This week we sit down with Dr. Emily Pendergrass, a former middle school teacher and reading specialist, and leader of the Patterson Institute for Early Adolescent Literacy at Vanderbilt.

We dig into what age-respectful intervention looks like for a 13-year-old who still needs help decoding, why literacy support so often disappears after third grade, and how motivation and reading identity are just as essential as skills.

You’ll hear:

• How to balance cognitive load between the text and the task
• Why grades 4-8 have become a “black hole” in national literacy efforts
• What the new Patterson Institute is building to stay with the work
• Emily’s definition of success (hint: it’s not a test score)

Questions or want to connect? Reach out to melanie@storyshares.org