S7 E1: Being Mindful of NAEP Scores: A Conversation with Kai-leé Berke and Marjorie Bottari

 In this episode of The Literacy Lunch Break, host Marjorie Bottari sits down with Kai-leé Berke, CEO of Heggerty and a nationally recognized early childhood education expert. With decades of experience as a teacher, administrator, and author of widely used classroom solutions, Kai-leé shares her insights on addressing the complex challenges of reading development. Together, they explore why solving reading problems requires examining multiple lenses—moving beyond surface-level assumptions like “parents don’t read to their kids”—and the importance of asking, What can we do next? They discuss examples of districts making measurable gains, such as Louisiana, and the role programs like Heggerty play in supporting growth. Listeners will gain perspective on using assessment data to guide instruction, understanding factors outside educators’ control, and taking actionable steps to support every child’s reading success. Learn more about Heggerty! Visit Heggerty.org for FREE Resources and to download samples of our curriculum. Follow us on Social MediaInstagram Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Want to keep in touch and be the first to know about new episodes, sign-up for our newsletter here!