96. Reading’s Dynamic Duo: How Fluency & Vocabulary Fuel Comprehension with Melissa Loftus & Lori Sappington

Melissa Loftus and Lori Sappington from the Melissa & Lori Love Literacy podcast take their hosting hats off for the day to share their expertise around fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension – and why comprehension instruction is far more complex than simply teaching “strategies.”Melissa and Lori explain why comprehension is considered an unconstrained skill, how fluent word recognition frees up cognitive space for meaning-making, and why vocabulary and knowledge building are essential for students to truly understand text.Resources Mentioned:Sign up for Melissa & Lori’s email list and grab a free, fun fluency resource pack!Book: The Literacy 50 by Melissa Loftus & Lori SappingtonFive Step Vocabulary Routine (from the Literacy 50)Research: Spencer, Quinn, and Wagner tested 425,000 children from first through third grade on decoding, vocabulary, and comprehension. Among those who had adequate decoding and adequate vocabulary, fewer than one per cent scored poorly on comprehension. Fewer than one in a hundred. Once the word-level problems are solved, the decoding and the vocabulary, comprehension takes care of itself in virtually every case. This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting the podcast!Connect with Melissa Loftus & Lori Sappington:Melissa & Lori Love Literacy PodcastWebsite: literacypodcast.com/Instagram: @literacypodcastWebsite: sorinpractice.com/Instagram: @sorinpracticeThis podcast is brought to you by Reading Science Academy, where our friend Stephanie Stollar is giving Literacy in Color listeners an exclusive, free grouping resource bundle to help you turn fall screening data into skill-based groups that actually move students forward.Get your FREE grouping resource bundle here.Or, become a member of Reading Science Academy to learn in community and receive research-backed support alongside over 1,400 literacy educators.Connect with Michelle:Follow me on Instagram: @michelle_thecolorfulclassroom & @logosliteracyacademyJoin our Facebook CommunitySign up for my NewsletterShop on TPT: The Colorful ClassroomVisit: www.michelleandthecolorfulclassroom.comJoin The COLORFUL Literacy Toolkit MembershipWant to Support the Podcast?Make a Donation to Support ProductionInterested in Learning More about Morphology?Logos Literacy AcademyCourse 1: Mastering Morphology: Foundations for Every EducatorCourse 2 & Curriculum: K-2 MorphologyMonthly Coaching Calls: Logos LiveMentioned in this episode:SOR Summer Book StudyJoin us: https://colorful-classroom.mykajabi.com/sor-summer-book-study-2026Reading Science AcademyGet your FREE grouping resource bundle here: https://www.stephaniestollarconsulting.com/groupingsheets?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=podcast Join The Reading Science Academy: https://www.stephaniestollarconsulting.com/register?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show-notes&utm_campaign=literacy-in-color