Science of Reading: The Podcast

What does it take to help every student in grades 5–8 access complex texts—without ever lowering the rigor? That’s the question at the heart of this special Science of Reading: The Podcast episode, with author and education consultant Mitchell Brookins, Ph.D. Mitchell joins host Susan Lambert, Ed.D., to discuss his new book, Scaffolding Complex Texts: How to Plan and Teach for Deeper Comprehension in Grades 5–8. Together, Mitchell and Susan also discuss the misconceptions about comprehension that keep students stuck at the surface level; why scaffolds should be deployed at the hardest—not the easiest—parts of a text; and why teachers need to become expert listeners to guide deeper comprehension.

Show notes:

• Read Scaffolding Complex Texts: How to Plan and Teach for Deeper Comprehension in Grades 5–8.
• Listen to Mitchell’s first Science of Reading: The Podcast episode, Leading with the head and the heart: Enacting lasting literacy change.
• Listen to Mitchell’s Beyond My Years’ episode, Cultivating critical thinkers in your classroom.
• Subscribe to Susan’s new Science of Reading Substack.
• Check out our Comprehension Insights from Season 10 Youtube Playlist.
• Join our Science of Reading community Facebook group.

Quotes:
“Comprehension to me is not the who, what, when, where. It’s not the gist. It’s insight.” —Mitchell Brookins

“When you give students more, they do more.” —Mitchell Brookins

Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction: Scaffolding complex texts, with Mitchell Brookins, Ph.D.
2:00 Mitchell’s background and journey
5:00 How Scaffolding Complex Texts came to be
10:00 Misconceptions about comprehension instruction
14:00 What educators need to understand about how students comprehend complex texts
19:00 What needs to change in classrooms
27:00 Making deep comprehension instruction consistent
34:00 Unintended consequences and cognitive flexibility
38:00 Closing thoughts: How writing the book transformed Mitchell
*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute

While Tier 1 instruction is the foundation of a successful Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), it is also the element we most often overlook. On this episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Sarah Brown, Ph.D., consultant and co-author of Effective Universal Instruction: An Action-Oriented Approach to Improving Tier 1, joins host Susan Lambert, Ed.D., to explore why this is and what it takes to give Tier 1 the attention it deserves. Together, Sarah and Susan also discuss common misconceptions about Tier 1; why a strong Tier 1 directly determines how targeted and intensive your interventions can be; and how to use data to assess whether your Tier 1 is truly working.

Show notes:

• Download our free companion MTSS ebook!
• Learn more about building a sustainable, data-informed MTSS.
• Read Effective Universal Instruction by Sarah Brown, Kim Gibbons, and Brad Niebling.
• Read Routines for Reading Results by Sarah Brown
• Learn more about System Impact Consulting.
• Connect with Sarah Brown on LinkedIn.
• 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:

"Our labels don't define our students' skills and abilities. The quality and intensity of our instruction is really what matters." —Sarah Brown

"We are running ourselves ragged trying to provide intervention for too many students." —Sarah Brown

"Tier 1 instruction really deserves the same love and attention as your interventions and other tiers." —Sarah Brown

"MTSS is a framework, not a roadmap, which means it doesn't look the same in every school." —Sarah Brown

Timestamps*:
0:00 Introduction: Tier 1: The MTSS foundation, with Sarah Brown
3:00 Sarah Brown's background and path to MTSS
6:00 Defining Tier 1 instruction
10:00 What an effective Tier 1 looks like
14:00 Why a strong Tier 1 enables targeted intervention
17:00 Using data to assess your Tier 1
21:00 Common misconceptions about Tier 1
22:00 What Tier 1 intervention looks like
27:00 Common themes in Tier 1
38:00 Effective Universal Instruction and closing thoughts
*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute

What does it actually take to move a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) from concept to practice? That's what University of Florida's Fien Endowed Professor of Special Education and University of Florida Literacy Institute Assistant Director Matthew Burns, Ph.D., explores with host Susan Lambert, Ed.D., on this new episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast. Together, Matt and Susan also discuss the real difference between an MTSS and Response to Intervention (RTI), and why the two get conflated so often; why strong core instruction is the foundation upon which everything else depends; and three trouble spots that can derail an MTSS: data use, team meetings, and intervention matching.

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 Matthew Burns on LinkedIn.
• 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:
"I would argue a well-embedded MTSS should be almost invisible." —Matthew Burns

"Without good core instruction, nothing else matters." —Matthew Burns

Timestamps*:
2:00 Introduction: Putting an MTSS into practice, with Matthew Burns, Ph.D.
4:00 What an MTSS is, and clearing up confusion with RTI
9:00 Common pitfalls in MTSS implementation
12:00 What effective professional learning communities look like
17:00 The history of the MTSS and curriculum-based measurement
21:00 Awareness vs. true understanding of MTSS use
23:00 Why core instruction has to come first, and how to target intervention
30:00 The International MTSS Association
36:00 Integrating academic and behavior support
*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute

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 bundlefor 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