Literacy, Done With Care

Teach the Good Stuff is a literacy platform that helps students, parents, and educators unlock the code of reading with clear, practical instruction and culturally responsive support

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Teach the Good Stuff is a literacy platform that helps students, parents, and educators unlock the code of reading with clear, practical instruction and culturally responsive support 〰️

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Purpose / Why

Teach the Good Stuff exists because reading is not a talent; it is a teachable skill, and too many people were never taught how reading actually works.

Across the United States, students and adults alike struggle with reading, not because they lack intelligence, but because foundational skills were skipped, rushed, or never explicitly taught. This has led to generations of capable learners feeling frustrated, ashamed, or left behind.

Teach the Good Stuff was created to change that.

Our purpose is to restore access, confidence, and clarity by breaking reading down into simple, practical, foundational skills that anyone can learn—at any age.

About Teach the Good Stuff

Teach the Good Stuff is a literacy platform designed to support:

  • Students struggling with reading and decoding

  • Adults reading below grade level

  • Parents and caregivers looking for clear guidance

  • Teachers seeking practical, effective literacy tools

The platform focuses on foundational reading skills, including phonemic awareness, decoding, word study, and fluency. Instruction is delivered through short, easy-to-follow videos, along with resources, templates, and lesson supports that can be applied immediately.

Teach the Good Stuff is rooted in equity, cultural responsiveness, and joy. We recognize that Black and Brown students have been disproportionately impacted by ineffective literacy instruction and inequitable access. Representation matters—and learners deserve instruction that honors who they are while holding high expectations.

This is a space to learn without shame, ask questions freely, and finally make reading make sense.

Teach the Good Stuff

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Teach the Good Stuff ~

About the Founder

Teach the Good Stuff was founded by Crystal Cobb Collier, a Reading Interventionist, educator, and literacy advocate committed to improving access to effective reading instruction.

Crystal currently works as a Reading Interventionist in Boston Public Schools, supporting students who struggle with foundational reading skills across grade levels. Her work focuses on explicit, structured instruction that helps learners understand how reading works and apply skills with confidence.

As someone who learned reading through intentional, explicit instruction, Crystal brings a unique clarity to her teaching. She understands the importance of making foundational skills visible, systematic, and accessible—particularly for students who do not acquire reading easily through exposure alone.

Her approach blends research-aligned literacy practices, cultural responsiveness, and high expectations, creating learning environments where students feel supported while being challenged to grow.

Teach the Good Stuff reflects Crystal’s core belief:
Struggling readers are not incapable—they were simply not taught the code clearly.

Credentials & Experience

Crystal Cobb Collier

  • Certified Teacher, Massachusetts

  • Master’s Degree in Special Education

  • Reading Interventionist, Boston Public Schools

Professional Experience

  • 6 years as a General Education Teacher

  • 4 years as a Special Education Teacher

  • Elementary and high school teaching experience

  • Currently supporting secondary students as a Reading Interventionist

Training & Areas of Expertise

  • Wilson Reading System®

  • Orton-Gillingham–based structured literacy

  • Phonemic Awareness & Decoding

  • Morphology & Word Study

  • REWARDS® Reading Strategies

Crystal supports struggling readers both inside and outside the classroom, helping students, families, and educators understand how reading works and how to teach it effectively.

Crystal Cobb Collier is a certified educator, Reading Interventionist, and literacy specialist with over a decade of experience supporting struggling readers across elementary and secondary settings.

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Crystal Cobb Collier is a certified educator, Reading Interventionist, and literacy specialist with over a decade of experience supporting struggling readers across elementary and secondary settings. 〰️

About the Book

The book behind Teach the Good Stuff was inspired by a powerful idea: Teachers are superheroes—and they help students discover their own.

Crystal wrote the book to celebrate educators, particularly Black teachers, whose brilliance and impact are often overlooked despite the vital role they play. The students in the story are intentionally named after lesser-known civil rights leaders, expanding the narrative beyond the few names we hear most often and honoring the many voices who shaped history.

The book explores themes of:

  • Superpowers and self-discovery

  • Critical thinking and creativity

  • Overcoming fear and embracing strengths

  • Representation and leadership

Writing the book was also deeply personal. As someone who is dyslexic, Crystal once found writing intimidating despite having strong ideas. Creating the book became a way to confront that fear, embrace creativity, and model perseverance.

Like Teach the Good Stuff, the book is about overcoming obstacles, honoring differences, and recognizing that our greatest strengths often come from how we learn differently.

Ready to explore literacy tools and support? Visit our Teach/Literacy page or check out our resources.