Science of Reading: The Podcast

MTSS explores the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), from foundational concepts to practical implementation. To kick things off, Joan Schumann, Ph.D., founding executive director of the International MTSS Association, joins host Susan Lambert, Ed.D., to provide an overview of an MTSS—what it is, what it isn't, and its core elements. Together, Joan and Susan discuss the core beliefs that make or break an MTSS implementation, what a prevention-oriented mindset looks like in a school, and why early access to intervention is central to the MTSS framework. Show notes: Sign up for our Literacy Data and MTSS Week . Learn more about the International MTSS Association and its Journal for MTSS . Connect with Joan Schumann on LinkedIn . Subscribe to Season 3 of Amplify's Beyond My Years podcast. Subscribe to Susan's new Science of Reading Substack . Join our Science of Reading community Facebook group . Connect with Susan Lambert . Quotes: "You cannot implement the [MTSS] framework if you don't believe all kids can learn." —Joan Schumann "If we all start engaging in these small shifts and calls for change, it'll be just like the Science of Reading, only it'll be the science of learning." —Joan Schumann "Don't underestimate the power of starting small, or raising a question in a meeting, or challenging a belief that you hear. I think it's through these small acts of courage that you can have a big impact." Timestamps*: 0:00 Introduction: MTSS 101, with Joan Schumann, Ph.D. 4:00 Joan's background and journey in education 9:00 An overview of MTSS 10:00 The core belief at the heart of MTSS 17:00 MTSS as a prevention-oriented system 19:00 Rethinking school structure 25:00 Common MTSS misconceptions 28:00 How MTSS and special education relate 33:00 Breaking down the core elements of MTSS 36:00 MTSS beyond literacy 38:00 The International MTSS Association 46:00 Final thoughts *Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute

Host Susan Lambert gives you a first look at Season 11 of Science of Reading: The Podcast, which will focus on using a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). Along with her expert guests, Susan will take a close look at what MTSS really means, how its different components work, and what it takes to implement and scale it successfully in a real school or classroom. Check out the trailer to get a glimpse of the season's conversations on Tier 1, screening, intervention, progress monitoring, and data teaming, and see clips of the guests you can look forward to hearing from! Show notes: Get ready for the new podcast season with Literacy Data and MTSS Week , a free week of webinars. Subscribe to the new Science of Reading Substack . Listen to Season 3 of Beyond My Years . Join our community Facebook group . Connect with Susan Lambert .

In our latest Science of Reading: Essentials episode, Susan Lambert, Ed.D., draws on expert voices from across the podcast to show how assessment can be one of the most exciting and empowering tools an educator has at their disposal. Featuring Jan Hasbrouck, Ph.D.; Stephanie Stollar, Ph.D.; Kate Winn; Kymyona Burk, Ed.D.; Kajal Patel Below; Gina Biancarosa, Ed.D.; and Melissa Farrall, Ph.D., this episode covers the three types of assessment every educator needs—universal screening, diagnostic assessment, and progress monitoring—and how they work together; what the Oral Reading Fluency measure actually measures, why it matters, and how it's often misunderstood; and why assessing comprehension is so complex, and what teachers can do about it. Show notes: Check out all of our Science of Reading Essentials episodes . Sign up for our upcoming Assessment Webinar Series . Listen to Season 3 of Amplify’s Beyond My Years podcast. Listen to the full episodes: The right assessment and the right data with Dr. Jan Hasbrouck Assessment as your best friend, with Kate Winn and Stephanie Stollar, Ph.D. Language is always an asset, with Kajal Patel Below Understanding assessment, with Melissa Farrall, Ph.D. Reimagining comprehension assessment, with Gina Biancarosa, Ed.D. A proactive response to the adolescent literacy crisis, with Kymyona Burk, Ed.D. Subscribe to Susan’s new Science of Reading Substack . Join our Science of Reading community Facebook group . Connect with Susan Lambert . Quotes: “If you don’t have a question about your students, you don’t need to do more assessment. This should not be a compliance activity.” —Stephanie Stollar “We never want to do one iota, one second, one minute of extra assessment that we don’t have to do unless it answers a key question that makes us better teachers.” —Jan Hasbrouck “About 90% of all reading challenges are due to difficulty recognizing the words.” —Melissa Farrall “We don’t want more testing. We want the right kind of testing.” —Kymyona Burk “Once you ask a question, you can change what it is that someone has understood from what they read.” —Gina Biancarosa “When we love the kids, we want to do the best for them.” —Kate Winn “Ideally, kids would be assessed in their home language.” —Kajal Patel Below Timestamps*: 0:00 Science of Reading Essentials: Assessment 3:00 Why educators have complicated feelings about assessment 4:00 The three key questions every assessment should answer 6:00 Universal screening 8:00 Screening multilingual and English learners 11:00 Diagnostic assessment 12:00 Progress monitoring 15:00 Why alignment across all three tools matters 16:00 Teacher-administered and curriculum-based assessments 18:00 Oral Reading Fluency (ORF): what it is and why it matters 24:00 Why ORF is widely misunderstood 28:00 The challenges of assessing comprehension 38:00 Key takeaways and next steps *Timestamps are approximate

