EDVIEW 360: Recent Episodes
Voyager Sopris Learning
Hosted by Pam Austin, these discussions will feature dialogues with experienced educators, inspiring thought leaders, social media influencers, and leading education innovators.
During this energizing EDVIEW360 episode, we welcome Michelle Sullivan—literacy coach, reading interventionist, and creator of The Colorful Classroom—for a conversation about what it truly takes to make evidence‑based literacy instruction engaging, meaningful, and human.
Drawing on more than a decade of experience supporting teachers and her signature COLORFUL philosophy, Sullivan shares how educators can bring both joy and rigor to the science of reading. She discusses why engagement is not an “extra,” how intentional use of language and design can deepen learning, and why morphology deserves a bigger place in everyday instruction. Sullivan also offers practical examples teachers can immediately use to help students connect with words, build knowledge, and feel successful as readers.
Listeners will hear Sullivan’s belief that literacy instruction should be vibrant, accessible, and rooted in research—and when educators blend the art and science of teaching, they create classrooms where every learner can thrive.
This conversation is perfect for teachers, literacy coaches, and leaders seeking to elevate instruction, strengthen student engagement, and bring more color—literally and figuratively—into their reading block.
What You Will Learn:
- How to bring joy and engagement back into literacy instruction using Sullivan’s COLORFUL approach to instruction along with her blend of creativity and evidence‑based practice
- Why language-rich classrooms accelerate reading growth, and how teachers can intentionally build vocabulary, background knowledge, and discourse into daily routines
- The power of morphology—and why teaching word parts helps all students, especially those who struggle, unlock meaning and confidence
- Practical ways to design lessons that are both structured and vibrant, ensuring students experience success while staying deeply engaged
- How to connect research to real classroom moments, making the science of reading feel doable, human, and energizing for teachers
- Strategies for supporting diverse learners through routines that honor students’ voices, build independence, and create a sense of belonging
- Why engagement is not an “extra” but a critical component of effective literacy instruction that strengthens attention, memory, and motivation
Award-winning actor, author, and nationally recognized dyslexia advocate Ameer Baraka joins EDVIEW360 for a powerful conversation about the life-changing impact of literacy, identity, and second chances. Diagnosed with dyslexia in his mid-20s while incarcerated, Baraka’s journey from illiteracy to Emmy-nominated actor and global advocate is a testament to the transformative power of education and the educators who refuse to let students slip through the cracks.
During this inspiring episode, Baraka reflects on the years he spent struggling in school without anyone recognizing his learning difference and how that silence shaped the trajectory of his youth. He shares the moment he finally received a diagnosis, the educators who helped him reclaim his confidence, and why he now dedicates his life to ensuring no child—especially those in underserved communities—goes unnoticed or unsupported.
You will hear Baraka’s insights about:
- How early, accurate identification of dyslexia can change a child’s life
- Why students who act out or disengage may be communicating an academic struggle
- What teachers can do to create safe, empowering spaces for learners who feel defeated
- How literacy became the key that unlocked his future
Along the way, Baraka also discusses his acting career—from ZATIMA to American Horror Story—and how his lived experience shapes the roles he chooses and the stories he tells. But at the heart of this conversation is his unwavering message: Every child deserves to be seen, supported, and believed in.
This episode is a must-listen for teachers, literacy leaders, and anyone committed to helping students overcome barriers and discover their potential. Baraka’s story reminds us that with the right support, every learner can rewrite their future.
If you’ve ever wondered why some students seem to “get” reading more easily than others—or why comprehension struggles persist even when decoding improves—this episode is for you. Join us for a dynamic, eye‑opening conversation with Dr. Tiffany Hogan, one of the most respected voices in literacy education and a leading expert on oral and written language development.
Dr. Hogan brings clarity, warmth, and deep expertise to a topic every educator needs to understand: Oral language is the foundation of all literacy. Long before children ever pick up a book, they are developing the linguistic systems that will shape how they read, write, think, and communicate. And that development doesn’t stop when school begins—it continues to evolve through every interaction, every read‑aloud, every conversation, and every exposure to written language.
During this lively discussion, Dr. Hogan explores:
- Why oral language begins before birth—and what that means for early learning
- How vocabulary, syntax, pragmatics, and listening comprehension work together to support reading
- Why the traditional “word gap” narrative misses the strengths children bring to school
- How to move beyond deficit thinking and recognize the linguistic richness in every student
- How read‑alouds bridge the “age gap” between what students can decode and what they can understand
- The remarkable, bidirectional relationship between reading and oral language
Whether you teach early childhood, elementary, or secondary students, this episode will deepen your understanding of how language develops—and how to nurture it in ways that accelerate literacy for all learners, including those with Developmental Language Disorder, dyslexia, and other language-based differences.
Tune in and be inspired by a researcher, clinician, and advocate whose work is reshaping how we think about reading. Dr. Hogan reminds us that when we honor the complexity and beauty of oral language, we give students far more than literacy skills—we give them the power to learn, connect, and thrive.
During this episode of EDVIEW360, we welcome Dr. Ann P. Kaiser, renowned professor at Vanderbilt University and one of the nation’s leading experts on early language development. With decades of groundbreaking research, Dr. Kaiser has illuminated how the earliest years of language learning—long before children enter school—lay the foundation for reading and academic success. Her work bridges developmental psychology, linguistics, and education, offering educators and administrators a holistic framework for understanding how language, cognition, and environment interact to shape learning outcomes.
Listeners will gain practical insights into how responsive adult-child interactions, linguistically rich environments, and intentional teaching strategies can transform early language development and, ultimately, reading proficiency. Dr. Kaiser’s contributions have not only advanced the science of reading but also provided educators with actionable tools to support diverse learners from the start.
Listeners will learn:
- Why language development in the first three years is a powerful predictor of later reading success
- How biology and environment interact to influence children’s language growth
- The role of responsive, linguistically rich adult-child interactions in accelerating development
- Practical strategies for supporting oral language skills in preschool and early elementary classrooms
- How early language differences can signal later reading challenges such as dyslexia or developmental language disorders
- Ways educators can strengthen oral vocabulary, syntax, and phonological awareness to support struggling readers
- How social-emotional and cognitive development are intertwined with language learning
- Why intentional teaching of language foundations is essential for equity and long-term student achievement
Join author and respected mathematics expert Dr. John Woodward for a provocative look at how technology—from microcomputers to AI—has shaped, challenged, and often overpromised its impact on math education. Drawing on decades of research and classroom experience, Dr. Woodward explores how shifts in computing power, curriculum design, and student motivation has influenced what we teach, how we teach it, and why it matters.
This session will begin by drawing on historical trends in educational computing to today’s much discussed and possibly overhyped promise: Can AI tutor students in math in ways that match if not exceed human capabilities? Parallels to this kind of promise can be found during the last 45 years since microcomputers emerged in education in the early 1980s. Dr. Woodward will also drill down into what tutoring and curriculum mean in light of AI.
What You’ll Learn
- How technology has historically influenced math instruction—and what’s different about AI
- Why motivation and mindset matter more than ever in today’s tech-saturated classrooms
- Why tutoring students who are struggling with this week’s material in math is a different issue from meeting the instructional needs of students who are months or years behind grade level
- What educators should consider before adopting AI tools for math learning
During this insightful episode of EDVIEW360, literacy expert Dr. Antonio Fierro joins us to unpack the critical role of Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) frameworks in ensuring explicit, Structured Literacy instruction reaches every learner. Dr. Fierro provides a clear, operational definition of language and explains the importance of embedding oracy across all language systems and across all tiers of instruction. His perspective highlights why collaboration between language and literacy is not optional—it is foundational to building equitable systems that serve all students.
Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of how Structured Literacy can be implemented with fidelity across Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 instruction, and why oracy, when intentionally embedded, is foundational to reading proficiency. With a special emphasis on English learners, Dr. Fierro challenges educators to rethink how language and literacy intersect, and how intentional, evidence-based practices can transform outcomes for diverse classrooms.
