In this episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Susan Lambert is joined by Jane Ashby, professor in the Reading Science doctoral program at Mount St. Joseph University. They define the concept of “settled science” as a jumping-off point before digging into phonology and the argument for not always basing your teaching practice on the newest research. Dr. Ashby touches on the impact of phonology on comprehension, the Matthew Effect, and why the term “instant words” is more accurate than “sight words.” You’ll walk away from this episode with two practical exercises Dr. Ashby recommends for teaching students to transfer oral segmenting and blending to reading and writing tasks.Show notesConnect with Jane Ashby: Mt. St. Joseph UniversityResourcesTeaching Phonemic Awareness in 2024: A Guide for EducatorsRead: Phonological recoding and self-teaching: sine qua non of reading acquisitionMore: The Four-Part Processing Model for Word RecognitionRead: Matthew effects in reading: Some consequences of individual differences in the acquisition of literacy.Join our community Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/scienceofreadingConnect with Susan Lambert: www.linkedin.com/in/susan-lambert-b1512761/Want to hear more of Dr. Ashby? Listen to the bonus episode! Quotes“To store a vocabulary word, it's not enough to have the meaning. You have to have the entry for it, and the entry for it is the sound form of the word.” —Jane Ashby“The greatest gift you can give a kid is letting them know that you see that they're special and that they have something unique that they bring to the world. But the second piece is really, can you help them become a confident, independent reader?” —Jane AshbyEpisode timestamps*2:00 Introduction: Who is Jane Ashby?6:00 Defining and contextualizing “settled science”13:00 Phonology as settled science17:00 Instant words vs sight words20:00 How phonology impacts comprehension26:00 Connection to the Matthew Effect31:00 Listener mailbag question: How do you suggest teachers teach students to transfer oral segmenting and blending to reading and writing tasks?37:00 Teaching phonemic awareness guide39:00 Research that should influence teacher practice41:00 The greatest gift you can give a child*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute

In this episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Susan Lambert is joined by Tiffany Hogan, a professor at MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston, who studies the connections among speech and language and literacy across time in children. Together, Susan and Dr. Hogan explore the complexities of language, the components that form language, and the significance of language for literacy. Dr. Hogan explains Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)—its characteristics, its prevalence, and the challenges in recognizing it. She emphasizes the importance of supporting children with DLD and the role of educators in making a difference long-term. She also provides listeners with effective strategies for supporting children with oral language deficits, offers insights into the relationship between background knowledge and language, and answers questions from our listener mailbag.Show notes: Connect with Tiffany HoganX: @tiffanyphoganFacebook: sailliteracylabInstagram: @seehearspeakpodcastPodcast: seehearspeakpodcast.comResourcesWebsite: DLDandMe.org Read: A Review of Screeners to Identify Risk of Developmental Language DisorderWebsite: Raising Awareness of Developmental Language DisorderListen: SeeHearSpeak podcast with Tiffany HoganPolicy Paper: If we don’t look, we won’t see: Measuring language development to inform literacy instructionListen: Focused implementation: Doing less to do more, with Doug Reeves, Ph.D.Join our community Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/scienceofreadingConnect with Susan Lambert: www.linkedin.com/in/susan-lambert-b1512761/Listen to Beyond My Years: Building an education network to make change, starring A. Simone McQuaige.Quotes: “Neurodiversity means that we have lots of different ways to think, and we each come to the table with different brain structures” –Tiffany Hogan, Ph.D. ”Oral language difficulties are a crystal ball into reading comprehension” –Tiffany Hogan, Ph.D.“You, as an educator, can be the one that really makes a difference for that child. It only takes one person to make a huge difference in the life of a child” –Tiffany Hogan, Ph.D.Episode timestamps*02:00 Introduction: Who is Tiffany Hogan?04:00 Defining language05:00 Language development and its Impact on literacy10:00 Variability in language learning11:00 Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)18:00 Challenges in Identifying and Supporting DLD20:00 The Importance of Vision Screening21:00 Universal Screeners for DLD24:00 Listener mailbag: How can educators most effectively help students with oral language deficits in early childhood prepare and develop literacy?28:00 The Connection Between Language and Background Knowledge30:00 Understanding DLD and Its Challenges33:00 The Role of Speech Language Pathologists35:00 Final Thoughts

In this episode, Susan Lambert rejoins podcast alum Natalie Wexler to discuss Natalie’s new book Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning. Listeners will gain insights into why this topic is important, what this book offers educators, why Natalie was so drawn to writing this book, and what cognitive science-informed teaching looks like in general. Natalie addresses how cognitive load theory works in practice with literacy, misconceptions about focusing only on phonics, and scaling science-informed instruction. Natalie also answers a question from the listener mailbag about encouraging colleagues to adopt an evidence-based approach.Show notes: Connect with Natalie Wexler:Website: nataliewexler.comPre-order Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning: https://ascd.org/books/beyond-the-science-of-reading?variant=125006Substack: Minding the Gap, by Natalie WexlerResources:Listen: Special: Why the Science of Reading isn't just about reading, with Natalie WexlerListen: Conversation with Make It Stick author Peter C. Brown Listen: Cognitive load theory: Four items at a time, with Greg AshmanSubstack: The Bell Ringer by Holly KorbeyJoin our community Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/scienceofreadingConnect with Susan Lambert: www.linkedin.com/in/susan-lambert-b1512761/Listen to Illinois administrator Serena Klosa on Beyond My Years!Quotes: “We’re overlooking the ways in which the typical approach to teaching reading comprehension and writing actually conflict with what cognitive science tells us about how people learn to do those things.” —Natalie Wexler“We spend much more time trying to teach…them to read, but we kind of expect them to just pick up writing. You know, for most kids, it does not happen.” —Natalie Wexler“No matter how good you are at making inferences, if you don't have the requisite background knowledge, you're not gonna be able to do it.” —Natalie Wexler“It doesn't work to just ask inexperienced writers to just write down stuff. That is not going to provide the cognitive benefits.” —Natalie WexlerEpisode timestamps*02:00 Introduction: Who is Natalie Wexler?04:00 Natalie’s new book07:00 What is the science of learning?11:00 Connecting the science of learning to reading, writing, literacy14:00 Automaticity and cognitive load theory17:00 Transferable vs non-transferable skills22:00 Strategies to release cognitive load when learning new skills24:00 Learning to write, writing to learn.29:00 Bringing science informed teaching to scale32:00 What readers will take away from the book33:00 Mailbag question: How can one person get more colleagues to use an evidence-based approach?36:00 Final thoughts*Timestamps are approximate

Amplify’s 2024 Science of Reading Star Award winners share insights from their daily work. They reflect on why it’s so critical to stay grounded in evidence-based literacy practices and how they bring those practices into their schools and classrooms. Listeners will be inspired by the creative ideas of educators who are making a difference in the lives of students across the country. Winners honored in the episode in order of appearance are: Amber Hines, Vance County Schools, NC; Elizabeth Caton, Windber Area Elementary School, PA; Jamie Vannoy, Wirt County Primary Center, WV; Christine Michalik, Cicero School District 99, IL; Andrea Mason, County Line Elementary School, GA; A. Simone McQuaige, Prince George’s County Public Schools, MD. Show notes:Apply for the 2025 Amplify Science of Reading Star AwardsLearn more about our 2024 Star Award winnersSubscribe to Beyond My YearsQuotes: “There is no, ‘Let's try this. Let's try that.’ When it's evidence based, you know that it's proven to be effective.” —Amber Hines“It's important that we are aligning our practices to standards and what the students are required to do—but also what they need.” —Elizabeth Caton“If we don't make a conscious effort to utilize evidence-based practices, we are going to be failing our most at-risk populations.” —Jamie Vannoy“All students should have the opportunity for multiple readings of the same text to build comprehension, to build fluency.” —Christine Michalik“It's really important to utilize assessments, [to] make sure that my students are getting exactly what they need based on the data that I get from assessments, but also based on the data that I get from regular progress monitoring.” —Andrea Mason“This is not something that can be just done at the schoolhouse. It involves the community and all of our community stakeholders.” —A. Simone McQuaige

Missy Testerman, the 2024 National Teacher of the Year from Tennessee, shares her extensive experience as an ESL teacher and advocate for families. She emphasizes the power of mentorship and collaboration among educators. Testerman discusses the importance of being flexible in teaching and connecting with communities. She tackles challenges like the 'who knows best' dynamic in education and the necessity of self-care for teachers. Most importantly, she inspires others to embrace new perspectives and prioritize relationship-building with families and students.

Ioulia Kovelman, Ph.D., is a developmental cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Michigan, specializing in literacy development for neurodiverse and multilingual students. She highlights how children's brains adapt during reading and the unique challenges faced by dyslexic learners. Ioulia emphasizes the importance of personalized literacy instruction and how different languages engage various cognitive 'muscles.' Ultimately, she underscores the collaborative relationship between scientists, teachers, and students in advancing literacy education.

