Science of Reading: The Podcast

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 LyonTimestamps*: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 Framework52:00: 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 WinnTimestamps*:00:00 Introduction: Assessment as your best friend05:00 The need for practical assessment guidance09:00 What is assessment and what is its purpose in education?15:00 Understanding the differences between universal screening vs. diagnostic assessment21:00 Progress monitoring: The GPS for educators25:00 Building supportive systems and communities for teachers28:00 The continuous improvement cycle of reading instruction30:00 Addressing the "too many assessments" problem with an assessment audit34:00 Misconceptions about assessment40:00 The power of Tier 1 instruction43:00 Why we need to screen all students multiple times per year48:00 Final thoughts: Assessment as a tool for conversation and empowerment*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute

Teresa May, Ph.D., sociologist and longtime dyslexia advocate who directs the Margaret Byrd Rawson Institute. She recounts her personal dyslexia journey and legal fights for her sons' schooling. Conversations cover discovering Margaret Rawson and structured reading methods, founding parent advocacy, the Rawson 55-year study, systemic barriers, and the urgency of early, specialized intervention.

Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D., teacher, coach, and writer who builds teacher-facing literacy resources, answers a mailbag of comprehension questions. He explores oral versus written language, fluent readers who miss meaning, comprehension monitoring, text-centered instruction, oral language for adolescents and multilingual learners, vocabulary in context, and ways to shift colleagues toward richer text experiences.

A reflective dive into what makes reading comprehension complex and active. Short rundowns on the Simple View of Reading and why oral language is the foundation. Attention to sentence-level syntax as the bridge to meaning. A clear look at fluency’s accuracy, rate, and prosody and how components bootstrap one another for deeper understanding.

Kristen McMaster, Guy Bond Chair in Reading and special education professor who researches literacy assessment and intervention. She explores how readers fill gaps by activating knowledge and integrating information. Short takes cover types of inferences, automatic versus strategic processing, and practical ways to teach and assess inferencing skills.

Timothy Shanahan, Ph.D., distinguished literacy researcher and educator, explains the difference between learning to read and reading to learn. He explores how text difficulty, rereading, and productive struggle build comprehension. He likens reading practice to athletic training and discusses why understanding author intent is an ethical responsibility.

Mitchell Brookins, Ph.D., a national educational consultant and literacy leader who has served as teacher and school leader, discusses cultivating critical thinking in classrooms. He outlines why critical thinking matters for long-term learning. He describes concrete classroom moves: deep text work, paced discussions, organizers, rereading, and modeling to build knowledge and higher-order thought.

Mary-Kate DeSantis, educator and reading specialist who trains teachers, and Charles Hulme, D.Phil., Oxford psychologist researching reading and dyslexia, discuss oral language’s central role in reading. They explore what oral language is, how to screen for language deficits, and classroom strategies and interventions that boost comprehension.

In this engaging discussion, Phil Capin, Ph.D., a literacy researcher at Harvard, shares his insights on reading comprehension. He highlights the gap between research and classroom practices, emphasizing the importance of knowledge building and effective instructional strategies. Capin advocates for the active involvement of students in discussions and stresses the power of writing in enhancing comprehension. He introduces a framework for reading instruction and discusses how domain knowledge is crucial for understanding, revealing how strategies should support rather than dominate the learning process.