While in New Orleans at the Plain Talk About Literacy and Learning conference, Susan sat down with keynoter Zaretta Hammond. Zaretta shared her thoughts on the importance of scaffolding in literacy education. In this episode, Susan and Zaretta also look back on Zaretta’s impactful book Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students and talk about scaffolding, mastery, and the importance of learning how to learn.

Show notes:

• Book: Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students by Zaretta L. Hammond
• Twitter: @ready4rigor
• Instagram: @crtandthebrain
• Newsletter sign up: www.crtandthebrain.com

Quotes:
“What I have come to believe is the obstacle is the way. So what worries me becomes my research project. What worries me becomes my new mission.”  —Zaretta Hammond

“For me, justice is the mastery. I'm a movie fan and so I, in this case, think of Master Yoda all the time. You know, he said there's no try or not try. You're just doing it. Either you're teaching them to read or not.” —Zaretta Hammond

“When that scaffold stays [up] too long, it becomes a crutch and the child actually believes they cannot learn without it.” —Zaretta Hammond

“So this idea of somehow we get overprotective and we don't want them to fall. We don't want them to fail. We don't want them, you know, their self, self-esteem, to be bruised. We are actually doing that when we delay this because the only way we learn is through error. And we have not reframed errors as information.” —Zaretta Hammond

“Number one, you assign yourself, and number two, you always go for mastery. Not a grade. No one will ever ask you about your grades four years after college, ever. Go for mastery. They will ask you what you know how to do.” —Zaretta Hammond

After three years and more than 3 million downloads, Science of Reading: The Podcast recently conducted its first ever taping in front of a live audience. The recording took place on March 9, 2023, in New Orleans at the Plain Talk About Literacy and Learning conference. Susan Lambert was joined by none other than Kareem Weaver, NAACP activist, whose first appearance on this podcast remains an all-time favorite among listeners. This time around, Kareem gave Susan a behind-the-scenes look at his involvement with the new film: The Right to Read. Kareem also offered insights into his latest work with NAACP. Plus, Kareem addressed the topic of accountability: can we make the changes we need to make when it comes to literacy instruction without holding some people accountable?

Show notes:

• More info on The Right to Read film
• Trailer: The Right to Read 
• Kareem Weaver on Twitter
• FULCRUM website
• Kareem Weaver’s first appearance on “Science of Reading: The Podcast”

Quotes:
“You could look at it from every endeavor, every social sector. Literacy is at the core.” —Kareem Weaver

“Hope it's not a strategy. It's great to have hope, but that can't be the strategy for our kids and our systems that serve 'em.” —Kareem Weaver

“There has to be some accountability at a human level for people to open up and be willing to believe enough.” —Kareem Weaver

“People often get so caught up in their own feelings and their own agenda and what they can't wait to do and they forget about the people they're supposed to be. Leadership starts with service.” —Kareem Weaver

“Many of us have divested ourselves from our own values to accommodate the narratives and lies we've been told to calm the dissonance.” —Kareem Weaver

“I believe in our potential to solve big problems if we're honest with each other and if we ask the right questions and push the right way.” —Kareem Weaver 

This season is all about tackling the hard stuff, and there is no harder pill to swallow than being told by a student that you don't know how to teach reading—especially when you realize they're right! After this happened to Jamey Peavler, Co-Director in the Reading Science Graduate Program at Mount St. Joseph University, she leaned in and took the opportunity to completely rethink her approach to literacy instruction. Now, her research focuses on maximizing small-group instruction. In this episode, she'll share her findings and her advice, as well as some best practices for small-group instruction and balancing small- and whole-group work.

Show notes:

• Book: Explicit Instruction: Effective and Efficient Teaching by Anita L. Archer and Charles A. Hughes
• Graphic: Instructional Hierarchy: Matching Interventions to Student Learning Stage (Haring, et al., 1978)
• Webinar: Maximizing the Benefits of Small-Group Instruction with Jamey Peavler
• Book: 10 Success Factors for Literacy Intervention: Getting Results with MTSS in Elementary Schools by Susan L. Hall

Quotes:

“We have this mindset of that small-group differentiated golden standard, but there's a certain amount of instruction, again, [that] all kids need and there isn't a lot of difference between those things.” —Jamey Peavler

“There's a certain amount of proactive, preventative foundation-building work that should be done for all kids. We can do that more efficiently in a whole-group setting and then reserve that small-group setting for what truly needs to be differentiated, because not everything has to be differentiated.” —Jamey Peavler

“If we can set aside the idea of introducing a new program, and instead focus our core instruction on how that language and how those routines could actually be intensified in that small-group setting, we're going to minimize that cognitive overload.” —Jamey Peavler

“What we know about overlearning is when you get that fluency down and that generalization down, you are more likely to accurately reach adaptation sooner. So it's not causing harm for the kids who have already learned that skill.” —Jamey Peavler

“When you mess up, it's okay. Just mess up again tomorrow in a different way.” —Jamey Peavler

For the second episode in our new season focused on tackling the hard stuff, we're taking on a question that listeners have asked: how can we apply the Science of Reading in a Montessori setting? To help explore that question, we're joined by the three authors of the recent book Powerful Literacy in the Montessori Classroom: Aligning Reading Research and Practice. Listen to Dr. Susan Zoll, Dr. Natasha Feinberg, and Dr. Laura Saylor as they explore the shared qualities between the Science of Reading and Montessori approach. They share tips and guidance for literacy instruction both inside and outside a Montessori setting and end with an impassioned call to educators from all approaches to come together and learn from each other for the benefit of students everywhere.

Show notes:

• Book: Powerful Literacy in the Montessori Classroom: Aligning Reading Research and Practice, by Susan Zoll, Natasha Feinberg, and Laura Saylor
• Book: Explicit Instruction: Effective and Efficient Teaching, by Anita Archer and Charles Hughes

Quotes:
“Maria Montessori was a scientist first. She developed her methods based on science.” —Laura Saylor

“Reading is the human rights issue of our era in education and we want all children to be successful.”—Susan Zoll

“I encourage everyone, get together with your colleagues, talk about the different pedagogy, talk about the different strategies that are out there, because that is what is going to help us become better in the field of education.”— Natasha Feinberg

“For those trained in both Science of Reading and Montessori education, there were clear and undeniable parallels between them.”—Susan Zoll

“Teachers want students to be good readers. That is what is underlying our instruction— whether we are Montessori, whether we're teaching in a public school.”—Natasha Feinberg

“If you're a Montessori and continue to use your Montessori language, absolutely follow your philosophy and the pedagogy, but also begin to engage with this language of research because it can elevate the conversation and it can expand our reach into the greater world of education.”—Susan Zoll

“Come see what we do and know that we're willing to share.” —Laura Saylor

“We all want children to have access to wonderful reading instruction. We all want children to have the opportunities and life that each of them deserves. And if we are not working together and we're busy labeling and [in a] silo then we really aren't going to have the collective impact we might have otherwise.” —Laura Saylor

Claude “Skeptic” Goldenberg, professor of Education at Stanford, rejoins Susan Lambert to kick off season seven of this Science of Reading podcast—all centered around “tackling the hard stuff.” In this week’s episode, Claude and Susan take on the topic of what is actually true when it comes to the Science of Reading and how to navigate the noise to find it! Together they discuss the opportunities and challenges of social media, the importance of limitations of foundational skills, and striving to maintain hope even when the journey towards success gets overwhelming.

Show notes: 

• Tim Shanahan’s blog
• The New England Journal of Medicine: “Physicians Spreading Misinformation on Social Media — Do Right and Wrong Answers Still Exist in Medicine?”
• Bloom’s Taxonomy
• “Reading Wars, Reading Science, and English Learners,” by Claude Goldenberg
• “Stages of Reading Development,” by Jeanne S. Chall
• “Scientific Basis of the Art of Teaching,” by N.L. Gage 

Quotes:

"I wish there were a simple solution, but I don't really think there is."—Claude Goldenberg

"It's really gonna take leadership and clear communication and less one-sidedness by people who are influential thought leaders."—Claude Goldenberg

"We know that coaching and professional development and training and observations, we know all those things are important, but it's very important to be efficient because we don't have enough time."—Claude Goldenberg

"We've gotta be really scrupulous and careful about what we mandate and require and expect of teachers and provide them with the knowledge, information, and training that is really important."—Claude Goldenberg

"You can think of literacy as a structure, as something that gets constructed in your mind."—Claude Goldenberg

"If all you have is a foundation, you don't have much."—Claude Goldenberg

"It's really about the kids. I mean, it's really about the students, particularly those kids who are so dependent on schools because they don't have the resources and the opportunities and the affordances at home and in their communities."—Claude Goldenberg

"There are millions of those kids. They're so deeply dependent on the schools to do the right thing. We really owe it to them to get it right."—Claude Goldenberg

"We owe it to the teachers, we owe it to the kids, we owe it to the communities. That's my hope, that people will see the responsibility that we bear, to acknowledge the uncertainties, to acknowledge that we don't know everything."—Claude Goldenberg

We're thrilled to share that we are about to launch brand new seasons of our hit podcasts— Science of Reading: The Podcast, Science Connections, Math Teacher Lounge.

Listen to this trailer to learn more about what's to come in season 7 of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Tackling the Hard Stuff; season 3 of Science Connections, Science is the Underdog; and season 5 of Math Teacher Lounge, Math Anxiety. Click here to visit the new Amplify Podcast Hub and watch the video trailer promoting all three new seasons.

Show notes:

• Science of Reading: The Podcast page
• Science Connections podcast page
• Math Teacher Lounge podcast page
• Amplify Podcast Hub
• Crossover episode: The science of learning, the humility of teaching

Learning is at the center of everything in education, so understanding how the human brain processes, retains, and retrieves new information is essential to student growth. In this special crossover episode, Susan joins forces with fellow Amplify podcast hosts Eric Cross from Science Connections, and Dan Meyer and Bethany Lockhart Johnson from Math Teacher Lounge, to discuss what learning really means across subjects. Susan is also joined by Peter C. Brown, author of the book Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning, to dive into the cognitive science behind how our brains learn and ways you can apply that research in your classroom right now!

Show notes: 

• Amplify podcast hub
• Podcast: Science of Reading: The Podcast
• Podcast: Math Teacher Lounge
  Podcast: Science Connections
• Book: “Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning,” by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III,, Mark A. McDaniel
• Website: Retrieval Practice

Quotes:
“As much as I'm into the science of learning, I really wanna be into, like, the humility of teaching” —Dan Meyer

“Learning is this fluid thing. It's social, it's dynamic, it's experiential. It is the process of acquiring knowledge and understanding, and developing these behavioral skills, but it's also embedded in this bigger context of your background, your identity.” —Eric Cross

“For myself as an educator, I am just a lily pad as [students] hop across the pond, but I want to be the best lily pad possible. I want to give them the strongest surface. I want to give them the most security that I can.” —Eric Cross

“There's new ways to solve the problem. There's new ways to look at the problem. There's new ways to take apart the problem and put it back together. And for me, that's when learning happens.” —Bethany Lockhart Johnson

“The scientists have discovered that for something to be learned and retained, you need to help the brain do that by practicing, retrieving it from memory, and practicing explaining it in your own words to somebody else asking.” —Peter C. Brown

“There's really great evidence that we can then teach our students or maybe even ourselves how to be a better learner.” —Susan Lambert

“Joy in the classroom is a much better context for learning than anxiety.” —Susan Lambert

Back in 2019, Natalie Wexler joined Susan Lambert as the very first guest on Science of Reading: The Podcast. Now—more than three years and three million downloads later—Science of Reading: The Podcast welcomes Natalie back on the show. She and Susan discuss what she's seen in the 3+ years since releasing her groundbreaking book The Knowledge Gap and delve into the importance of managing cognitive load, building long-term memory, writing, and the broader science of literacy. Lastly, Natalie shares what she hopes to see in the education headlines in the not-so-distant future.