On this encore episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, host Susan Lambert, Ed.D., is joined by Brittney Bills, Ed.D., educator and senior manager of literacy partnerships at Amplify. Brittney explains what a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is and how it centers on prevention, rather than intervention. She also talks about the intersection of universal screening data and an MTSS, and provides advice on evidence-based strategies and techniques to make a positive impact in your classroom. Drawing on examples from her former district, Brittney discusses how to prevent burnout, use data effectively, and support ongoing improvement. Show notes: Connect with Brittney Bills on LinkedIn . Listen to Season 3 of the Amplify podcast Beyond My Years . Join our community Facebook group . Connect with Susan Lambert . Quotes: "[An] MTSS is not a thing that lives outside of the Science of Reading. They're two things that complement each other very, very well." —Brittney Bills "We need better processes that we can apply more widely to effectively arrive at our outcomes for our students who need more intensive support." —Brittney Bills "It's the student's needs that should drive the decisions, not a cool presentation that we saw at a conference." —Brittney Bills Timestamps*: 0:00 Introduction: Implementing MTSS with Brittney Bills, Ed.D. 2:00 Brittney's Science of Reading journey 5:00 Pursuing leadership 6:00 Bringing literacy and MTSS together 7:00 What is an MTSS? 9:00 Universal tier as the first intervention 11:00 Key MTSS components: screening, fidelity, and progress monitoring 17:00 Student need should drive decisions 18:00 Class-wide intervention and leveraging data efficiently 21:00 Rethinking small-group instruction 30:00 Data analysis tools for grade-level PLCs 35:00 MTSS as continuous support 42:00 Closing thoughts: "MTSS is not another thing, it is the thing." *Timestamps are approximate

In this episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, host Susan Lambert, Ed.D., does something a little different, sharing her own research alongside that of her guest, Sonia Cabell, Ph.D. Together, they trace how Sonia's large-scale Institute of Education Sciences (IES) study directly inspired Susan's dissertation, and what that process reveals about how evidence in literacy education actually gets built. Susan and Sonia also discuss what Sonia's IES study on content-rich literacy instruction found; how Susan's own dissertation research built directly on those findings; what it really means for research to "accumulate" and why it matters for classroom practice. Show notes: Sign up for our fall Literacy Data and MTSS Week . Listen to Sonia's previous Science of Reading: The Podcast appearances: Deconstructing the Rope: Language comprehension Research, comprehension, and content-rich literacy instruction Read Sonia's book, Strive-for-Five Conversations: A Framework That Gets Kids Talking to Accelerate Their Language Comprehension and Literacy . Learn more about the Florida Center for Reading Research . Check out Sonia's IES study . Listen to Reid Lyon, Ph.D., on Science of Reading: The Podcast Embracing the complexity of learning to read, Part 1 and Part 2 Systematizing literacy Listen to Season 3 of Amplify's Beyond My Years podcast. Subscribe to Susan's new Science of Reading Substack . Join our Science of Reading community Facebook group . Connect with Susan Lambert . Quotes: "The Science of Reading is not like a product. It's not a thing. It's an ever-accumulating body of work." —Sonia Cabell "You're doing better than you think. Keep being a learner." —Sonia Cabell "It's the accumulation of research over time that leads us to an evidence base, not just any one study." —Sonia Cabell Timestamps*: 0:00 Introduction: How research builds on research 3:00 Sonia's research focus: oral language as the foundation of reading 7:00 The origin of the IES study 10:00 Sonia's study design and what cut it short 16:00 Results of the IES study 23:00 What is an IES study? 25:00 Causation versus correlation 28:00 Susan's dissertation: building on Sonia's research 31:00 What Susan found 35:00 "It's not about just one landmark study" 41:00 Trusted organizations for educators 44:00 Reasons for optimism 48:00 Closing thoughts *Timestamps are approximate

In this final episode of our four-part adolescent literacy miniseries, Susan Lamber, Ed.D., is joined by Kymyona Burk, Ed.D., a senior policy fellow for literacy at ExcelinEd and former Mississippi state literacy director and secondary English teacher. Together, Susan and Kymyona connect what we know from early literacy to the urgent needs of middle school reading, including the policies, professional development, and practices it will take to reach the adolescent readers who need us most. They also explore what comprehensive adolescent literacy policy must include, what other states' legislative momentum for secondary literacy can teach us, and why literacy belongs in every content-area classroom. Show notes: Check out our Science of Reading resources for grades 6–8. Read the Educator Preparation Program Literacy Policy Playbook . Learn more about the Advancing Adolescent Literacy Model Policy . Listen to Kymyona Burk's episode from Season 5 . Learn more about Kymyona Burk . Connect with Kymyona Burk on LinkedIn . Get ready for Season 3 of the Amplify podcast Beyond My Years . Join our community Facebook group . Connect with Susan Lambert . Quotes: There's a literacy crisis in middle and high school, too." —Kymyona Burk "We've been ver proactive with early literacy, but more reactive, I believe, in adolescent literacy." —Kymyona Burk "Think more about what the students need in response to data instead of pacing." —Kymyona Burk Timestamps*: 0:00 Introduction: Adolescent literacy policy, with Kymyona Burk, Ed.D. 5:00 "I knew how to teach English, but I did not know how to teach reading." 7:00 Comparing and contrasting early literacy and adolescent literacy policy 12:00 What good adolescent literacy policy looks like 15:00 The case for universal screeners in middle school 18:00 The Virginia Literacy Act and other states building momentum 24:00 Professional development for middle and high school educators 28:00 Advice for secondary educators 33:00 "Think more about what students need in response to data instead of pacing" 35:00 Educator preparation programs: the next frontier 39:00 Closing thoughts *Timestamps are approximate

