Carla N. Williams, EdD, is Associate Professor of Early Childhood and Elementary Education at the University of Central Missouri, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses and is a recipient of the university’s Excellence in Teaching Award. Dr. Williams’s research focuses on the integration of the sciences of reading and learning and the use of generative AI tools to strengthen the development of foundational literacy skills, especially in grades K–2. A former first-grade teacher and literacy coach, she presents her research at national and regional conferences and has published in leading literacy journals. Dr. Williams once taught reading with more enthusiasm than evidence and hopes to spare others the trouble.