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Science of Reading: The Podcast

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Aug 7, 2024 • 44min

Summer '24 Interlude E2: One-pagers make literacy research more accessible, with Jamie Clark

In this episode, Jamie Clark and Susan Lambert delve into Jamie's new educational resource called: one-pagers, designed to distill complex educational literacy research into accessible, practical one-page summaries for teachers. Jamie, originally from the United Kingdom and now based in Australia, also shares his one-pager journey from ideation, to creating these resources, to witnessing their impact in the classroom. Aside from discussing his methodology, Jamie also highlights the iterative process of refining his work and collaborating with key figures in the educational field, and the importance of contextual application of these strategies in different educational settings. Jamie also gives an in-depth explanation of his Think-Pair-Share one-pager, highlights how important it is for teachers to continue learning, and ends with advice for anyone looking to make research more accessible.Show NotesX: https://x.com/XpatEducatorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/xpateducator/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamieleeclark85/Website: https://www.jamieleeclark.comBook: Teaching One-Pagers: Evidence-informed Summaries for Busy Educational ProfessionalsWebsite: JamieLeeClark.comBook: Teaching WalkThrus: Visual Step-by-Step Guides to Essential Teaching TechniquesQuotes“In order to help our students learn effectively, teachers need to know how they learn and sometimes why they do not learn.” —Jamie Clark“Think-pair-share is important because it makes students feel safe before they share with the class.” —Jamie Clark“The main thing as a teacher for me is that you always need to learn and that you never stop learning.” —Jamie Clark“The best research is the stuff that you can glean information from and then do something with that's actionable and practical.” —Jamie ClarkEpisode Timestamps*02:00 Introduction: Who is Jamie Clark?05:00 The Birth of One Pagers: Inspiration and Early Days08:00 Going Viral: The Impact of One Pagers10:00 Feedback and Collaboration on One Pagers11:00 Designing for Educators: The Journey to a Book19:00 Designing Effective One Pagers21:00 Exploring the Think-Pair-Share Strategy24:00 Implementing Think-Pair-Share in the Classroom26:00 Application Across Subjects and Levels29:00 Challenges and Insights in Creating One-Pagers35:00 Advice for Teachers and Educators39:00 Final Thoughts and Future Directions*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute
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Jul 24, 2024 • 1h 5min

Summer '24 Interlude E1: How effective coaching transformed Mississippi, with Margaret Goldberg and Kelly Butler

In this episode, Susan Lambert talks with Kelly Butler and Margaret Goldberg about their experiences and insights into improving reading instruction, particularly in Mississippi and California. Kelly discusses her work with the Barksdale Reading Institute, its impact on reading education, and the importance of coaching and structured literacy. Margaret shares her experiences as a coach in California, the challenges of teacher training, and the importance of having a clear and effective literacy plan that includes acquiring high quality data and using it to inform all your strategies. Both guests emphasize the need for systemic change and the role of community involvement in educational success.Show Notes Follow: Kelly Butler’s Linkedin:  linkedin.com/in/kelly-butler-5b92b31bFollow: Kelly Butler’s Twitter/X: @KellyButler8Follow: Margaret Goldberg’s Twitter/X and Facebook: @right2readprojFollow: Margaret Goldberg’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-goldberg-247613117/Listen: S2 E5: The Right to Read Project on nurturing automatic readers, with Margaret Goldberg and Alanna MednickListen: S6 E1: The other side of Scarborough’s Rope, with Margaret GoldbergListen: Emily Hanford “Sold a Story” seriesLook: Textbook sSpreadsheet from the Center for Reading Science at Mount Saint Joseph UniversityWatch: Reading Universe: How Children Learn to Read, with Margaret GoldbergQuotes“The laws are telling us that time's up. We need to get this job done. The good news is we know how to do it. We just need to get it done everywhere.” —Kelly Butler“My role is more to help people make sense of information that is much more widely available, and help them understand how it applies to the work that we're doing. Whereas before, I felt like I was trying to alert people to the existence of research that had been kept out of reach.” —Margaret GoldbergEpisode Timestamps*03:00 Introduction: Who are Kelly Butler and Margaret Goldberg?11:00 Challenges in Teacher Preparation19:00 Effective Coaching Models28:00 Margaret's Journey into Coaching29:00 Collaborative Learning and Best Practices30:00 Challenges and Solutions in Coaching35:00 The Impact of Legislation on Coaching36:00 Reflections on Coaching and Curriculum48:00 Future Visions and Final Thoughts*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute
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Jul 10, 2024 • 53min

ML/EL E6: Curating a confident classroom for multilingual learners, with Arturo Valadez Sáenz

In this episode, Susan Lambert is joined by Arturo Valadez Sáenz, a demonstration teacher from Dallas, Texas, who delves into his journey from his childhood in Mexico to becoming an educator in the United States. He describes his current role, teaching both English and Spanish language arts, and emphasizes the importance of bilingual education. He shares the demographics and linguistic challenges of his students, many of whom are newcomers to the country, some of whom come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds or speak different dialects. Arturo discusses effective strategies like bilingual pairing, feedback for learning, and the impact of Science of Reading practices in his classroom. He also highlights the necessity of creating a positive classroom culture and building students’ confidence. Arturo’s story is a testament to the transformative power of education and the significant difference a dedicated teacher can make in the lives of students.Show notes: Follow on Instagram: @arturosaenzelviajero Visit: https://arturosaenz.hearnow.com/Quotes: “I realized that I truly have a calling of being with kids, and the biggest thing to me is the intrinsic reward that you receive, especially working with economically disadvantaged communities.” —Arturo Valadez Sáenz“It’s all about confidence, building the student’s confidence. It’s a huge component of preparing students to be successful.”  —Arturo Valadez Sáenz“It’s not about the teacher. When planning, my biggest suggestion is do not plan for your own actions. Plan for what the students are going to be doing in every single portion of the lesson.” —Arturo Valadez SáenzEpisode timestamps*03:00 Introduction: Who is Arturo Valdez Sáenz?05:00 Journey to Teaching09:00 Importance of Bilingual Education14:00 Strategies for creating positive classroom culture21:00 Parental Involvement23:00 Challenges in Bilingual Education and the importance of educator collaboration27:00 Setting High Expectations for Every Child28:00 The Power of Immediate Feedback33:00 Building student confidence and classroom collaboration34:00 Effective Grouping Strategies in Bilingual Classrooms37:00 Engaging Students Across Different Grade Levels40:00 Implementing Science of Reading Practices45:00 Celebrating Student Growth and Success48:00 Final Thoughts and Encouragement for Educators*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute
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Jun 28, 2024 • 3min

Beyond My Years podcast trailer

Listen to this trailer for our new podcast, Beyond My Years, launching August 14th. Every day headlines tout something “new” in education—the latest research, the hottest tech, the trendiest new hacks for organizing your classroom. However, beyond all the hype there’s one underestimated resource that’s truly deserving of our attention: educators who’ve been doing this for years. In this trailer, you’ll hear from host and educator Ana Torres as she explains her season-long journey of learning from the experiences and lessons of seasoned educators from around the world. Their stories will make you laugh, make you cry, and—just maybe—change the way you think. Subscribe now so you don’t miss a thing.(Not an Apple user? Subscribe here via Buzzsprout.)
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Jun 26, 2024 • 47min

ML/EL E5: Serving every student, in every seat, speaking any language, with Genie Baca

This episode features an in-depth conversation with Genie Baca, a 33-year education veteran who has spent the last 18 years as a principal in Texas. Baca discusses her career progression from a balanced literacy classroom teacher to various educational roles along her journey to the Science of Reading—and how it all led her to a unique school predominantly serving refugee students. This school, where 39 languages are spoken by the diverse student body, faces different challenges (and opportunities) than most schools. Baca shares some of the transformative strategies implemented under her leadership, particularly focusing on the Science of Reading and high-quality instructional materials. These strategies have significantly improved literacy and engagement, with a systematic approach adjusted for Tier 1 instruction to benefit all students, including monolingual and multilingual learners. Baca’s story showcases the positive influence strong leadership, a dedicated staff, and research-based educational methodologies can have when creating an inclusive, successful learning environment for a diverse student population.Quotes:"I couldn't just lead my campus into the Science of Reading if I didn't open myself up to [the possibility that] maybe I was wrong. It wasn't easy, but it really took me looking at student work to prove that what I had been doing all these years wasn't working."  —Genie Baca"It's serving every child we have in the seat, whether they're monolingual or they speak two or three languages. What works is a systematic approach to learning how to read." —Genie Baca"Now that we know better, and we know more about the research and how speaking and reading go together, we're just getting smarter. We're learning more about how reading works, how the brain works, how kids acquire knowledge, and we just have to be smarter with how we do things." —Genie BacaEpisode timestamps*02:00: Introduction: Who is Genie Baca?03:00: Genie Baca’s journey in education and unique school10:00: School changes over 14 years13:00: Change management: Teacher reactions & professional development15:00: The shift to Science of Reading27:00: Science of Reading for multilingual learners33:00: The importance of oral language and leveraging it in the classroom35:00: Involving parents and caregivers in the learning process40:00: Reflecting on lessons learned and future directions*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute
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Jun 12, 2024 • 56min

ML/EL E4: Practical strategies for multilingual learning, with Diane August, Ph.D.

In this episode, Diane August, Ph.D. shares her journey and expertise supporting multilingual learners, focusing on her transition from a Spanish language teacher to a widely recognized expert in literacy and language acquisition for multilingual students. August recounts her initial teaching experiences, her realization of the need for better support for language development, and her subsequent pursuit of a Ph.D. and further research efforts to deepen her understanding of second language acquisition and content integrated language teaching. August emphasizes the foundational importance of supporting multilingual learners through asset-based approaches, bilingual programming, and research-based instructional strategies, advocating for educational policies and practices that recognize and leverage the linguistic and cultural assets of multilingual learners from the very early grades all the way through the later grades.Show notes:Tool: AIR Project Word Analyzer Vocabulary ToolTool: Wordsmyth.net Educational Dictionary ResourceRead: Developing Literacy in Second-Language Learners: Report of the National Literacy Panel on Language-Minority Children and YouthRead: Promoting the Educational Success of Children and Youth Learning English: Promising FuturesQuotes:“We found there is no indication that bilingual instruction impeded academic achievement, either in the native language or in English. What we observed on average, [was] that kids that were in bilingual programs did a lot better in literacy.” —Diane August, Ph.D.“There's some sounds in English that aren't present in a first language. Or there are orthography letters that sound different in one language versus the other. So you just have to realize you have to take into consideration the kid's language background when you're teaching foundational skills.”  —Diane August, Ph.D“We develop kids' oral language when they're older in conjunction with teaching them to read and teaching them content area knowledge. You can't not do that from the beginning, you have to support kids in foundational reading skills.”  —Diane August, Ph.D.“Second language learners also come with a lot of knowledge in their first language, which is really important to consider. It's not like they don't have background knowledge.”  —Diane August, Ph.D.Episode timestamps*1:00: Introduction: Who is Diane August?6:00: National literacy panel on language minority children and youth13:00:  Importance of longitudinal research15:00: Exploring different models for supporting biliteracy development20:00: The Importance of Oral Language 27:00: Intersection of research on learning on how to read for native english speakers and learning how to read for multilingual learners30:00: Insights from the 2017 Report on Multilingual Learners33:00: Understanding the Diversity of Multilingual Learners36:00: Effective Strategies for Supporting Older Multilingual Learners47:00: Importance of syntax52:00: Concluding Thoughts on Supporting Multilingual Learners*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute
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May 29, 2024 • 60min

ML/EL E3: Diagnosing dyslexia in multilingual learners, with Francisco Usero-González

As we continue our miniseries on English learners and multilingual learners Francisco Usero-González, Ph.D. (Paco, as I call him), a renowned expert in bilingual education and dyslexia intervention, joins Susan Lambert to discuss diagnosing dyslexia in multilingual learners and the intersectional understanding it requires. To accurately approach observation and assessment, educators need all the different parts of their own identity to create a complete picture. Usero-González discusses how moving from Spain to the United States led him to champion professional development that teaches educators to have a linguistic, cognitive, and cultural understanding of students. Together, Susan and  Usero-González also touch on the ways in which symptoms of dyslexia and the natural process of language acquisition can be confused, how to diagnose dyslexia in multilingual learners, what dyslexia looks like across languages, and how translanguaging is especially helpful for multilingual learners with dyslexia. Show Notes:Watch: TEDxSHSU Bilingual Learners, Dyslexia, and Inclusive Education Read: Translanguaging by Ofelia García and Sara Vogel Quotes:“We need to promote collaboration, because we need to talk to the different teachers that the student has in order to see if it is indeed a second language acquisition issue or it belongs to the patterns, the symptoms, that a student with dyslexia might have.” — Francisco Usero-González“It is very important for us to have this communication with parents and teachers and have them as our best allies. They are going to give us a lot of information that we maybe cannot track during our classroom time.” — Francisco Usero-González“Dyslexia is something beyond a language. It is something that our students bring with themselves. We need to give them all the tools and resources in order to help them overcome those symptoms.” — Francisco Usero-GonzálezEpisode timestamps*2:00 Introduction: Who is Francisco Usero-González?08:00 Going from Spain to the US09:00 Dyslexia and multilingual learners, why this is an important topic10:00 Holistic professional development: Linguistic, cognitive, and cultural understanding of students18:00 Intersection of dyslexia and language acquisition27:00 Diagnosing dyslexia in multilingual learners33:00 Symptoms of dyslexia: Spanish vs English40:00 Dyslexia across languages48:00 Translanguaging54:00 Final thoughts: Being a human being*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute
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May 15, 2024 • 56min

