Pathways to Literacy: Bridging Speech Therapy and Reading

The “science of reading” is trending; but in order for professionals to engage in effective instruction, they need to understand that literacy also includes spelling and writing.

Writing, spelling, and reading are interconnected, and the growing body of research continues to show us that these skills need to be taught explicitly. 

That’s why I invited Dr. Jan Wasowicz to episode 176 of the De Facto Leaders podcast to discuss the Language Literacy Network
(Link here: https://learningbydesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/TLLN_11x8.5.pdf); a framework she’s created to help professionals better understand the connections between reading, writing, spelling, and language. 

Dr. Jan Wasowicz has more than 40 years of experience as a speech-language, literacy, and learning specialist working with students in a variety of educational settings, including public schools, Head Start programs, and private practice. Dr. Wasowicz is frequently invited to speak about best practices in literacy assessment and instruction and has taught numerous undergraduate and graduate courses, holding faculty positions at Northwestern University, Elmhurst College, Rush–Presbyterian–St. Luke’s Medical Center, and Governors State University. Her credits include articles published in scholarly journals and U.S. patents for her inventions of literacy software programs including Earobics® and Spelling Performance Evaluation for Language and Literacy (SPELL-3). 

Dr. Wasowicz is an author of SPELL-Links to Reading & Writing and lead moderator of the SPELLTalk multi-disciplinary professional listserv. She also currently serves as an advisory board member of The Reading League of Illinois and an external consultant for Purdue University’s inter-disciplinary initiative to strengthen teacher preparation using science-based methods. Dr. Wasowicz is an ASHA-certified, IL-licensed, and FL-licensed speech-language pathologist and an ASHA Board Certified Specialist in Child Language and she holds a professional educator license with multiple endorsements from the State Teacher Certification Board of Illinois. She is the founder, president and CEO of SPELL-Links | Learning By Design, Inc., and she maintains a small private practice in IL via tele-practice and in FL serving students with oral and written language disorders.

This episode is part of the National Literacy Month series of podcasts, presented in partnership between the Be Podcast Network and Reading Is Fundamental (RIF).

In this conversation, we discuss:

✅Do we need a “writing rope” to supplement the “reading rope”? Or should reading, writing and language be woven in to one literacy framework?

✅Pragmatics, executive functioning, and metalinguistic awareness: How do these components fit in to effective literacy instruction?

✅Does working on reading improve spelling? Does working on spelling improve reading? 

✅Should professionals work on linguistic skills in stages? When/how should professionals start working on morphology in elementary school?

✅Defining “print to speech” and “speech to print” approaches (with specific examples).

You can find the infographic for the Language Literacy Network framework Dr. Wasowicz discussed here: https://learningbydesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/TLLN_11x8.5.pdf

To engage in professional discussions with leading literary experts, join the SPELL-talk ListServ here: https://lists.learningbydesign.com/mailman/listinfo/spelltalk

Connect with Dr. Jan Wasowicz on the Learning By Design, Inc website here: https://learningbydesign.com, on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-wasowicz-phd-02917a/ or @spell-links here: http://@spell-links

In this episode, I mention the School of Clinical Leadership, my program that helps related service providers develop a strategic plan for putting executive functioning support in place in collaboration with their school teams. You can learn more about that program here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/clinicalleadership

In this episode, I mention Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that helps SLPs create a system for language therapy. You can learn more about Language Therapy Advance Foundations here: https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapy/

You can get 25% off either program when you join between September 15-October 15. Just enter coupon code RIF25 on the checkout page to get this special rate. 

*If you’re already a member of either program and you refer a friend, tell them to email me at talktome@drkarenspeech.com if they join and let me know you referred them and I’ll send you a $100 referral bonus. 

Here’s what you can do right now to support this campaign and ensure you don’t miss any of these amazing interviews/commentary. 

1. Go to Apple, Spotify, or any other directory you use for podcasts and subscribe to the De Facto Leaders podcast.
2. Once you listen to an episode or two, leave me a rating and review. This helps get my show into the hands of people who need the information.
3. Do you have a colleague or friend who needs to learn more about the research surrounding language and literacy? Do you want to spread the word about practices and ideas you’d like to see in your school, community, or state? If so, tell them about the De Facto Leaders podcast so they can listen to all the episodes in this special campaign. 
4. You can also learn more about the other BE Podcast Network shows at https://bepodcast.network 

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. 

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