A PODCAST WITH FRESH PERSPECTIVES ON LITERACY, LEARNING, AND TEACHING 

About Literacy Talks Podcast

Welcome to Literacy Talks, the podcast series from Reading Horizons, where reading momentum begins. Each episode features our trio of literacy champions: Stacy Hurst, an assistant professor of reading at Southern Utah University and Chief Academic Advisor at Reading Horizons; Donell Pons, a dyslexia specialist, educator, presenter and writer, who now works with adults who struggle with reading; Lindsay Kemeny, an innovative, dedicated elementary teacher who is a CERI certified Structured Literacy Classroom Teacher.

Keep in touch with Stacy, Donell, and Lindsay by emailing them your questions, comments, and thoughts about episode topics at literacytalks@readinghorizons.com

Meet Your Literacy Champions

Each episode mixes just the right blend of humor, hope, and humanity. It’s a conversation among friends, always mixed with practical literacy strategies, powerful tips, and a real passion for teachers and students alike.

Listen, laugh, and learn with Literacy Talks, brought to educators everywhere from Reading Horizons.

Stacey Hurst

Stacy Hurst

Professor at Southern Utah University and Chief Academic Advisor at Reading Horizons

Stacy Hurst

Stacy Hurst

CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER AND ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF READING, SOUTHERN UTAH UNIVERSITY

Stacy Hurst has degrees in Sociology and Elementary Education and reading and has Advanced Reading and ESL Endorsements. In over twenty years as an educator, she has been a first-grade teacher, ELL teacher, literacy coach, reading specialist, and now a university professor. Her extensive experience includes teaching reading, coordinating interventions for struggling readers, coaching teachers, implementing blended learning, and training thousands of teachers on effective literacy instruction. Stacy is the Chief Academic Officer at Reading Horizons, is an Assistant Professor of Teacher Education at Southern Utah University, and is the co-author of Reading Horizons Discovery®.

Lindsay Kemeny

Lindsay Kemeny

Elementary Teacher,
Speaker, and Author

Lindsay Kemeny

Lindsay Kemeny

FIRST GRADE TEACHER

Lindsay Kemeny is a seasoned elementary-school teacher who is currently teaching first grade. After her son was diagnosed with dyslexia and depression, she began her deep dive into effective literacy instruction for all children. She is a CERI certified Structured Literacy Classroom Teacher and holds a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. In addition to being a classroom teacher, Lindsay has served as a teacher mentor and reading interventionist. She enjoys presenting locally and nationally, and co-hosting the Literacy Talks podcast. She is the author of the new book, 7 Mighty Moves: Research-Backed, Classroom-Tested Strategies to Ensure K-3 Reading Success. Her articles have appeared in The Reading League Journal, Dystinct Magazine, and IDA Perspectives. She lives in Utah with her husband and four children. You can follow her on Twitter @LindsayKemeny.

Donell Pons

Donell Pons

Speaker, Author, and Recognized Expert in Literacy and Special Education

Donnell Pons

Donnell Pons

DYSLEXIA SPECIALIST

Donell Pons has a husband and two children with dyslexia. She is a dyslexia presenter, consultant, and reading tutor. Ms. Pons received the Teacher of Tomorrow award when she completed a dual MED and MAT in teaching and learning from Westminster College. She was a member of the task force that wrote the Utah Dyslexia Handbook. Ms. Pons also has a special education certification and has taught secondary Language Arts, and worked at a charter school focusing on supporting students on the Autism spectrum. In 2016, Ms. Pons implemented a complete literacy program at a public charter school, the American International School of Utah. Every educator and paraeducator k-5 was trained in the same Structured Literacy reading program. She has had numerous articles published in Language Magazine, The Learning Counsel, ASCD SmartBrief, and Landmark Academy Newsletter regarding blended learning, reading instruction, and appropriate accommodations. She has also produced a nationally recognized three-part webcast series for Reading Horizons on teaching reading and recognizing dyslexia. Ms. Pons is currently teaching adults in the workplace who would like to improve their reading skills.

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LISTEN TO THE MOST RECENT EPISODE

Keep the Momentum Going!

Subscribe to our Literacy Talks podcast digest and never miss an episode! We’ll send you summaries of every session, links for the resources discussed on each show (and some extra goodies) so that your learning never stops.

Current Season

Past Seasons

Season’s Greetings and Literacy for All

Season’s Greetings and Literacy for All

As the saying goes, “That’s a wrap!” This episode closes Season 4 of Literacy Talks. Our listening audience has grown remarkably, and we’re grateful to every educator who tunes...

ICYMI: The Reading League Conference 2023

ICYMI: The Reading League Conference 2023

The Reading League Conference 2023 was a high-energy, high-impact event, and our three Literacy Talks hosts were there. This episode voices their observations on the conference’s...

A Mighty Moving Episode With Lindsay Kemeny

A Mighty Moving Episode With Lindsay Kemeny

This installment of Literacy Talks features and celebrates the publication of our own Lindsay Kemeny’s new bestselling book, 7 Mighty Moves: Research-Backed, Classroom-Tested...

Welcome Back…to School!

Welcome Back…to School!

Whether you’re teaching for the first time or a seasoned classroom educator, the words ‘back to school’ always signal excitement, energy, and new enthusiasm for the year ahead....

Literacy Talks S3 E1 Brave Voices for Literacy
Literacy Talks Season 3 Episode 6
Literacy Talks - When Students Need More: Techniques and Triumphs
Literacy Talks Season 3 Episode 2
Literacy Talks S3E7
Literacy Talks S3E12 Lights, Camera, Literacy
Literacy Talks Season 3 Episode 3
Literacy Talks S3E8
Literacy Talks S3E4
Plain Talk 2023: Growing Literacy Momentum
Season 3 Episode 5
Literacy Talks Season 3 Episode 10 - Set for Variability: Making Irregular Words a Regular Success
Literacy Talks Season 2 Episode 1
Game-Changer: A Book Talk about Speech to Print: Language Essentials for Teachers
Literacy Talks Season 2 Episode 11
Literacy Talks Season 2 Episode 2
Literacy Talks Season 2 Episode 7- Words of Wisdom: A Special Literacy Talks Episode with Dr. Anita Archer
Are We Overcorrecting? Making A Cae for Clearing the Confusion
Teaching: Where Science and Art Connect
Literacy Talks Season 2 Episode 8: Dyslexia: What Every Teacher Needs to Know
Spelling: It’s a Literacy Teaching Opportunity
Sharing the Knowledge: A Recap from the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading Conference (SSSR)
Professional Learning: What Reading Teachers Need Most…Now.
Literacy Talks: Season 2 Episode 10- Writing: Words of Wisdom about Developing Students’ Early Writing Skills
LiteracyTalks_Season 1 Episode 1
LiteracyTalks_Season 1 Episode 1
LiteracyTalks_Season 1 Episode 1
LiteracyTalks_Season 1 Episode 1
LiteracyTalks_Season 1 Episode 1
LiteracyTalks_Season 1 Episode 1
LiteracyTalks_Season 1 Episode 1
LiteracyTalks_Season 1 Episode 1
LiteracyTalks_Season 1 Episode 1
LiteracyTalks_Season 1 Episode 1

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Literacy Talks is available on most popular podcasting platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify,  Click the links to follow Literacy Talks or search for it on your favorite podcast platform.

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