Explore every episode of the podcast Science of Reading: The Podcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| S10 E4: The science of memory and misinformation, with David Rapp, Ph.D. | 05 Nov 2025 | 00:49:20 | |
In this episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Susan Lambert is joined by Northwestern University Professor of Education, Social Policy, and Psychology David Rapp. David’s research focuses on language and memory, and his conversation with Susan gives insight into how memory is connected to comprehension. The first half of the episode is spent defining comprehension as a process, a product, and a higher-order cognitive process. David then digs into how that definition informs the ways in which educators assess comprehension and where they can look for potential failure points. One of these failure points includes misinformation. David addresses what happens when misinformation is stored in long-term memory. He details the issues this can cause for student comprehension, and he gives guidance on how to prevent and correct them. Show notes:
Quotes: “Once the information is in memory, you can't really get rid of it. What you can try to do is make other memories more powerful, more likely to resonate to things.” —David Rapp, Ph.D. “Sometimes our most effective processes actually lead us to misunderstand. For example, you're really good at encoding information to memory, that's great, except if you're exposed to inaccurate ideas, that's a problem.” —David Rapp, Ph.D. “It feels easy for us to comprehend texts if we're well practiced at it, it feels easy, but it's actually a lot of cognitive operations going on behind the scenes and a lot of years of practice.” —David Rapp, Ph.D. “In terms of being exposed to misinformation, we see even if people have been exposed to inaccurate ideas, even once, it's encoded into memory, it's potentially gonna be there to influence you.” —David Rapp, Ph.D. Episode Timestamps | |||
| S10 E3: Finding fluency at the heart of comprehension, with Doug Lemov | 22 Oct 2025 | 00:58:22 | |
In this episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Susan Lambert is joined by Doug Lemov, former teacher and school principal, to discuss how teachers can identify when disfluency is actually the root cause for students’ struggles with comprehension—and what they can do about it. Using his new book, The Teach Like a Champion Guide to the Science of Reading, to guide the discussion, Susan and Doug address building attention stamina, the argument for reading whole books, and the value of expressive read-alouds. Finally, Doug ends the episode asserting that humans are meant to live in community, and that a deeper level of comprehension is unlocked through deep empathic connection to text and the experience of reading with others. Show notes:
Quotes: “If you're not a fluent reader, you can't be a deep reader.”—Doug Lemov “The research is clear that when you start to read expressively externally, then your internal reading voice while reading silently is much more expressive and therefore infused with more meaning.”—Doug Lemov Episode Timestamps | |||
| Summer ‘25 Rewind: The missing link in reading comprehension, with Anne Lucas | 02 Jul 2025 | 00:33:35 | |
In this rewind episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, we revisit a Season 1 conversation between host Susan Lambert and Anne Lucas, former curriculum director and current Associate Vice President of Product, Literacy Suite Initiatives & Supplementals at Amplify on the complexities of reading comprehension.Together they dive into the complex nature of comprehension and why it’s so difficult to teach. Show notes:
Quotes: “We often think about comprehension as a product, or something that happens after kids read, but … the ability for a student to build a model or a network of ideas or a picture in their mind happens while they're reading.” —Anne Lucas “You know, you don't have to completely change your curriculum; you don't have to completely change the way you're teaching.” —Anne Lucas “Comprehension is making sense and meaning while you read, so you have the ability to discuss, analyze, and form an opinion about something after you read it.” —Anne Lucas Episode timestamps* | |||
| S5-E5: Implementing Multi-Tiered Systems of Support with Dr. Brittney Bills | 20 Apr 2022 | 00:56:16 | |
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. | |||
| S5-E4: What bilingualism can teach us with Dr. Doris Baker | 06 Apr 2022 | 00:40:33 | |
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! | |||
| S5-E3: The right assessment and the right data with Dr. Jan Hasbrouck | 23 Mar 2022 | 00:56:57 | |
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! | |||
| S5-E2: Biliteracy and assessment with Dr. Lillian Durán | 09 Mar 2022 | 00:33:06 | |
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. “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 0:30: Introduction: Who is Dr. Lillian Durán *Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute | |||
| S5-E1: The right to read: Lacey Robinson | 23 Feb 2022 | 01:03:12 | |
Host Susan Lambert is joined by Lacey Robinson, CEO of UnboundEd, who opens the podcast by telling her personal story of learning to read and describing how literacy empowered her to pursue education reform. She emphasizes the responsibility that educational practitioners and leaders have and describes the literacy experiences of Black students. She also outlines what productive struggle should look like in the classroom, encouraging educators to enable more rigorous reading opportunities. Estimated timestamps* | |||
| S4-E16: Celebrating changemakers: Science of Reading Star Award winners | 09 Feb 2022 | 01:05:32 | |
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. “When you’re helping teachers and supporting other people’s classrooms, you do as much as you can.” —Alli Rice Show notes: Read Brittney’s spotlight. Read Alli’s spotlight. Read Anila’s spotlight. Read Cathy’s spotlight. | |||
| S4-E15: How to motivate middle schoolers: Kamilah Simpson | 26 Jan 2022 | 00:44:04 | |
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.
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| S4-E14: What it takes to be a literacy education changemaker: Kareem Weaver | 12 Jan 2022 | 01:09:24 | |
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. Show Notes: FULCRUM: Full and Complete Reading is a Universal Mandate | |||
| S4-E13: Revisiting a conversation with Dr. Nancy Nelson | 29 Dec 2021 | 00:48:42 | |
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. “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 | |||
| S4-E12: A conversation on growing up with dyslexia with 10th grader Hadyn Fleming | 15 Dec 2021 | 00:54:58 | |
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. Rocky Mountain Camp for Kids with Dyslexia | |||
| Unlocking reading: Comprehension strategies vs. knowledge building, with Daniel Willingham, Ph.D. | 18 Jun 2025 | 00:42:51 | |
In this episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Susan Lambert welcomes back researcher and author Daniel Willingham, Ph.D., to discuss reading comprehension. With only so much instruction time in the day and research supporting both comprehension strategies and knowledge building, it can be tough to know what to prioritize in the classroom. Daniel holds nothing back in outlining exactly where educators should focus their time. Together, he and Susan explore the limitations of comprehension strategies, the place for critical thinking skills in relationship to knowledge, and recognizing when messaging around knowledge has gone too far. Show notes:
Quotes: “Your brain is really good at only bringing out the information from long-term memory that is relevant for the context. All of that's happening outside of awareness.” —Daniel Willingham, Ph.D. “When reading is really humming, when it's really working well, it's like visual perception. You're just enjoying the view and you're oblivious to all of the cognitive machinery in the background that's letting you see.” —Daniel Willingham, Ph.D. “Expecting that knowledge-rich curriculum is going to solve all problems… that's [not] what a reading program is. No, a reading program is multifaceted and needs to have lots of components.” —Daniel Willingham, Ph.D. “Knowledge accrues slowly and it's going to take a while. You need to be patient.” —Daniel Willingham, Ph.D. Episode timestamps* | |||
| S4-E11 Building resilience through routine, relationships, and regulation in the classroom: Ricky Robertson | 01 Dec 2021 | 00:45:01 | |
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. 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] | |||
| S4-E10: What we’ve learned and the guests we’re grateful for | 17 Nov 2021 | 00:35:34 | |
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. Podcast Episode 7: Julie Washington Podcast Episode 8: Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan Podcast Episode 9: Nadine Gaab | |||
| S4-E9: Dyslexia and developmental trajectories: Dr. Nadine Gaab | 03 Nov 2021 | 00:34:04 | |
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. Show Notes: Gaab Lab - myths about dyslexia , by Nadine Gaab National Center for Improving Literacy Video - How the brain learns to read by Nadine Gaab | |||
| S4-08: Empowering multilingual learners: Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan | 20 Oct 2021 | 01:06:16 | |
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. “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
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
3:00: Who is Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan? | |||
| S4-07: Linguistic Variety and Dialects: Difference, not error: Julie Washington | 06 Oct 2021 | 00:57:56 | |
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.
“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:
Episode timestamps* | |||
| S4-06: Educator voices: Personal journeys through the Science of Reading | 22 Sep 2021 | 00:37:02 | |
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. Sink or Swim: The Appearance of Reading by Lindsay Kemeny Quotes: “I love the phrase we have in the Science of Reading community: Know better, do better.” —Lindsay Kemeny 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.