What You’ll Learn
- How a clear, operational definition of language strengthens MTSS by promoting coherence and consistency across Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 instruction
- Why oracy must be intentionally embedded across language systems and instructional tiers, rather than treated as a standalone or developmental component
- How Structured Literacy instruction, when aligned with oracy, better supports reading proficiency—particularly for English learners
- Practical ways educators can foster meaningful collaboration between language and literacy to improve outcomes for all students
In this powerful episode, two of the most respected voices in literacy education—Dr. Louisa Moats and Dr. Tim Odegard—come together to discuss the urgent need for systemic change in how reading is taught, understood, and supported across the U.S. Drawing from decades of research, policy work, and classroom experience, they explore the persistent gaps between what science tells us about reading and what many educators are still expected to implement. Their conversation is candid, evidence-based, and deeply rooted in a shared commitment to literacy as a civil right.
Dr. Moats reflects on the evolution of her work, including the impact of her seminal paper “Teaching Reading Is Rocket Science,” and the barriers that continue to prevent widespread adoption of structured literacy. Dr. Odegard brings a complementary perspective from his leadership at the Tennessee Center for the Study and Treatment of Dyslexia, highlighting the importance of teacher preparation, data transparency, and the moral imperative to serve all learners—including those with dyslexia. Together, they challenge assumptions, clarify misconceptions, and call for courageous leadership at every level of education.
Listeners will walk away with a renewed understanding of what it means to teach reading well, and a renewed understanding of what is necessary to capitalize on the lessons of reading science.. This episode is essential for educators, administrators, policymakers, and advocates who want to move beyond buzzwords and toward meaningful, measurable change.
What Dr. Moats and Dr. Odegard will discuss:
- Why “Teaching Reading Is Rocket Science” remains relevant today
- Priorities for improving implementation of evidence-aligned instruction
- Why higher education holds the key to sustaining literacy reform and preparing future teacher educators
- What the national landscape of dyslexia laws reveals about progress—and what’s still missing in impact research
- Why current policies overemphasize foundational print skills while neglecting morphological and etymological depth in spelling and word study
- How oral language and comprehension continue to be overlooked in screening, curriculum adoption, and teacher preparation
- What Kansas and Ohio’s systemic literacy blueprints teach us about building coherent, statewide literacy systems
Join this fascinating discussion about intensive intervention and how educators can best help students who struggle with literacy, including English learners. Our guest Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan will share inspiring and useful insights about the topic. As Cárdenas-Hagan says, “Literacy is a human right, and all students, including those who are linguistically diverse, should have access to Structured Literacy.” Our discussion about this instructional approach will illustrate how it is the bridge to equity, because it includes the foundational skills of reading and writing in addition to the development of oral language and comprehension in an explicit and systematic manner.
This lively discussion with Dr. Cárdenas-Hagan will explore: How students who struggle with learning to read need extended opportunities for learning and practice; Ways educators can appropriately intervene at Tier 2 and Tier 3; How multilingual learners benefit from the use of cross-linguistic features within this instructional approach.
Listeners will learn:
- Adjustments all teachers can make for ELLs
- How to apply research to practice
- How to collaborate for better results and better outcomes
- Why more interdisciplinary work is needed in intervention
Join us for this insightful and inspiring discussion with a true literacy hero Margaret Goldberg, co-founder of The Right to Read Project. During this podcast, we’ll talk with Goldberg about the next step in the science of reading movement: Educators moving from research consumers to active research participants. While there’s been progress bringing research awareness to classrooms, we now face a moment where the future of reading science depends on practitioner involvement.
This episode examines how educators have moved from implementing prescribed practices to actively seeking evidence-based approaches, and why this momentum can’t stagnate. With uncertain federal support for education research, we must bridge the “last mile” between research and practice—the phase that matters most to students and teachers.
Drawing from personal experiences, this episode reveals what it means to move from research consumer to research contributor, including the moments that change how educators view and engage with scientific evidence. We’ll discuss research-to-practice partnerships and how thinking like a scientist can change classroom implementation.
Listeners will learn:
- Where the science of reading movement stands today
- Why this isn’t another pendulum swing in education
- The importance of bridging the “last mile” between research and practice
- What it feels like to move from research consumer to active participant
- Practical steps for joining research-to-practice partnerships
- How to approach classroom implementation with a scientific mindset
- Why practitioner involvement is essential for sustaining progress
- Strategies for participating in science
Essential listening for educators, administrators, and literacy advocates ready to help shape the future of reading instruction and ensure research continues to benefit students in classrooms.
The “science of reading” often gets reduced to “phonics,” but there’s a lot of science that relates to reading comprehension as well.
If we look at typical comprehension instruction through the lens of cognitive science, it becomes clear that we’ve unintentionally made reading and writing much harder than they need to be by separating them from each other and from content-area instruction.
But cognitive science also tells us that a content-rich curriculum combined with explicit, manageable writing instruction can provide all the benefits of science-informed instruction and more. If we break down the artificial walls separating reading, writing, and learning, we can enable all students to reach their full potential.
Listeners will learn:
- Why we need to do more than “fix phonics” if we want all students to become fully literate
- How we’ve been making reading and writing harder than they need to be
- Why it’s not possible to apply principles grounded in cognitive science to typical comprehension instruction
- How a content-rich curriculum combined with explicit writing instruction can provide all the benefits of science-informed instruction—and more
Join us for this informative and enlightening podcast as we delve into the complexities and nuances of the Simple View of Reading (SVR). Our distinguished guest, Dr. Wesley Hoover, will explore how SVR remains a foundational cognitive theory that effectively captures the critical relationship between language comprehension and word recognition in determining reading comprehension.
Dr. Hoover will discuss the key elements of the SVR, clarifying its purpose as a cognitive theory rather than a mere description or heuristic. Our conversation will reveal common misconceptions about reading, emphasizing that while it may seem simple, the interplay of its two critical components—word recognition and language comprehension—reveals a much richer complexity. Dr. Hoover will also introduce the Cognitive Foundations Framework (CFF), an extension of the SVR that expands our understanding of the skills and abilities required for achieving effective reading.
Whether you’re a teacher, an administrator, or simply passionate about literacy, this podcast offers a deeper understanding of what it truly means to learn to read, the cognitive capacities involved, and how we can better support learners on their journey.
Listeners will learn:
- An understanding of the SVR and its importance in reading comprehension research
- The complexities and limitations of the SVR, including some unanswered questions about reading skills and development
- The roles of word recognition and language comprehension as the two essential proximal capacities necessary for reading success
- Details about the Cognitive Foundations Framework (CFF) and how it serves to expand the SVR’s insights about reading skills
- Effective strategies and approaches for reading instruction and remediation based on the insights derived from the SVR and CFF
- Practical applications for educators and parents to better support learners and foster reading proficiency
Tune in for this thought-provoking conversation that will challenge assumptions and celebrate the intricacies of reading! Listeners will leave with a richer understanding of the cognitive foundations of reading and how to apply this knowledge in various educational contexts.
Join us for this fascinating discussion with David Kilpatrick, Ph.D., who has spent most of his career studying how we learn to read and the most effective ways to teach literacy. Dr. Kilpatrick explains how, with the right knowledge and tools, teachers can change lives because most word-level reading problems are correctable, and if we start early, preventable.
The discussion will focus on how children learn to read and remember words and why some children struggle. Understanding the nature of word-level reading development and word-level reading problems will guide assessment, instruction, and intervention. Dr. Kilpatrick will emphasize how helping educators establish a knowledge base allows them to implement more effective instructional and intervention practices.
Listeners will learn:
- How students turn unfamiliar words into familiar and instantly accessible written words
- Why some students struggle in remembering written words
- How to help students who struggle in word-level reading
And more!
In this insightful episode, we sit down with Dr. Maria Murray, CEO of The Reading League, to explore the transformative impact of evidence-aligned literacy instruction. Passionate about ensuring all students have access to effective reading education, Dr. Murray shares her journey, discusses the science of reading, and highlights why early intervention is key—especially for students struggling with dyslexia or learning English.