ML/EL E2: Nurturing multilingualism, with Jim Cummins, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus Jim Cummins, Ph.D., joins Susan Lambert from the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education for an engaging conversation that explores the dynamics of language development and bilingual education, as well as the importance of a supportive learning environment for multilingual/English learners. Cummins shares stories from his extensive experience and research in the field, highlighting the cognitive benefits of bilingualism, the importance of literacy engagement, and the role of translanguaging in educational settings. He also illuminates the challenges and opportunities in fostering multilingual capabilities and underscores the value of embracing students' linguistic diversity in schools.Show notes:Listen to episode 1, Language is always an asset, with Kajal Patel BelowRead: Translanguaging in Bilingual Education by Ofelia García and Angel M.Y. LinWebsite: Language Friendly SchoolQuotes:“Virtually all the research highlights the importance of being in a communicative, interactive context if you want to pick up a language." —Jim Cummins, Ph.D.“There are differences between the linguistic demands of schooling and the kind of language that we use in everyday conversational context outside of school." —Jim Cummins, Ph.D.“All of these processes are amplified when there's a community of peers or people that we can discuss these ideas with, we can get feedback, we can explore ideas collectively." —Jim Cummins, Ph.D.Episode timestamps*02:00 Introduction: Who is Jim Cummins03:00 Personal Language Journey10:00 Global Perspectives on Language Education18:00 Conversion to academic language spectrum20:00 The process of learning a second language25:00 Language awareness37:00 Translanguaging and Language Policy43:00 Benefits of being multilingual and fostering a supportive environment49:00 Joint statement*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute
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Apr 30, 2024 • 51min

ML/EL E1: Language is always an asset, with Kajal Patel Below

To kick off our miniseries focused on how the Science of Reading serves multilingual/English learners (ML/ELs), Amplify Vice President of Biliteracy Kajal Patel Below joins Susan Lambert for a retrospective discussion of the history of literacy education through a biliteracy lens. Together, they discuss the significance of a recent joint statement put out by The Reading League and the National Committee for Effective Literacy. Below sheds light on why this statement is so monumental, and what it means for serving ML/ELs going forward.Show notes:Joint Statement from The Reading League (TRL) and the National Committee for Effective Literacy (NCEL)2006 Report: Developing Literacy in Second-Language LearnersQuotes: “It must be acknowledged that there is more scientific research, or there has been more scientific research, conducted with monolingual English-speaking children, and that additional research related to teaching literacy development for English learners and emergent bilinguals is needed to advance our understanding of their literacy development.” —Kajal Patel Below“We have an underserved area that's experiencing a massive growth in student population. And so it's really important to then focus on it. Schools are adjusting, they're quick, they're doing the best they can, but we need to be having these conversations around research [and] best practices so that we can set schools up for success and students up for success." —Kajal Patel Below“I just think we have an exciting future in this country. I was in a classroom last week—I saw some of their writing. I saw them speaking, heard them speaking in two languages fluently, easily, excitedly. I just got very excited. These kids are going to be our doctors and our teachers and our engineers and they’re bilingual or multilingual.” —Kajal Patel Below“Their language is an asset, whatever language it is and however much it is.” —Kajal Patel BelowEpisode timestamps*5:00 Introduction: Who is Kajal Patel Below?7:00 Terminology: Bilingual vs biliterate; Multilingual/English learners 10:00 History in the US of multilingual learners being underserved11:00 Multilingualism as an asset12:00 Importance of messaging17:00 Advocates for multilingual learners and the science of reading21:00 Concerns regarding the science of reading movement25:00 Screening and assessment31:00 Teacher support and need for better materials34:00 What is the joint statement? 43:00 Hopes for the future46:00 Why is this conversation important?*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute
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Apr 17, 2024 • 2min

Sneak peek: A miniseries on multilingual and English learners

Science of Reading: The Podcast is launching a special miniseries dedicated to multilingual/English learners (ML/ELs)! Host Susan Lambert will chat with leading researchers and practitioners about how the Science of Reading supports ML/ELs and why this is so important. Through exploration of the key research and enlightening discussions, Susan and guests will discuss the optimal use of the Science of Reading to enhance students’ classroom experiences and overall learning journeys. Listen to this trailer for a sneak peek and be sure to subscribe now so you don’t miss this exclusive miniseries—the first episode is out April 30!

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