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| S4-05: Reading as Liberation: Sue Pimentel | 08 Sep 2021 | 00:52:45 | |
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. 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/ | |||
| S4-04: Learning to Read Digitally vs. in Print: Dr. Lauren Trakhman & Dr. Patricia Alexander | 25 Aug 2021 | 00:52:14 | |
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. Patricia A. Alexander Bio and research 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/ | |||
| S4-03: Learning disabilities and their emotional impact: Dr. Sheila Clonan | 11 Aug 2021 | 00:53:32 | |
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. “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 | |||
| S4-02: Ensuring literacy success for all: Dr. Tracy Weeden | 28 Jul 2021 | 00:46:46 | |
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. “Quality of life and literacy are intrinsically tied to one another.” Resources: | |||
| The truth behind learning, with Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D. | 04 Jun 2025 | 00:48:44 | |
In this episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Susan Lambert is joined by Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D. He’s a teacher, instructional coach, and author of the recent book Harnessing the Science of Learning: Success Stories to Help Kickstart Your School Improvement. Emphasizing the science of learning as an ever-growing resource for updating instruction practices, he provides a comprehensive look at how knowledge powers learning, how to identify knowledge-rich curricula, how cognitive load affects learning, and how to understand several common learning misconceptions. Show notes:
Quotes: “The greatest thing about the science of learning is that it's never really gonna be finished. Much like the science of reading, it's constantly being updated and it's something that we should be constantly turning to.” –Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D. “When we have knowledge at our fingertips—or in this case, in our synapses—ready to be used, we can overcome all these limitations that cognitive load theory talks about.” –Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D. “We're kidding ourselves a little bit if we think that we can replace that rich content knowledge with generic skills and generic competencies.” –Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D. Episode timestamps* | |||
| S4-01: Applying the Science of Reading at any grade level: Laura Cusack | 14 Jul 2021 | 00:45:12 | |
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: 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 | |||
| S3-13. Deconstructing the Rope: A look back at Season 3 | 30 Jun 2021 | 00:35:38 | |
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. | |||
| S3-12. Fostering accessible instruction for all: DeJunne’ Clark Jackson | 16 Jun 2021 | 00:44:53 | |
Join DeJunne’ Clark Jackson, vice president of program development for the Center for Development and Learning, as she talks about delivering instruction all students can access. She also urges listeners to foster better experiences for educators and students. Finally, she speaks on the connection between the Science of Reading and dyslexia. Plain Talk Conference | |||
| S3-11. Continuously improving literacy instruction: Alana Mangham | 02 Jun 2021 | 00:43:22 | |
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. “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 Narrowing the Third Grade Reading Gap | EAB Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community. | |||
| S3-10. Deconstructing the Rope: Language structures with Kate Cain | 19 May 2021 | 00:47:14 | |
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 | |||
| S3-09. Deconstructing the Rope: Vocabulary with Nancy Hennessy | 05 May 2021 | 00:47:05 | |
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 | |||
| S3-08. Deconstructing the Rope: Language comprehension with Sonia Cabell | 21 Apr 2021 | 00:40:22 | |
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:
Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community. | |||
| S3-07. A Defining Movement: The Reading League on the Science of Reading, with Maria Murray | 07 Apr 2021 | 01:02:31 | |
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.” Show notes: Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community. | |||
| S3-06. Deconstructing the Rope: Background knowledge with Susan Neuman | 24 Mar 2021 | 00:40:32 | |
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.” Resources: Book: "Giving Our Children a Fighting Chance" by Susan Neuman. More books in the link. Article: The information book flood: Is additional exposure enough to support early literacy development? by Susan Neuman | |||
| S3-05. Deconstructing the Rope: Sight recognition with Dr. Bruce McCandliss | 10 Mar 2021 | 00:54:42 | |
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:
Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community. | |||
| Science of Reading Essentials: Writing | 21 May 2025 | 00:35:47 | |
In this special Science of Reading Essentials episode, Susan Lambert pulls from past episodes of the podcast to give you everything you need to know about science-based writing instruction. Experts include Steve Graham, Ed.D.; Young-Suk Grace Kim, Ed.D.; Natalie Wexler; and Judith Hochman, Ed.D. Listeners will walk away from this episode with a solid foundation for creating a classroom of confident and capable writers, and gain a better understanding of the connection between reading and writing, the role of handwriting and spelling, the power of sentences, and the importance of applying cognitive load theory to writing. Show notes:
