This month, we invite listeners to learn from Maryanne Wolf, PhD, internationally renowned scientist, and author of several books on reading and the brain. Dr. Wolf shares the journey of her life’s work, illustrating her existential journey at the intersection of literacy and social justice and her life goal to ensure that reading is a fundamental access point to ensure the livelihood of people around the world. She discusses the science and poetic story of the reading brain and explains its connection to child development. The story of dyslexia, in particular, illuminates why and how our human brain re-wires for reading. Dr. Wolf offers implications from the classroom to global policy- advocating for literacy to solve some of the greatest humanitarian crises of our time. Join Dr. Wolf and Danielle as they share a cup of tea and explore the beautiful intricacies of the reading brain.

 Do you want to learn more from this episode? Visit readpodcast.org and the Episode #21 homepage for host Danielle Scorrano's top bookmarks and resources. You can learn more from Dr. Wolf at https://www.maryannewolf.com/

Do you have questions for future topics and speakers? E-mail us at [email protected]

Connect with The Windward Institute on Twitter @TheWindwardInst, Instagram @thewindwardinstitute or Facebook.  

The guest for this episode, Emily Solari, PhD, is a leader in academia and reading research as well as a true disruptor. We tackle the big question that is saturating current public and education discourse: How do we change reading achievement in this country? Dr. Solari offers her expertise on applying evidence-based instruction across school settings and addresses why our education system needs to enact simultaneous change in all policy areas to advance literacy outcomes for all students. She operationalizes key terms such as the Science of Reading (SoR), evidence-based instruction, and intervention. Citing her research and experience in school settings, she emphasizes the importance of making research and curriculum efficient, feasible, and effective for teachers and discusses the benefits of translational science. At the end of the conversation, Dr. Solari and Danielle talk more about advocating for the advancement of women in science. This conversation speaks to Dr. Solari’s impact and her continued call to action to implement change across the system of education.

Do you want to learn more from this episode? Visit readpodcast.org and the Episode #20 homepage for host Danielle Scorrano's top bookmarks and resources. You can learn more from Dr. Solari on Twitter @emilyjsolari

Do you have questions for future topics and speakers? E-mail us at [email protected]

Connect with The Windward Institute on Twitter @TheWindwardInst, Instagram @thewindwardinstitute or Facebook. 

Language development is a cognitively and socially demanding process. In this episode, Indigo Young, MS CCC-SLP, explains how educators and practitioners can cultivate equitable and inclusive environments that promote language development with a focus on children from marginalized backgrounds. Ms. Young discusses the importance of anti-oppressive practices in educational contexts, emphasizing the continuous, discerning process that bridges our understanding of identity and power, cultural humility, and equity-seeking practices. She identifies key forms of biases and offers insights and applications in any educational setting. This episode is critical for our understanding of how we frame education within the context of identity, equity, and inclusion to support all students.

Bookmarks and Resources:
Do you want to learn more from this episode? Visit readpodcast.org and the Episode #19 homepage for host Danielle Scorrano's top bookmarks and resources.

Do you have questions for future topics and speakers? E-mail us at [email protected]

Connect with The Windward Institute on Twitter @TheWindwardInst, Instagram @thewindwardinstitute or Facebook. 

Literacy, a fundamental human right, is foundational for a child’s potential toward academic and lifelong success. For children with language-based learning disabilities such as dyslexia, mastering skilled reading can feel like an impossible endeavor without necessary support and teaching using proven instructional methods. Fortunately, there are powerful research-based antidotes toward potentially preventing a destiny of reading failure. In this episode, Hugh Catts, PhD explains why early screening and proven, effective reading intervention are critical to mitigating reading disabilities in children. He outlines the research supporting the current model, developed with Yaacov Petscher, PhD, which examines the factors that increase the probability of developing dyslexia. Being able to identify these factors is important to better understand how to effectively screen and provide more comprehensive support for all students, offering implications for research, policy, and education.

Bookmarks and Resources:
Do you want to learn more from this episode? Visit readpodcast.org and the Episode #18 homepage for host Danielle Scorrano's top bookmarks and resources.

Do you have questions for future topics and speakers? E-mail us at [email protected]

Connect with The Windward Institute on Twitter @TheWindwardInst, Instagram @thewindwardinstitute or Facebook. 