Show notes:

• Our first episode with Natalie Wexler, The Knowledge Gap
• The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System—And How to Fix It , by Natalie Wexler
• Bloom's Taxonomy
• One Sentence At A Time, by Judith C. Hochman and Natalie Wexler
• The Writing Revolution website
• Knowledge Matters Campaign
• Statement from Knowledge Matters Campaign

Quotes:
“I'm a little worried that Science of Reading, narrowly defined, isn’t encompassing everything we need to do. And people are getting the idea that if they just add more phonics to what they're already doing, they'll have solved the problem.” —Natalie Wexler

“Even if we do a great job on that foundational skills side of things, if we are not also changing current standard practice with regard to comprehension. If we don't start building kids' academic knowledge and vocabulary early, we are gonna find, at higher grade levels, kids are gonna be able to decode complex text, but they may not be able to understand it.” —Natalie Wexler

“There are serious problems with how we have been approaching decoding instruction. There are equally serious problems with how we've been approaching comprehension instruction, and that's the message that I think is not getting out.” —Natalie Wexler

“You can't get to the top without going through the bottom. You can't think critically about a topic that you don't have understanding or knowledge of, it's just not going to work.” —Natalie Wexler

“Here's the catch about writing: It's hugely important. It can help cement knowledge and long-term memory, and deepen knowledge.” —Natalie Wexler

“Even if you as a teacher have doubts about the curriculum. It's really important to give it your best shot and approach it with enthusiasm.” —Natalie Wexler

“It's great to focus attention on problems with phonics instruction, but we also need to bring attention to problems with comprehension instruction and the failure to build a kind of knowledge that fuels comprehension.” —Natalie Wexler

“What has amazed me is how many teachers and educators have nevertheless really embraced this message. And I think that really speaks to how much they care about their students. Change is hard, but they are undertaking it daily.” —Natalie Wexler 

Todd Collins went from education outsider to literacy expert when he joined his local school board after a career in finance and technology. When Todd saw the literacy assessment number, his data-driven mind said "this isn't good enough" and got to work. Todd went on to organize the California Reading Coalition, a movement of educators, advocates, parents, and policymakers committed to improving reading instruction and outcomes for California's six million students. In this episode, he joins Susan Lambert to discuss what it really takes to make effective change; the importance of clear, ambitious goals and strong leadership in schools; and which numbers within literacy data are most important to focus on.

Show notes: 

• California Reading Coalition 
• California Reading Report Card
• California Reading Coalition on Twitter
• California Reading Coalition on Facebook

Quotes:
“We have to help everybody kind of collectively align our voices and help people who wanna find out more about this, find out more about it.” —Todd Collins

“If the pieces of the system aren't all working together, then you just don't achieve sustained change.” —Todd Collins

“Leaders have a critical function. They communicate to everybody in a state or in an organization what's important. You don't have to tell 'em what to do, but you need to tell 'em what the goal is.” —Todd Collins

“Teachers aren't the problem. Teachers are the solution.” —Todd Collins

“We simply can't call ourselves a great school district unless we get great results for our most challenged and least resourced students.” —Todd Collins

“It's not a new thing to be concerned about the low achievement among low-income students but it's a relatively new thing to do something about it.” —Todd Collins

While working with students, one educator came to a realization that put her on a path to fascinating research in the Science of Reading. In this episode, Jasmine Rogers—manager and coach with the In Schools program at the DC Reading Clinic and an early literacy intervention lead at American University—shares her story and delves into her research on dialects and best practices for structured literacy instruction. She discusses Black language and how it connects with the language comprehension strand of Scarborough's Reading Rope. Jasmine also offers recommendations for classroom teachers who have bidialectal students.

Show notes:

• DC Reading Clinic
• S1-22: Success using the Science of Reading: Mary Clayman
• Jasmine Rogers - Linkedin 
• S4-07: Linguistic Variety and Dialects: Difference, not error: Julie Washington
• “Teaching Reading to African American Children,” by Julie A. Washington and Mark S. Seidenberg
• “Linguistic Justice: Black Language, Literacy, Identity, and Pedagogy,” by April Baker-Bell
• “An Informed Lens on African American English,” by Megan-Brette Hamilton
• “Multilingualism and Codeswitching in Education,” by Nkonko M. Kamwangamalu

Quotes:

“As a teacher, a Black woman, who speaks Black English, who knows the language, who is very well versed in structured literacy, if I overlooked this, if that caught me off guard a little bit, then that means that could potentially catch someone else off guard.” —Jasmine Rogers

“With language comprehension, and considering in your native language, there may be a word that doesn’t necessarily match up with a language that you are learning in the classroom. So you have to then use your incredible cognitive skills that speak two completely different codes, comprehend what is happening, and then tie that back into, of course, the Rope to become a fluent reader.” —Jasmine Rogers

“I consider Black English to be a very complex and complicated language…but I think typically in society it has been viewed very negatively. You can see in the media and in research where people have talked about it and used negative connotations. And I think those beliefs from society have seeped into the classroom.” —Jasmine Rogers

“A strength of children that are bidialectal is the similar strength to students that are bilingual—they have an ability to take language that is different from theirs and translate it. That right there is an asset.” —Jasmine Rogers

“The languages that we speak and bring from home also are not wrong. They’re simply different. And we’re gonna work together so that we take what we know differently and come together with a common language so that we’re communicating with one another.” —Jasmine Rogers

“We have got to give our students access to this code so that they can become literate and run our society one day.” —Jasmine Rogers

Throughout this season, we've explored different tiers of the education system. In this episode, we look at the role higher education plays in equipping teachers with the right training and tools. Our guest Donna Hejtmanek, a retired special education teacher and reading specialist, shares her disappointing first-hand experience of going back to school at the age of 58—an experience that made her realize many universities weren't training educators in the Science of Reading. Donna tells Susan the story of how she came to create the incredibly popular Facebook group Science of Reading–What I Should Have Learned in College, and discusses what it will take to change higher education.

Additional resources:

• Facebook group: Science of Reading—What I Should Have Learned in College
• Stephanie Stollar’s group Stronger Together: The Alliance for Reading Science in Higher Education
• Facebook group: Training Reading Rocket Scientists
• Facebook group: Science of Reading for Administrators—What Teachers Want You to Know
• Find Donna on Twitter.
• Find Donna on LinkedIn.

Quotes:

“The door's been cracked. It has to happen and it has to happen by having relationships with people. You just can’t walk in and just say, you know, this is the way it needs to be done. It's a slow process.” —Donna Hejtmanek

“If you're trained in a certain way, you're only exposing yourself to those researchers doing those things and that type of information. And so you don't know other sources of information of other researchers and what else might be going on.” —Donna Hejtmanek

“Learning the Science of Reading is not a, ‘You get it in one day.’ It's not like that. It's a journey and it takes time to assimilate everything you read and then turning that into a practice and shifting the thinking of millions of people.” —Donna Hejtmanek

“You get better and better at it the longer you do it. So if we just stay stagnant and are closed-minded to new things that are out there, then we can't grow.” —Donna Hejtmanek

Announcing the 2023 Science of Reading Star Awards!
The Science of Reading Star Awards are back to honor and celebrate another group of outstanding educators. Do you know someone who has empowered their students with the Science of Reading? Whether that someone is you or a colleague, nominate them to be the next star!

With Utah's recent passing of Senate Bill 127, a sweeping piece of literacy legislation, many are turning to the state as a model of what statewide implementation of the Science of Reading can look like. In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Throndsen, Director of Teaching and Learning at Utah State Board of Education, joins Susan to tell the story of how Senate Bill 127 came to be and how they are continuing to make changes to schools across Utah. Together, they discuss what the bill included, the opportunities and challenges the bill provides when it comes to implementation, and advice for other states looking to enact literacy legislation. Throndsen also discusses her experience as a teacher and her journey with the Science of Reading.

Additional resources:

• Utah’s S.B. 127 Early Literacy Outcomes Improvement
• Western States Take Aim at Early Literacy During 2022 Legislative Sessions (The Council of State Governments West)

Quotes:

"Our students are the state's greatest asset, and we need to invest in them with all the energy and knowledge we have to do our best to serve them with urgency, compassion, and high expectations." —Jennifer Throndsen

"If kids can't read, that really keeps them from accessing other content areas like science, social studies, and being able to engage in story problems in mathematics." —Jennifer Throndsen

"Being able to read is today's civil right's movement." —Jennifer Throndsen

"With requirements comes resistance. No matter how great the opportunity is." —Jennifer Throndsen

In this episode, we take you behind the scenes of the smash hit foundational reading series The Reading League’s “Reading Buddies,” aimed at students in pre-K through third grade. Susan is joined by Andrea Dotto and Brendan Malafronte—artists, performers, and co-founders of children's story hour and media company Dusty & Dott—as well as "Reading Buddies" executive producer Toni Ann Walsh. Together, the four of them discuss how the show started and how Andrea and Brendan got up to speed on the Science of Reading, and share tips for educators and caregivers on how to make reading instruction fun for kids.

Additional resources:

• YouTube Channel
• Website: https://www.thereadingleague.org/reading-buddies/
• Email: ReadingBuddies@thereadingleague.org 
• Facebook
• Instagram
• The Reading League website
• Dusty and Dott website

Quotes:
“Our mission is to educate educators on the Science of Reading because we believe that if educators have that knowledge, they can transform kids' lives.”  —Toni Ann Walsh

“Little by little you can learn to read, you can do something hard and we can do it together.” —Andrea Dotto

“As a storyteller, I can go on a stage and tell a story and know, ‘Oh, that song made somebody connect to a memory,’ or ‘These two hours, they got to escape whatever is bothering them at home.’ That escapism is special and magical. But with reading buddies you get escapism and then you also get impact.” —Andrea Dotto

“God bless teachers. They're incredible. And we are here to help you continue to be incredible. We're here to give you tools to excite your students and just complement everything that you are doing.” —Brendan Malafronte

Dr. Nyshawana Francis-Thompson, Deputy Chief of Curriculum and Instruction in the School District of Philadelphia, has played an integral role leading and sustaining a transition to the Science of Reading in the Philadelphia public school district. But making such a change across a large district is difficult. In this episode, Dr. Francis-Thompson (who goes by Dr. Ny) talks with Susan about Philadelphia’s experience. She also talks about her own experience learning about the Science of Reading, and offers tips to other district-level leaders and wisdom about providing all students with the liberation that comes through reading and leading—all with love at the center.

Additional Resources:

• Dr. Ny’s LinkedIn profile
• Focused implementation: Doing less to do more with Dr. Doug Reeves—Podcast episode
• 2021 The Philadelphia Citizen story: “A Better Way to Teach Reading” 
• 2021 Chalkbeat Philadelphia story: “Just 32% of Philadelphia third graders read on grade level. Freedom Schools Literacy Academy could be a model to change that.”
• A 2017 Accountability Review Council report on Philadelphia: “Promoting the Science of Reading Instruction in Philadelphia Public Elementary Schools: Early Implementation Lessons”
• Video of Dr. Ny speaking: “Equity in Curriculum”
• Dr. Ny’s 2017 dissertation: “Beyond the Pink Sand: Case Studies of Experiences of Multi-Tier System of Supports Implementation in the Bermuda Public School System”

Quotes:
“I have never met a student that did not want to learn how to read or a family that did not understand the importance of their children knowing how to read.” 
—Dr. Nyshawana Francis-Thompson

“We have to listen to our young people in order to be able to move with that sense of urgency.” 
—Dr. Nyshawana Francis-Thompson

“Liberation is connected to our students being literate… In order for our students to truly be free, we [need to] understand the power that reading has in their future.”
—Dr. Nyshawana Francis-Thompson

“We have to remember who we are serving and why we are serving them.” 
—Dr. Nyshawana Francis-Thompson

“A lot of times when you’re in a large system and you’re leading a large system, it can become very robotic-like a machine. You do this, you get this, you do this, you get this. But there’s a human aspect that if you have not considered that human aspect, you could very well end up in the same place that you’re trying to move away from.”
—Dr. Nyshawana Francis-Thompson

“And while it’s a five-year strategic plan, we do have a sense of urgency and I’m sure within that there are gonna be benchmarks and hundred-day plans and smaller plans to make sure that we are actually doubling down again on the things that truly matter, that are gonna lead, outcomes for our students here in the school district.”
—Dr. Nyshawana Francis-Thompson

“If we’re only in the business of educating some students, then what are we really doing? It’s important to look at the students that are not benefitting and really identifying the things that work for that population of students rather than continuing with practices that aren’t meeting the needs of the students we’re serving.” 
—Dr. Nyshawana Francis-Thompson

As the former chief academic officer at the Louisiana Department of Education, Rebecca Kockler made it her mission to empower districts to select higher quality materials. This involved a thorough and rigorous curriculum review, and allowing teachers to choose the program they wanted once they knew exactly what they were getting. This work built Kockler’s case for focusing on quality curricula as a vital part of student success. Using Kockler’s work in Louisiana as a case study, this episode shows why state governments should focus on logistics, procurement, and equipping educators with the information they need to make the best decision for their students.