In this third episode of our four-part adolescent literacy miniseries, Susan Lambert, Ed.D., speaks with Jeanne Schopf, interventionist, national literacy consultant, and editor of the new book Reading Isn't Optional: Fulfilling the Promise of Literacy for Secondary Students . Susan and Jeanne discuss why belief systems about at-risk readers are often the biggest barrier to change, and why that's true at every level of a school system. They also explore how scheduling, data, and coaching serve as system-level levers that principals and teachers can use to transform secondary literacy outcomes—and why leadership remains the single most powerful lever of all. Show notes: Our Summer Learning Academy is underway ! Reserve your spot now to join Susan Lambert for the next session and dive deeper into the latest reading comprehension research. Check out our Science of Reading resources for grades 6–8. Read Jeanne's book Reading Isn't Optional: Fulfilling the Promise of Literacy for Secondary Students . Check out Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices . Read Providing Reading Interventions for Students in Grades 4–9 . Listen to "Focused Implementation: Doing less to do more," with Doug Reeves, Ph.D. Get ready for Season 3 of the Amplify podcast Beyond My Years . Read Susan's NEW Science of Reading Substack . Join our community Faceook group . Connect with Susan Lambert . Quotes: "Everything rises and falls on leadership." —Jeanne Schopf "I had to learn that people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." —Jeanne Schopf "If we really, truly want to change kids' lives and graduate readers, it's going to take all hands on deck. Everybody has to have a voice." —Jeanne Schopf "Success is a team sport." —Jeanne Schopf Timestamps*: 0:00 Introduction What adolescent readers really need, with Jeanne Schopf 3:00 Jeanne's journey from whole language to structured literacy 7:00 Discovering structured literacy 10:00 "We fall to the level of our systems" 15:00 "Everything rises and falls on leadership." 20:00 Belief systems and their impact on instruction and expectations 22:00 Building intervention time into the secondary schedule 26:00 What a good data meeting looks like 30:00 Reading Isn't Optional as a call for action 34:00 Inside the book: from belief to transformation 42:00 Oral language and scaffolding grade-level text 46:00 "You were never taught to read and it's not your fault" 47:00 Closing thoughts *Timestamps are approximate

In the second episode of a special four-part Science of Reading: The Podcast adolescent literacy miniseries, Susan Lambert, Ed.D., speaks with Julie Burtscher Brown, Ed.D. a PreK–12 literacy facilitator. Julie talks about how she and her colleagues built a whole-school literacy initiative from the ground up, and what three years of data about it then revealed. Together, she and Susan also discuss why a few targeted, evidence-based practices (not sweeping overhauls) were what actually moved the needle for Julie's students; how content-area teachers can begin supporting literacy without reinventing their lessons; and what real, measurable change can look like at the secondary level when a whole school commits to the same practices. Show notes: Our Summer Learning Academy is back! Reserve your spot now to join Susan Lambert to dive deeper into the latest reading comprehension research. Check out our Science of Reading resources for grades 6-8. Connect with Julie Burtscher Brown on LinkedIn . Learn more about the Project for Adolescent Literacy . Explore Structured Literacy Interventions with Secondary Students . Review the IES 2022 Practice Guide Watch: Anita Archer: Secondary Reading—Implementing High-Leverage Practices . Get ready for Season 3 of the Amplify podcast Beyond My Years . Join our community Facebook group . Connect with Susan Lambert . Quotes: "Adolescent literacy is enormous and multifaceted. There's specialized instruction that needs to happen." —Julie Burtscher Brown "If you think of the word 'intervene' as a verb, it means to take action to prevent a predictable outcome." —Julie Burtscher Brown "Real, meaningful change can happen." —Julie Burtscher Brown "We reframed the word 'intervention' as an action, not a place." —Julie Burtscher Brown Timestamps*: 01:00 Introduction: Actually moving the needle for adolescent readers, with Julie Burtscher Brown, Ed.D. 09:00 A structured literacy program at Vermont's Woodstock Union High school and Middle School 11:00 Grouping students by readiness 17:00 Moving toward a whole-school literacy initiative 23:00 High-leverage practices #1 and #2: Reading accurately and fluently 30:00 High-leverage practices #3 and #4: Building word and world knowledge and accessing complex texts 39:00 Building teacher leadership 44:00 "Adolescent literacy is enormous and multifaceted. There's specialized instruction that needs to happen." 46:00 Closing thoughts: what three years of whole-school effort produced *Timestamps are approximate

