Stephanie Stollar Consulting

09/26/2025

Check out our answers to the 25 most frequently asked questions about during The Reading League summer book study!

We are energized by the summer book study hosted by our Chapter Network. 📚

More than 5,200 educators and school leaders came together to strengthen their literacy instruction and spark real change in their districts.

Did you miss it? Don’t worry—Andrea Setmeyer, national chapter director, has shared a recap of the insightful Q&A sessions and thoughtful weekly reflections from the study, plus gathered all the recordings, slides, quotes, and resources for free.

Learn how this "common read" united educators across the continent. Use the materials to host your own book study with your team and bring the momentum to your school or district.

https://bit.ly/4nu2vta

09/25/2025

The science of reading can feel overwhelming, especially if it wasn’t part of your teacher prep program.

In this video, I share 6 must-read books that make the research clear, practical, and doable in your classroom.

These books will help you define the science of reading, improve literacy instruction, and build confidence in assessment, intervention, and classroom practice.

📚 Books Featured in This Video:

Reach All Readers by Anna Geiger
Seven Mighty Moves by Lindsay Kemeny
Reading for Life by Lyn Stone
The Art and Science of Teaching Primary Reading by Christopher Such
Explicit Instruction by Anita Archer & Charles Hughes
Speech to Print by Louisa Moats

✨ These books are perfect for teachers, literacy coaches, administrators, and higher ed faculty looking for evidence-based strategies that bridge research and practice.

Links to purchase books:

Support Independent Bookstores: https://bookshop.org/lists/essential-science-of-reading-books-every-teacher-should-own
Book 1: Reach All Readers https://amzn.to/46faSCy
Book 2: Seven Mighty Moves https://amzn.to/4muWjQb
Book 3: Reading for Life https://amzn.to/46nCp3m
Book 4: The Art and Science of Teaching Primary Reading https://amzn.to/4gLtMob
Book 5: Explicit Instruction https://amzn.to/4mN0siJ
Book 6: Speech to Print https://amzn.to/3VqcWBw

09/24/2025

📊 Progress monitoring is one of the most powerful tools you have, but only if you use it well.

Here are 5 quick tips to keep in mind:

1️⃣ Data ≠ instruction. Use progress monitoring to inform what you teach, not replace it.

2️⃣ Match the tool to the skill. Sometimes that means testing above or below grade level.

3️⃣ Check often. The more frequently you collect data, the sooner you’ll know if instruction is working, or if it needs to change.

4️⃣ Spread it out. Instead of spending all day Friday on progress monitoring, aim to check one student per small group each day.

5️⃣ Strong Tier 1 = fewer red flags. Solid core instruction reduces how many students need intervention and monitoring in the first place.

💡 These simple shifts can make progress monitoring less stressful and much more effective for both you and your students.

💬 Comment “GROUP” for a grouping worksheet that will make this all easier for you.

🔖 Save this post for when you need a reminder!

09/23/2025

Yeah, I’ve been pretty happy lately.

I have the extreme privilege of spending my days supporting educators who are dedicated to lifting literacy outcomes in early readers.

Could anything be more rewarding?

I’m chatting with Reading Science Academy members, helping them solve their biggest roadblocks, and setting up incredible collaborators to come in and speak with them.

I’m working with higher education professors to change the way we train future educators, follow the research, and make waves that are felt in all classrooms around the country.

I’m writing and publishing books that are already in the hands of the doers who are putting the practical guides to great use.

I’m connecting with you all here on social media, engaging in lively debates, and validating experiences of educators everywhere.

So, yeah. I’d say I’ve been pretty happy lately.

Do you want to get in on this level of support for your school year?

Get me in your pocket by joining Reading Science Academy.

Comment “POCKET” and I’ll send you more information.

09/19/2025

Every educator needs to take 45 minutes TODAY to listen to this podcast with Susan Lambert interviewing Wes Hoover about the Simple View of Reading.

Psycholinguist Wesley Hoover explains the research behind the Simple View of Reading model and how it’s deceptively complex.

09/18/2025

Skipping assessment is not an option.

The right tool, used at the right time, helps you group students for effective Tier 1 reading instruction.

Here’s how each assessment fits into the bigger picture:

👀 Screeners

Administered to all students three times a year to spot who may be at risk. They’re brief, standardized, reliable, and predictive.

Example: Acadience Reading K–6

🔍 Diagnostics

Used once a year with at-risk students to uncover why they struggle and what to do next. They’re detailed, specific, and tied directly to instruction.

Examples: Acadience Reading Diagnostics; Really Great Reading Decoding Survey

📈 Progress Monitoring

Done weekly, biweekly, or monthly with students in intervention to check if changes are working. Should be quick, standardized, and sensitive to growth.

Example: Acadience Reading K–6

✅ Outcome Evaluations

Administered once a year to measure whether students meet grade-level expectations. These are group-administered, standardized assessments.

Examples: Terra Nova; Iowa Test of Basic Skills

When you know how to use these tools, grouping students for meaningful Tier 1 instruction becomes so much clearer.

💬 Comment "GROUP" and I’ll send you my resource to help.

09/17/2025

📚 I’ve read A LOT of books about literacy instruction.

Truly, if you stacked up all the literacy books I’ve read (and written!), you might need a stepstool to see the top.

I consider it a big part of my job and my responsibility as a literacy educator.

🤓 I don’t just read for myself. I read so I can share the very best resources with you. From practical strategies to the newest research, I’m always curating what’s worth your time, and what actually helps kids learn to read.

Want to get my honest reviews of literacy books?

➡️ Check the comments for the link to get on my email list.

09/16/2025

I’ll be at Plain Talk About Dyslexia in Baton Rouge in a couple of weeks. Will I see you there?

I’m thrilled to be presenting at one of the most influential literacy conferences in the country, and my favorite part of any conference is meeting Reading Science Academy members in real life.

My session, Using MTSS to Identify Dyslexia, will spotlight how schools can leverage universal screening and MTSS to provide earlier, more effective support for students. With MTSS, educators can implement interventions that truly work to reduce the number of students who fall behind.

👉 Let me know in the comments if you’ll be there!

09/14/2025

09/11/2025

Collecting start-of-school data? Use it to get more students on track. 📊

After screening, focus on the “percentage of students at risk” and set checkpoints to ask: Is my instruction working?

Your data should guide immediate action, not sit in a file.

💬 How will you use your data this year? Comment below.

09/10/2025

📣 New literacy coach? You’re not alone.

We asked 1,300+ Reading Science Academy members what they wish they’d known starting out. Their answers are pure gold:

💡 MTSS is all about data-based decision making. Period.

💡 Use data to pinpoint exactly where kids are, then teach them right there.

💡 Time is your most controllable variable. Use it wisely.

💡 Stop doing things that don’t move kids forward.

If you’re new in your role or need to win credibility this year with a plan that works, Reading Science Academy has your back.

Comment “HELP ME” to learn more about Reading Science Academy.