom teacher, district facilitator for multilingual programs, professional development specialist, and educational consultant. She is widely recognized for designing and leading research-based, actionable professional learning that advances literacy, honors students’ cul

Courtney Morgan is an assistant professor of teacher education and coordinator of the elementary education program at Brevard College in Western North Carolina. She is a National Board Certified teacher and founder of the All Access Classroom, where she partners with schools and districts as a keynote speaker and professional development facilitator. Before entering higher education, she spent 19 years as a general education and English language development teacher. Her work focuses on helping e

Dr. Timothy Shanahan is a distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a former first grade teacher who previously served as director of reading for the Chicago Public Schools. He is the author or editor of more than 300 publications, including Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives published by Harvard Education Press in 2025. His research emphasizes connections between learning to read and learning to write, literacy in the disciplines, and improving reading achievemen

Lucía Rocha-Nestler is the founder and CEO of Hola Books, an educational publishing company dedicated to building strong, joyful Spanish literacy through research-based, Spanish-first materials. A former dual-language teacher with over 20 years of classroom experience, Lucía brings deep expertise in bilingual literacy development, curriculum design, and professional learning. She is a first-generation college graduate, the daughter of immigrant agricultural workers, and a school board trustee wh