S8 E12: Language and literacy, with Catherine Snow

Catherine Snow, Ph.D., Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, joins Susan Lambert on this episode to reflect on the state of language and literacy instruction in the U.S. They begin their conversation by discussing linguistics in young children and the relationship between language and literacy, before diving into Dr. Snow’s biggest takeaways from her work on the National Research Council report, “Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children." Susan and Dr. Snow talk about building vocabulary, growing student curiosity in reading, and exposing students to academic language. Dr. Snow talks about the specific tools educators should be given for meaningful help in the classroom, shares her hopes—and fears—for the future of reading instruction in this country, and explains why she encourages teachers to let their classrooms be noisier.

Show notes:Read: National Research Council Report: Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young ChildrenRead: Reading for Understanding: Toward an R&D; Program in Reading ComprehensionQuotes:

“Part of preventing reading difficulties means focusing on programs to ensure that all children have access to books from birth and that they have access to adults who will read those books with them and discuss them.” —Catherine Snow, Ph.D. “I see academic language and exposure to academic language as an expansion of children's language skills that both contributes to successful literacy—successful reading comprehension—and gets built through encounters with texts, but also encounters with oral activities.” —Catherine Snow, Ph.D.

“Let your classroom be noisier. Let the kids be more engaged and more socially engaged, because that is actually a contribution to their language development and to their motivation to keep working.” —Catherine Snow, Ph.D.

Episode timestamps*

2:00 Introduction: Who is Catherine Snow?

3:00 Linguistics in young children

6:00 What is language? 

8:00 Language and its impact on literacy

14:00 National Research Council Report: Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children

22:00 Building vocabulary and a love for reading

26:00 Academic language

28:00 “Science of Reading” movement and the reading wars

33:00 Scientific research in the hands of educators in the field

36:00 Tools teachers need in their toolbox

38:00 Hopes and fears for the future of the “Science of Reading movement”

41:00 Final advice

*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute