174. Early Literacy Coaching with Leah Ruesink

174. Early Literacy Coaching with Leah Ruesink

From Educator Forever by Lily Jones, Teacher Advocate

February 25, 2026 · 18 min

About this episode

In this episode, Leah Ruesink discusses the importance of early literacy intervention and systematic phonics programs for K–3 teachers.

Leah Ruesink is an early literacy coach and adjunct professor based in Michigan. She supports K–3 teachers in implementing research-aligned reading instruction and provides science-backed literacy guidance to educators, coaches, and families. Through her work in schools, writing, and online, Leah helps bridge the gap between literacy research and everyday classroom practice. In this episode, Leah and I talk about the importance of early literacy intervention to ensure students stick at the pace they need. We also get into the need for systematic, explicit phonics programs and business owners building their brand. For all links and resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.educatorforever.com/episode174 .

People in this episode

Host: Lily Jones

Guest: Leah Ruesink

Topics covered

  • early literacy
  • coaching
  • phonics programs
  • education
  • teacher support

Keywords

  • early literacy
  • literacy coaching
  • phonics
  • K-3 education
  • teacher support
  • literacy research

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Michigan

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