In this first episode of our special four-part Science of Reading: The Podcast Adolescent Literacy miniseries, Susan Lambert, Ed.D., speaks with Doug Fisher, Ph.D., a celebrated professor, author, and one of the most influential voices in adolescent literacy. They explore what the evidence really tells us about supporting adolescent learners, and what it means for classroom practice. They also discuss why Doug and his colleagues set out to find a new model for adolescent literacy, how self-efficacy powers literacy development in adolescent learners and what teachers can do to build it, and what "foundational skills" in reading truly means for adolescent readers—and why it is non-negotiable. Show notes: Our Summer Learning Academy is back! Reserve your spot now to join Susan Lambert for a pair of sessions that will help you dive deeper into the latest reading comprehension research. Check out our Science of Reading resources for grades 6–8. Connect with Doug on LinkedIn . Learn more about Doug’s book, Teaching Foundational Skills to Adolescent Readers . Read Doug’s article, A Model for Adolescent Reading Instruction . Get ready for Season 3 of the Amplify podcast Beyond My Years . Join our community Facebook group . Connect with Susan Lambert . Quotes: "Our literacy skills contiue to grow across our lifetimes." —Doug Fisher "The human brain operates on language, and reading, writing, speaking and listening, are the language operating systems of our brain." —Doug Fisher "The word 'foundational' to me means not optional." —Doug Fisher "Literacy is a gatekeeper. If we can develop stronger literacy skills in our student, we will change their lives." —Doug Fisher "The passion that educators bring also makes learning relevant." —Doug Fisher Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction: New adolescent literacy mini-series 02:00 Foundational skills for adolescent learners, with Doug Fisher 06:00 "Our literacy skills continue to grow across our lifetimes 08:00 In search of a new adolescent literacy model 14:00 Distinguishing early, general, and disciplinary literacy 17:00 Why the Reading Rope was not designed for adolescent learners 19:00 Introducing the reading circuit and self-efficacy 27:00 Sentence level analysis 31:00 Building self-efficacy through academic risk taking 34:00 Redefining "foundational skills" for adolescent readers 38:00 What this looks like in high school classrooms 43:00 Teacher self-efficacy and the joy of student learning 48:00 Closing thoughts: "Literacy as a gatekeeper" *Timestamps are approximate

On this Science of Reading Essentials episode we're diving into the science of learning to explore how memory, cognitive load, and knowledge building can transform your literacy instruction. Host Susan Lambert, Ed.D., weaves in the insights of our experts—Natalie Wexler; Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D.; Hugh Catts, Ph.D.; Daniel Willingham, Ph.D.; Peter C. Brown; Jamey Peavler, Ed.D.; and David Rapp, Ph.D. Susan reflects on: how memory works and why understanding its processes is foundational to effective teaching; why cognitive load theory and background knowledge are game-changers for literacy instruction; evidence-based strategies that make learning stick. Show notes: Our Summer Learning Academy is back ! Reserve your spot now to join Susan Lambert for a pair of sessions that will help you dive deeper into reading comprehension research. Check out full episodes with our featured guests: The science of learning, the humility of teaching , with Peter C. Brown Comprehension is not a skill , with Hugh Catts When not to differentiate: A guide to small-group instruction with Jamey Peavler The truth behind learning , with Nathaniel Swain The Knowledge Gap : Natalie Wexler Cognitive science-informed teaching , with Natalie Wexler Unlocking reading: Comprehension strategies vs. knowledge building , with Daniel Willingham The science of memory and misinformation , with David Rapp Listen to Amplify's Beyond My Years podcast Check out our Science of Reading Essentials episodes. Join our community Facebook group . Connect with Susan Lambert . Quotes: "Memory is a cognitive process. It's the way the brain encodes, stores, and retrieves information." —Susan Lambert Timestamps* : 0:00 Introduction 05:00 Memory is a cognitive process 07:00 Cognitive load theory 10:00 Role of long-term memory for reading 15:00 Process of building knowledge in long-term memory 21:00 You can't learn something new if it doesn't connect to something you already know. 24:00 Applying learning science to the literacy classroom 30:00 Power of writing 31:00 Final advice *Timestamps are approximate