Additional Resources:

• Louisiana Department of Education’s instructional materials review 
• Education Next: Louisiana Threads the Needle on Ed Reform
• Bio on the the Advanced Education Research and Development Fund (AERDF) website
• US News: A Compelling Case for Curriculum

Quotes:

“It was really our teachers who led so much of the charge to say, ‘No, this is what we want. We believe kids should be held to high expectations. We believe they're capable, we believe they deserve it.’”
– Rebecca Kockler, Program Director of Reading Reimagined within AERDF, CEO and Founder of Illuminate Literacy, and former Assistant Superintendent of Academics at the Louisiana Department of Education

Mimi Stewart is a state senator from New Mexico and previously worked as a public school elementary special education teacher for thirty years, with an expertise in reading literacy. Her unique background has turned into a passion for and a history of championing educational policies as a legislator. This episode focuses on how state government and state legislation can work to improve literacy instruction. She takes us through the process of creating a piece of literacy legislation, New Mexico Senate Bill 398, which passed in 2019. Sen. Stewart also shares the latest on that bill and also talks about what she’s now focusing on from her place in the legislature—like changing that way we teach teachers from a university level.

Additional Resources:

• New Mexico Senate Bill 398
• Mimi Stewart - Twitter
• People for Mimi Stewart - Facebook Page
• Mimi Stewart - Website
• American Educator, Spring/Summer 1998
• National Conference of State Legislatures’ “No Time To Lose” Report
• The May Center for Learning - Website

Quote:

“Think about how many young kids in school right now we are not reaching and that have that feeling that they're dumb and they can't get it. I had one kid say to me, Ms. Stewart, I think there's just a secret code. And I said to him, You are right. There is a secret code. It's called the alphabetic code, and you can learn that easily.” 
– Mimi Stewart, New Mexico State Senator, representing New Mexico’s District 17

Equal parts educational leader, educator, and life-long learner of reading science, Mitchell Brookins has leveraged his passion and dedication to affect change in the lives of the students and teachers he works with, as well as the many educators he has inspired online. In this episode, he opens up about the emotional journey he took—from realizing everything he’d been doing wasn’t working and that he’d never actually learned how to teach kids to read, to seeking out reading research and encountering the Science of Reading—a path that brought unparalleled transformation and success to his schools. Mitchell talks about how he is still learning  and keeping students at the forefront of what he does every day, ending on a powerful story of a student who changed his life forever.

Additional Resources:

• The National Reading Panel Report: Practical Advice for Teachers
• Mitchell Brookins - Twitter
• Scanning Pens webinar: Learning to Read & How to Support Older Learners
• Free Poster: Why are you thankful for literacy?

Quotes:

“My calling is so that children can one day stand on their own without scaffolds, that children will one day reap the benefits that literacy is liberty, that children will one day be able to teach someone else the power that only literacy can bring.” – Mitchell Brookins

Community and education activist Naomi Peña and clinical psychologist Dr. Akeela Azcuy knew that, as moms of struggling readers themselves, they had the opportunity to advocate for not only their own children but all children. These two leaders and changemakers founded Literacy Academy Collective with the goal of one day creating a stand-alone New York City public school devoted to educating children with language-based learning disabilities as well as struggling readers. In this episode, our guests share their own families’ experiences with dyslexia, how that impacted their activism, and how listeners at home can effect grassroots change in their own communities.

Additional Resources:

• Literacy Academy Collective homepage 
• “Parents play a major role in new dyslexia pilot program”—NY1
• “The rise and fall of vibes-based literacy”—The New Yorker
• “In the fight over how to teach reading, this guru makes a major retreat”—The New York Times
• Become an Amplify Tutor—Don’t miss this opportunity to make an impact in young readers' lives!

Quotes:

“Leaders tend to forget that you get more out of parents if you collaborate with them, if you're honest.” — Naomi Peña

“With the level and degree of training, understanding, and privilege that I had, it was still – and still continues to be – an overwhelming battle to get your child the services that they need.” — Akeela Azcuy

As an educator, researcher, author, and leadership consultant—there is little within the education world that Doug Reeves has not done. Twice named to the Harvard University Distinguished Authors Series, Doug has written more than forty books and joins Susan to discuss one in particular—Building to Impact. Together they dive into what evidence-based implementation looks like including the importance of de-implementation. Doug provides tangible advice for educators on what success looks like, how to define it for your school, and the ways to make it happen by focusing on one thing at a time until it becomes part of your school’s culture.

Show Notes:

Join us for our webinar series all about building a Science of Reading ecosystem. At our next session on Oct. 10, Dr. Jan Hasbrouck will join us for a webinar on Dyslexia Awareness Month. 

Additional resources:

• Building to Impact: The 5D Implementation Playbook for Educators
• Fearless Schools: Building Trust and Resilience for Learning, Teaching, and Leading
• 100-Day Leaders: Turning Short-Term Wins Into Long-Term Success in Schools
• Doug Reeves - Homepage
• Creative Leadership - Website
• Doug Reeves - Twitter
• “The Engagement Illusion” by Doug Reeves
• Webinar: “Fearless Schools”

Quotes:

“When was the last time in education, anybody heard of de-implementation? All we do is pile one thing on top of another, on top of another, and then we don't then, then we wonder why it didn't work.” —Doug Reeves

“If you're not gonna have deep implementation, which requires a level of focus and allocation of time and resources, then don't bother.” —Doug Reeves

“You have to have a singular focus and, and it's gotta be sustained year after year after year until it becomes part of your culture.” —Doug Reeves

“You have to distinguish between an initiative, something that is new, and culture, something that's part of what we do every day and that is embedded. That is more important.” —Doug Reeves

“The problem is this. If you only look at the results, then you don't know what caused it. Somebody has to look at underlying causes.” —Doug Reeves

“It's really important for administrators to say, hey, I can deal with some chaos. I can deal with students making mistakes. That's real learning.” —Doug Reeves

In this episode, we dive deep into the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation’s report card. Chester Finn, Jr., author of the new book Assessing the Nation's Report Card: Challenges and Choices for NAEP, joins Susan to talk about the NAEP assessment. They discuss how the assessment works, what it is and isn’t, and what benefits and opportunities it provides as the achievement gap continues to grow.

Show Notes:

Assessing the Nation's Report Card: Challenges and Choices for NAEP by Chester Finn, Jr.

Want to hang out with Susan and chat live about this episode of this podcast? Don’t miss our next “Off the Pod” FB live on our Community Facebook Group, where you can ask Susan your questions in real time!

Also, join Susan on Sept. 26, as she kicks off a webinar series all about building a Science of Reading ecosystem. The first session will focus on demystifying the Science of Reading and MTSS. 

Additional resources:

• PolicyEd video: “Overhauling the Nation’s Report Card” | Perspectives on Policy
• Flypaper: “Assessing the Nation’s Report Card: Challenges and choices for NAEP”
• Education Next piece: “It felt like guerrilla warfare”
• Webinar: What you may not know—but should—about the Nation's Report Card
• Chester Finn bio at Thomas B. Fordham Institute

Quotes:

“For this to work, we need both great teachers and great curricula.”

   —Chester Finn

“The single most important thing NAEP cannot do [is that] it cannot in any definitive way explain why scores are what they are or are rising or falling.”

   —Chester Finn

In our kick-off episode for season six, host Susan Lambert is joined by podcast alum Margaret Goldberg, the co-founder of the Right to Read Project.  They discuss the new, animated Science of Reading series Brain Builders, and how this free tool can be shared directly with students and with their caregivers. Importantly, Margaret also elevates the need to focus on the comprehension strand of the Science of Reading.

Show Notes:

Right to Read Project

Brain Builders animated videos

Brain Builders: VIP launch party

Knowledge at the Center of English Language Arts Instruction by Gina Cerveti and Freddy Heibert

Quotes: 

“We looked at Scarborough's Rope. If we're really focused just on word recognition, we're not going to get all of our kids to where they need and deserve to be."

 —  Margaret Goldberg

“It's never too late to learn how to read. We can get you there.”

   —  Margaret Goldberg

In this episode, Susan Lambert was joined by Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan to discuss the unique challenges and opportunities presented when teaching multilingual learners how to read. Dr. Cárdenas-Hagan is a bilingual speech language pathologist and a certified academic language therapist. She is also the director of Valley Speech Language and Learning Center in Brownsville, Texas. On the podcast, she and Susan talked about how teachers can make connections between students’ home languages and English in order to celebrate their language and give them new tools to better understand English. She stressed the importance of teachers educating themselves on their students’ home languages so they can spot orthographic and phonological similarities and differences, and highlighted the importance of educator collaboration to drive student success.

Show notes: 

Literacy Foundations for English Learners: A Comprehensive Guide to Evidence-Based Instruction by Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan

Presentation: “Making Connections for Structured Literacy Instruction Among English Learners”

Reading SOS special video series: Expert Answers to Family Questions About Reading

Online book study of Literacy Foundations for English Learners By Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan

Mylanguages.org

Podcast survey

Quotes:

“The more we’re able to read, the more we’re able to learn.“

          —Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan 

“Sometimes as teachers, we feel so overwhelmed with, Oh, I don't know that language. How in the world am I going to introduce a whole new thing? Instead we should be starting to understand connections.”

        —Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan 

Dr. Nancy Nelson, assistant professor of special education at Boston University, discusses myths and misconceptions around RTI, MTSS, and assessment screening in reading and mathematics instruction. She highlights what tools need to be in place for the RTI system to be implemented well, her work on DIBELS®, and the importance of dyslexia screeners.

Show notes: 

DIBELS® at the University of Oregon

Podcast Survey

Quotes:

“Relying on data allows us to engage in a systematic process to implement systems to meet the needs of all kids.”
           —Dr. Nancy Nelson

Join Sonia Cabell, associate professor at the School of Teacher Education at Florida State University, as she shares findings from her research trials on content-rich literacy curricula and discusses whether activating students’ background knowledge alongside explicit phonics instruction is more effective than the traditional approaches. She also describes what constitutes “compelling evidence” in the Science of Reading and explains why students need to interact with both written and spoken language while learning to read.

Show notes: 

Florida Center for Reading Research

Core Knowledge Language Arts

Writing Into Literacy TEDx Talk by Sonia Cabell

National Reading Panel Report 2000

EdWeek Science of Reading article by Sonia Cabell

Special Issue: The Science of Reading: Supports, Critiques, and Questions

Live with the Author interview

The Power of Conversations: Building Primary Grade Students’ Vocabulary and Comprehension in a Changing Educational Landscape by Sonia Cabell

Twitter: @SoniaCabell

Quotes:

“The knowledge that you have about a particular subject matters for your reading comprehension.”
        —Sonia Cabell

“When I think about content-rich English Language Arts, I think about how we can integrate science and social studies into the language arts in ways that make sense.”
     —Sonia Cabell

Jacquey Barber, director emerita of The Learning Design Group at UC Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science, joins the podcast to discuss her research on the symbiotic relationship between literacy and science, as well as what educators should be looking for in high-quality, literacy-rich science curricula. She also goes into strategies for engaging students, including the do, talk, read, write model, then ends the episode by highlighting the many ways science supports reading.

