This bonus episode follows our October conversation with Ken Pugh, PhD, “Using Science to Decode the Literacy Crisis.” Dr. Pugh further illustrates the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on literacy around the world, citing current scientific evidence of learning loss related to student access to education resources. While the current pandemic has exacerbated existing challenges in our education systems, Dr. Pugh points to other significant factors which inhibit fundamental education access such as climate change and natural disasters as well as forced migration from violence or political instability. Finally, Dr. Pugh discusses the future of research, policy, and educational technology to support learning outcomes around the world.

In this episode, Dr. Ken Pugh, an internationally renowned scientist and the President and Director of Research at Haskins Laboratories, addresses the global literacy crisis, drawing attention to the moral responsibility we have to ensure all children can read. He highlights the advances and promise of neuroscience in understanding complex brain mechanisms for reading, as well as the role of neuroscience in exploring potential brain co-morbidities. Finally, we discuss the promise of educational neuroscience as a “translational collaboration” between research and educators, which can ultimately improve learning outcomes for all children.

Executive functioning (EF) refers to the foundational skill set required to manage daily life including behavior, attention, and self-management. For children, executive functioning is essential for academic performance in school as well as overall resilience and well-being. In this episode Mark Bertin, M.D., shares the research underlying executive functioning in children as well as his expertise in understanding its development. He offers tools for parents and educators to support children’s EF skills as well as provide interventions for kids who present with deficits. Finally, Dr. Bertin shares insights about the practicality of mindfulness, particularly as school resumes during the current pandemic.

Julie Washington, PhD, and Windward’s Head of School, Jamie Williamson discuss the impact of race and culture on the Linguistic Landscape of American schools. Dr. Washington’s research focuses on the linguistic differences in students speaking African American English and the implications on identification, literacy, and support in the classroom. Dr. Washington and Mr. Williamson discuss why teacher competence in cultural and linguistic differences is a critical element of effective reading instruction. Drawing from her expertise and experience working in a variety of research and school contexts, Dr. Washington advocates for equity and access for all students.

Drawing on decades of research on reading and professional development, Margie Gillis, EdD, presents the necessary elements to provide teachers with the training and tools to implement high quality reading instruction in their classrooms. As the founder and president of Literacy How, Dr. Gillis and her team coach teachers across districts and schools in Connecticut using a prescriptive and research-based model, cognitive coaching. Research supports the individualized nature of teacher coaching within a professional development framework that integrates expertise from coaches, high trust and relationality between the coach and teacher, feedback, and teacher agency. Dr. Gillis addresses potential factors that may influence the variability in coaching effectiveness across school contexts and provides implications for sustainability and scalability of professional development programs.

This episode marks a significant milestone for the READ podcast and The Windward Institute- the sixth month anniversary since The Institute’s official launch. In this interview, John J. Russell, EdD, the Executive Director of The Windward Institute, reflects on The Institute’s impact in 2020, particularly in a world of uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Russell explains why The Institute was established—highlighting its work to "increase childhood literacy rates by disrupting the educational status quo to save more lives." He identifies key factors that contribute to decades of problems in reading education including inadequate teacher preparation, lack of early screening and identification, and failure to utilize research-based instructional practices. He calls for “disrupting the status quo” so all students, especially students with language-based learning disabilities, receive the education they fundamentally need.

Language is a powerful device we use to communicate every day, yet we may underestimate its complex, multifaceted nature. In this episode, Tiffany Hogan, PhD, CCC-SLP teaches listeners about the fundamental aspects of language and discusses specific language difficulties presented in children with Developmental Language Disorders (DLD). Did you know that about one in ten people are diagnosed with DLD? Dr. Hogan presents the top myths of DLD and explains ways speech language pathologists and classroom teachers can collaborate to remediate and support children with DLD. Reflecting on her vast experience as a researcher, Dr. Hogan calls for continued collaboration between scientists and educators through implementation science and bidirectional learning. Dr. Hogan uniquely presents ideas for sharing expertise with the public including her own podcast, SeeHearSpeak, in order to advocate for the DLD community around the world.

Host Danielle Scorrano invites READ listeners to enter the classroom with Devin Kearns, PhD! Dr. Kearns, a former teacher, is an expert in educational research and professor of special education at University of Connecticut. Dr. Kearns shares his expertise about dyslexia, dispels its pervasive myths, and presents research on reading. He explains the necessary components of effective reading interventions and offers examples for classroom application. Drawing on his experience as a professor, Dr. Kearns discusses his passion and experience for preparing teachers by giving them “real tools” to teach reading in their classrooms. Dr. Kearns shares insights from his unique experience engaging with communities of educators, students, parents, researchers, and professors in teacher preparation programs, calling for future collaboration to advocate for students with dyslexia and reading difficulties. 

This current COVID-19 outbreak has significantly changed how we live. While practicing social distancing from their own homes, host Danielle Scorrano interviews Rachel Busman, PsyD, the Senior Director of the Anxiety Disorders Center, Director of the Selective Mutism Service at the Child Mind Institute, and a faculty member of The Windward Institute. Dr. Busman provides her expertise on how families and educators can support children at home and from a distance. Dr. Busman shares applicable strategies that benefit children, and insights on proactively managing our own self-care as adults, even during this uncertain time.

One of the benefits of in-school neuroscience is the engagement between researchers, educators, and students. In this episode, we speak with Nicole Landi, PhD, about her work as a cognitive neuroscientist at Haskins Laboratories and professor at University of Connecticut. Dr. Landi discusses the promise of in-school neuroscience to expand learning opportunities for researchers and educators. Host Danielle Scorrano asks questions fielded from her eighth-grade students, eager to learn more about neuroscience. Finally, Dr. Landi provides insights about how neuroscience can advance collaboration between research and education to benefit all students.