Episode 14: Babies, Books, and Brilliance with Salley King Edwards

🎧 Episode Summary

In this episode of the Reading Symphony Podcast, I sit down with early childhood educator Salley King Edwards, whose 25+ year career spans classrooms, coaching, and national literacy work through Cox Campus.

We explore how language, knowledge, and everyday interactions lay the foundation for reading long before formal instruction begins.

Salley shares her personal journey as both an educator and a parent navigating reading challenges, including the early signs she noticed, what she missed, and what she wishes more families understood.

This conversation is both deeply practical and incredibly reassuring: reading development doesn’t start in kindergarten—it starts from birth. And there is so much families can do, in simple and meaningful ways, to support it.

🔗 Resources Mentioned

• Cox Campus (free courses for families and educators)
• Brilliance of Babies (Salley’s book series and resources)
• "How Knowledge Helps" (Willingham)