Show notes:

UCLA CRESST

The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System—and How to Fix It by Natalie Wexler

No More Science Kits or Texts in Isolation by Jacqueline Barber and Gina Cervetti.

Podcast Discussion Guide

Quotes:

“Literacy is a domain in search of content; science is a domain in need of communication.”
—Jacquey Barber

“Develop opportunities for students to learn to read, write, and talk like scientists do.”
—Jacquey Barber

Dr. Amy Murdoch is the assistant dean of Reading Science in the School of Education at Mount St. Joseph University. She received her doctorate in school psychology with an emphasis in early literacy from the University of Cincinnati. In this episode, she chats with Susan Lambert about creating prominent graduate and doctoral programs in the Science of Reading, and the responsibility of training the next generation of early literacy educators. She discusses how she has seen Science of Reading interest escalate, shares her hopes for the future of reading science in schools, and offers advice for those who are new to the Science of Reading and/or exploring an advanced degree rooted in reading science.

Show notes:

Beginning to Read by Marilyn Adams

Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children by Betty Hart and Todd R. Risley

Project Ready! An Early Language and Literacy Program to Close the Readiness Gap - Research article

Mount St. Joseph University Reading Science Program

Center for Reading Science

Quotes:

"Don't do it alone, try to find community and find people you can, you know, your trusted colleagues that you can bounce ideas off of and grow your learning."
—Dr. Amy Murdoch

"Sometimes things are not completely clear and we need to collect more evidence in data and we do the best we can until we kind of refine a practice that we're trying to figure out, especially for children who really have significant struggles with reading."
—Dr. Amy Murdoch

"We're all working towards the same goal of helping all children enter the world of reading successfully and continue that path of reading successfully."
—Dr. Amy Murdoch

Mickey Smith Jr. is an acclaimed Louisiana educator, author, saxophonist, and self-described "solutionist" who feels a strong calling to help educators and teachers. Mickey, who received the Grammy Music Educator Award in 2020, brings his motivational blend of music and message to this very special episode in which he and Susan Lambert discuss music, perseverance, and finding purpose as educators and human beings. In between interludes of uplifting songs and stories, Mickey shares his proven principles for helping educators create sound connections and culture in today's classrooms. He also describes his methods for providing all-purpose encouragement and offers a tangible approach to finding one's own personal mission statements—or, as he likes to call it, our legacy song.

Show notes:

Mickey Smith Jr.  - Website

See the Sound -  Podcast

The Keep Going Tour

Quotes:

“I want to share some of the things that helped me to keep going, so that someone else won’t miss their next and best steps.”
—Mickey Smith Jr. 

“I believe we all have a sound. I think our success comes, number one, from the promises we make and keep with ourselves, but also the authenticity we live out that sound with.”
—Mickey Smith Jr. 

“If we all have a sound, ultimately I think our goal should be to create a legacy song.”
—Mickey Smith Jr.

“The sound I’m talking about is not the audible but the internal. It’s that thing that leaves an effect with folks beyond what you just teach them. It’s how you reach them.”
—Mickey Smith Jr.

Dr. Desirée Pallais-Downing is an assistant professor of instruction in the Bilingual/Bicultural Education Program at the University of Texas at Austin. Having lived in Nicaragua, England, the United States, and Spain, she has experienced bilingual learning across four different countries. In this episode, she differentiates between sequential and simultaneous bilingualism, and the importance of assessment in the home and second languages before diving deep into the linguistic structures of Spanish vs. English. She also offers advice for non-Spanish speakers on the best ways to support Spanish speakers.

Show notes:

Dr. Desirée Pallais-Downing - Website

Quotes:

"The way we position students in our classrooms can open or close opportunities for them to shine. When we bring in their knowledge and cultural experiences, we open more opportunities for them to be successful."

- Dr. Desirée Pallais-Downing

"There's very strong research on how language and literacy skills are transferable from Spanish to English, and that transfer from Spanish to English is not automatic."

- Dr. Desirée Pallais-Downing

Dr. Kymyona Burk is Policy Director for Early Literacy at the Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd). In this role, she supports states pursuing a comprehensive approach to K–3 reading policy. She joins host Susan Lambert to give listeners a look behind the curtain of the legislative process creating education policy, including writing and passing literacy legislation, the politics of advocating for the Science of Reading within legislation, and what the results look like for states that have this legislation in place.

Show notes: 

ExcelinEd profile page

The Perfect Storm: Mississippi’s Momentum for Improving Reading Achievement - The Reading League Journal

Amplify’s Virtual Symposium 2022 - Celebrating Biliteracy: Realizing a Better Future for Our Spanish Speakers

Quotes:

“A literacy law is an equity law … there has to be some type of consistent language around what effective reading instruction looks like in classrooms.”

— Dr. Kymyona Burk

Claude Goldenberg joined the podcast to introduce what he argues is much-needed skepticism to the conversation of reading science. Goldenberg mentions that while the Science of Reading may be the latest buzzword, reading science is here to stay and, like any other science, will only grow stronger alongside informed critique. He later talks about the foundational skills and what the movement can learn from the failings of Reading First; offers advice for implementation; and ends with a hopeful note, highlighting that all educators can come together around a shared mission to see students succeed. 

Show notes: 


Quote: 
“If we listen, if we communicate clearly, if we pay attention, giving people the benefit of the doubt that what they want is for all kids [to succeed], I think we can move forward.”

— Dr. Claude Goldenberg


Lessons Learned? Reading Wars, Reading First, and a Way Forward by Margaret Goldberg and Claude Goldenberg

Reading Wars, Reading Science, and English Learners by Claude Goldenberg

Amplify’s Virtual Symposium 2022 - Celebrating Biliteracy: Realizing a Better Future for Our Spanish Speakers

Teaching All Students to Read: Practices from Reading First Schools With Strong Intervention Outcomes by Elizabeth Crawford & Joseph Torgesen

Catch Them Before They Fall by Joseph K. Torgesen

Susan Lambert is joined by Dr. Brittney Bills, educator and recent Science of Reading Star Award Winner to discuss MTSS. Dr. Bills began her journey as a school psychologist for six years before transitioning to the role of curriculum coordinator at Grand Island Public Schools. In this episode, Dr. Bills explains what MTSS is and how it centers on prevention rather than intervention. She talks about the intersection of universal screening data and MTSS and provides advice on evidence-based strategies and techniques to make a positive impact in your classroom. Using examples from her own district, Dr. Bills discusses avoiding burnout, learning to use data, and the process of ongoing improvement.

Show notes:

Learn more about the Science of Reading for English learners at Celebrating Biliteracy: Realizing a Better Future for Our Spanish Speakers. Register here!

Joining host Susan Lambert, Dr. Doris Baker speaks from her background researching the academic outcomes of English language learners to discuss ways educators can better engage and support all of their students. Dr. Baker emphasizes how much there is to learn about our native language by learning another language, and the many advantages of bilingualism. She then dives into a conversation around codeswitching and the importance of cultural awareness. Dr. Baker also gives listeners practical advice on how to include English language learners in core instruction and highlights how critical it is to provide students with opportunities to engage in sophisticated and deep conversations. Lastly, Dr. Baker outlines how educators can include parents in their children’s language learning by teaching them how, when, and what to read to their kids—in their native language!

Show notes:

Learn more about the Science of Reading for English learners from Dr. Baker and other experts at Celebrating Biliteracy: Realizing a Better Future for Our Spanish Speakers. Register here!


Webinar: The Importance of Dual Language Assessment and How to Deliver It in Your Classroom

Research paper: Effects of Spanish vocabulary knowledge on the English word knowledge and listening comprehension of bilingual students

Today on the podcast, we‘re joined by literacy expert Jan Hasbrouck, Ph.D. Dr. Hasbrouck is an education consultant, author, and researcher. She opens the episode talking about her start with literacy, underscoring how she was one of the lucky ones who learned how to teach reading correctly in college. Dr. Hasbrouck also discusses what it’s like to combat skepticism—both of the Science of Reading and the power of assessment. She then goes on to talk about the book she co-authored on student-focused coaching and ends the episode by addressing assessment anxiety directly, including a discussion of where it comes from, the importance of progress monitoring, and more!

Student-Focused Coaching by Jan Hasbrouck, Ph.D., Daryl Michel, Ph.D.

Susan Lambert joins biliteracy expert and professor Dr. Lillian Durán, who holds a doctorate in educational psychology from the University of Minnesota and researches the improvement of instructional and assessment practices with preschool-aged dual language learners (DLLs).

Durán begins by pointing out the difference between being bilingual and biliterate, then describes the key advantages of being bilingual and the unique skills students who speak multiple languages bring to school. She then discusses how the Simple View of Reading connects to Spanish, the double standard often occurring when bilingual students are celebrated vs. when they are not, and the process of screening and assessment for multilingual students. Lastly, Dr. Durán compels educators to avoid viewing biliteracy and dual language support as a sub-population of their classroom and instead prioritize the development of students’ home languages, whatever they may be, alongside English instruction.


Quotes: 

“Language is inextricably linked to culture. We want to make sure these families and children feel valued and honored within our schools.” —Dr. Lillian Durán

“No matter what language you start to learn some of those skills in, there's a transfer and understanding of how to listen to sounds and how to put sounds together.” —Dr. Lillian Durán 

In this episode, host Susan Lambert is joined by Lacey Robinson, Chief Executive Officer of UnboundEd. Robinson opens the podcast by telling her personal story of learning to read, discussing those who influenced her, and sharing how literacy empowered her to pursue education reform. 

Robinson emphasizes the responsibility that educational practitioners and leaders have to dismantle and eliminate all barriers to education. She helps to define equity and equitable instruction and describes the literacy experiences of Black students, stressing how an understanding of history is essential to moving forward and not repeating past mistakes. Lastly, Robinson outlines what productive struggle should look like in the classroom, encouraging educators to embrace their students’ local, cultural, linguistic, and historical context to enable more rigorous reading opportunities. Listen now. 


Quotes:
“Not everybody has to love to read. Everybody deserves the right to read."
— Lacey Robinson

“I would lose myself in books. I would wrap myself up in characters and lands and places. My mother told me that day that once they taught me how to read, nobody would ever be able to take that away.” —Lacey Robinson

Show notes: 

GLEAM instruction

UnboundEd

In this episode, Susan Lambert sits down with all of our Science of Reading Star Award winners to discuss their journey with the Science of Reading—from the very beginning, to the work they are doing now. Susan is joined by Brittney Bills (Curriculum Coordinator, Grand Island Public Schools, Nebraska) and Alli Rice (Elementary ELA Lead, Kansas City Public Schools, Kansas), who both won our Amplifying Your District award. Susan also talks with Anila Nayak (Instructional Coach and Reading Intervention Teacher, Los Angeles Unified School District, California), winner of our Superstar award that celebrates a teacher who has made a direct impact on their students by applying the Science of Reading. Lastly, this episode features Cathy Dorbish (Principal, Austintown Elementary School, Ohio), who won the Standout School award that celebrates educators successfully shifting their school to the Science of Reading. These incredible educators share their stories of driving change, giving listeners inspiration and advice to take back to their own schools and classrooms.

Quotes:

“School is a happy place. You need to enjoy being with the kids and making a lasting impact that really matters.” —Anila Nayak

“When you’re helping teachers and supporting other people’s classrooms, you do as much as you can.” —Alli Rice

Show notes: 

Learn more about our winners.

Read Brittney’s spotlight.

Read Alli’s spotlight.

Read Anila’s spotlight.

Read Cathy’s spotlight.

In this episode, Susan Lambert joins senior product specialist at Amplify, Kamilah Simpson. Kamilah’s roots in education took shape when she was a Title 1 middle school intensive reading teacher and from there she became an instructional coach. Kamilah shares her knowledge with podcast listeners as she dives into teaching reading to middle school students. She gives tangible advice on how to allow for productive struggle so that students can learn through discovery. Some of the topics Kamilah highlights include complex text and rigor, learning to scaffold, the importance of having students listen to text, incorporating writing practice, and supporting students without over-supporting. Finally, Kamilah stresses the importance of motivating middle school students to read by providing texts that they can see themselves and their world in.

Quotes:

“Students are going to write more when they have something to write about. It goes back to that discovery. It goes back to allowing them to have a productive struggle.” —Kamilah Simpson

“Are these texts that my students can find something of themselves in? Or are these just texts that have absolutely nothing to do with anything pertaining to their lives, their world, or their peers? What would motivate them?” —Kamilah Simpson

In this episode, Susan Lambert sits down with Kareem Weaver to discuss change management for educators implementing the Science of Reading. Kareem Weaver is a member of the Oakland NAACP Education Committee and a leader of the organization Full and Complete Reading is a Universal Mandate (FULCRUM). He was also an award-winning teacher and administrator in Oakland, California, and Columbia, South Carolina. Kareem discusses what the Science of Reading is at the simplest level and why it’s important that educators are undivided in backing the research. He goes on to give an impassioned plea to educators to come together, because this is an issue that impacts all kids. Kareem also highlights the importance of meeting educators where they are and realizing that change cannot happen if teachers aren’t given the tools and support they need first. Lastly, Kareem calls for systemic changes to education so that teachers can do their jobs in a way that is balanced, sustainable, and ultimately benefits the students.

Quotes:
“In order to save our kids and to get them competitive in the information age, they have to be able to access information. And so we’ve got to focus on literacy.” —Kareem Weaver

Show Notes:

FULCRUM: Full and Complete Reading is a Universal Mandate

In this episode, we join Susan Lambert as she revisits a conversation she had during season 1 with Dr. Nancy Nelson, a research assistant professor at the Center on Teaching and Learning at the University of Oregon. They discuss myths and misconceptions around Response to Intervention (RTI), Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), and universal screening in reading instruction. Dr. Nelson also describes her work on DIBELSⓇ and explains the importance of dyslexia screeners and what tools need to be in place for RTI to work well.

Quotes:

“Education is one of the few things that students experience in life that has the ability to change their trajectory.” —Dr. Nancy Nelson

“I feel very strongly that students get access to instruction that is delivered through evidence-based practices, because that’s what we know works.” —Dr. Nancy Nelson

In this episode, we join Susan Lambert as she talks to 10th grader Hadyn Fleming about his experiences growing up with dyslexia. Hadyn shares his story of moving around a lot and what it took in his educational journey to feel like he had the tools and resources to be successful. Hadyn openly discusses the experiences that made a difference in his life and candidly discloses what it really feels like to have dyslexia. He also shares the way that dyslexia impacts all facets of education and, conversely, how becoming a confident reader gave him increased confidence in other areas of his life. Lastly, Hadyn helps debunk dyslexia myths, and talks about how an educator's belief in their students' potential is essential to student success.

Quote:
“Give us the opportunity to be great and we will not disappoint you.” —Hadyn Fleming

Show Notes:

Rocky Mountain Camp for Kids with Dyslexia

https://www.verticalskillsacademy.org/

In this episode, we join Susan Lambert as she talks to Ricky Robertson about building systems of support for students impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the educators who work with them. Ricky is an educator, author, and consultant who has worked with alternative and traditional schools. The episode focuses first on how teachers can prioritize their own self-care and why it is essential in order to care for students. Ricky then goes into explaining what ACEs are and the ways that fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses can manifest in the classroom. Lastly, they go into explaining resilience and how routine and relationships help build a foundation for resilience—ending on a note of encouragement to educators that their investment is never wasted.

Quote:
"Books have been some of my most meaningful companions … there’s a form of attachment that can occur between a reader and a story or a book that can actually be a safe space of refuge." — Ricky Robertson

Show Notes:

Teach for Trust - Ricky Robertson

Building Resilience in Students Impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences by Ricky Robertson, Victoria E. Romero, and Amber Warner

Ricky Robertson: Adverse Childhood Experiences Webinar [Video/Webinar]

Adverse Childhood Experiences: Trauma-Informed Strategies for Teacher and Student Well-Being [Video/Webinar]

In this episode, we join Susan Lambert as she rewinds the tape and highlights some of the standout learning moments that have occurred throughout this season of the podcast. Guests like Sue Pimentel, Julie Washington, Nadine Gaab, and more have all taught us invaluable lessons about the Science of Reading. You’ll hear top takeaways from each of their episodes as they cover topics such as literacy accelerators, learning to read digitally versus in print, teaching reading to multi-language learners, dialectical variety, and so much more.

Quotes:

"My gratitude extends to these amazing guests who are helping us become more informed about the complexities and realities of learning to read."

Show notes:

Podcast Episode 5: Sue Pimentel

Reading as Liberation—An Examination of the Research Base by Sue Pimentel, Meredith Liben, and Student Achievement Partners

Podcast Episode 4: Lauren Trakhman & Patricia Alexander (UMD)

Podcast Episode 7: Julie Washington

Podcast Episode 8: Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan

Podcast Episode 9: Nadine Gaab

In this episode, Susan Lambert joins Dr. Nadine Gaab to discuss dyslexia and the developmental progression of the brain and behavior of students as they learn to read. Dr. Gaab, an Associate Professor of Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, focuses on both typical and atypical learning trajectories from infancy to adulthood, with a special emphasis on language and reading development and the role of the environment in shaping these trajectories. In this episode, Dr. Gaab provides further insight into these developmental trajectories as they relate to early intervention for at-risk students. She differentiates between early diagnosis of dyslexia versus early identification of at-risk students. Adding nuance and complexity to the discussion of dyslexia, Dr. Gaab emphasizes the ways educators can ensure that all students experience the joy of learning to read.

Quote:
“We want to make sure that we find everyone who is struggling with learning to read and make sure that everyone gets to experience the joy of learning to read.“ —Dr. Nadine Gaab

Show Notes:

Gaab Lab website 

Gaab Lab - myths about dyslexia , by Nadine Gaab 

National Center for Improving Literacy

Video - How the brain learns to read by Nadine Gaab 

Tracing the Roots of Language and Literacy

Reading to Rewire 

In this episode, Susan Lambert is joined by Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan to discuss the unique challenges and opportunities presented when teaching multilingual learners how to read. Dr. Cárdenas-Hagan is a bilingual speech language pathologist and a certified academic language therapist. She is also the director of Valley Speech Language and Learning Center in Brownsville, Texas. She discusses how teachers can make connections between students’ home languages and English in order to celebrate their language and give them new tools to better understand English. She stresses the importance of teachers educating themselves on their students’ home languages so they can spot orthographic and phonological similarities and differences. Lastly, she highlights the importance of educators collaborating for the success of the students.

Quotes: 

“The more we’re able to read, the more we’re able to learn.“—Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan 

“Sometimes as teachers, we feel so overwhelmed with, “Oh, I don't know that language. How in the world am I going to introduce a whole new thing?” Instead we should be starting to understand connections.”—Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan 

Show Notes:

Literacy Foundations for English Learners: A Comprehensive Guide to Evidence-Based Instruction by Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan

Presentation: Making Connections for Structured Literacy Instruction Among English Learners

Reading SOS Special Video Series: Expert Answers to Family Questions About Reading

Online book study of Literacy Foundations for English Learners By Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan

Mylanguages.org

In this episode, Susan Lambert is joined by Dr. Julie Washington to discuss linguistic variety and dialects as difference, not error, and how to best support all students as they learn to read. Dr. Washington, professor in the School of Education at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and a speech-language pathologist, offers practical advice for educators teaching reading to children who don’t use general American English and discusses how to do so in a way that respects students' community languages and dialects. She reminds educators that students rise or fall to the expectations set for them, and encourages educators to remember that if they embrace language variety as something that needs to be understood and incorporated into developing successful readers, they will develop successful readers.

Quotes:
“Teachers need to know about the language variety that their students are speaking.” —Dr. Julie Washington

“Educating yourself as a teacher and recognizing where there is variety and difference and not error is critical for how you'll respond to it.” —Dr. Julie Washington

Show Notes:

Teaching Reading to African American Children by Julie A. Washington and Mark S. Seidenberg

Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy by Gholdy Muhammad

In this episode, Susan Lambert joins elementary educator Lindsay Kemeny for a conversation about her journey of discovery with the Science of Reading. A current second grade teacher with ten years of experience in elementary education, Lindsay Kemeny has been published in the Reading League Journal and spoken alongside literacy experts like Emily Hanford. In this episode, Lindsay discusses how she processed her shock and guilt at realizing she’d never been taught how to properly teach reading. She also discusses the journey she took as a mother and an educator when her son was diagnosed with severe dyslexia alongside depression, and how that inspired her to dive into what is needed for good literacy instruction and what students with learning disabilities need. Listeners will also hear stories from additional educators from across the country about how the Science of Reading has transformed their classrooms.

Show Notes:

The Learning Spark blog

Sink or Swim: The Appearance of Reading by Lindsay Kemeny

Quotes:

“The ability to read is so tightly connected to our self-esteem.” —Lindsay Kemeny 

“I love the phrase we have in the Science of Reading community: Know better, do better.” —Lindsay Kemeny


Content Warning:

CW // depression, suicide

This episode includes discussion of depression and suicidal thoughts, specifically as it impacts students with learning disabilities. This is a very sensitive but important topic that impacts educators, parents, and students alike. It is also a pivotal part of today’s guest’s story. We understand that not everyone is in a place to listen to today’s episode and we look forward to having you with us next week. 

If you or a loved one is struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts please call the national suicide prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255. For additional resources, please visit: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

In this episode, Sue Pimentel—co-founder of the nonprofit StandardWorks, founding partner of Student Achievement Partners, and lead author of the Common Core State Standards for ELA—joins Susan Lambert to discuss her new report "Reading as Liberation—An Examination of the Research Base." Sharing key insights, she expands on her findings about personalization, literacy accelerators, and implementation, as well as how mutual respect between student and teacher is key to reading success.

Quote:
“Reading is power. In our society, in our culture, it is about power and freedom when you learn how to read.” - Sue Pimentel

Resources:
Reading as Liberation—An Examination of the Research Base by Sue Pimentel, Meredith Liben, and Student Achievement Partners

Announcements:
Looking to adopt the Science of Reading in your classroom or district? We have all the tools to help you make the shift at scienceofreading.amplify.com

Announcing the inaugural Science of Reading Star Awards! Nominate a Science of Reading champion in your district for a chance to win $500. https://amplify.com/sor-star-awards/

In this episode, Susan Lambert sits down with Lauren Trakhman and Patricia Alexander, professors from the Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology within the College of Education at the University of Maryland, College Park, to discuss their research on the effectiveness of teaching reading in print vs. digitally. Their conversation explores the ways in which teaching reading in print remains vital even in a digital world. Drs. Trakhman and Alexander also explain why it's important to avoid making assumptions about students' abilities to use technology and how that can be a detriment to reading success. Lastly, they discuss strategies for using technology to boost children's foundational skills.

Quotes:
“Rule one is: no teacher at any level should assume that their students are digital natives.” - Dr. Patricia Alexander

“As we saw in this pandemic, reading digitally is not going anywhere ... and, in fact, is what made learning even a possibility the past year and a half.” - Dr. Lauren Trakhman

Resources:
Lauren Trakhman Bio and research

Patricia A. Alexander Bio and research

Announcements:
Looking to adopt the Science of Reading in your classroom or district? We have all the tools to help you make the shift at scienceofreading.amplify.com

Announcing the inaugural Science of Reading Star Awards! Nominate a Science of Reading champion in your district for a chance to win $500. https://amplify.com/sor-star-awards/

 This episode features Dr. Sheila Clonan discussing her work with identifying learning disabilities (particularly dyslexia) in children. Dr. Clonan also explores the mental and emotional effects of learning to read with dyslexia and how it impacts behavior and self-concept, providing two insightful analogies that illustrate what it feels like for students who aren’t given explicit instruction but are still expected to know how to read. She then ends the episode with practical advice for educators and parents on how to support and encourage children.