Quotes: “This is not learned by osmosis. And it's not learned by vague feedback, like, ‘make it better’ or ‘add more details.’ You've got to be very granular.” —Judith Hochman, Ed.D. "What we see with exceptional teachers is they have their kids write." —Steve Graham, Ed.D. “The Science of Reading encapsulates decades of research about both reading and writing—because if writing was never invented, we would not have to teach kids how to read.” —Susan Lambert Episode timestamps* | |||
| S3-04. Plain Talk: Making the Shift to the Science of Reading in Your District | 24 Feb 2021 | 00:56:34 | |
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:
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| S3-03. Deconstructing the Rope: Decoding with Louisa Moats | 10 Feb 2021 | 00:49:47 | |
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.” | |||
| S3-02. Deconstructing the Rope: Word recognition with Alice Wiggins | 27 Jan 2021 | 00:38:33 | |
Join Alice Wiggins, vice president of instructional design and products at UnboundEd, in the second episode of our Deconstructing the Rope series as she unwinds word recognition, a strand of Scarborough’s Reading Rope. Alice also highlights the importance of explicit phonics instruction and urges listeners to advocate for an aligned curriculum to bring forth a systematic 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:
Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community. | |||
| S3-01. Deconstructing the Rope: An Introduction with Dr. Jane Oakhill | 13 Jan 2021 | 00:52:14 | |
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 | |||
| S2-09. Unveiling insights from assessment data: Danielle Damico | 30 Dec 2020 | 00:36:44 | |
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: | |||
| S2-08. Behind the scenes of the National Reading Panel: Tim Shanahan | 16 Dec 2020 | 00:47:16 | |
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.” Show notes:
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| S2-07. Research, comprehension, and content-rich literacy instruction: Sonia Cabell | 02 Dec 2020 | 00:53:00 | |
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.
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| S2-06. Fostering growth and instructional change: Kelly Moran | 18 Nov 2020 | 00:37:29 | |
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:
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| S2-05: The Right to Read Project on nurturing automatic readers: Margaret Goldberg and Alanna Mednick | 04 Nov 2020 | 00:57:30 | |
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:
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| S2-04. Telling the fuller story: Afrika Afeni Mills | 21 Oct 2020 | 00:40:42 | |
Join Afrika Afeni Mills—a leader at BetterLesson—as she discusses how to integrate 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.” Resources: Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community. | |||
| A guide to integrating knowledge building into your classroom, with Jackie Relyea, Ph.D. | 07 May 2025 | 00:43:36 | |
In this special episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Susan Lambert is joined by Jackie Relyea, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Literacy Education at North Carolina State University, who’ll give you a comprehensive guide to integrating background knowledge into your teaching as, you create a content-rich classroom. Jackie offers insights on why time-tested classroom staples such as read-alouds and word walls are effective tools for building background knowledge … and how to make them even better. She also digs into why vocabulary is just one facet of conceptual knowledge and what the research says about background knowledge for multilingual learners. Show notes:
Quotes: “Literacy for my students meant more than just reading and writing; it was about access, access to the world, and access to knowledge and opportunities, and even independence—finding their voices.” –Jackie Eunjung Relyea, Ph.D. “You can think of a schema like… mental maps or the frameworks that help us store and organize new information and knowledge. The richer and the more detailed your schema about a particular topic, the easier it is to understand and remember new information about it.” –Jackie Eunjung Relyea, Ph.D. “Vocabulary oftentimes is the tip of the iceberg of the whole: the conceptual knowledge. It's not a simple definition of the single word; it's really conceptual knowledge and understanding that is represented by the word.” –Jackie Eunjung Relyea, Ph.D. Episode timestamps* | |||
| S2-03. The Reading League and the science of reading: Maria Murray and Pamela Snow | 07 Oct 2020 | 01:00:53 | |
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 Resources:
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| S2-02. Reflecting on past literacy experiences: Tamara Morris & Justin Pita | 23 Sep 2020 | 00:34:36 | |
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. | |||
| S2-01. Confronting the data: Dr. LaTonya Goffney | 09 Sep 2020 | 00:43:59 | |
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. Show notes: The Knowledge Gap: The hidden cause of America's broken education system--and how to fix it by Natalie Wexler Quotes: “If you can read, you can go anywhere. Reading is a gateway to opportunity.” Episode timestamps* | |||