Join us as we uncover:
- The importance of early intervention and how it shapes literacy success
- How The Reading League is helping educators shift to evidence-aligned instruction
- Strategies to support struggling readers, including those with dyslexia
- Practical guidelines and tools for educators looking to improve reading outcomes
This is a must-listen for educators, school leaders, and literacy advocates dedicated to making reading instruction accessible, equitable, and impactful.
Listen now and be part of the conversation on literacy transformation
Join us for this fascinating discussion about literacy, struggling secondary readers, and how to structure the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to give adolescents their best opportunity to catch up to grade level and move toward a successful future.
Our guest, Michelle Elia, a nationally recognized literacy professional development provider and advocate for adolescent literacy, will discuss key components of MTSS at the secondary level and will share ways teachers can plan for successful literacy interventions. With inspiring direction, Elia will discuss challenges and successes from the field following her work in Ohio schools.
Listeners will learn:
- Critical components of MTSS, specifically at the secondary level
- How to leverage assessment data to determine student skill deficits
- The importance of aligning interventions with student needs
- Instructional practices that can be implemented in core instruction across content areas to prevent further reading difficulties and support struggling readers
We hope you’ll join us for this informative and applicable presentation!
Supporting older, novice readers requires more than just phonics or comprehension strategies—it demands a multicomponent intervention approach. Students need structured instruction in vocabulary, syntax, text processing, and writing when working with complex texts. But for this to be effective, intervention must be intentional, well-planned, and fully supported.
During this episode, Dr. Mitchell Brookins, a nationally recognized literacy practitioner, shares insights from a middle school in New Orleans, where a multicomponent intervention transformed how students engaged with rigorous texts. He breaks down why successful intervention isn’t just about what happens in the classroom—it also requires:
✅ A Structured Framework—A clear instructional model that ensures students get explicit, systematic instruction in vocabulary, syntax, text processing, and writing.
✅ Intentional Text Selection—Choosing texts that are both rigorous and accessible, ensuring they build students’ literacy skills while maintaining engagement.
✅ A Strong Coaching System—Teachers need consistent guidance and professional learning to sustain and refine their instructional practices—intervention is too vital for teachers to navigate alone.
If you’re working with older struggling readers, this episode will challenge conventional approaches to intervention and equip you with the tools to help students succeed with complex texts—no matter their starting point.
Join us as we talk with Lindsay Kemeny, a parent, elementary school teacher, and author of, 7 Mighty Moves. In this inspiring and eye-opening discussion, Kemeny shares her journey into science-based reading after her son was diagnosed with dyslexia and depression. Kemeny will discuss the key changes she made in her classroom after taking a deep dive into effective literacy instruction.
As this conversation explores the intricacies of effective reading instruction supported by comprehensive research, Kemeny shares evidence-based “moves” that will give you a road map to elevate your teaching practices. Through real-world examples and interactive discussions, this conversation will help you build confidence in your reading instruction.
We’ll explore:
- Research-backed methodologies for effective reading instruction
- Practical, evidence-based teaching moves
- Ways to develop confidence in reading instruction
Join us for an enlightening episode of EDVIEW360 Realizing the Promise of Reading Science by Staying the Course, where we bring together two pivotal figures in literacy education, Dr. Reid Lyon and Dr. Louisa Moats. These nationally recognized literacy experts share their invaluable insights about teaching children to read, addressing the intricate balance between what we know and what we practice. They’ll offer their views on progress in the field, and what else needs to happen to ensure widespread implementation of informed teaching that will lead to lasting gains for all students.
During this compelling conversation, Dr. Lyon and Dr. Moats reflect on the progress made in understanding the science of reading, the barriers that still exist in translating replicated
scientific findings into practice, and the solutions required to overcome these barriers. They delve into the complexities of decision-making in education, emphasizing the need for informed, evidence-based practices. Despite significant advancements, they acknowledge the ongoing gap in teacher knowledge and training, calling for a clinical model that fosters mentorship, collaboration, and feedback based on the development and implementation of a common professional language.
Listeners will gain an understanding of Dr. Lyon's “10 Maxims” of practice derived from research as well as the basis for Dr. Moats's “speech to print” approach to instruction. The discussion will also highlight successful programs and initiatives that are paving the way for a brighter future in literacy education.
This episode is a must-listen for educators, administrators, and anyone passionate about closing the gap between literacy research and practice. Tune in to be inspired and equipped with actionable strategies to advance literacy and give every child the confidence and right to read.
Join us for an engaging and insightful conversation with DeJunne’ Clark Jackson, president of The Center for Literacy & Learning and a renowned literacy advocate. Clark Jackson will share strategies to break down barriers in delivering accessible instruction and interventions to students. She will delve into the complexities of dyslexia and other challenges that can impact a student’s journey in learning to read.
Clark Jackson will inspire listeners to recognize and address biases within and beyond the classroom, fostering better outcomes for both educators and students. In this session, she connects the science of reading to dyslexia, explains the foundations of equitable instruction, and offers evidence-based strategies that can be implemented immediately to help every child overcome reading challenges and thrive.
This conversation is a must for administrators and classroom teachers looking to make a difference. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from Clark Jackson as she shares:
- Cooperative strategies and accessible instruction for all
- The importance of the science of reading as the bedrock for dyslexia support
- Evidence-based practices that engage students and families
For decades, researchers have emphasized the strong connection between reading and writing, both in theory and practice. Multiple studies demonstrate that writing improves comprehension. What has been less clear is what particular writing practices research supports as being effective at improving students’ reading.
Our guest, respected researcher and author Dr. Steve Graham, will discuss the research he conducted (Graham and Hebert, 2010) that illustrates how writing, and the way it’s taught, improves students’ reading comprehension, and the strategies educators should apply to ensure literacy success.
Join us for this lively conversation where you’ll learn from a true trailblazer when it comes to writing and how it impacts learning to read.
Attendees will learn:
- How infrequent writing and lack of explicit writing instruction can negatively impact learning to read
- Why teachers of reading need to emphasize writing in the classroom in the earliest grades and across content areas
- Why writing is a critical skill, important in its own right; consistent writing time and instruction improves reading comprehension
- Why more classroom time is necessary for writing
Writing is the most challenging literacy skill to teach and to learn. Teachers who understand the connection of the science of reading and the reciprocal impact of reading and writing are ready to meet the challenge of teaching this complex skill.
Join us for this fascinating discussion about the symbiotic relationship between learning to read and writing. Our expert, a career educator and writing expert, will share how both reading and writing require systematic, explicit instruction that can and should be an integrated part of daily student life.
All students can benefit from strategic reading and writing strategies that focus on the foundational writing skills from basic to complex sentence writing, an understanding of text structure, paragraph, multiparagraph, and essay writing. Let our expert tell you how!
Our expert will share:
- The connection of writing to the science of reading, based on the Reading Rope
- How the research (by Graham & Herbert, 2011) illustrates how reading and writing support one another and how writing about reading leads to improvements in a student's reading ability
- Why systematic and explicit instruction is critical to build skilled writers
- How writing instruction supports all populations of students—general education, those with IEPs, English learners, gifted and talented, and emergent young scholars
Join us for this fascinating and informative conversation with Dr. Patricia Vadasy, researcher and literacy expert, as we explore phonics instruction, and the research behind it. We will consider the critical nature of alphabet knowledge in teaching young learners how to read and spell words. Throughout her career, Dr. Vadasy has worked to develop effective approaches to early phonics instruction. More recently, she published her research about instructional details that enhance phonics instruction, and effective approaches and details of preschool alphabet instruction. Her school-based intervention research has been funded since 1998 with grants from the U. S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences.
For classroom teachers and administrators who are determined to give early learners the best possible foundation to become successful readers, this conversation will give you the facts behind phonics instruction, the strategies, and impetus to move forward knowing your instruction is the best it can be.
Dr. Vadasy will review and discuss:
- The National Reading Panel findings about effective features of phonics instruction, including explicit, systematic, and synthetic phonics instruction
- How the research informs effective phonics instruction, including applying taught letter-sound correspondences and application to beginning decoding
- Individual differences in learning these skills and where students struggle
- The benefits of practice in reading words in isolation and in sentence and story contexts
- Providing student support in the classroom and in supplemental instruction
Dyslexia represents the most common and prevalent of all known learning disabilities and impacts approximately one in five individuals (National Institute of Health). A teacher who understands dyslexia can be the one person who saves a child from years of frustration and anxiety. In this engaging and informative podcast, literacy expert Barbara Steinberg will translate research into practice, providing teachers with the knowledge, tools, and strategies to help students with dyslexia become confident and capable readers.
Our conversation will cover:
- Myths and misconceptions about dyslexia
- Characteristics of dyslexia
- The power of early intervention
- Characteristics of effective intervention
- Accommodations that level the playing field
Join this lively discussion with Dr. Amy Murdoch, founding director of the Mount St. Joseph Center for Reading Science, as we explore the need for the application of the science of reading with our youngest learners.
Dr. Murdoch will share why and how educators should apply the principles of the science of reading in preschool and into kindergarten, and the critical nature of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) in every grade and at every stage of learning.
Dr. Murdoch’s commitment to helping pre-service educators move to the science of reading has been constant and admirable. Her work includes an open-source preschool curriculum and application of a grant to support preK–3 reading outcomes.
Listen as we talk to the inspirational Dr. Murdoch about her work with young readers, future teachers of reading, and her experiences co-teaching a graduate course with Dr. Anita Archer.
We’ll discuss:
- Examples of how MTSS can be implemented in preK–3 classrooms
- The application of the science of reading in preschool
- Building a SoR graduate and doctoral program that attracts students from across the country
The large body of empirical research known as the science of reading can be leveraged to create effective intervention systems within the Multi-Tiered System of Supports
(MTSS.) Join us for this informative, inspiring conversation with Dr. Stephanie Stollar, as she offers guidance about evaluating, selecting, and implementing intervention programs. As the new school year kicks off, you’ll find this conversation to be incredibly timely and helpful!
Our discussion will include how to select reading interventions aligned with research and with students' needs. Key aspects of intervention implementation will be shared, including schedule, educator knowledge, and coaching. Finally, Dr. Stollar will share ways to use adult implementation data and student outcome data to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.
Listeners will learn:
- How to select reading interventions aligned to research and matched to student needs
- How to implement reading interventions for maximum results
- How to evaluate the effectiveness of reading interventions
- What to look for in an effective intervention program
- When intervention is needed and for how long
Featured Download
- Guidance for Selecting, Implementing, and Evaluating Reading Interventions
Are you interested in learning how you can create a system that supports reading instruction and intervention in your school or district to ensure every student has the best chance at literacy success? This discussion is for you!
This enlightening discussion will focus on the successful Reading by Grade 3 initiative in the Bethlehem Area School District and the strategies and methods behind the district’s approach to instruction and intervention. Our guest, an expert in literacy education who’s been instrumental in shifting the district’s approach to reading instruction and intervention, will share how educators used assessment data to ensure every student is successfully learning to read and write and overcome challenges—regardless of cause.
Our expert will share:
- The importance of having systems and structures in place
- The importance of teacher and administrator knowledge about using data
- The route to getting the best, most useful data
- How to tailor instruction and intervention once the data is in your hands
- When and how to implement intervention
- What to do when intervention isn’t working
We know students thrive on routine, but how does the concept of routine work in the classroom setting during phonics instruction? Join us as we explore what the ideal classroom environment should look like, sound like, and be like during foundational skills lessons. Picture this: Students eagerly engaged in activities like listening, repeating, decoding, encoding, and applying skills to text.
Jessica Farmer of Farmer Loves Phonics will highlight several routines for different aspects of the primary reading block and what literacy coaches, administrators, and others should look for during an observation of these lessons—and how to help classroom teachers integrate these routines.
During this episode, you'll discover:
- What phonics instruction looks like and sounds like in the primary classroom
- Lesson structure breakdown for whole-group instruction
- Routines for decoding and encoding practice
- The benefits of choral response during word blending, dictation, and fluency practice exercises
School change is hard…but it can be done! Join us as we talk about what it takes to transform a school’s culture of practice to be more aligned with the scientific evidence base on reading, and why it’s worth the effort. Dr. Heidi Beverine-Curry of The Reading League will share how a single school or entire district can transition successfully to teaching reading based on science, and how that transition can dramatically improve overall literacy and student outcomes.
Join us as we discuss:
- What it takes to transform a school toward alignment with the scientific evidence base on reading
- Common obstacles and tips for overcoming them
- Examples of what is possible from The Reading League’s real-life work with schools
We know from decades of rigorous research how students learn to read and how they should be taught. Nevertheless, many elements of evidence-based reading instruction are missing from K–2 classrooms. Join this fascinating and applicable discussion with one of education’s most respected researchers, Dr. Barbara Foorman, as she shares the research-based facts about what is often missing and how to rectify that in the school or classroom.
Dr. Foorman will share a range of helpful curriculum specifics, word-identification strategies, differentiation, and more.
Listeners will leave this discussion with new understanding of:
- What's missing in K–2 reading instruction?
- How to fill the gaps in K–2 reading instruction with evidence-based practices
- Ways to differentiate instruction so all students learn to read
- The importance of (a) privileging word-identification strategies over picture and syntactic cues to ensure accurate word identification, and (b) handwriting fluency
- Strategies to apply in the classroom by using assessment data to form flexible reading groups and to encourage writing in support of reading
In this conversation, Dr. Pamela Snow will discuss oral language in early childhood and across the school years, with a focus on its importance and role in developing, and being developed by, reading skills. She will also discuss the importance of applying public health principles to early reading instruction, to maximize success for all through evidence-based reading instruction and support.
Language and literacy are a two-way street that is not always well understood. Oral language abilities promote reading abilities and vice versa, and as research has shown, early reading success loops back to oral language skills. How can educators use this knowledge to help ALL students learn to read?
Join this fascinating conversation with Dr. Snow, a respected researcher, author, and professor of cognitive psychology in the School of Education at La Trobe University in Australia. She will share her experience and insight into research findings about why early oral language skills are the essential engine children need to bring to school (and indeed, have strengthened through their school experiences). Dr. Snow will discuss why children need to be exposed to more complex vocabulary and syntactic structures than typical conversation affords, and how teachers of these early learners can help their students master the skills they need to become lifelong readers and communicators.
In this podcast, you’ll learn:
- How decoding and language comprehension need to work together in reading acquisition and ongoing development
- Ways to incorporate explicit teaching of morphology and etymology in early stages of systematic phonics instruction
- Why children who do master reading early have a lasting edge on those who do not
- What teachers of early learners can do every day to help students build both oral and reading skills
- Importance of the scientific method in informing policy and practice in schools and the importance of avoiding pseudoscientific approaches, no matter how appealing they may seem
Join us for this interesting conversation with our guest Literacy Expert Susan Ebbers who will share the research and strategies surrounding learning to read.
Ebbers will illustrate how research supports the entwining of phonology, orthography, morphology, and vocabulary when teaching children to read, and to read more capably and with greater comprehension; and how this type of multidimensional approach is even more effective when integrated within the context of phrases, sentences, passages, and stories. Ebbers will also discuss the role self-efficacy plays in nurturing a motivation to read despite difficulties.
She will share ways to help students build skills systematically while also building confidence as well as strategies to:
- Reinforce basic decoding and “sight word” recognition
- Reinforce phonics, including polysyllabic decoding, in context
- Develop vocabulary and basic morphological awareness
- Engage interest and boost self-efficacy within the context of reading
We hope you will join us for this important conversation.
Featured Download
- Integrating Language Components: Examples from Power Readers®
Join us for this lively and informative discussion between two literacy powerhouses. Dr. Claude Goldenberg, a bilingual literacy expert and author, and Dr. Louisa Moats, author of Speech to Print, Spellography, and creator of LANGUAGE! Live® and LETRS®, as they explore the universals for teaching children to read in any language. What does reading science tell us about how students learn to read in a language other than their own? Is there a science of reading instruction that is applicable across language contexts?
Our experts will discuss the relationship between oral and written language learning and the implications of this relationship for teaching students with varied language backgrounds. They will also explore the common debates still being resolved within the EL teaching community and how to ensure the best literacy learning for every child—regardless of their native language.
Our guests will discuss:
- Universal principles and guidelines for teaching children to read and write in any language
- Some fundamental ideas and practices about teaching ELs that any teacher should know
- The role of oral language comprehension and use when learning to read and write in a second language
- Chronic gaps between white, black, and Hispanic students in the U.S., and evidence to support doing more to help students who are not achieving.
Join this robust discussion about the key features of the Structured Literacy approach proven to work for students with dyslexia. Listeners will learn useful strategies and classroom tips with an emphasis on mastery learning and student outcomes.
Our expert will discuss:
- What is taught in the Structured Literacy approach
- How the Structured Literacy approach is taught
- Why Structured Literacy is proven for students with literacy challenges
- The difference between Structured Literacy and typical literacy practices
- Strategies and activities for the classroom
For people who have seen the documentary The Right to Read, you’ve heard of Kareem Weaver because his work is featured in the film produced by LaVar Burton. Weaver is an Oakland-based activist with the NAACP, and as an experienced educator his mission is to create a world where all children can read.
Join us for this inspiring conversation as we talk with Weaver about dyslexia, the science of reading, and what American schools need to do to help all students read at grade level. Our discussion will cover why literacy gaps are especially pronounced among certain students, the need for early diagnosis of dyslexia, and what educational changes Weaver continually fights for in his quest to help all students learn to read. Weaver brings unique insight to this discussion from a parent’s perspective because his daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia as an older student, and as an educator who knows literacy is a right every person is entitled to.
When John Hattie’s original Visible Learning® book was published in 2008, it instantly became a sensation. Recently, this revolutionary educator returned to his groundbreaking work and published a new edition. The research underlying Hattie’s book is now informed by more than 2,100 meta-analyses (more than double that of the original), drawn from more than 130,000 studies, and has involved more than 400 million students from around the world.
If you’ve read the book, you know this is more than just a new edition. This book is a sequel that highlights the major story, taking in the big picture to reflect on the implementation in schools of Visible Learning, how it has been understood—and at times misunderstood—and what future directions research should take.
Join us as we talk with Hattie about the need for education to move beyond claiming what works to what works best by asking crucial questions like: Why is the current grammar of schooling so embedded in so many classrooms, and can we improve it? Why is the learning curve for teachers after the first few years so flat? How can we develop teacher mindframes to focus more on learning and listening? How can we incorporate research evidence as part of the discussions within schools?
During the podcast, we will discuss these topics:
- What Hattie means by visible learning
- Three ways of making learning visible: student voice, student artifacts, test scores, and how the teacher interprets that information, and decides where to go next with a student’s learning
- The importance of play in early learning
- The need for intentional alignment of learning and teaching strategies
- The evidence base and reactions to Visible Learning
- The Visible Learning model
- The influence of home, students, teachers, classrooms, schools, learning, and curriculum on achievement
- The impact of technology
If you’re in education either as a researcher, teacher, student, school leader, teacher trainer, or policy maker, this episode is for you!
Today’s educators are teaching the most linguistically diverse student population in United States history. To ensure educational equity for English learners, teachers must be skillfully equipped with instructional practices rooted in the science of reading.
The “science of reading” refers to a vast body of multi-disciplinary research that provides a rationale for what must be taught to ensure that almost all students can learn to read. However, do all reading science practices apply equally when teaching English learners?
Our podcast guests have championed using the science of reading with the English learner as a top priority in everything they do.
Drs. Cardenas-Hagan and Fierro will discuss the opportunities and the challenges educators encounter when teaching reading to English learners. They’ll explore:
- The importance of structured language teaching, for all kids, but especially English learners
- The need for teachers of English to understand how language works, which allows instructors to better scaffold the instruction for English learners
- The specifics of that scaffolding of instruction, and tips on what educators can and should do to help English learners achieve reading success
- Specifics of teaching reading, including assessment and MTSS, through the lens of the English learner
- Why it’s critical that classroom instruction includes pedagogy and approaches that take into consideration the anthology of bilingualism—a pedagogy that reflects the understanding of how two languages interact.
- The need to preserve heritage languages and cultures, while providing encouraging biliteracy or multiliteracy skills for all students
- Resources and guidance available from The U.S. Department of Education's Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA), which provides national leadership to help ensure that English Learners and immigrant students attain English proficiency and achieve academic success.
What happens after a formative literacy assessment? How can educators translate the results into targeted interventions and improved reading outcomes? This applicable and informative presentation from Dr. Susan Smartt, a respected literacy expert, helps educators make sense of what to do after the assessment and how to best use the valuable data gleaned from those assessments to inform intervention—and move all students toward literacy success.
To help educators address the challenging literacy needs of their diverse learners, our discussion will cover appropriate approaches to intervention and how to determine what approach is best based on assessment results.
Dr. Smartt will explore:
- Dyslexia and other reading challenges, and best practices for the right intervention at the right time
- Explicit instruction and Structured Literacy, and the reasoning behind these instructional approaches
- Designing Tier II and Tier III small-group instruction and monitoring student progress
- The importance of integrating five essential components of reading during instruction
- Ways to effectively target the specific "trouble spots" literacy assessments have identified
- How to take the guesswork out of intervention and transform struggling students into skillful readers
The “science of reading” refers to a vast body of multidisciplinary research providing a rationale for what must be taught to ensure almost all students can learn to read. Our podcast guests have championed this movement and supported organizations such as the International Dyslexia Association®, The Reading League, Decoding Dyslexia, The National Council on Teacher Quality, and The American Federation of Teachers who are advancing awareness of reading science.
But is this movement enough to develop more effective literacy instruction? Join us as our guests discuss why it may not be, unless teaching practices themselves receive more attention.
The “what” or content of reading instruction is often characterized with reference to the “five pillars” or “five components” that were each addressed by The National Reading Panel Report of 2000. Most state standards and policy guidelines name these essential components of instruction: phoneme awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Often added to the list are oral language, spelling, and writing. The content-related issue now being debated concerns the interrelationships of these components, their relative emphasis—for whom and at what point in reading development—and what level of content mastery to expect. We know the impact of curriculum content is diluted without systematic, explicit, cumulative teaching of the lessons.
Our experts will discuss:
- How policy and practice guidelines about the science of reading often mention the importance of “systematic, explicit” instruction. Yet, the “how” of teaching seems to be getting short shrift in comparison to the emphasis on the “what.”
- Why the right reading content must be married to best teaching practices of the “direct instruction” variety
- The importance of structured language teaching, especially for students who are struggling, with an emphasis on language
- Why developing expertise in lesson delivery and evaluation is a long-term but very rewarding undertaking which will transform the “science of reading” into “success for all”
The public release of ChatGPT by OpenAI late last year has captivated, if not terrified, certain sectors of public education. A simple interactive screen allows users to create a range of “authentic looking” documents. ChatGPT essays are either free or fractional in cost.
Some have called ChatGPT the “calculator moment” for writing assignments. Is there a similar, potential effect in math? Should we be welcoming or fearful of this technology?
This podcast will explore programs like ChatGPT and what they mean for mathematics instruction. We’ll discuss other current technologies used in math education today, and reflect on potential, near-term improvements and how upgrades like the “intelligence assistant” now being developed by Microsoft using ChatGPT might be used in math classrooms.
Dr. Woodward will discuss:
- How simple uses of technology today can add value to mathematics instruction and how it helps with assessment, instructional decision-making, and accountability
- How assessment information can be synthesized across a classroom of students to help teachers make critical instructional decisions about grouping
- How to use technology to assist teachers and save time
- Key issues of concern for systems like ChatGPT, including that they do not rank or evaluate the quality of the information captured from the web, and ways to confront those issues
- Ways to use ChatGPT to solve math problems, improve instruction and student engagement, and the program’s limitations and benefits
We hope you’ll join us!
Join this fascinating conversation that surrounds storytelling—an age-old oral tradition—and how it can be used to improve reading and writing in the classroom.
Our guest, Antonio Sacre, a professional storyteller, children’s book author, and educator, will discuss the simple technique of storytelling and how teachers and specialists can use it to help unlock the writer in every student and get them excited about reading.
Listeners will find this podcast inspiring, captivating, and immediately applicable to classroom instruction. Sacre will discuss the science behind why and how storytelling works to support reading, how to share a good story, and the types of stories that motivate students to want to read and write more.
We hope you’ll join us as our internationally renowned expert leaves you with stories to tell, the capability to share stories more effectively, and keys to teaching them to students across the curriculum.
You’ll learn:
- Tips about making read-a-louds come to life and the research that supports storytelling, with a focus on ELLs
- Five secrets to effective storytelling—and how those secrets help build literacy skills in students
- How personal storytelling builds empathy and student connection
- Ways to augment multicultural literacy
Reading is the most important skill children need to master to be successful in school and life. However, students increasingly are struggling with this most basic of academic abilities. When children have difficulty reading, they can quickly fall behind their peers. Luckily, there are ways to improve almost any child's reading proficiency with good instruction that’s based on science.
This fascinating discussion with renowned author Denise Eide will explore how the English language works, and the importance of spelling in developing better readers. Eide, who was mentored and inspired by literacy giant Robert Sweet (one of the nation's most-powerful champions of phonic-centered reading reform) will share why students need to be taught the building blocks of words: phonograms and spelling rules, and how understanding the reasons for the spellings of words can transform teaching and learning. Eide will share the “rules” she outlines in her book, ways to teach students to analyze the reasons for English spellings, and much more.
We hope you’ll join us for this fascinating podcast!
It’s critically important to provide all students (MLLs, students with IEPs, high achievers, those with dyslexia and other reading difficulties, etc.) with targeted, effective reading instruction and interventions—this is a well-known fact. However, these students can be tougher to engage, and special teachers, with unique approaches designed to motivate and help every student feel heard, have strategies that bring literacy learning to the forefront while engaging students in ways not always imagined.
This lively discussion with three award-winning teachers will open your eyes and inspire every educator to strive for what is possible for every student. Each of our panelists were named Teacher of the Year in their respective states. Our host, John Arthur of Utah, was also honored at the White House as a finalist for National Teacher of the Year.
Join us as these three energetic educators share specific strategies and practices they use to help all children overcome challenges, feel seen and heard, and gain new literacy skills that will serve them for a lifetime. Our guests will share tips and ideas useful in any classroom and with any student, with special emphasis on those who struggle as readers and often don’t know how to advocate for themselves. This episode will connect the dots for listeners between engaging literacy instruction/intervention and empowered student voices.
Writing is a task as complex and multifaceted as reading—but it’s often taught as a single skill. Our podcast guest is Joan Sedita, the successful author of the popular book, The Writing Rope. Her book and the innovative framework she created weaves multiple skills and strategies into five fundamentals of a comprehensive writing curriculum: critical thinking, syntax (sentences), text structure, writing craft, and transcription (spelling and handwriting).
We hope you’ll join this informative discussion as Sedita shares the guidelines that demystify the process of helping students learn to write and write to learn. Our conversation will explore ways educators can plan and deliver comprehensive, explicit, and evidence-based writing instruction, aligned with IDA’s Structured Literacy approach, and based on the latest research. The focus of the book is on grades 4–8, but much of what Sedita will address can be used in earlier grades and high school.
She will share:
- The essential skills all students must learn to become proficient writers
- How to help students use writing to enhance their learning across different content areas
- Ways educators can plan effective writing assignments in different content areas
When you examine your teaching approaches and how to best help students with dyslexia, it can be easy to assume special data will be needed to help these students improve their foundational reading skills and move toward grade-level literacy.
However, the data you already have from regular assessment practices, like that collected from Acadience® Learning measures, can provide invaluable insight to help you tailor instruction and ensure all students—especially those with dyslexia and other reading challenges—receive the appropriate and timely intervention they need to succeed.
Our guest for this EDVIEW360 podcast is Matthew K. Burns, a literacy, assessment, and special education expert who has dedicated his career to improving the lives of the most-vulnerable children, including those with disabilities, from high-poverty backgrounds, and for whom English is not their native language. Dr. Burns will share how schools can help shape K–12 practice and improve literacy using existing data.
He will also discuss how educators can:
- Use data to target reading interventions for students with dyslexia
- Identify breakdowns in the learning process to better increase reading skills
- Match reading interventions to student need
- Improve students’ reading skills through schoolwide Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, such as Response to Intervention, and school-based teams, like problem-solving teams and professional learning communities.
We hope you’ll join us for this fascinating podcast!
Join us for an inspiring conversation with Dr. Louisa Moats, author of LETRS® professional learning and LANGUAGE! Live® reading intervention, as we talk candidly about the power of printed books and materials and how educators can best select and use them to encourage student motivation and engagement—while helping all students build essential reading skills.
Dr. Moats will share her thoughts about digital fatigue, the power of print, in what ways teachers and students should be trusted to select what they read both inside and outside of the classroom, and more.
This conversation will provide thought-provoking information for all administrators and teachers who work with struggling readers, especially those in middle school and beyond.
It’s no secret: School and district leaders set the tone for the culture within the organization. Although every employee is ultimately responsible for creating an environment where students want to be, school leaders must model the way. How can principals looking to implement change create an innovative, sustainable culture that consistently models future ready learning, relies upon a level of teaching and learning backed by science, and promotes a high level of literacy success for all students?
Join us as we talk with our guest, best-selling author Thomas C. Murray, a lifelong educator who is now the director of innovation for Future Ready Schools®. In his current role, Murray works with districts to create the types of learning experiences today’s modern learners need to thrive. As a previous secondary and elementary principal, he knows the importance of helping every child learn to read proficiently, and how to intervene when children don’t have the literacy skills needed by third to fifth grades. On a daily basis, he works with principals and superintendents on systems change, sustainability, and equity and resolving culture-change obstacles standing in the way of students achieving the level of literacy success that allows each one to truly be future ready.
Join us as we talk with our guest and explore:
- What it means to be future ready for a student, teacher, administrator, and school
- Leveraging the The Future Ready Framework for sustainable change
- Why buying a great literacy program or intervention is not enough. If you don’t create a culture where people can learn it, believe it, and use it well, it can’t teach itself
- How do we make sure every child has the opportunity to learn? It goes well beyond technology
- The importance of community partnerships and relationships
In this podcast, Dr. Ruth Kaminski, coauthor of Acadience® Learning K–6 and other respected assessments, will discuss the many aspects of assessment that make it a meaningful and essential tool for preventing reading disabilities and promoting reading success.
Join us as we talk with Dr. Kaminski about the reasons educators should rely upon assessment for curriculum alignment, progress monitoring, and classroom planning.
We’ll explore:
- The critical nature of assessment
- Who should be assessed, when, and how often?
- How assessment can help teachers align their reading instruction with the science of reading
- The various features of assessment that make it meaningful for teachers
Writing is potentially the most powerful lever we have for building knowledge and improving reading comprehension. It can uncover gaps in background knowledge that prevent students from accessing grade-level material. And, because writing helps new information stick, it can also boost students’ academic performance.
But writing is the most difficult thing we ask students to do. If inexperienced writers are asked to write at length, they can easily become overwhelmed as they juggle everything from spelling to word choice to organizing their thoughts. And if students are asked to write only about personal experience or topics in a separate writing curriculum, writing won’t help them acquire the knowledge they need to succeed in school.
Join this informative podcast as we talk with esteemed researcher and author Natalie Wexler. She will share ways to make writing less overwhelming by starting at the sentence level and how to include writing activities in the content of the core curriculum. This is an approach that shouldn’t be limited to English classes. It can have powerful effects in any subject—and at any grade level.