Quotes:
“Find your child's interests or your student's interests and strengths and pursue those and give them opportunities to let those feed their soul.”

“I don’t think there’s anyone who goes into teaching, not caring about children and not wanting what’s best for children.”

Show Notes:

Dyslexia by Sally E. Shaywitz

International Dyslexia Association Fact Sheets

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Dr. Tracy Weeden, CEO and President of the Neuhaus Education Center, joins host Susan Lambert to discuss ensuring literacy success for all. She shares what it means to be a literacy ally, what the ‘COVID Chrysalis’ is, and how teachers need to bridge the gap between the language students learn in school and the language they bring from home.

Quote: 

“Quality of life and literacy are intrinsically tied to one another.”

Resources:

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Kicking off our new season, Susan Lambert hosts this special episode with Laura Cusack, Executive Director of K–8 ELA Strategy at Amplify. This dynamic duo sheds light on the pandemic’s effects on literacy achievement and strategizes how to make up for lost foundational skills while keeping students moving forward in grade-level learning. They also urge educators to make it a point to honor the diverse experience of their students during reading instruction.

Quotes:

“It’s all about growing and learning.”

“When we get that diversity of kids in the classroom, we have to honor all of their experiences.”

Resources:

The Reading Comprehension Blueprint by Nancy Hennessy

Speech to Print by Louisa Moats

Amplify Science of Reading Handbook (Primers #1 and #2)

Science of Reading: The Podcast w/ Louisa Moats Episode

Science of Reading: The Podcast w/ Nancy Hennessy Episode

Science of Reading: The Podcast w/ Laurence Holt Episode

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Join your host, Susan Lambert, as she recaps Deconstructing the Rope, our series for season 3 of Science of Reading: The Podcast. She highlights the special guests we’ve had this season such as Louisa Moats, Bruce McCandliss, and Sonia Cabell and shares their expert insights on Scarborough’s Reading Rope. From vocabulary to word and sight recognition, tune into this special episode and cement this knowledge in your Science of Reading journey.

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Join DeJunne’ Clark Jackson, Vice President of Program Development for the Center for Development and Learning, as she underscores how to overcome barriers in the delivery of accessible instruction to students. She also urges listeners to recognize and confront bias both inside and outside of the classroom in order to foster better experiences for educators and students. Finally, she leaves us with an anecdote on diversity, equity, and inclusion and speaks on the connection between the Science of Reading and dyslexia.

Quotes:

“The intersection of the Science of Reading and dyslexia is that the Science of Reading is the foundation for what dyslexia therapy is built upon.”

“Access is the core and focus of equity. Bias is the major barrier of diversity. Inclusion is the ultimate goal.”

Resources:

Center for Development and Learning

Plain Talk Conference

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Join Alana Mangham, literacy specialist for the Center for Development and Learning, as she shares her pathway from educator to changemaker in the Science of Reading field. She’ll also highlight her successful four-part literacy plan and urge you to question your instructional practices to better foster reading achievement in children today.

Quotes:

“The power in not being an expert to start out with is that we grow together.”

“We need to give teachers credit, but we need to get to work. We have things to do.

Resources:

Center for Development and Learning

Growing Reading Brains

Plain Talk Conference

Narrowing the Third Grade Reading Gap | EAB

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Join Kate Cain, professor of language and literacy at Lancaster University, as she unwinds language structures, a strand of Scarborough’s Reading Rope. In the latest episode of our Deconstructing the Rope series, Kate explores language structures in the simple view of reading and explains its connections across reading comprehension in literacy development. She also highlights the reciprocal relationship between books and conversation and underscores the importance of reading aloud to children from a young age to develop their vocabulary and semantics. 

Quotes:

“Simply knowing the individual word meanings and the word order alone is not going to be sufficient to have accurate sentence comprehension.”

“The language of books is different from the language of conversation.”

References:

Professor Kate Cain’s Publications Site

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Join Nancy Hennessy, past president of the International Dyslexia Association, as she unwinds vocabulary, a strand of Scarborough’s Reading Rope. In the latest episode of our Deconstructing the Rope series, Nancy defines the role of vocabulary and elaborates on the nuanced structures of comprehension in literacy instruction. She also highlights how to explicitly teach vocabulary to students through her research-backed, four-pronged approach. 

 Quotes:

"Every one of the strands of the rope is important. If any strand frays, then reading is in jeopardy. "

"Vocabulary instruction is really getting our students interested in words as the building blocks of our language." 

Resources:

The Reading Comprehension Blueprint: Helping Students Make Meaning from Text by Nancy Hennessy

Daniel Willingham–Science & Education

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Join Sonia Cabell, assistant professor at the School of Teacher Education at Florida State University, in the latest episode of our Deconstructing the Rope series as she unwinds language comprehension, a strand of Scarborough’s Reading Rope. Sonia explains the true definition of language comprehension in relation to the simple view of reading and highlights the role of parents and educators in the use of advanced language models in literacy development. She also reflects on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on teachers and families and discusses how it has highlighted the importance of education today.

Quotes:

“Young children are very smart. They know a great deal more than we give them credit for and they can do a lot more than we understand.”

“Parents are childrens’ first teachers and so, to really embrace parents in childrens’ learning process is really critical.”

Show Notes:

• Florida Center for Reading Research
  
  
• Core Knowledge Language Arts
  
  
• Writing Into Literacy TEDx Talk by Sonia Cabell
  
  
• EdWeek Science of Reading Article by Sonia Cabell
  
  
• Live with the Author interview
  
  
• The Power of Conversations: Building Primary Grade Students’ Vocabulary and Comprehension in a Changing Educational Landscape by Sonia Cabell
  
  
• Twitter: @SoniaCabell

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

In this special episode, Dr. Maria Murray, President and CEO of The Reading League, analyzes the intricacies of literacy instruction and shares common misconceptions that educators have about the science of reading. She explains why The Science of Reading: A Defining Movement coalition was founded: the belief of clear understandings of what the science of reading is and what it is not to promote the proper use of instructional practices aligned with the findings from the science of reading.

Quotes:

“What systems do we need to change and strengthen to ensure that everyone is successful?”

“Nothing creates excitement more than success.”

Resources:

The Science of Reading: A Defining Movement

The Reading League

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Join Susan Neuman, Professor of Childhood and Literacy Education at the Steinhardt School at New York University, as she unwinds background knowledge, a strand of Scarborough’s Reading Rope. In the sixth episode of our Deconstructing the Rope series, Susan explains the important link between background knowledge and reading comprehension in the science of reading and shares about her five research-based principles to build knowledge networks in literacy instruction. She also highlights the connection between speech and reading and previews her upcoming studies on the role of cross-media connections in children’s learning.

Quotes: 

“What you’re helping children do is create a mosaic; putting all those ideas together in a knowledge network. If you don’t do it explicitly, many children cannot do it on their own.”

“We’ve got to start early. We’ve got to start immediately and know that children are eager to learn and use the content to engage them.”

Resources:

Book: "Giving Our Children a Fighting Chance" by Susan Neuman. More books in the link.

Article: Developing Low-Income Children's Vocabulary and Content Knowledge through a Shared Book Reading Program by Susan Neuman and Tanya Kaefer

Article: The information book flood: Is additional exposure enough to support early literacy development? by Susan Neuman

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Join Dr. Bruce McCandliss, Professor at the Graduate School of Education of Stanford University, as he unwinds sight recognition, a strand of Scarborough’s Reading Rope. In the fifth episode of our series, Bruce explains the role of sight and word recognition in the science of reading and highlights the importance of the rapid integration of print, speech, and meaning. He also encourages listeners to be cognizant of the ever-changing, technological learning environment while nurturing young readers and writers.

Quotes:

“You’re continually developing the system of word recognition. It’s not a one-and-done kind of thing. It’s continually being refined; it becomes more and more automatic.“

“Word recognition is the ability to see a written word and then in your mind link it very precisely to how that word is spoken and what that word might mean.”

Resources:

• Word Recognition in Beginning Literacy by Linnea Ehri
• Stanford University Educational Neuroscience Initiative
• Science of Reading: The Podcast, Season 1 Episode 12 with Bruce McCandliss

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Join leading experts Natalie Wexler, Ernesto Ortiz, Dr. Carolyn Strom, and Susan Lambert for a podcast on making the shift to the science of reading. In this special episode, they discuss how educators can implement the science of reading through an incremental change on all levels, from a classroom to entire districts. Sharing their research and both professional and personal experiences, the panelists share the leadership knowledge, training, and curriculum advice you’ve been looking for. 

Quotes:

”We need to show how research can translate to practice–making it accessible to teachers and deeply connect it to their local reality.” –Dr. Carolyn Strom, Professor of Early Childhood Literacy and Innovation at NYU

“My advice for building leaders: you have the next bigger impact on students after teachers. It’s never too late to start and it’s okay to not know everything.” –Ernesto Ortiz, Principal at McDonald Elementary School, PA

Show notes:
Plain Talk about Literacy and Learning Conference

Ernesto's blog: Decoding Leadership

Carolyn Strom NYU Bio

Natalie's books:
The Knowledge Gap: The hidden cause of America's broken education system--and how to fix it

The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grade

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Join Dr. Louisa Moats, President of Moats Associates Consulting, as she unwinds decoding, a strand of Scarborough’s Reading Rope. In the third episode of our Deconstructing the Rope series, Louisa highlights the significance of decoding in the science of reading and discusses the value of becoming students of our own language. She also mentions the reciprocal relationship between decoding and encoding and why both are essential to provide effective phonics instruction to children in the classroom.

Quotes:

“We need to be students of our own language so that when we accept the responsibility of teaching kids how it works, we’re very comfortable.”

“We have much more insight into how kids learn any language-based academic skill, not only from neuroscience but also cognitive, developmental, linguistic, and educational intervention research.”

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Join Alice Wiggins, Vice President of Instructional Design & Products at UnboundEd, as she unwinds word recognition, a strand of Scarborough’s Reading Rope. In the second episode of our Deconstructing the Rope series, Alice explains the role of word recognition in the science of reading and highlights the importance of explicit phonics instruction. She also urges listeners to advocate for an aligned curriculum to bring forth a systematic and equitable approach to reading for all students.

Quotes:

“By explicitly teaching sound spellings, we’re strengthening students’ abilities to read so they can learn more.”

“For equity’s sake, we want to teach reading in a way that we cast the widest net possible and support the most students possible.”

Resources:

• UnboundEd
• The Reading Mind: A Cognitive Approach to Understanding How the Mind Reads by Daniel Willingham
  Language at the Speed of Sight: How We Read, Why So Many Can't, and What Can Be Done About It by Mark Seidenberg
• International Dyslexia Association
• The Reading League

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Dive into our first episode as Dr. Jane Oakhill, Professor of Experimental Psychology at the University of Sussex, gives a high-level overview of Scarborough’s Reading Rope. She also emphasizes the importance of inferencing in comprehension, why the Simple View of Reading is still relevant almost 40 years later, and how each element of the rope comes together to deconstruct the complexity of reading.

Quotes:

“We’re often quite surprised at what children don’t understand and we make a lot of assumptions about things we find utterly trivial.”

“It’s not just having knowledge that’s important, but also being able to activate that knowledge when appropriate.”

Resources:

Understanding and Teaching Reading Comprehension by Jane Oakhill

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Join Danielle Damico, Director of Learning Science at Amplify, as she explores the impact of the pandemic on at-risk students and those in need of intervention. She shares the insights drawn from DIBELS 8th Edition and highlights how data is now more important than ever in understanding where students are—whether assessments are administered in person or through a digital platform. Finally, she leaves our listeners with best practices to nurture readers moving forward and ensure growth and success through the end of the year.

Quotes:

“Teachers and students need the right tools to help accelerate student learning and growth–especially in early literacy.”

“We need to lean on the data we can collect and the science of reading.”