While the implementation of high quality, research-based literacy instruction benefits all students, schools must consider scalability and sustainability. In this episode, Magdalena Zavalia, co-founder of Intelexia, discusses the successful, scalable implementation of Aprendo Leyendo, a research-based literacy program and professional development methodology based on the PAF Reading Program. Using what she learned about the science of reading as well as her skills and experience in social entrepreneurship, Ms. Zavalia and her team transformed the literacy outcomes for 430 teachers and 10,000 students in 70 schools across the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Ms. Zavalia explains how she navigated barriers for scalability including politics, cost, and resources and shares insights about unexpected challenges due to the pandemic. She offers expertise and experience in entrepreneurship and leadership, providing valuable lessons about the possibility, potential, and effectiveness of research-based reading instruction across all schools.

Bookmarks and Resources:
Do you want to learn more from this episode? Visit readpodcast.org and the Episode #17 homepage for host Danielle Scorrano's top bookmarks and resources.

Do you have questions for future topics and speakers? E-mail us at [email protected]

Connect with The Windward Institute on Twitter @TheWindwardInst, Instagram @thewindwardinstitute or Facebook. 

Molly Ness, PhD, shares her passion and work toward increasing access to literacy opportunities for all children. Dr. Ness shares data and insights about "book deserts," a term describing areas and circumstances in which children lack adequate access to books. She highlights organizations that are tackling social justice and equity issues related to literacy through innovative and grassroots methods. Dr. Ness calls for increased investments and policies toward ending book deserts and supporting school librarians and teachers to provide high quality literacy opportunities and instruction to their students. Committed to cultivating literacy-rich homes and communities, Dr. Ness shares actionable strategies that families can implement immediately with their own children.

Bookmarks and Resources:
Do you want to learn more from this episode? Visit readpodcast.org and the Episode #16 homepage for host Danielle Scorrano's top bookmarks and resources. You can learn more from Dr. Ness on Twitter @drmollyness or on her website, drmollyness.com.

Do you have questions for future topics and speakers? E-mail us at [email protected]

Connect with The Windward Institute on Twitter @TheWindwardInst, Instagram @thewindwardinstitute or Facebook. 

In this bonus episode on special education, we are joined again by Peter Beardsley and Lara Damashek, the Committee on Special Education liaisons at The Windward School. We tackle questions like, how do families start and navigate the IEP process? Who makes the referral for services? How should families and educators be prepared for meetings with the multi-disciplinary team? We also discuss the rights of families and students like due process. This episode contains the golden nugget of information for families and educators to navigate the special education process. READers will identify key action items that educators and families can take in the special education process to effectively advocate for students with disabilities.

Bookmarks and Resources:
Do you want to learn more from the episode? Visit readpodcast.org and the Episode #15 homepage for host Danielle Scorrano's top bookmarks and resources.

Do you have questions for future topics and speakers? E-mail us at [email protected]

Connect with The Windward Institute on Twitter @TheWindwardInst, Instagram @thewindwardinstitute or Facebook. 

Federal, state, and local education policies establish the rights of students with disabilities. In this episode, The Windward School’s Committee on Special Education liaisons, Peter Beardsley and Lara Damashek, explain the fundamentals and nuances of special education law. They discuss the responsibility of educational teams to ensure that students with disabilities receive equitable, appropriate services. This episode provides READ listeners with a deep dive in the key principles of special education policies and processes and how they impact the rights of students with the most common learning disabilities including dyslexia, speech and language impairment, and ADHD.

Bookmarks and Resources:
Do you want to learn more from the episode? Visit readpodcast.org and the Episode #14 homepage for host Danielle Scorrano's top bookmarks and resources.

Do you have questions for future topics and speakers? E-mail us at [email protected]

Connect with The Windward Institute on Twitter @TheWindwardInst, Instagram @thewindwardinstitute or Facebook. 

Kate Walsh, President of the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), shares the organization’s goal to promote teacher effectiveness for every child, in every classroom. Walsh outlines NCTQ’s areas of focus such as setting greater oversight and transparency in policy and institutions. With a deep investment in the implementation of evidence-based reading instruction in schools, Walsh and the NCTQ launched the first review and rankings of teacher preparation programs in the United States. Walsh describes the analysis process, calling for increased transparency and advocacy in preparing educators to teach reading. Finally, Walsh discusses literacy within the framework of social justice. A true disruptor and advocate for children, Walsh remains committed to achieving better educational opportunities for teachers and students.

Bookmarks and Resources:
Do you want to learn more from the episode? Visit readpodcast.org and the Episode #13 homepage for host Danielle Scorrano's top bookmarks and resources.

Do you have questions for future topics and speakers? E-mail us at [email protected]

Connect with The Windward Institute on Twitter @TheWindwardInst, Instagram @thewindwardinstitute or Facebook.

Read more about the NCTQ or connect with Kate Walsh on Twitter.

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.