S9 E14: Your questions answered, with Claude Goldenberg, Ph.D., and Susan Lambert
Apr 9, 2025
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Claude Goldenberg, Ph.D., a Stanford professor and advocate for ending the reading wars, teams up with Susan Lambert to tackle listener questions. They discuss resolving the conflicting materials often faced by educators and strategies for supporting students significantly behind grade level. The duo emphasizes nurturing multilingual learners and the importance of integrating evidence-based practices in reading instruction. Auditory and visual systems' roles in reading development are also explored, alongside how to advocate for science-driven methods in classrooms.
Dr. Goldenberg emphasizes the importance of integrating reading and writing instruction to enhance literacy development among students.
The discussion highlights the need for early universal screening to identify students at risk for reading difficulties, ensuring effective interventions.
Supporting English language learners requires a dual focus on language acquisition and reading skills, leveraging their existing knowledge for better outcomes.
Deep dives
Spring Science of Reading Summit
A professional learning opportunity focused on the connections between reading, writing, and language is scheduled for May 15th. The summit will feature literacy educators and experts, including Dr. Young Sook Grace Kim, Dr. Hugh Katz, and Dr. Jane Oakhill. Attendees can look forward to sessions covering topics such as the role of knowledge in reading and writing, as well as oracy and its impacts on comprehension. Participants will also gain access to additional summer learning resources related to the science of reading.
Listener Mailbag Insights
The episode features a segment dedicated to addressing listener questions gathered throughout the season. Expert guest Dr. Claude Goldenberg joins to lend insights into these inquiries, emphasizing the importance of addressing various literacy concepts. Topics discussed include the integration of reading and writing instruction and the significance of adapting teaching methods based on research and evidence. The conversation highlights the value of community engagement and the practical application of literacy science in schools.
Ending the Reading Wars
Dr. Goldenberg expresses a desire to end the ongoing debate surrounding reading instruction, often referred to as the 'reading wars.' He suggests that the dichotomy of teaching methods—code-based versus meaning-centered approaches—has hindered effective literacy instruction for too long. The conversation emphasizes the need for a balanced, comprehensive approach that combines decoding skills with comprehension strategies to create proficient readers. Acknowledging the spectrum of student needs, the discussion calls for a shift in focusing on evidence-based practices rather than falling into binary thinking.
Catering to Diverse Learner Needs
The conversation shifts to the challenges faced by educators in meeting the literacy needs of all students, particularly those two or three grade levels behind. It highlights the critical importance of early universal screening to identify students at risk for reading difficulties. Effective interventions should consider the diverse backgrounds of students, including those who may not have received adequate instruction in foundational reading skills. The discussion underscores that every child, regardless of prior exposure, needs explicit instruction tailored to their individual learning requirements.
Supporting English Language Learners
A significant focus of the episode is on supporting English language learners (ELLs) in literacy development. Dr. Goldenberg asserts that ELLs must simultaneously acquire language and reading skills, emphasizing the need for teachers to address both areas effectively. He advocates for leveraging students' existing language knowledge, explaining that when learners have literacy skills in their native language, it enhances their ability to learn in English. Ultimately, the conversation stresses that both language acquisition and reading instruction must be interconnected to support ELLs effectively.
In this special episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Susan Lambert is joined by Claude Goldenberg, Ph.D., professor of education at Stanford University, to answer questions from our listener mailbag. Together they address a wide range of topics facing today’s educators, such as what to do when your school implements conflicting materials, how to support students that are two or three grade levels behind, best practices for teaching multilingual learners, and more!
“Incrementalism is just not going to serve our purpose unless you want to keep things as they are. And I hate to say this, Susan…some people wouldn't mind leaving things as they are. And we can't do that, and we can't do it incrementally. We've got to really move, like last year.” —Claude Goldenberg
“You’ve got to understand how [two programs] fit together and what the purpose is. Giving teachers materials that are literally incoherent and don't fit with each other is not the answer.” —Claude Goldenberg
“We need to have a system ... using the best knowledge that we have systematically throughout the state, throughout the country, with systems that pick up kids who are at risk and don't let them fail.” —Claude Goldenberg
Episode timestamps* 02:00 The latest from Claude Goldenberg 04:00 Literacy and the urgency of now 7:00 Question 1: What about the pendulum swing? 15:00 Question 2: What to do when your school implements conflicting materials? 21:00 Question 3: Why are running records and leveled texts discouraged? 22:00 Decoding v.s. Word recognition 29:00 Question 4: How do we support kids that are two or three grade levels behind? 30:00 Dyslexia and the importance of universal screening 35:00 Question 5: How would you increase reading proficiency in a school in which nearly every student is a multilingual learner? 45:00 Question 6: How do you apply the science of reading to an ELL student in middle school that doesn’t yet know the language? 48:00 Question 7: Is it best practice for bilingual students who are being taught to decode and encode in English and Spanish to be screened in English and Spanish? *Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute
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