Resources:

Instructional Learning Loss Brief

Amplify Literacy Hub

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

One of our most popular guests, Tim Shanahan, returns! In our most recent episode, he reminisces about the creation of the National Reading Panel in 1997 and the release of its subsequent groundbreaking report. He highlights how reading instruction has evolved and discusses how new research seems to be changing the landscape of the “reading wars” he thought were settled long ago.

Quotes:

“We continue to learn, and we continue to refine.”

“When people are trying to tell you how you should teach, I think you need to ask some real basic questions about what evidence supports those recommendations.”

Resources:

• National Reading Panel Report
  
  
• The Review of Educational Research Journal
  
  
• ERIC, Educational Clearinghouse
  
  
• Shanahan on Literacy Blog
  
  
• What Works Clearinghouse

 Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Join Sonia Cabell, Assistant Professor of Education at Florida State University, as she shares findings from her research trials on content-rich literacy curricula and whether activating students’ background knowledge alongside explicit phonics instruction is more effective than traditional approaches. She also explains what constitutes “compelling evidence” in the science of reading and why students need to interact with both written and spoken language while learning to read.

Quotes:

“The knowledge that you have about a particular subject matters for your reading comprehension.”

“When I think about content-rich English language arts, I think about how we can integrate science and social studies into the language arts in ways that make sense.”

Resources:

• Florida Center for Reading Research
• Core Knowledge Language Arts
• Writing Into Literacy TEDx Talk by Sonia Cabell
• National Reading Panel Report 2000
• EdWeek Science of Reading Article by Sonia Cabell
• Special Issue: The Science of Reading: Supports, Critiques, and Questions
• Live with the Author interview
• The Power of Conversations: Building Primary Grade Students’ Vocabulary and Comprehension in a Changing Educational Landscape by Sonia Cabell
• Twitter: @SoniaCabell

 Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Join Kelly Moran, Curriculum Supervisor of Chardon Local Schools in Ohio, as she shares her journey of implementing a curriculum based around the science of reading. Hear about the steps her district took to reshape literacy instructional practices and about the challenges they faced along the way. Find out how the fostering of reading achievement in students renders all efforts worthwhile. 

Quotes:

“We’re really taking advantage of every minute of direct, explicit instruction we have with our students.”

“Once we invested the time in professional development and high-quality materials aligned to the science of reading, we could see a difference.”

Resources:

• Why Our Children Can't Read and What We Can Do About It: A Scientific Revolution in Reading by Diane Mcguiness
• Natalie Wexler’s The Knowledge Gap

 Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Join Margaret Goldberg and Alanna Mednick from the Right to Read Project as they address the science of reading and its translation into easy practice for educators. They break down the Seidenberg and McClelland Four-Part Processing Model and explain how it relates to the simple view of reading. They also reflect on how educators should approach reading as scientists and be ready to teach in a way that may be uncomfortable for a time—the “labor of love” stage of literacy instruction.

Quotes:

“We should anticipate reading difficulties and we should be prepared to be able to address them.” —Margaret Goldberg

“We need to go at the pace of the child and we can’t leave anything up to chance.” —Alanna Mednick

Resources:

• The Seidenberg & McClelland Four-Part Processing Model
• Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning about Print by Marilyn Adams
• Nancy Young’s Ladder of Reading
• Right to Read Project

  Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Join Afrika Afeni Mills—diversity, equity, and inclusion director of BetterLesson—as she reflects on race, culture, and identity in education. She’ll shed light on the significance of integrating students' schemas to nurture language comprehension in early literacy, discuss the difference between asset- and deficit-based teaching, and highlight the impact “windows and mirrors” have on students’ classroom experiences.

Quotes:

“A lot of the foundational work starts by making sure that we’re inquisitive about the resources we’re providing students.”

“We don’t spend enough time thinking about students’ families as their first teachers.”

Resources:

• BetterLesson
• Afrika’s Equity Guardian Facebook Page
• TedTalk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Danger of a Single Story

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

In our first international episode, join The Reading League CEO and President Maria Murray and La Trobe University Professor of Cognitive Psychology Pamela Snow as they reflect on the long history of the science of reading. They’ll explain the true definition of “the science of reading” and explore why this knowledge has not been translated for the practitioners that need it the most—teachers. Our guests will also discuss the pandemic’s silver lining: the opportunity to reflect on instructional practices and how to best support educators and students now, and in the future.

Quotes:

“The science of reading informs approaches in all areas of reading.” —Maria Murray

“We’ve had knowledge for decades that has not been translated for the practitioners that need it the most.” —Pamela Snow

Resources:

• TheReadingLeague.org
• FB Group: The Reading League Teacher Group - The Science of Reading is For YOU!
• Annual Conference: The Science of Reading: Now More Than Ever
• David Kilpatrick’s “Essentials of Assessing and Preventing Reading Difficulties”

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Join Amplify interns Justin Pita, undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, and Tamara Morris, graduate of Stanford University, as they share their reading journeys. They highlight the major disparities and barriers that affected their academic experiences and reflect on how action must be taken by caregivers and educators to ensure that students across the nation have access to equal opportunities for achievement in literacy so that no student gets left behind.

Quotes:
“You don’t have to be great to start. You have to start to be great.” —Tamara Morris

“Students nowadays don’t have the opportunities to hone in on literacy as much as we want them to.” —Justin Pita

Resources:
HighJump Chicago
Kumon

Join our Virtual Literacy Symposium on Thursday, Oct 15!

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Join Dr. LaTonya Goffney, Superintendent of Schools for Aldine Independent School District in Texas, as she recounts her two-year journey with her team of district educators to adopt a new early literacy curriculum. Hear how they successfully challenged the traditional adoption process, studied the science of teaching reading, analyzed student data and experiences, and developed a district-wide set of beliefs and expectations. 

Quotes:

“If you can read, you can go anywhere. Reading is a gateway to opportunity.”

“As leaders, we have to be prepared to challenge the notion of low expectations."

Resources:

The Knowledge Gap: The hidden cause of America's broken education system--and how to fix it by Natalie Wexler

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Join us in reflecting on Season One and preview what’s in store for an exciting Season Two. In this special episode, we visit the highlights of Season One, with key clips from Emily Hanford, Natalie Wexler, Ernesto Ortiz, David and Meredith Liben, and Shawn Joseph, and other moments that inspired us and changed how we think about literacy.

Quotes:

“When our first episode launched last year, we had no idea what it might become, only hope that you would find it helpful to grow your knowledge and impact."

“So much progress has been made in spite of some recent challenges—or maybe because of them.”

Resources:

Virtual Literacy Symposium on Oct. 15, 2020

Learning to Read: Primer Part One

Learning to Read Primer: Part Two

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Join Dr. Catherine Barnes, CEO of Sudden Impact Solutions and leader of the Black Parents Support Network, as she addresses the shortcomings of the educational system during the pandemic in underserved communities, the need for overcoming parents’ perceptions of judgment by educators, and how educators can foster relationships with parents in order to ensure continuous learning for students during these trying times.

Quotes:

“We are not coming in to judge parents and we are not expecting them to be teachers, but we do value what they bring to the table.”

“We need to make sure that we are addressing students where they are today, socially as well as academically”

Resources:

Black Parent Support Network Facebook group
Co-organizers:
Dr. Diedre Houchen, UF professor
Karla Hutchinson, H.O.M.E Church youth advocate)
Chanae Jackson, parent & parent organizer

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Author and University of Virginia psychology professor Daniel Willingham discusses the “reading wars” (and mischaracterizations among their factions), the importance of understanding basic science to teach reading, and the variations in implementation of the science of reading in literacy instruction across districts.

Quotes:

“Reading is central to (virtually) every educator’s concerns.”

“Everything touches education."

 Resources:

• The Reading Mind: A Cognitive Approach to Understanding How the Mind Reads
• When Can You Trust the Experts?
• Blog: What Will Your Children Tell their Grandchildren About the Pandemic?
• Website: www.danielwillingham.com
• Twitter: @DTWillingham
• Facebook: DTWillingham
• Podcast Discussion Guide

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Doug Lemov, author and managing director of Uncommon Schools, discusses the role of technology in the classroom and remote instruction, how educators should reconsider how they approach literacy, and his experience reconstructing a reading curriculum for this next phase of digital learning while holding true to the values of the science of reading.

Quotes:

"Classrooms are first and foremost cultures and they shape students’ experiences."

"Everything is challenging to teach online, but reading is the most challenging."

Resources:

• Teaching the art of listening in the age of me, me, me
• Doug’s blog: Teaching Like a Champion
• Forgetting how to read
• Teach Like a Champion 2.0: 62 Techniques that Put Students on the Path to College
• Practice Perfect: 42 Rules for Getting Better at Getting Better
• Reading Reconsidered: A Practical Guide to Rigorous Literacy Instruction
• Reader, Come Home by Maryanne Wolf
• Podcast Discussion Guide

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Educator, author, and leader Shawn Joseph, shares his passion for social justice and discusses his work advocating for equity in education, shedding light on what he calls the “silent crisis” in literacy instruction. In this episode, you’ll hear about his experience as a former superintendent of several large urban districts and learn how he fostered achievement in all of his students.

Quotes:

“You have millions of children in the country who have not been given a civil right: the right to read.”

“If we don’t speak up and speak out, the inequities will continue.”

Resources:

Becoming a Data Champion in 6 Steps by Shawn Joseph

A research paper written by Shawn, titled School District Grow Your Own Principal Preparation Programs: Effective Elements and Implications for Graduate Schools of Education

A podcast discussion guide to share with your colleagues

Shawn’s book, The Principal's Guide to the First 100 Days of the School Year 

Shawn's website

Nashville Unchained

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Multilingual author and expert Elizabeth Jimenez Salinas and host Susan Lambert discuss advocating for underrepresented English Learners (EL), improving dual language instruction, and learned passivity. Elizabeth shares tips for EL students during this time and reinforces the importance of home connection and language development.

Quotes:

“English learners are put at a serious disadvantage by a school system that doesn’t use their home language.”

“It is not just learning to recite rote words–it is comprehending and using the home language for parents.”

Resources:

Eradicating Learned Passivity: Preventing ELs from Becoming Long Term English Learners

Ten behavioral skills that interpreters need to know

Reparable Harm

Students train as interpreters, with benefits for all involved

Multicultural Author Project

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Join Mary Clayman, Director of the District of Columbia Reading Clinic, and host Susan Lambert, as Mary shares her experience founding one of the first graduate clinical practicums sponsored by a public school system and discusses how it has influenced the training of DCPS teachers and the success of students in early literacy by using the science of reading.

Quotes:

"Like Louisa Moats said, ‘Teaching reading is rocket science,’ it takes a long time to learn all about the English language.”

“We’re committed to quality training for more teachers.”

Resources:

D.C. Reading Clinic

Teaching Reading Is Rocket Science: What Expert Teachers of Reading Should Know and Be Able To Do by Louisa C. Moats 

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Jacquey Barber, director of design & development at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, examines her research on the symbiotic relationship between literacy and science and what educators should be looking for in high-quality, literacy-rich science curricula.

Quotes: 

“Literacy is a domain in search of content; science is a domain in need of communication.”

“Develop opportunities for students to learn to read, write, and talk like scientists do.”

Resources:

UCLA CRESST

The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System—and How to Fix It by Natalie Wexler

No More Science Kits or Texts in Isolation by Jacqueline Barber and Gina Cervetti.

Podcast Discussion Guide

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

David and Meredith Liben, nationally recognized reading experts and authors of Know Better, Do Better, discuss their need to find evidence-based solutions, the importance of knowledge and skills instruction, and how to tackle unfinished learning in schools.

Quotes:

"Teaching reading in the early grades can be intellectually meaningful and fun."

“Students all deserve access. It’s up to us to figure out what that access looks like for EVERY student.”

Show Notes:

Podcast Discussion Guide

Know Better, Do Better: Teaching the Foundations So Every Child Can Read

The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System--and how to Fix it

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Laurence Holt, language acquisition expert and author of the Learning to Read primers, joins host Susan Lambert to discuss the simple view of reading, how the brain rewires itself to learn how to read, and the importance of background knowledge in language comprehension.

Quotes: 

“Learning how to read is such a pivotal moment in all of K-12.”

“Decoding and language comprehension need to come together in order to become an expert reader.”

Resources:

Learning to Read: Primer Part One

Learning to Read Primer: Part Two

Podcast discussion guide

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Larry Berger, CEO of Amplify, discusses the use of innovation and technology to inform teaching and learning, his new initiative called Wide Open School, and how we can step back and let this be a time of joy and creativity for kids––letting them discover a love of reading. 

Quotes: 

“Make this a time of exploration and openness."

“There is a moment for necessity and necessity brings innovation.”

Show notes:

Wide Open School 

Free remote learning resources from Amplify

Amplify website

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Dr. Elfrieda "Freddy" Hiebert, author and founder of the Text Project, shares insights from her research on vocabulary, the etymology of the English language, and the importance of teaching morphology to enable kids to make connections. 

Quotes: 

“Vocabulary is the base of building knowledge.”

“Vocabulary represents your knowledge and knowledge is what determines your level of comprehension.”

Show notes:

The Text project

Teaching Words and How They Work by Freddy Hiebert

Twitter

LinkedIn

Facebook

Podcast Discussion Guide

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Jared Myracle, Chief Academic Officer of the Jackson-Madison County School System in Tennessee, shares his district’s experience in adopting the science of reading and navigating the change management process. He stresses the importance of high-quality instructional materials and implementation fidelity.

Quotes: 

“Don’t be satisfied with where you are. Where could you be if every student was guaranteed this type of education?”

“Imagine what your results could be if you did ensure that all students were able to experience systematic phonics instruction and opportunities to build background knowledge throughout their K-12 years.”

Resources:

The Hidden Mistake School Leaders Should Avoid This Year by Jared Myracle

The Urgency I Feel Around Instruction – and Why I Look to Curriculum by Jared Myracle

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Ernesto Ortiz, principal at an elementary school in Pennsylvania, discusses how to understand when materials are meaningfully “research-based,” how his school made the shift to the science of reading, and how he is supporting his students with remote learning resources to continue their literacy development at home.

Quotes: 

“We need to be more informed than influenced so that we can look at things with a critical eye.”

“As leaders, we need to remain calm and steadfast so we can navigate throughout these unprecedented times.”

Resources:

Hard Words by Emily Hanford

Equipped for Reading Success by David A. Kilpatrick

The Simple View of Reading

Scarborough’s Reading Rope

The Reading League

Speech to Print: Language Essentials for Teachers by Louisa Cook Moats, Ed.D.

Language at the Speed of Sight: How We Read, Why So Many Can't, and What Can Be Done About It by Mark Seidenberg

Ernesto's blog: Decoding Leadership

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David Steiner, Professor and Executive Director of the Institute for Education Policy at Johns Hopkins University, and Susan examine how school closures are impacting learning across the nation, how districts are responding to the rapidly-changing environment, and why maximizing our educational reach via technology should be a priority.

Quotes: 

“This is a wake-up call to districts to really see that this digital inequality cannot persist.”

“Don’t make the ideal the enemy of the possible.” 

Resources:

USDOE Fact Sheet March 20, 2020

Report: The Problem with Finding the Main Idea by David Steiner

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We’ve been thinking a lot about you -- and our hearts go out to you during this confusing and uncertain time. Helping our students continue to learn in this unusual and unsettling situation is not easy.  And here at the Science of Reading podcast, we want to do what we can to support you where we can.

Resources

Science of Reading: The Podcast

Science of Reading: The Facebook Community

Susan and Dr. Bruce McCandliss, a professor in the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University, chat about combining neuroscience with education. How does neuroscience help us understand the changes going on in the brain of a child learning to read? Why do some children struggle so profoundly? He shares his research into focusing the student’s attention on letters and sounds versus on the word as a whole.

Quotes: 

“Teachers play a huge role in shaping brain development for reading.”

“This is where education and neuroscience are coming together to create a dialogue in the space of how we support children.”

Resources:

Bringing Words to Life, Second Edition: Robust Vocabulary Instruction by Isabel Beck

Where Is Educational Neuroscience? by John T. Bruer, PhD

2019 Education Trends by Carrie Gajowski, MA

Minds, Brains, and Learning: Understanding the Psychological and Educational Relevance of Neuroscientific Research by James P. Byrnes

Podcast discussion guide

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Jasmine Lane, a high school English teacher, discusses the importance of equity and education and the disconnect between how teachers feel and what they need to do to push education forward for all students, regardless of their background. She also shares how education has changed her life, how her students have been impacted by their early literacy teachers, and how high schoolers fill in the gaps for things they missed early on.

Quotes:

“The science of reading–that’s my push for equity because every child deserves to be able to read.”

 “We want all kids to succeed. If that’s not equity, I don’t know what is.”

Resources:

Jasmine's Blog

Blog: Project Forever Free

Podcast discussion guide

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Dr. Nancy Nelson, Research Assistant Professor at the Center on Teaching and Learning at the University of  Oregon, discusses myths and misconceptions around  RTI, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), and universal screening in reading instruction.

Quotes:

“Relying on data allows us to engage in a systematic process to implement systems to meet the needs of all kids.”

Resources: 

DIBELS® at the University of Oregon

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Carolyn Strom, Professor of Early Childhood Literacy and Innovation at NYU, discuss her research and interviews with pre-school teachers and how students learn to read, her view on the science of reading and the cognitive science behind it all. She shares her insights on the importance of neuroscience, culturally responsive teaching and dives into Linnea Ehri’s four phases of learning how to read.

Quotes:

“Our brains are not wired to read…we have to do a neurological backflip to teach our brains to read."

“You can’t think about a tree without thinking of its environment the same way you should not be thinking about a kid’s reading development without thinking of their environment.” 

Resources:

Reading in the Brain: The New Science of How We Read by Stanislas Dehaene

Carolyn Strom NYU Bio

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Literacy expert and author Tim Shanahan discusses his views on teaching reading in middle school as an extension of evidence-based early literacy practices. What are some of the challenges and what should reading instruction include? Tim and host Susan Lambert dive into boosting comprehension, how the English language is always changing, and how to structure reading instruction across content areas such as history, science, and math so students are equipped to comprehend those texts as well.

Quotes:

“It is absolutely essential in any comprehension lesson that the kids come away with knowledge.”

“Not dealing with vocabulary early on is like leaving ticking time bomb for later.”

Resources:

Shanahan on Literacy website and blog posts

Podcast: A conversation with Tim Rasinski 

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What is the missing link in reading comprehension? Anne Lucas, former curriculum director and current product manager of Amplify Reading, discusses the multifaceted nature of comprehension, why it’s so difficult to teach, a teacher's powerful "eureka! moment," and the specific sentence-level skills which, if practiced, improve overall comprehension. 

Quotes:
“The more tools we give to kids to grapple with texts and concepts, the better they’ll be able to do it.”

“Background knowledge is incredibly important and is something that we need to integrate into instruction and curriculum.”

Resources:

Comprehension Microskills Classroom Activity

The Missing Link in Comprehension White Paper

Understanding and Teaching Reading Comprehension by Jane Oakhill

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Emily Lutrick, a PreK-5 Curriculum and Dyslexia Coordinator with almost 20 years of experience in education, examines the facts and fictional myths of dyslexia, how early is too early to screen for dyslexia, and how to identify the signs and risk factors. Susan and Emily discuss how dyslexia relates to the science of reading and what educators and parents can do to help students after school.

Quotes:

“You’ve got to arm yourself with good, strong, core curriculum. Make sure you’re informed in what it means to teach in a structured literacy environment. [These] go hand in hand with the science of reading.”

“Be intentional about identifying what that risk factor is. What is it that’s causing that breakdown?”

Resources:

Twitter @drlutrick 

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Lois Letchford, author of Reversed: A Memoir, shares personal accounts of her son’s struggles with learning how to read as well as her own in school with dyslexia. After being told by a teacher that her son was “the worst child [she’s] ever seen in [her] 25 years of teaching,” she persisted with endless patience to help her son and began writing poems to pique his interest in reading. What is he doing now? Was she successful?

Quote:

“Believe in your child, believe they are capable of anything--and tell them that.”

Resources:

Reversed: A Memoir by Lois Letchford

Poetry for kids by Lois Letchford

Website with articles and blog: https://www.loisletchford.com/

Twitter: @LetchfordLois

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Susan and Tim Rasinski, author of The Megabook of Fluency: Strategies and Texts to Engage All Readers, discuss his work at the reading clinic at Kent State University, the aspects of good fluency instruction, what constitutes fluency, and how reading speed is correlated to word recognition and automaticity. He stresses the importance of fluency and finding ways to be artful while teaching reading.

Quotes:

“Fluency is the bridge and we can’t ignore it.”

“Speed is the consequence of automaticity–automaticity is not the consequence of speed.”

Resources:

The Megabook of Fluency: Strategies and Texts to Engage All Readers by Tim Rasinski

Why Reading Should be Hot! by Tim Rasinski

Email: trasinsk@kent.edu

Website with articles and blog: timrasinski.com

Twitter: @trasinski1

Kent State Reading Clinic

Additional resources:

Fluency: The Neglected Reading Goal by Richard Allington

After Decoding: What? by Carol Chomsky

The Method of Repeated Readings by Dr. S. Jay Samuels

Jean Chall's Stages of Reading Development

Tim Shanahan interview on The Science of Reading

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Susan sits down with education reporter and host of the Education Post podcast, Emily Hanford, examines the big takeaways from her experience on reporting on dyslexia, patterns that emerged from her investigating, the science of reading and why schools don’t align with it more, the theory of how reading works, and the evolution of balanced literacy, phonics instruction and whole language.

Quotes:

“We have to be teaching kids how the written language works to help them become good readers.”

“Family income and poverty affect educational opportunities and outcomes.”

Resources: 

'Hard Words' Education Post Podcast

At a Loss for Words: How a flawed idea is teaching millions of kids to be poor readers article by Emily Hanford

What to do if your child's school isn't teaching reading right? article by Emily Hanford

Additional resources: 

NAEP Reading Scores

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Robert shares what inspired him to embark upon his esteemed career path and how we must acknowledge and address that children come to school from different places and backgrounds along their language trajectory in our schools. Susan and Robert discuss the latest in education reform, the knowledge gap, how it is only going to get larger as kids move through grades, the limited time we have to correct it, and how to start doing so.

Quotes:

“Language is heavily dependent upon readers making correct inferences about context, and that’s background knowledge.”

“Language is a series of inference-making, that’s all knowledge-dependent. And if we’re not operating from the same base of knowledge, it all breaks down.”

Resources: 

Robert Pondiscio's book:

How the Other Half Learns: Equality, Excellence, and the Battle Over School Choice

Robert Pondiscio's articles:

How to improve literacy after elementary school

The lost children of Hirsch: Will a fresh argument for content-rich curricula make a difference?

Additional resources: 

"How knowledge helps", an article by Daniel Willingham

Teaching Content is Teaching Reading video by Daniel Willingham

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What's broken in our education system? Natalie joins Susan for a provocative talk about her latest book, The Knowledge Gap, and how a knowledge-based curriculum can bring equity into the classroom, and students' futures.

Quotes

“Kids actually love to learn stuff. They love to feel like they’re experts. It does wonders for their self-esteem.” - Wexler

“Once teachers try it and can see what can happen…they’re going to say ‘I’m never going back to what I was doing before.” - Wexler

Resources

Natalie Wexler’s books:

The Knowledge Gap: The hidden cause of America's broken education system--and how to fix it

The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grade

Natalie Wexler’s articles:

“Elementary Education Has Gone Terribly Wrong: The Case for Teaching Kids Stuff” (The Atlantic, August 2019)

“Why American Students Haven't Gotten Better at Reading in 20 Years” (The Atlantic, April 2018)

Additional resources:

Cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham’s education blog

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Welcome to Science of Reading: The Podcast! We bring educators the latest insights from researchers and practitioners in early reading. We believe equity in education begins with reading science.