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The answer to the question “What percentage of 16 million children living below the poverty line have a book in their home?” is 33%.  While that is devastating, the real question is, does this query truly capture the complexities of developing reading skills in children living in these disadvantaged circumstances and would the exposure to more books promote the development of reading. The first truth about reading is that it is a skill; a skill that needs to be learned and taught. It takes systematic instructional effort to create access to the treasures that are underneath the surface of printed words. And the true failure in education is not approaching “reading” that way.

On this episode, Louisa Moats, Ed.D., a teacher, psychologist, researcher, graduate school faculty member, and author of many influential scientific journal articles, books, and policy papers, will educate everyone how the brain was not wired for reading and how the complexities involved in acquiring proficiency in reading warrants special attention and specific training of educators who are in charge of making our children literate. We cannot talk about Executive Function and students’ capacity to manage information until we address the issue of successful transition from learning to read and then reading to learn.

About Louisa Moats, Ed.D.
Louisa Moats, Ed.D., has been a teacher, psychologist, researcher, graduate school faculty member, and author of many influential scientific journal articles, books, and policy papers on the topics of reading, spelling, language, and teacher preparation. She was Co-Principal Investigator of an NICHD Early Interventions Project in Washington, D.C., public schools and Principal Investigator on two small business innovation research (SBIR) grants from the National Institutes of Health. In addition, she led the committee that developed the International Dyslexia Association’s Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading. Dr. Moats developed her current approach to teacher training, called LETRS, from her experiences as an instructor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, St. Michael’s College in Vermont, the Dartmouth Medical School Department of Psychiatry, and the University of Texas, Houston.

Dr. Moats’ awards include the prestigious Samuel T. and June L. Orton award from the International Dyslexia Association for outstanding contributions to the field; the Eminent Researcher Award from Learning Disabilities Australia; and the Benita Blachman award from the Reading League.

Websites:

• http://www.LouisaMoats.com/

Books

• Speech to Print, 3rd edition (in press)
• LETRS Professional Development

About Host, Sucheta Kamath
Sucheta Kamath, is an award-winning speech-language pathologist, a TEDx speaker, a celebrated community leader, and the founder and CEO of ExQ®. As an EdTech entrepreneur, Sucheta has designed ExQ's personalized digital learning curriculum/tool that empowers middle and high school students to develop self-awareness and strategic thinking skills through the mastery of Executive Function and social-emotional competence.

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