Dive into our first episode as Dr. Jane Oakhill, Professor of Experimental Psychology at the University of Sussex, gives a high-level overview of Scarborough’s Reading Rope. She also emphasizes the importance of inferencing in comprehension, why the Simple View of Reading is still relevant almost 40 years later, and how each element of the rope comes together to deconstruct the complexity of reading.Quotes:“We’re often quite surprised at what children don’t understand and we make a lot of assumptions about things we find utterly trivial.”“It’s not just having knowledge that’s important, but also being able to activate that knowledge when appropriate.”Resources:Understanding and Teaching Reading Comprehension by Jane OakhillWant to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Join Danielle Damico, Director of Learning Science at Amplify, as she explores the impact of the pandemic on at-risk students and those in need of intervention. She shares the insights drawn from DIBELS 8th Edition and highlights how data is now more important than ever in understanding where students are—whether assessments are administered in person or through a digital platform. Finally, she leaves our listeners with best practices to nurture readers moving forward and ensure growth and success through the end of the year.Quotes:“Teachers and students need the right tools to help accelerate student learning and growth–especially in early literacy.”“We need to lean on the data we can collect and the science of reading.”Resources:Instructional Learning Loss BriefAmplify Literacy HubWant to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

One of our most popular guests, Tim Shanahan, returns! In our most recent episode, he reminisces about the creation of the National Reading Panel in 1997 and the release of its subsequent groundbreaking report. He highlights how reading instruction has evolved and discusses how new research seems to be changing the landscape of the “reading wars” he thought were settled long ago.Quotes:“We continue to learn, and we continue to refine.”“When people are trying to tell you how you should teach, I think you need to ask some real basic questions about what evidence supports those recommendations.”Show notes:National Reading Panel ReportThe Review of Educational Research JournalERIC, Educational ClearinghouseShanahan on Literacy BlogWhat Works Clearinghouse Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.Episode timestamps*01:00: Celebrating the National Reading Panel Report 02:00: Context and history of the National Reading Panel11:00: The experiences of being a panel member15:00: Reflections on the panel's work and its legacy21:00: Current relevance of the nation reading panel report25:00: Defining the term science within the context of reading and literacy research35:00: If you were to do the national reading panel again, what would change?44:00: Advice for Educators and Conclusion*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute

Join Sonia Cabell, Assistant Professor of Education at Florida State University, as she shares findings from her research trials on content-rich literacy curricula and whether activating students’ background knowledge alongside explicit phonics instruction is more effective than traditional approaches. She also explains what constitutes “compelling evidence” in the science of reading and why students need to interact with both written and spoken language while learning to read.Quotes:“The knowledge that you have about a particular subject matters for your reading comprehension.”“When I think about content-rich English language arts, I think about how we can integrate science and social studies into the language arts in ways that make sense.”Resources:Florida Center for Reading ResearchCore Knowledge Language ArtsWriting Into Literacy TEDx Talk by Sonia CabellNational Reading Panel Report 2000EdWeek Science of Reading Article by Sonia CabellSpecial Issue: The Science of Reading: Supports, Critiques, and QuestionsLive with the Author interviewThe Power of Conversations: Building Primary Grade Students’ Vocabulary and Comprehension in a Changing Educational Landscape by Sonia CabellTwitter: @SoniaCabell Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Join Kelly Moran, Curriculum Supervisor of Chardon Local Schools in Ohio, as she shares her journey of implementing a curriculum based around the science of reading. Hear about the steps her district took to reshape literacy instructional practices and about the challenges they faced along the way. Find out how the fostering of reading achievement in students renders all efforts worthwhile. Quotes:“We’re really taking advantage of every minute of direct, explicit instruction we have with our students.”“Once we invested the time in professional development and high-quality materials aligned to the science of reading, we could see a difference.”Resources:Why Our Children Can't Read and What We Can Do About It: A Scientific Revolution in Reading by Diane McguinessNatalie Wexler’s The Knowledge Gap Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Join Margaret Goldberg and Alanna Mednick from the Right to Read Project as they address the science of reading and its translation into easy practice for educators. They break down the Seidenberg and McClelland Four-Part Processing Model and explain how it relates to the simple view of reading. They also reflect on how educators should approach reading as scientists and be ready to teach in a way that may be uncomfortable for a time—the “labor of love” stage of literacy instruction.Quotes:“We should anticipate reading difficulties and we should be prepared to be able to address them.” —Margaret Goldberg“We need to go at the pace of the child and we can’t leave anything up to chance.” —Alanna MednickResources:The Seidenberg & McClelland Four-Part Processing ModelBeginning to Read: Thinking and Learning about Print by Marilyn AdamsNancy Young’s Ladder of ReadingRight to Read Project  Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Join Afrika Afeni Mills—diversity, equity, and inclusion director of BetterLesson—as she reflects on race, culture, and identity in education. She’ll shed light on the significance of integrating students' schemas to nurture language comprehension in early literacy, discuss the difference between asset- and deficit-based teaching, and highlight the impact “windows and mirrors” have on students’ classroom experiences.Quotes:“A lot of the foundational work starts by making sure that we’re inquisitive about the resources we’re providing students.”“We don’t spend enough time thinking about students’ families as their first teachers.”Resources:BetterLessonAfrika’s Equity Guardian Facebook PageTedTalk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Danger of a Single StoryWant to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

In our first international episode, join The Reading League CEO and President Maria Murray and La Trobe University Professor of Cognitive Psychology Pamela Snow as they reflect on the long history of the science of reading. They’ll explain the true definition of “the science of reading” and explore why this knowledge has not been translated for the practitioners that need it the most—teachers. Our guests will also discuss the pandemic’s silver lining: the opportunity to reflect on instructional practices and how to best support educators and students now, and in the future.Quotes:“The science of reading informs approaches in all areas of reading.” —Maria Murray“We’ve had knowledge for decades that has not been translated for the practitioners that need it the most.” —Pamela SnowResources:TheReadingLeague.orgFB Group: The Reading League Teacher Group - The Science of Reading is For YOU!Annual Conference: The Science of Reading: Now More Than EverDavid Kilpatrick’s “Essentials of Assessing and Preventing Reading Difficulties”Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Join Amplify interns Justin Pita, undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, and Tamara Morris, graduate of Stanford University, as they share their reading journeys. They highlight the major disparities and barriers that affected their academic experiences and reflect on how action must be taken by caregivers and educators to ensure that students across the nation have access to equal opportunities for achievement in literacy so that no student gets left behind.Quotes:“You don’t have to be great to start. You have to start to be great.” —Tamara Morris“Students nowadays don’t have the opportunities to hone in on literacy as much as we want them to.” —Justin PitaResources:HighJump ChicagoKumonJoin our Virtual Literacy Symposium on Thursday, Oct 15!Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

Join Dr. LaTonya Goffney, Superintendent of Schools for Aldine Independent School District in Texas, as she recounts her two-year journey with her team of district educators to adopt a new early literacy curriculum. Hear how they successfully challenged the traditional adoption process, studied the science of teaching reading, analyzed student data and experiences, and developed a district-wide set of beliefs and expectations. Show notes:The Knowledge Gap: The hidden cause of America's broken education system--and how to fix it by Natalie WexlerWant to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.Quotes:“If you can read, you can go anywhere. Reading is a gateway to opportunity.”“As leaders, we have to be prepared to challenge the notion of low expectations."Episode timestamps*01:00: Introduction: Who is LaTonya Goffney04:00: Challenges in Literacy and Initial Steps06:00: Developing a New Literacy Framework13:00: Implementing the New Curriculum23:00: Overcoming Obstacles and Building Commitment35:00: Looking Ahead: Future Steps and Advice42:00: Conclusion and Final Thoughts*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute