Creating Evidence-Based Reading Material for Families with Dr. Caitlin Khoury

From Reading Inspires by Reading Is Fundamental by Reading Is Fundamental

April 21, 2026 · 46 min · Episode 28

About this episode

Dr. Erin Bailey interviews Dr. Caitlin Khoury about her work in developing evidence-based reading materials for families and the importance of early literacy skills.

Dr. Erin Bailey speaks with licensed pediatric psychologist Dr. Caitlin Khoury about her role in developing Lovevery's Reading Skillset. Dr. Khoury shares her journey from graduate school research and reading clinics to clinical practice assessing children for learning disabilities, and how those experiences shaped her approach to creating evidence-based reading materials for families. The conversation explores the core components of the Reading Skillset—including phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, and oral language development—and how play makes learning to read joyful and engaging. Dr. Khoury offers practical guidance on using alphabet books intentionally, maximizing wordless picture books for storytelling, practicing shared reading with turn-taking, and selecting decodable books that match a child's developing skills. She also discusses signs that children are ready to transition to chapter books and how series can build reading stamina and lifelong love of reading. About Dr. Caitlin Khoury: Dr. Caitlin Khoury, PhD, is a licensed pediatric psychologist and product strategist at Lovevery. She specializes in integrating behavioral health care with children’s academic…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Erin Bailey

Guest: Dr. Caitlin Khoury

Topics covered

evidence-based reading materials
early literacy development
learning disabilities
reading skillset
parenting strategies

Keywords

reading materials
phonological awareness
alphabet knowledge
oral language development
shared reading
decodable books
chapter books
reading stamina

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Lovevery, National Institute for Direct Instruction