Let's Talk, Teacher to Teacher With Dr. Gina Pepin
Gina Pepin, Ed.D.
92 episodes
2 weeks ago
Send us a text In this episode of Let’s Talk Teacher to Teacher, Dr. Gina Pepin explores the key characteristics of dyslexia in middle and high school students. Learn what dyslexia looks like beyond elementary grades, discover classroom signs to watch for, and gather practical tips for supporting adolescent learners—whether it’s with extra time, audiobooks, alternative assessments, or just a bit more patience and encouragement. Ideal for secondary educators, interventionists, and anyone deter...
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Send us a text In this episode of Let’s Talk Teacher to Teacher, Dr. Gina Pepin explores the key characteristics of dyslexia in middle and high school students. Learn what dyslexia looks like beyond elementary grades, discover classroom signs to watch for, and gather practical tips for supporting adolescent learners—whether it’s with extra time, audiobooks, alternative assessments, or just a bit more patience and encouragement. Ideal for secondary educators, interventionists, and anyone deter...
Send us a text In this episode of Let’s Talk Teacher to Teacher, Dr. Gina Pepin breaks down Michigan’s new dyslexia law and what it means for elementary educators. Learn about universal screening, practical classroom requirements, and actionable strategies for early identification and support. Dr. Pepin empowers teachers to use structured literacy and collaborative practices—so every student has a chance to succeed in reading from the very start. Support the show
Send us a text In this episode of Let’s Talk Teacher to Teacher, Dr. Gina Pepin explores the key characteristics of dyslexia in middle and high school students. Learn what dyslexia looks like beyond elementary grades, discover classroom signs to watch for, and gather practical tips for supporting adolescent learners—whether it’s with extra time, audiobooks, alternative assessments, or just a bit more patience and encouragement. Ideal for secondary educators, interventionists, and anyone deter...
Send us a text In this episode of Let’s Talk Teacher to Teacher, Dr. Gina Pepin unpacks what Michigan’s new dyslexia law means for secondary content area teachers. Learn the law’s key requirements, discover specific classroom strategies, and gather tips for making your subject accessible and empowering for students with dyslexia. Whether you teach literature, chemistry, or American history, this episode will help you ensure every student gets the support and equity they deserve. Support t...
Send us a text In this episode of “Let’s Talk Teacher to Teacher,” Dr. Gina Pepin debunks the myth that sight word learning is all about visual memorization. Drawing on current reading science, Dr. Pepin explains how true sight word mastery actually relies on strong phonemic awareness, phonics skills, and spelling practice. Learn what orthographic mapping really means, why “see and say” is not enough, and how teachers can help every student—especially those with reading challenges—build a sol...
Send us a text In this episode of "Let’s Talk Teacher to Teacher," Dr. Gina Pepin shines a spotlight on the unique vocabulary learning challenges faced by children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). Discover why fast mapping—acquiring new words quickly—is especially difficult for these students and how gaps in lexical learning impact their classroom success. Dr. Pepin shares actionable strategies for general education teachers and interventionists, including explicit vocabulary instruct...
Send us a text In this episode, Dr. Gina Pepin focuses on the critical importance of identifying dyslexia characteristics through careful observation of students’ language, reading skills, and behavioral signs—while also considering the multi-faceted role of visual sensory processing in reading. Dr. Pepin empowers educators to look beyond test scores and notice the everyday experiences that can signal reading challenges in their students. Discover how to observe and document patterns in langu...
Send us a text In this episode of “Let’s Talk Teacher to Teacher,” Dr. Gina Pepin breaks down the essential building blocks of reading success: word recognition and language comprehension. Discover the key components of each—like alphabetic coding, print concepts, phonemic awareness, and the alphabetic principle for word recognition; and linguistic knowledge, background knowledge, inferencing skills, syntax, and vocabulary for language comprehension. Join Dr. Pepin as she explains why both pi...
Send us a text In this episode of "Let’s Talk Teacher to Teacher," Dr. Gina Pepin explores how to balance intensive, code-based reading instruction with the vibrant, meaningful experiences that authentic texts bring to striving readers. Discover why real books, stories, and poems matter—even for students in Tier 3 intervention—and get practical strategies for integrating authentic texts alongside systematic phonics teaching. Dr. Pepin shares how read-alouds, scaffolded shared reading, and tar...
Send us a text In this episode of “Let’s Talk Teacher to Teacher,” Dr. Gina Pepin unpacks the essential components of structured language and literacy instruction. Discover how effective teaching goes beyond simply sounding out words—encompassing phonology (the speech-sound system), orthography (the writing system), syntax (sentence structure), morphology (word parts and meanings), semantics (meaning at the word, sentence, and text levels), and discourse (oral and written communication). Dr. ...
Send us a text Ever wondered what those Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN) scores truly reveal? In this episode, Dr. Gina Pepin breaks down how RAN points to a child’s processing speed and automaticity, risk for reading challenges—including dyslexia—and early signals for reading fluency issues. Learn what RAN predicts, how it fits with other reading assessments, and what it can’t tell you about your students. Walk away with new tools to tailor your support and spot risks early—before reading frus...
Send us a text Join Dr. Gina Pepin on this laugh-out-loud episode of “Let’s Talk Teacher to Teacher” as she shares an unforgettable compliment from a first-grade student: “You look so beautiful—just like a clown!” Dive into the unpredictable world of honest student feedback, the art of accepting compliments (no matter how colorful!), and the value of authenticity and joy in teaching. Whether you’ve been called a clown or a superhero by your students, this episode will have you smiling and ref...
Send us a text Join Dr. Gina Pepin as she unpacks the hot topic of nonsense words in early literacy! Originally created as an assessment tool to gauge students' decoding skills, nonsense words have made their way into daily instruction—but is this really best for our young readers? In this episode, Dr. Pepin explores the history, purpose, and unintended consequences of practicing nonsense words, including how it can affect the developing brain and even slow down progress for fluent readers. T...
Send us a text "Let’s Talk Teacher to Teacher with Dr. Gina Pepin"—the podcast created by educators, for educators! Join Dr. Gina Pepin each week as she shares practical tips, creative strategies, and real classroom stories designed to inspire and support teachers at every stage. From hands-on literacy tools like Wikki Stix to classroom management ideas and everything in between, Dr. Pepin breaks down relevant topics in a conversational, relatable way. Whether you’re a new teacher or a ...
Send us a text Timed one-minute benchmark assessments have become a cornerstone of literacy instruction, but are we getting the full picture for students with speech impairments? In this episode, Dr. Gina Pepin explores how these common assessments can blur the lines between decoding difficulties and speech challenges. Listen as she unpacks strategies for fair and accurate assessment, discusses collaboration with speech-language pathologists, and offers practical tips to ensure every re...
Send us a text In this episode, Dr. Gina Pepin explores the critical role of authentic texts in early reading development. Rather than relying solely on scripted or predictable practice readers, authentic texts—such as storybooks, poems, and real-world materials—offer young learners meaningful language experiences, richer vocabulary, and deeper comprehension. Join Dr. Pepin as she discusses how incorporating real books and materials into your reading instruction not only builds foundati...
Send us a text Join Dr. Gina Pepin as she tackles one of the most common confusions in the literacy world: the difference between nonfiction and informational text. In this episode, you’ll learn why not all nonfiction serves the same purpose and how understanding these distinctions can help you choose the best resources for your students. Dr. Pepin breaks down the features, purposes, and examples of each type, giving practical tips for classroom instruction and text selection. Perfect f...
Send us a text What happens when students have the freedom to browse and interact with a wide variety of texts—no matter the level, genre, or format? In this episode, Dr. Gina Pepin explores the transformative power of book exploration in the classroom. From recipe cards and sports trading cards to comic books, graphic novels, and beyond, discover how letting students preview, hold, and truly experience different forms of text fosters curiosity, critical thinking, and a genuine love of readin...
Send us a text Why do young learners flip or reverse letters when they start reading and writing? In this bite-sized episode Dr. Gina Pepin sheds light on one of the most common concerns in early literacy—letter transpositions! Discover why these mix-ups happen, when they're simply a normal part of development, and how to patiently support students as they learn the differences between “b” and “d” or “was” and “saw.” Dr. Pepin breaks down the developmental, visual, and memory factors behind l...
Send us a text Welcome to Let’s Talk Teacher to Teacher with Dr. Gina Pepin! In this inspiring episode, “Learning to Read Should Not Just Be Taught – It Should Be Experienced and Celebrated!”, Dr. Gina Pepin invites educators to see reading instruction in a whole new light. Instead of simply teaching reading as a set of mechanical skills, Dr. Pepin shares practical strategies for transforming your classroom into a celebration of reading—making it an immersive, joyful, and shared experience fo...
Send us a text How can your classroom design help students develop both strong literacy skills and healthy motor development? Join Dr. Pepin in this eye-opening episode as she explores the power of vertical and horizontal reading and writing spaces—and how simple occupational therapy (OT) strategies can boost student engagement, fine motor skills, and overall learning! Discover creative ways to use interactive word walls, writing stations, slant boards, and movement breaks to turn your classr...
Let's Talk, Teacher to Teacher With Dr. Gina Pepin
Send us a text In this episode of Let’s Talk Teacher to Teacher, Dr. Gina Pepin explores the key characteristics of dyslexia in middle and high school students. Learn what dyslexia looks like beyond elementary grades, discover classroom signs to watch for, and gather practical tips for supporting adolescent learners—whether it’s with extra time, audiobooks, alternative assessments, or just a bit more patience and encouragement. Ideal for secondary educators, interventionists, and anyone deter...