How can districts ensure all students have the same opportunities to the best education if all facets of learning are not equitable? The Digital Divide is not just about devices and the Internet, but it is also about pedagogy in our classrooms and opportunities for students. In this podcast, we will explore the different types of digital divides that occur in our schools with an award-winning equity expert, and we will also address the impact these divides have on literacy learning. Join us and see what you can learn from our guest as he shares the ways he and his district strive for absolute learning equity.
Today, more children are arriving at school with significant social and emotional vulnerabilities due to the chronic stress and trauma of the pandemic. Our students have experienced stress and trauma in the past, but this moment is unique because the experience is more universally shared. This period is also exceptional because our teachers have experienced the chronic stress, loss, and uncertainty of the pandemic as well as our students. Teachers are often given the role of superheroes in our society, but we cannot ask teachers to give of themselves what they do not have. While it is urgent we address our students’ social and emotional needs, it is equally urgent that we address the needs of our teachers, if they are going to help students.
This podcast will address hands-on activities and strategies for supporting teachers and students with care and connection. Language allows us to identify and express our emotions. Our use of language to assist in our efforts to connect with our students can transform traditional instruction into “trauma-informed” instruction. Language and connection have the power to heal. Connecting with students does not cost money and can create a climate and culture that can change a child’s life.
Too many students in our classrooms struggle with learning to read. This does not need to occur. Research has shown that approximately 95% of all students can be taught to read at grade level, including those with learning disabilities and dyslexia. How can we meet the needs of every student in today’s classrooms? We'll discuss the characteristics of students who become our struggling readers along with research-supported and classroom-proven approaches to successfully address these students' needs.
In 2017, students, teachers, and activists filed a class action lawsuit (Ella T. vs. the State of California) arguing state education officials knew there was a crisis of reading and writing in California public schools, but they failed to develop a plan to address it. That lawsuit resulted in a $53 million settlement—money that didn’t go to the plaintiffs but rather to 75 of the lowest-performing schools in the state.
Listen in as we talk to Margaret Goldberg, a full-time literacy coach, co-founder of The Right to Read Project, and an integral part of how California has overhauled the way reading is taught. You’ll be inspired as Goldberg shares the state’s new approach, process, exciting outcomes, and her experiences watching literacy rates improve.
Goldberg will discuss:
- The difference between “then” and “now”—and how a new approach to teaching reading based on Structured Literacy and the science of reading altered the trajectory for thousands of students
- The process used to deepen teachers’ understanding of the research about reading and how they apply that to coaching
- Righttoreadproject.com and how you can get involved
As districts prepare for the remainder of this school year and the many needs ahead, educators must make crucial decisions for appropriate use of ESSER III funding. However, before purchasing priorities can be planned, there are important questions to ask and new funding parameters to explore that will help all educators make the best decisions to ensure educational equity for every student. Additionally, looking back at last year’s funding decisions can help inform the best use of new funds. Join Lexia® Learning’s Director of State Initiatives, Jon Hummell, and Education Department Relations Manager, Brittany Martin, for an illuminating podcast conversation about strategies and considerations for effectively leveraging relief funding.
In this podcast, our funding experts will discuss:
- Determining whether district purchases with previous funds were effective or not
- Lessons learned about the investments districts made so far
- What do these purchasing decisions mean going forward?
- What are some of the best ways to use ESSER III funds?
- How can spending decisions improve and advance a district toward equity?
- And much more!
After taking a backseat in the education world for many years, handwriting is back. While assistive technology can help students with writing problems, it does not remove the importance of teaching explicit handwriting. Handwriting reinforces reading and spelling skills, and is linked to reading and spelling achievement. In this insightful podcast, you will learn how handwriting supports the science of reading and strategies educators can use immediately in the classroom to build handwriting into their daily lessons.
In this podcast, listeners will learn:
- The connection between handwriting, reading, and writing
- The evidence around two “great debates”
- Printing or cursive?
- Handwriting or keyboarding?
- Key recommendations for handwriting instruction
The Equity Gap, or differentials in race, ethnicity, income, language, and background, has become even more prominent during the pandemic. Minority students from low-income communities were among those most affected by the lockdown and the move to remote learning—where they faced social and economic stress in their families and communities. In this important podcast, assessment expert Dr. Roland Good explores the Equity Gap and how it affects assessment data. You will also learn about reporting tools educators can use to discover skill gaps and provide students with the support they need.
In this podcast, Dr. Good will discuss:
- How assessment data shows the skills most affected by gaps in equity
- How the pandemic affected the Equity Gap
- Reporting tools that can help educators disseminate student data
- How to use assessment data to provide differentiation, prepare for state testing, and close skill gaps
- Next steps to closing the Equity Gap
Please join us for this informative and engaging discussion with EDVIEW360 Podcast Host and Education Leader Pam Austin.
For our podcast, we talk with Kristen Jones, LETRS Literacy Champion and Curriculum Director at Enid Public Schools in Enid, Oklahoma. This inspiring educator will share how Enid Public Schools used literacy professional learning to transform teacher knowledge and raise student achievement.
Jones will discuss steps taken by Enid Public Schools as they implemented LETRS professional learning district-wide. She’ll also address how the training increased teacher knowledge of the science of reading and transformed the school district and community, leading to the school district becoming one of the winners of the first Dr. Louisa Moats Award for Excellence Implementing the Science of Reading.
Jones will also address:
- Why her district chose a program aligned with the science of reading
- How the district encouraged teacher buy-in
- Challenges faced in a district-wide implementation
- Tips for administrators to roll out a new literacy professional learning program
“Enid Public Schools has strong leaders who ‘owned’ the challenge and are fully committed to the idea that almost all kids can learn to read. It has talented teachers who have dug into substantive learning about reading science, and who are working diligently to refine their teaching skills. I would like to express my sincere admiration for these educators and congratulate them on making a significant, transformational contribution toward the improvement of student literacy in their district.”
–Dr. Louisa Moats, LETRS author
The future depends on our children and one way to fully empower them is to recognize that literacy is a fundamental right in society. Join Dr. Maria Murray—founder and president and CEO of The Reading League—for an engaging podcast episode as she explains why the science of reading is now regarded as a defining movement and addresses the need to protect the integrity of its findings so that the promise of successful reading outcomes for our students can be realized.
In this podcast, Dr. Murray discusses:
- Defining the Science of Reading
- Recognizing literacy as a human right
- What the Science of Reading is NOT
- ‘Science’ separates what the Science of Reading is
- What we have learned; What we still have to learn
- How to be good citizens for the Science of Reading
- Creating equity and much more!
You don’t want to miss this engaging conversation!
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is a hot topic. ESSA is intended to ensure that all students receive a high-quality education that prepares them for long-term success, and includes a repeal of the Adequate Yearly Progress report in favor of state accountability. With every state having their own plan for ESSA, it is hard to know how to get started. We’re here to help! In this podcast, you will learn how to find out the accountability requirements of your state, how to obtain funding for your school or district, and much more.
Additional topics include:
- How ESSER funding relates to COVID-Relief bills (CARES ACT, CARES Supplemental ACT, and the American Rescue Plan)
- The part Title 1 plays in ESSA
- Ways schools can use funds to address issues brought on by the pandemic
- Additional funding options
- Where to go if you have questions
During uncertain times—and as schools recover from a year like no other—education funding is more important than ever. The CARES Act, which passed in April 2020, includes $13.2 billion for an Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) fund and $3 billion for a Governor's Emergency Education Relief (GEER) fund in order to help school districts overcome the unique challenges associated with the pandemic. Join us for the first podcast in our funding series and learn everything a school or district administrator needs to know about the CARES Act.
Topics include:
- How to get much-needed CARES Act funding to your school/school district
- What funding options are available through the CARES Act
- The best way to determine school/district needs
- How states and school districts are spending their CARES Act funds
Despite the efforts of the American education system to provide an equal education for all students, achievement gaps between disadvantaged and more advantaged students remain—and often lead to negative outcomes. The passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) represents an opportunity for districts to choose intervention solutions that bridge the gap and help all students receive an education that prepares them for future success. In this informative podcast, host Pam Austin will discuss why ESSA-rated solutions are so important in addressing equity gaps and offer strategies for educators to immediately use in the classroom.