On this week’s episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Susan Lambert, Ed.D., is joined by one of the most influential people in American education, Reid Lyon, Ph.D., to explore what it takes to make systemic change in literacy instruction. Together, Reid and Susan also discuss how literacy education could benefit from a shared vocabulary, how systems must work together from teacher preparation to classroom implementation, and what we can do to close the implementation gap. Show notes: Our Summer Learning Academy is back ! Reserve your spot now to join Susan Lambert for a pair of sessions that will help you dive deeper into the latest reading comprehension research. Learn more about Reid Lyon’s 10 Maxims of Reading Instruction . Learn more about Drexel University's ALLIED Hub for literacy education . Download our free Science of Reading Change Management Playbook . Listen to our previous episodes with Reid Lyon (Sept. 2023, Part 1 & Part 2 ). Get ready for Season 3 of the Amplify podcast Beyond My Years . Join our community Facebook group . Connect with Susan Lambert . Quotes: "I know we've let children down, but boy have we let teachers down." —Reid Lyon "The hallmark of a profession is a common language displaying a common knowledge." —Reid Lyon "How is it that we know so much yet we are still far behind the curve in helping the majority of struggling readers learn to read?" —Reid Lyon "Much of our difficulties moving the science [of literacy] into classrooms is a function of not having established ourselves as a profession." —Reid Lyon "We have a responsibility to use the best information possible that has taught us how we can improve the person's life." —Reid Lyon "Assessment is a great friend." —Reid Lyon Timestamps*: 00:00: Introduction: Systematizing literacy with Reid Lyon, Ph.D. 07:00: We are still far behind the curve in helping the majority of struggling readers learn to read. 11:00: The hallmark of a profession is a common language displaying a common knowledge. 18:00: Listening and speaking occur with exposure and being showered with language around us. 23:00: The science of reading is not a belief system. It's a container with facts that constantly evolves. 29:00: Can the field of literacy have a common language and common knowledge? 35:00: The systemic challenge is understanding the whole picture. 41:00: Assessment is a great friend. 48:00: Explanation of the evolving 10 Maxim Framework 52:00: What is the work happening at Drexel? *Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute

In this episode of Science of reading: The Podcast, Susan Lambert, Ed.D., is joined by Kate Winn and Stephanie Stollar, Ph.D, coauthors of Reading Assessment Done Right , who explain how to use assessment to actually accelerate student progress and drive instructional decisions. Stephanie, Kate, and Susan also discuss how to cut through assessment overload and focus on what truly drives instruction, the four essential purposes of assessment, and how they work together within Multi-Tiered System of Supports framework, and the common misconceptions that lead to ineffective practices. Show notes: Check out Reading Assessment Done Right . Learn more about Stephanie Stollar . Connect with Stephanie Stollar LinkedIn . Connect with Stephanie Stollar on Facebook . Connect with Kate Winn on LinkedIn . Connect with Kate Winn on Facebook . Listen to the podcast Reading Road Trip . Listen to Season 2 of the Amplify podcast Beyond My Years . Join our community Facebook group . Connect with Susan Lambert . Quotes: "Assessment is a tool for conversation. It's an investigation. It's uncovering what is known, and there are multiple purposes. All assessments are constructed to answer questions." —Stephanie Stollar "If you don't have a question about your students, you don't need to do more assessment. This should not be a compliance activity." —Stephanie Stollar "Progress monitoring is like the GPS for educators." —Stephanie Stollar "We can actually do something with the information when you're using good assessments." —Kate Winn "Believe it or not, reading assessment can be so exciting. It can also be empowering." —Kate Winn "Having lots and lots of assessment data is not helpful. It can actually be counterproductive." —Stephanie Stollar "When I use my universal screener, it tells me which students are meeting benchmark, which ones aren't, and then I know exactly what to work on with those students." —Kate Winn Timestamps* : 00:00 Introduction: Assessment as your best friend 05:00 The need for practical assessment guidance 09:00 What is assessment and what is its purpose in education? 15:00 Understanding the differences between universal screening vs. diagnostic assessment 21:00 Progress monitoring: The GPS for educators 25:00 Building supportive systems and communities for teachers 28:00 The continuous improvement cycle of reading instruction 30:00 Addressing the "too many assessments" problem with an assessment audit 34:00 Misconceptions about assessment 40:00 The power of Tier 1 instruction 43:00 Why we need to screen all students multiple times per year 48:00 Final thoughts: Assessment as a tool for conversation and empowerment *Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute

In this episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Susan is joined by executive director of the Margaret Byrd Rawson Institute, Teresa May, Ph.D. Teresa shares her powerful story, from being a student with dyslexia to fighting systemic barriers in education. Teresa and Susan also discuss Teresa's legal advocacy for her sons' right to appropriate dyslexia education; the legacy of Margaret Byrd Rawson, a groundbreaking activist who dedicated her life to helping students with dyslexia success; and the importance of early intervention and understanding each child's unique learning needs. Show notes: Download the Dyslexia Support Power Pack . Listen to Science of Reading Essentials: Dyslexia . Learn more about the Margaret Byrd Rawson Institute . Follow the Rawson Institute on Instagram . Like the Rawson Institute on Facebook . Connect with the Rawson Institute on LinkedIn . Listen to Season 2 of Amplify's Beyond My Years podcast . Join our community Facebook group . Connect with Susan Lambert . Quotes: "There's no time to waste. A child only gets one childhood." —Teresa May "You teach this complex language as it is to the child, as he or she is. If you do that, you don't leave anyone behind." —Teresa May "There is a science and an approach that we can take to help kids learn how to read." —Teresa May "[People] remember the kindness of a teacher or the meanness, but they don't remember the explicit way they learned [to read]." —Teresa May Timestamps* : 00:00 Introduction: Fighting for learners with dyslexia, with Teresa May 04:00 Teresa's childhood struggles with dyslexia 07:00 The moment of discovery: Finding Margaret Byrd Rawson 09:00 Meeting Margaret: "There is a key, but not many people hold that key" 14:00 The legal battle begins—fighting for her sons' education 19:00 Taking the case through courts and starting parent advocacy 22:00 Margaret Byrd Rawson as an educational pioneer 27:00 Margaret's biological background and the start of her longitudinal research in the 1930s 30:00 The 55-year study following 56 boys: groundbreaking research without technology 33:00 The human impact of good teaching 39:00 The Margaret Byrd Rawson Institute's mission and current projects 44:00 The complexity of dyslexia remediation 45:00 Final thoughts on advocating for children with dyslexia *Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute

In this episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, returning guest, Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D., joins Susan Lambert to close out the season by answering thoughtful and thought-provoking comprehension questions submitted by listeners. Nathaniel and Susan answer questions about comprehension strategies, the relationship between comprehension and memorization, and how to shift the mindset amongst your teaching colleagues to help them understand comprehension. Show notes: Submit your literacy questions! Bonus: Watch Dr. Hoover's complete responses to a listener guest. Learn more about Nathaniel Swain on his website Connect with Nathaniel Swain on LinkedIn . Access free, high-quality resources—including our recent Essentials episode on Science of Reading: The Podcast— at our companion professional learning page Download our free Comprension 101 bundle for comprehension resources, including ebooks, and on-demand professional learning Listen to Season 2 of Amplify's Beyond My Years podcast Join our community Facebook group Connect with Susan Lambert Quotes: "What we're trying to do is create meaningful text experiences. ... The strategies are background, the powerhouse behind the work we're doing, but the star of the show is the language and the text." —Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D. "If you ever feel like your comprehension work only allows students to produce or perform something on a particular day in which you've just read that text, then you may be missing the opportunity to weave meaningful text together." —Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D. "When we're teaching reading comprehension, really let the text be the center of what we're doing." —Susan Lambert Timestamps* : 00:00 Introduction: Answering listeners' questions on comprehension 03:00 The difference between oral and written language as it relates to comprehension 06:00 Supporting students who read fluently but struggle with comprehension 16:00 The role of comprehension strategies 21:00 Oral language development and comprehension 28:00 The connection between memory and comprehension 36:00 How to help colleagues adjust their mindset on comprehension 42:00 Overall takeaways from this batch of mailbag questions *Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute

Host Susan Lambert hits the home stretch of her comprehension-focused season of Science of Reading: The Podcast with a reflective episode based on her presentation at this year's Plain Talk About Literacy and Learning conference. Instead of being joined by a guest, Susan breaks down some of her biggest takeaways from this season—explaining how reading comprehension is far more intricate than the ability to decode words on a page, and detailing how the expert guests this season helped illustrate all of comprehension's amazing complexities. Whether you hear her Plain Talk conversation live or not, this episode captures those same insights in a format you can revisit anytime. Show notes: Submit your literacy questions ! Access free, high-quality resources—including our recent Science of Reading: The Podcast Essentials: “Comprehension” episode—at our companion professional learning page . Download our Comprehension 101 bundle: Access free comprehension resources, including ebooks and on-demand professional learning . Listen to Season 2 of Amplify’s Beyond My Years podcast . Join our community Facebook group . Connect with Susan Lambert . Quotes: "Comprehension is an active process. It usually requires active engagement and effect from the reader." —Susan Lambert "Comprehension is an integration of knowledge and experience that requires the reader to connect new information from the text with their own knowledge and experiences." —Susan Lambert "Comprehension is dynamic and ongoing. It requires the reader to update and revise their understanding as new information is encountered." —Susan Lambert "What constitutes good comprehension is relative, and it depends on who is reading the text and why they're reading it." —Susan Lambert "The components of comprehension don't develop in isolation. They bootstrap and support each other throughout a reader's development." —Susan Lambert Timestamps* : 00:00 Introduction: Building blocks for deep comprehension 04:00 Common themes from guests' definitions of comprehension 07:00 The simple view of reading 10:00 Oral language, syntax and fluency 13:00 Syntax is the critical missing piece needed to improve reading comprehension outcomes 16:00 Fluency is a critical but often overlooked prerequisite to reading comprehension 21:00 The components of comprehension don't develop in isolation 22:00 Closing thoughts o our comprehension focused season *Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute

In this episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Susan Lambert is joined by Kristen McMaster, Ph.D., Guy Bond Chair in Reading and professor of special education in the Department of Educational Psychology at University of Minnesota. Together, they explore how reading comprehension isn't just about what's on the page—it's also about what's not there—and share practical insights on how to support students in developing inference skills. Susan and Kristen also discuss the dual processes of activation and integration when making inferences; the distinction between teaching students to process text actively versus teaching students to apply comprehension strategies; and different types of inferences, including causal, bridging, and elaborative. Show notes: Submit your questions to our listener mailbag Access free, high-quality resources—including our recent Science of Reading: The Podcast Essentials "Comprehension" episode—at our companion professional learning page Download our Comprehension 101 bundle : Access free comprehension resources, including e-books, and on-demand professional learning Connect with Kristen McMaster Learn more about Kristen McMaster Listen to Season 2 of Amplify's Beyond My Years podcast Join our community Facebook group Connect with Susan Lambert Quotes: "Inferencing is really central to comprehension. We wouldn't comprehend if we didn't make inferences." —Kristen McMaster "I would encourage teachers not to underestimate the importance of supporting even the inferences that might seem obvious to us." —Kristen McMaster "Good comprehenders are often making very automatic inferences that they don't even realize." —Kristen McMaster "It helps to explicitly teach what an inference is in language that students will understand." —Kristen McMaster Timestamps* : 00:00 Introduction: Filling in the gaps with inferences, with Kristen McMaster, Ph.D. 05:00 Comprehension is how we make sense of the world around us 09:00 The types of inferences: Causal, bridging, elaborative, and theory of mind 17:00 How teachers can help students develop inference skills 22:00 Creating an effective questioning strategy 27:00 How teachers can preview a text and think about the inferences that might need to be made 31:00 Supporting students who process texts in different ways 37:00 The timing of comprehension questions 40:00 The connection between oral language comprehension and text comprehension 45:00 Final thought: Teacher's shouldn't underestimate the importance of inferences that might seem obvious. *Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute

In this episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Timothy Shanahan, Ph.D., distinguished professor emeritus from the University of Illinois at Chicago, joins Susan Lambert to distinguish between reading comprehension, learning from a text, and the process of learning to read. He compares learning to read with athletic training, explaining that just as athletes need to vary their workout intensities to maximize their strength, students need to vary their text difficulty to maximize their comprehension, reading skills, and overall learning. Together, Timothy and Susan also discuss why reading comprehension is an ethical act and the power of simply rereading to increase comprehension. Show notes: Submit your questions on comprehension! Access free, high-quality resources at our brand-new companion professional learning page Connect with Timothy Shanahan, Ph.D. Learn more about Timothy Shanahan, Ph.D. Read the blog post " Don't Confuse Reading Comprehension and Learning to Read (and to Reread )" Listen to Leveled reading, leveled lives, with Tim Shanahan, Ph.D. Listen to Mitchell Brookins, Ph.D. on Beyond My Years Listen to Season 2 of Amplify’s Beyond My Years podcast Join our community Facebook group . Connect with Susan Lambert Quotes: "We're trying to teach kids to read, and a text that is immediately comprehensible leaves you very little to learn." —Timothy Shanahan, Ph.D. "Reading comprehension is not just a psychological or cognitive action—it's an ethical action." —Timothy Shanahan, Ph.D. "Comprehension is not automatic. It isn't just, 'Oh, if you decode, you're going to comprehend.'" —Timothy Shanahan, Ph.D. "A good reader has to start out with a determination. 'My job here is to understand it, not just to read it.'" —Timothy Shanahan, Ph.D. Timestamps* : 00:00 Introduction: Learning to read vs. reading to learn with Timothy Shanahan, Ph.D. 06:00 Reading comprehension is not just a psychological or cognitive action, it's an ethical action. 09:00 Authors know their readers and so they put in affordances aimed at the reader. 15:00 Timothy's motivation for writing his blog post, "Don't Confuse Reading Comprehension and Learning to Read." 17:00 A text that is immediately comprehensible, leaves you very little to learn. 19:00 You can increase the learning for most people if you increase the difficulty. 24:00 An argument for students to read more rigorous texts. 28:00 A good reader has to start out with determination. 35:00 The different between learning and understanding is an issue of remembering. 39:00 Teachers need to teach kids to be strategic. 42:00 Timothy Shanahan's new wrinkle in thinking about comprehension, understanding, and learning. 44:00 In conclusion: Kids should be reading texts with varying levels of difficulty. *Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute

We're excited to share a special episode from our friends at our sister podcast, Beyond My Years. Host Ana Torres is joined by nationally recognized educational consultant and thought leader, Mitchell Brookins, Ph.D., to discuss what critical thinking is and how to help students develop it. He also explains why critical thinking is crucial for long-term academic success. Mitchell also gives gives educators four clear steps that they can implement to effectively nurture critical thinking skills in their classrooms. Ana is then joined by Beyond My Years Classroom Insider extraordinaire Eric Cross, who discusses how he encourages his students to hone their critical thinking skills in class. Show notes: Binge all of Beyond My Years podcast Season 2 now: https://amplify.com/bmy Submit your questions on comprehension Access free, high-quality resources at our brand-new companion professional learning page Visit Mitchell Brookins, Ph.D,’s website Connect with Mitchell Brookins, Ph.D., on LinkedIn Connect with Ana Torres Connect with Eric Cross Join our community Facebook group . Connect with Susan Lambert Quotes: "When you are a school administrator, you can't be confused as to what your identity is. People expect you to step in with voice, with passion, with vision, and direct the path." —Mitchell Brookins, Ph.D. "That's how you know you're in a classroom with critical thinking: We're not rushing the conversation. We're enjoying it." —Mitchell Brookins, Ph.D. "There's an art and science to teaching, and I think that they're two different things." —Eric Cross "The importance of modeling can’t be overstated." — Ana Torres Timestamps* : 00:00 Introduction 02:00 Ana Torres & Eric Cross preview Ana's conversation about critical thinking 04:00 Introducing Mitchell Brookins, Ph.D. 10:00 Why should critical thinking be top of mind for educators? 15:00 Where should teachers begin when trying to help students develop critical thinking skills? 20:00 Questioning that reveals classrooms in which teachers honor students' thinking 24:00 You can't get to a higher level if you don't have the knowledge. 28:00 For a lot of us, this work is more than just a profession it's a calling 30:00 Classroom Insider conversation with Eric Cross 37:00 Recap of Classroom Insider takeaways 39:00 Closing thoughts from Susan Lambert *Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute

Susan Lambert is joined by emeritus professor of psychology and education and the University of Oxford, Charles Hulme, D.Phil., and founder of Left Side Strong LLC, MaryKate DeSantis. They dive into the critial connection between oral language development and reading comprehension. They also explore exactly what oral language development is, how to screen children for deficits in oral language abilities, and the most effective strategies educators can use for intervention. Show notes: Submit your comprehension questions! Access free resources on our companion professional learning page . Connect with Charles on LinkedIn . Learn more about Charles . Connect with MaryKate on LinkedIn . Learn more about Left Side Strong LLC . Listen to our episode with Wesley Hoover, Ph.D. Listen to our episode with Julie Van Dyke, Ph.D. Listen to our episode with Tiffany Hogan, Ph.D. Listen to Amplify’s Beyond My Years podcast . Join our Facebook group . Read Book Language: What It Is, How Children Can “Get It” . Connect with Susan Lambert . Quotes: "Language comprehension is really what leads us to reading comprehension." —MaryKate DeSantis "We talk about learning to read, but we also need to talk about reading to learn. A lot of what we learn in our lives is through reading, and reading is certainly a powerful drive of vocabulary and language development." —Charles Hulme, D.Phil. "Language skills are unconstrained, meaning the sky's the limit. As long as you continue to engage in any sort of way, your language skills can continue to develop throughout your lifetime." —Susan Lambert Timestamps* : 00:00 How language skills shape reading success 06:00 Defining reading comprehension 08:00 Reading is language. Without language, there would be no reading. 12:00 Importance of language skills for comprehension 16:00 Our main purpose in life is to communicate with others 21:00 Development of language skills 23:00 Moving the needle on literacy achievement 28:00 How students can help develop students' language capacity 31:00 Screening to assess oral language skills 35:00 Why early language instruction is effective and sustainable 39:00 Key takeaways 41:00 Focusing on language is worth the time 43:00 Closing thoughts *Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute

In this episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Susan Lambert is joined by Phil Capin, Ph.D., assistant professor of education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. They explore why recommended reading comprehension practices aren't widely implemented in schools, and what educators can do to change that. Together, they also discuss how knowledge building is foundational to reading comprehension, how writing is a powerful tool in supporting reading comprehension, and why we should structure reading instruction based on what happens before, during, and after reading. Show notes: Submit your questions on comprehension: http://www.amplify.com/sor-mailbag Access free resources at our professional learning page: https://amplify.com/science-of-reading/professional-learning/ Connect with Phil Capin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-capin-02105550 Read Hugh Catts' article, "Rethinking How to Promote Reading Comprehension": https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1322088.pdf Read Catherine Snow's article, "Reading for Understanding": https://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1465.html Learn more about Dolores Durkin's report, "What Classroom Observations Reveal about Reading Comprehension Instruction": https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED162259 Read How People Learn : https://www.nationalacademies.org/read/9853/chapter/1 Listen to the podcast episode with Nancy Hennessy: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s3-09-deconstructing-the-rope-vocabulary-with/id1483513974?i=1000520380191 Listen to Season 2 of Amplify's Beyond My Years podcast: http://at.amplify.com/bmy Join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/scienceofreading Quotes: "We've underestimated the value of writing in supporting reading comprehension." —Phil Capin, Ph.D. "Reading and writing rely on a lot of the same language processes, and writing supports the consolidation of knowledge." —Phil Capin, Ph.D. "Students should engage with meaningful problems, and they should have a reason for learning." —Phil Capin, Ph.D. Timestamps* : 00:00 Introduction 04:00 Phil Capin's career path 08:00 Reading comprehension is the byproduct of a constellation of competencies 11:00 The complexity of comprehension 16:00 Dolores Durkin's findings on comprehension testing vs. teaching 22:00 Students should engage with meaningful problems 24:00 Comprehension instruction is organized by before, during, and after reading. 27:00 The value of writing for comprehension 31:00 Where comprehension strategies could be helpful 39:00 How much time should teachers dedicate to strategy instruction? 41:00 The strongest predictor of whether you're going to understand the text is the knowledge you bring. 46:00 Every teacher is a reading teacher 48:00 Closing thoughts *Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute