Podcast Appearances

Triple R Teaching

Ep 183: How one mom learned her son's school wasn't teaching him to read

A kindergartner at a prestigious Manhattan public school reported his school wasn't teaching reading. A mother's journey to support his academic needs.

Teacher RockStar Podcast

Ep 196: Why early reading skills are essential now

The critical early reading components (phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension) and practical strategies for parents.

Bringing Education Home

Ep 88: Unlocking the Power of Reading Instruction

Effective reading strategies, the challenges with traditional methods, and tailored instruction from phonics through comprehension.

School to Homeschool

Ep 61: Why Children Can't Read

Systematic phonics vs. balanced literacy. Historical context from early phonics through whole-word methods and the legislative shift toward science-based reading.

The Literacy View

Ep 89: Report Cards: Parents Are in the Dark

Misleading report card practices, child mislabeling, and why teachers wish parents wouldn't blindly trust schools.

Foundations of Learning

My Son's School Wasn't Teaching Him to Read

A cognitive-developmental psychologist turned reading tutor: teaching her daughter when school couldn't, and practical guidance on quality reading instruction.

Stories from the 78

Reading Tutor to the Stars

Profile of a reading tutor to celebrity families, including the children of Kate Winslet, Tom Brady, Cate Blanchett, and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Reading with Your Kids

Navigating the Reading Wars: One Family's Experience

Balanced literacy vs. phonics-based instruction. Research into the science-backed approaches and practical support strategies.

Homeschool Yo Kids

Teaching Your Kids to Read with Literacy Specialist, Irene

Phonics teaching, the effects of reading difficulties on child development, memorization vs. decoding, and tutoring's vital role.

Bookish Flights

Books, Author Interviews, Must-Read Recommendations

Balanced literacy shortcomings, the five key reading components, reading myths, and confidence-building tools for parents.

Get Out of the Way and Let Kids Learn

“Don't Trust School”: Irene Daria Interview

How children learn to read, school practices, parent strategies, and the flawed balanced literacy instruction's negative consequences.

Elaine's Kitchen Table

Ep 182: Getting Re-Hooked on Phonics

Journey from journalism to psychology to literacy advocacy, and the Steps to Reading book series for children needing reading support.

The Teacher Misery Podcast

Is The Way We Teach Reading Completely Wrong?

With hosts Jane Morris and Deandre Rashard. A candid conversation about how reading is taught in schools and why so many kids fall behind.

The Kathryn Zox Show

Dr. Daria recounts her son's struggle with reading at an esteemed Manhattan public school and the empowering journey to save his academic future.

The Jefferson Exchange (JPR)

My Son Said He Wasn't Being Taught to Read; I Didn't Believe Him

Flawed balanced literacy instruction across U.S. elementary schools, and the thousands of children failing to learn reading.

Book Reporter

Talk with Irene Daria

Examining a son's misguidance in learning to read at elite NYC schools. A contemporary analysis of the longstanding phonics vs. balanced literacy debate.

Cover to Cover

Reading Teacher to the Stars

A window into how schools create millions of struggling readers, and how parents can support their children's success.

Transformative Principal

Ep 627: Is it Dyslexia or Dysteachia?

National Literacy Month presentation: balanced literacy's three-cueing vs. explicit phonics instruction, and phonemic awareness as a teachable skill.