With vaccination efforts in full swing, September is likely to see a strong return to in-classroom instruction. How can educators prepare for summer school or a new school year after students have seen extended periods outside the classroom? In this important podcast, assessment expert Dr. Kelly Powell Smith—vice president and associate director of research and development at Acadience—shares the key indicators that educators should look for when reviewing spring literacy assessment scores, along with how to pinpoint where students are struggling so you can plan for summer or fall intervention and instruction.
Research shows a gap between what teachers know about reading and whether or not they are prepared to teach it. Why are teachers graduating from college without the skills they need to teach reading? Join former educator Donna Hejtmanek as she discusses this topic and shares the story behind creating her incredibly popular Facebook group “Science of Reading—What I Should Have Learned in College.”
We now know sound walls should replace word walls in the classroom, but what are the best ways to integrate them into your daily lesson to educate and engage your students, including English language learners? In this informative podcast with literacy experts Dr. Mary Dahlgren and Dr. Antonio Fierro, our educators will share tips about how to use your sound wall to transform reading instruction.
Explicit reading instruction is an approach to teaching reading that is based on research about the brain and how we learn, combined with structured and sequenced literacy instruction. Join explicit instruction expert Dr. Anita Archer for this informative podcast as she discusses the importance of explicit instruction and how it promotes achievement for students of all reading levels.
During this podcast, we will discuss:
- What explicit instruction is and how it works hand in hand with systematic reading instruction
- How explicit instruction benefits students with reading challenges
- Why explicit reading instruction is especially important in a remote learning environment
- How to use explicit reading instruction to deliver more effective lessons
As 2020 began, the assessment you knew as DIBELS Next® acquired a new name, Acadience® Reading K–6. Do you know why the name changed and that Acadience Reading (and its product family) are the only assessments developed by authors Dr. Roland Good III and Dr. Ruth Kaminski, based on 30 years of research? Join us as we discuss how Acadience Learning assessments can be used to support data-driven instructional decisions and improve student outcomes.
If you used DIBELS Next in the past, and/or are thinking about how to use assessment to drive student instruction in your school or district, this is a can’t-miss podcast.
The past year has uncovered more equity issues in education than in years before. The struggle to provide equitable access to technology, learning tools, emotional support, and even meals is now at the forefront of educators’ minds as they struggle to keep learning going forward for their students. Join us for a timely discussion about equity in education, specifically around assessment, with assessment expert Dr. Thomas Guskey.
This school year, the importance of closing reading gaps and maintaining strong skills is more important than ever due to COVID learning loss and a shift to remote learning. Join us for a timely and insightful podcast with respected literacy expert and author Dr. Tim Rasinski, as he discusses the long-term impact of COVID learning loss on reading fluency and skills. Dr. Rasinski will share strategies educators can use to help students maintain strong reading skills, whether they are learning remotely or in the classroom.
Lois Letchford was told by a teacher that her son, Nicholas, was “the worst child (she’s) ever seen in (her) 25 years of teaching.” Instead of giving up and giving in, Letchford became a passionate advocate for literacy and children who have been left behind by the educational system. Join us for an inspiring conversation as she shares how she helped her son beat the odds and overcome dyslexia, and how she discovered her own dyslexia.
Unlike Spring of 2020, this fall we have the opportunity to prepare for distance learning as students return to the classroom. But many questions still remain--will students return to the classroom or remote learning, or both? Will educators be ready? What can school leaders do to help educators prepare for blended or remote learning? Join our timely discussion with remote learning expert Dr. Rick Ferdig, an educator with over 20 years’ experience in blended-learning instruction, as he discusses how to help educators plan for a school year unlike any others we have experienced.
The American elementary education system continues to value so-called reading comprehension skills over knowledge, when in fact those skills are largely dependent on knowledge. Low-income students continue to struggle while children of educated parents with higher-income levels acquire more academic knowledge and vocabulary outside school, giving them an additional advantage over their more disadvantaged peers. In the past twenty years, a regime of high-stakes reading and math tests, intended to address educational inequity, has only exacerbated the problem. But there is much that schools can do to provide all students with access to the kind of knowledge that can boost outcomes on tests and in life.
Join us for this special conversation with Natalie Wexler, education expert and author of the recently-released book The Knowledge Gap. We will explore the question of learning equity and ways we can "right the wrongs” that continue to impact equality in learning.
According to the science of reading, students need to master phonemic awareness skills before they match the sounds to print, and phonics instruction is needed before students begin decoding text. We know this information, yet A-Z alphabetical word walls are still used in many classrooms, requiring students to match print to speech instead of sound. In this podcast, literacy and sound wall expert Dr. Mary Dahlgren will share why it is so important to implement a sound wall in the classroom and how it benefits reading development.
In this podcast, Blank discusses how the learning challenges he faced prepared him for the World Marathon Challenge and for life. He shares:
- What it feels like to grow up with dyslexia and the stigmas attached to it
- How he beat the odds when it seemed like the odds were against him
- How you can encourage and support students with dyslexia
As Blank says, “Dyslexia is not a limiting factor, it’s a superpower.”
Did you know language development is one of the most critical cognitive functions that supports social and emotional learning? During this podcast, educator and Reading League presenter Dr. Brandi Kenner takes an in-depth look at the ties between language and literacy development and SEL, including the role an educator plays in keeping learning brains activated and empowering student voices.
Schools are failing to support English language learners by not providing educators with the knowledge they need to teach reading effectively. With literacy leading as the main indicator of academic success, it is time for educators to accept responsibility for preparing ELLs for the tough challenges they face along the path to literacy, and learn ways to help these students reach literacy success.
In this podcast, Dr. Antonio Fierro will share his journey from English learner to award-winning educator. Dr. Fierro will talk about the knowledge he gained from working with educators across the country in the science of reading, including the crucial knowledge educators need to work effectively with ELLs.
In recent years, many school districts have implemented a blended-learning model of literacy instruction that incorporates teacher-taught curriculum with student-driven technology. This shift creates a more flexible classroom for the educator, and also offers more opportunities to tailor instruction to individual student needs, especially students who are struggling. In this podcast, Hooker will discuss the future of blended learning, why it is so important in the classroom, and how it can help create new learning opportunities for students who are struggling. If you currently use a blended-literacy program in your classroom, or are considering using one, this podcast is for you.
If you agree with John Hattie’s statement, “every student deserves a great teacher, not by chance, but by design,” then this podcast is for you. Become a “change agent” in your district, school, or classroom as you learn from a respected expert about how you can implement the practices that accelerate student literacy. Part 1 of 2.
If you agree with John Hattie’s statement, “every student deserves a great teacher, not by chance, but by design,” then this podcast is for you. Become a “change agent” in your district, school, or classroom as you learn from a respected expert about how you can implement the practices that accelerate student literacy. Part 1 of 2.
Dyslexia screening is crucial to verifying the presence of dyslexia and providing the diagnostic documentation required for eligibility in specially designed programs throughout a student’s educational career. Dyslexia screening results also provide educators with the intervention strategies they need to help students reach their full academic potential. Listen to this podcast to learn more about how to use data to pinpoint the signs of dyslexia and create a roadmap to student success.
School districts and government agencies across the country are seeing the importance of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in the classroom. SEL is an essential factor in providing students with the knowledge, attitude, and skills they need to succeed in school, careers, and life. In this podcast, Andrea Samadi will discuss the tools, resources, and ideas to implement proven strategies backed by the most current neuroscience research to help you achieve the long-term gains of implementing a SEL program in your school or district.
Across the country, public schools are failing to identify students with dyslexia and, therefore, unable to provide the intervention and treatment they need. In this special podcast for Dyslexia Awareness Month, Emily Hanford, APM Reports senior correspondent, will discuss how American schools continue to shy away from the word “dyslexia” and teach students with reading approaches not backed by scientific evidence. How can we help these students? What kinds of instruction are the most helpful?