Love Literacy Inspired Podcast
Real Stories, Real Growth - One Literacy Journey at a Time.
Love Literacy - Inspired
Welcome to
a podcast sharing the real stories behind meaningful literacy change.
Hosted by Heather Down, founder of Love Literacy, each episode features educators, parents, advocates, and learners whose journeys have been shaped by challenge, curiosity, and care. From classrooms to kitchen tables, these conversations explore what truly transforms reading and writing — and why knowing the learner always comes first.
Special Bonus Episode:
Season Finale
In this bonus wrap-up episode of Love Literacy – Inspired, it’s just you and me. No guest, no cameras, just a heart-to-heart reflection on Season 1: the stories we’ve heard, the science we’ve explored, and the hope that’s growing across Aotearoa.
Episode 13:
Janine Gartner’s Literacy Journey
In this episode, I sit down with Janine Gartner, founder of Tax Agent 99, to explore her journey through dyslexia, resilience, entrepreneurship, and motherhood. Janine shares growing up dyslexic in small-town Ōtorohanga, the teachers who helped and those who didn’t, and the moment her mother fought for support. Her story moves from school struggles to discovering a strength with numbers and building a thriving accounting business.
Episode 12:
Jess and Heather’s Literacy Journey
In this episode, I sit down with IMSLE-accredited facilitators Jess McInerney and Heather Tebbett to unpack what structured literacy really looks like in New Zealand classrooms.
Together, they share how IMSLE (the Institute for Multisensory Structured Language Education) is transforming teacher practice across Aotearoa, helping educators reach and teach all learners, from Tier 1 to Tier 3, with clarity, compassion, and evidence-based practice.
Episode 11:
Leslee Allen’s Literacy Journey
In this episode, I’m joined by Leslee Allen, principal of Kaurihohore School in Northland and creator of Number Agents, to explore her journey from reluctant teacher to educational leader and innovator. Leslee shares how growing up in rural Northland shaped her teaching, how early confidence challenges became strengths, and how structured literacy, explicit teaching, and the science of learning transformed her classroom and school.
Episode 10:
Dr Jennie Watts Literacy Journey
In this episode of Love Literacy – Inspired, I’m joined by Dr Jennie Watts. Dr Jennie Watts is the Chair of Lifting Literacy Aotearoa, is an AUT communication academic, a mum, and a passionate advocate. Join us as we unpack the human and scientific sides of literacy in Aotearoa NZ.
Special Episode:
Busting Myths About Dyslexia with Heather & Jess from IMSLE
Dyslexia Awareness Week Special. In this episode of Love Literacy – Inspired, Heather is joined by Jess McInerney and Heather Tebbett from IMSLE to bust some of the most common myths about dyslexia. From the idea that dyslexia is rare, to misconceptions about ability, diagnosis, and “outgrowing” reading difficulties, Jess and Heather share clear, compassionate insights drawn from years of classroom practice and professional development work in New Zealand schools.
Episode 9:
Dr Janice Belgrave’s Literacy Journey
In this episode of Love Literacy – Inspired, I’m joined by Dr Janice Belgrave, author, literacy researcher, and co-founder of J&J Literacy. With a background as a Resource Teacher of Literacy (RTLit) and a PhD in dialect awareness and phonemic-based intervention, Dr Belgrave offers rich insights into how children’s spoken language affects comprehension, decoding, and connection to print.
Episode 8:
Polly Newton’s Literacy Journey
Speech, Clarity & Confidence with SLT Polly Newton (Speech Teacher) Real stories. Real change. The heart and science of how we learn to read. Today I’m joined by Polly Newton, a New Zealand speech-language therapist and founder of Speech Teacher. We explore what SLTs actually do (it’s more than most people realise!), why early speech support matters for literacy, how neurodiversity shapes practice, and simple ways whānau and teachers can build strong speech and language foundations.
Episode 7:
Tiana Connolly’s Literacy Journey
From teaching in London to running a bilingual intervention business in rural Aotearoa, this episode explores the journey of Tiana Connolly, founder of Pānui me te Tuhi. We kōrero about her experiences with literacy and special education, her mahi at Learning Matters, and how MSL training shaped her path. Tiana shares founding Pānui me te Tuhi, creating wraparound support for tamariki, the story behind Marīkī, and insights on bilingualism, dyslexia, and knowing the child in front of you.
Episode 6:
Rupert Denton’s Literacy Journey
From Teacher to EdTech Trailblazer: Rupert Denton on Spellcaster, Struggling Readers, and Literacy Equity. In this inspiring episode of Love Literacy – Inspired, I sit down with Rupert Denton, a former high-needs teacher and founder of the structured literacy platform, Spellcaster.
Rupert shares his powerful journey from rural classrooms and specialist schools in Australia to building a literacy tool designed specifically for older learners who need another chance to catch up.
Episode 5:
Dr Eunice Fuch’s Literacy Journey
In this inspiring episode,I sit down with Dr Eunice Fuchs, a former nurse practitioner turned literacy interventionist, to explore her extraordinary journey from Puerto Rico to New Zealand, from critical care wards to the heart of the classroom.
When her daughter showed early signs of dyslexia, Eunice left her nursing career to train in structured literacy and remediate her children’s reading. That decision opened the door to a new life’s work in tutoring, advocacy, and supporting schools to understand neurodiversity.
Episode 4:
Ali Fullick’s Literacy Journey
From hairdresser to decodable book creator, this episode features Ali Fullick, founder of Innerlinks. Ali shares her journey of courage and creativity, from working as a hairdresser in the UK to changing direction when her son struggled at school. That path led her into the classroom, through Speld training, and to creating a unique set of decodable books using rich visuals and movie-style storytelling, now used across New Zealand, Australia, and the U.S.
Episode 3:
My Writing Journey - Navigating the Way
In this special solo episode of Love Literacy Inspired, host Heather Down shares her own journey into writing instruction. She reflects on realising that while reading and spelling were strong, writing needed deeper intention. Heather explores the frameworks that transformed her practice, including the Simple View of Writing, Joan Sedita’s Writing Rope, and the Writing Revolution, and what it means to explicitly teach writing at every level.
Episode 2:
Nicky Collins: From hairdresser to passionate Teacher & Dyxlexia Advocate
From hairdressing to transforming literacy instruction across 34 schools, Nicky Collins’ journey is anything but ordinary. In this episode, Nicky shares how a career setback led her into education and to becoming a Resource Teacher of Literacy (RTLit). We explore her entry into teaching at 40, her shift from balanced to structured literacy, leadership of the Whanganui Literacy Project, advocacy for dyslexia and equity, and what teachers need to know about the science of reading and learning.
Episode 1:
Welcome to the first Episode of Love Literacy - Inspired
This week I chat to Marianne Brown, from Marianne Brown Literacy. From ESL teacher to Ministry-approved PLD presenter, Marianne Brown’s literacy journey is one of transformation, passion, and purpose. 💙 In this heartfelt conversation, Marianne shares the moment she realised Structured Literacy was the key — and how it changed everything for her learners, her teaching, and her future.