In this engaging conversation, Susanne Nobles, Chief Academic Officer at ReadWorks and expert in educational research, discusses the importance of making high-quality texts accessible to all students. She highlights the value of the Article-A-Day program, which enhances students' knowledge and vocabulary while supporting teachers. Nobles emphasizes how children can discern quality in texts and shares insights on creating Spanish-English materials for bilingual learners. She offers thoughtful advice on ensuring text quality to foster a genuine love for reading.

Lori Josephson, a literacy specialist and author of "Calling All Neurons! How Reading and Spelling Happen," explores the fascinating connection between neurons and literacy. She shares her journey in creating an accessible resource about the neuroscience of reading. Lori discusses the importance of involving everyone in a student's literacy journey and offers strategies for helping older elementary students who struggle with foundational skills. This engaging conversation bridges the gap between reading and spelling, emphasizing innovative approaches to literacy education.

In this episode Susan Lambert is joined by Hugh Catts, Ph.D., professor at Florida State University, to break down what comprehension is and bust some myths around what it isn’t. With a family history of dyslexia, he has a personal connection to the topic that led him into research in language sciences and language disorders. He discusses how his findings moved him away from viewing comprehension as simply a “component of reading” but rather something entirely separate—a condition created over time, defined by purpose, and influenced by prior knowledge. Together, Susan and Hugh address many comprehension-related contexts, such as the simple view of reading, the five pillars of reading, and comprehension’s relationship to knowledge building. Hugh also gives listeners practical advice for helping students suss out their comprehension before reading, and he clarifies why understanding the standard of coherence is important.Show notes:Submit your literacy questions for a chance to win!Read: Rethinking How to Promote Reading Comprehension by Hugh CattsRead: The Simple View of Reading: Advancements and False Impressions by Hugh CattsFollow Hugh on X: @CattsHughQuotes: “If I was going to define comprehension, it's not a single thing. I mean, that's the problem. We want it to be a single thing, but it depends upon what you're reading and why you're reading it.” –Hugh Catts, Ph.D.“What comprehension is is the interaction of what you bring into that reading situation and what you already know about it and your motivation and purpose to comprehend it.” –Hugh Catts, Ph.D.“There's just not enough mental reserve to be able to build that meaning that quickly. So it helps tremendously that you have some knowledge about it beforehand. That knowledge gives you a place to put information. So when you read about something, it gives you storage for the information. It's kind of like a cubby hole that you put the mail in, in an office.” ––Hugh Catts, Ph.D.Episode timestamps* 02:00 Introduction: Who is Hugh Catts?03:00 Personal Connection to Dyslexia07:00 Rethinking comprehension as a component of reading11:00 Vocabulary and comprehension15:00 Comprehension as a condition you create16:00 Language comprehension and the simple view of reading19:00 Differences in types of comprehension26:00 What comprehension is and isn’t32:00 Thinking deeply39:00 Background knowledge and comprehension42:00 Automatic inferencing 50:00 Final thoughts*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute

On this episode, Kari Kurto, National Science of Reading Project Director at The Reading League, discusses The Reading League’s curriculum evaluation tool, which assesses a curriculum’s research-based practices. Kurto's conversation with Susan Lambert touches on her background teaching students with dyslexia, the non-negotiables in curriculum aligned to the Science of Reading, and how educators can use information about an evaluated curriculum to inform instruction. While Kurto stresses that no program is perfect, she and her colleagues have worked to equip educators with a tool to more easily and objectively access information when making curriculum choices.. Show notes:Submit your Science of Reading questions for a chance to win!Submit your literacy questions for a chance to win!eBook: Science of Reading: Defining Guide from The Reading LeagueThe Reading League’s Curriculum Evaluation GuidelinesReading League CompassSubscribe to The Reading League’s newsletterQuotes: “Just because we have this report and we say, ‘All right, this curriculum has all the stuff,’ if you don't teach it, then you're a red flag of your own.” —Kari Kurto“It's a movement of improvement, right? We're constantly striving to improve. And don't give up. Share your stories; share your success stories.” —Kari Kurto“Thank you to those folks who have been listening. Thank you to the folks who are curious about learning more, those who have spent years implementing and tweaking and improving literacy outcomes for our country's next generation. I mean, that's huge.” —Kari KurtoEpisode timestamps* 02:00 Introduction: Who is Kari Kurto?08:00 Teaching kids with dyslexia, what they need to learn to read10:00 Reading league defining guide11:00 Curriculum review tool16:00 Determining which programs to review20:00 Using the curriculum review tool as professional development21:00 Non-negotiables in a science of reading curriculum24:00 How to use the information from a program evaluation30:00 Long-term plans of the navigation report tool32:00 The reporting team34:00 The Reading League compass37:00 The Reading League journal40:00 Final Advice*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute