In episode 69 of the Teaching Literacy Podcast, host Jake Downs speaks with Dr. Kay Wijekumar, Houston Endowed Chair in the Department of Teaching and Learning and Culture at Texas A&M University. They discuss the importance of teaching students to generate rather than find the main idea in texts, detailing Dr. Wijekumar’s evidence-based KAT framework (Knowledge Acquisition and Transformation). The episode delves into how the main idea is foundational for reading comprehension and explores practical strategies for teachers, touching on the inefficacies of current curricular practices. Dr. Wijekumar highlights her website, literacy.io, which offers resources and professional development for educators. The conversation also includes a discussion on the critical role of text structures, and how principals and coaches can support teachers in implementing these strategies effectively.

00:00 Show Opening
02:23 Literacy as a Civil Right
04:47 Literacy.io: A Resource for Teachers
08:48 Challenges in Identifying the Main Idea
12:10 Generating vs. Finding the Main Idea
15:49 Knowledge Acquisition and Transformation (KAT) Framework
25:11 Text Structure and Main Idea
34:15 Cause, Problem, Solution Text Structure
35:59 Identifying Causes and Solutions in Education
38:59 The KAT Framework: Knowledge, Acquisition, and Transformation
40:31 Implementing the KAT Framework in Classrooms
41:37 Scaffolding and Sentence Stems for Effective Learning
49:03 Inference Questions and Background Knowledge
01:00:59 Teachers and Coaches: Improving Main Idea Identification
01:07:55 Conclusion and Optimism for Literacy Instruction
01:10:40 Jake’s Take: What Matters Most?

References
Hudson, A. K., Owens, J., Moore, K. A., Lambright, K., & Wijekumar, K. (2021). “What’s the Main Idea?”: Using Text Structure to Build Comprehension. The Reading Teacher, 75(1), 113–118. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.2016

Rice, M., & Wijekumar, K. (2024). Inference skills for reading: A meta-analysis of instructional practices. Journal of Educational Psychology, 116(4), 569–589. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000855

Rice, M., Wijekumar, K. (Kay), Lambright, K., & Stack, A. (2024). Promoting Inference Generation: Using Questioning and Strategy Instruction to Support Upper Elementary Students. The Reading Teacher, 78(2), 121–130. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.2353

Wijekumar, K., Beerwinkle, A., McKeown, D., Zhang, S., & Joshi, R. M. (2020). The “GIST” of the reading comprehension problem in grades 4 and 5. Dyslexia, 26(3), 323–340. https://doi.org/10.1002/dys.1647

Wijekumar, K., Hudson, A., Lambright, K., Owens, J. K., Binks-Cantrell, E., Beerwinkle, A., & Stack, A. (2023). Knowledge acquisition and transformation (KAT) using text structures. The Reading League Journal.

Dr. Adrea Truckenmiller and Dr. Eunsoo Cho discuss building a strategic assessment system in literacy education. They cover how to use data to inform reading instruction, the difference between screeners, diagnostics, curriculum based measures, and computer adaptive tests, and the importance of reliability in assessments. Common pitfalls like over-testing and teaching to the test are addressed, along with practical advice for setting up a coherent and actionable assessment framework in schools.

Show Documents:
Michigan Department of Education (2020). Early literacy assessment systems that support learning. Lansing, MI: Authors. https://www.michiganassessmentconsortium.org/wp-content/uploads/ELAS_Guide_2020_v5.pdf
Truckenmiller, A. J., Cho, E., Bourgeois, S., & Friedman, E. (2024). Uses and Misuses of Commercial Reading Assessment: An Applied Framework for Decision Making in Grades K through 6. The Reading Teacher, 77(5), 609–623. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.2274
Truckenmiller, A., Coyne, M., Valentine, K., & Moura, P. (2025). Independent Researcher Review of Commercial Reading Screening Assessment Suites May 2025. https://doi.org/10.35542/osf.io/vrn3g_v1

00:00 Introduction and Welcome
02:36 The Importance of a Strategic Assessment System
05:25 Different Stakeholders, Different Data Needs
09:50 Assessment of Learning vs. Assessment for Learning
13:31 The Myth of the One Perfect Assessment
17:18 Understanding Screener, Diagnostic, and Progress Monitoring Assessments
28:26 CBM vs. CAT: Formats of Assessment
34:42 Accuracy in Assessment: Sensitivity and Specificity
38:05 Balancing Sensitivity and Specificity in Assessments
39:22 Importance of Reliable Assessments
40:40 Challenges of Over and Under Identification
45:12 Informal Reading Inventories: Pros and Cons
46:14 Modern Assessments and Their Advantages
54:48 Common Pitfalls in Data Usage
57:15 Over Testing and Its Implications
01:00:35 Teaching to the Test: A Critical Look
01:06:24 Building a Coherent Assessment System
01:13:55 Optimism for the Future of Literacy Research

Guest host Dr. Kristin Conradi Smith interviews Dr. Jake Downs about the ‘secret soup’ of highly effective K-2 teacher teams.

Link to Jake’s Study: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/15/2/259

Downs, J., Martz, K., & Mohr, K. (2025). Exploring the Instructional Effectiveness of High-Growth K-2 Teacher Teams in Foundational Reading. Education Sciences, 15(2), https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15020259

Link to ULEAD Report: https://schools.utah.gov/ulead/uleadfiles/reports/ipr/Instructional%20Clarity%20Early%20Lit%20IPR.pdf

Please write a short impact statement for Jake’s USU review packet (and thank you!): https://forms.gle/QcUs8ciMcAy2yG6L6

Episode Outline & Show Notes

Melissa and Lori invited Jake to discuss Synchronous Paired Oral Reading Techniques (SPORT) — Listen to the episode here!

Please write a short impact statement for Jake’s USU review packet (and thank you!): https://forms.gle/QcUs8ciMcAy2yG6L6

Please write a short impact statement for Jake’s USU review packet (and thank you!): https://forms.gle/QcUs8ciMcAy2yG6L6

In this episode, host Jake Downs welcomes guest Dr. Freddy Hebert, a renowned literacy researcher, CEO/Founder of TextProject. The conversation covers topics such as the importance of automaticity, the core vocabulary, reading volume, and shifts in text complexity over the decades. They also dive into how teachers can better support students’ reading proficiency, particularly in early grades, and discuss actionable strategies for educators. The episode concludes with reflections on the current state and future of reading research and instruction.

Link to TopicReads at TextProject: https://textproject.org/teachers/free-texts/topicreads-primary/

Link to figures mentioned by Dr. Hiebert: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m36jgp8Dt055UrdEa73IQAFES7PPemc_/view

Figure 1 shows the reading accuracy by percentile in grades 1-8. Figure 2 shows the ratio of rare words from core reading programs 1957-2014.

Episode Overview
01:51 Welcome to the Teaching Literacy Podcast
02:28 Introduction to Reading Automaticity
03:36 Defining and Understanding Reading Automaticity
08:10 Core Vocabulary and Its Importance
11:28 Challenges with Rare Words and Proper Names
19:29 Implications for Teaching and Curriculum Design
31:00 Introduction to TextProject.org
31:21 The Importance of Reading Volume
32:19 Engaging Students with Texts
33:15 Statistical Learning and Vocabulary
39:56 Challenges in Reading Programs
46:15 Third Grade Reading Emphasis
48:58 Complexities of English Orthography
54:26 Optimism in Reading Research
56:29 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Jake interviews Dr. Steve Graham of the Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation at Arizona State University

Please write a short impact statement for Jake’s USU review packet (and thank you!): https://forms.gle/QcUs8ciMcAy2yG6L6

Dr. Phil Capin joins the show to discuss 40 years of reading comprehension instruction.

References:

Capin, P., Dahl-Leonard, K., Hall, C., Yoon, N. Y., Cho, E., Chatzoglou, E., Reiley, S., Walker, M., Shanahan, E., Andress, T., & Vaughn, S. (2024). Reading Comprehension Instruction: Evaluating Our Progress Since Durkin’s Seminal Study. Scientific Studies of Reading, 1–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888438.2024.2418582

What Works Clearinghouse Practice Guides Mentioned by Dr. Capin

Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices: Kamil, M. L., Borman, G. D., Dole, J., Kral, C. C., Salinger, T., & Torgesen, J. (2008). Improving adolescent literacy: Effective classroom and intervention practices: A practice Guide (NCEE #2008-4027). National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Available at https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/docs/practiceguide/adlit_pg_082608.pdf

Improving Reading Comprehension in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade: Shanahan, T., Callison, K., Carriere, C., Duke, N. K., Pearson, P. D., Schatschneider, C., & Torgesen, J. (2010). Improving reading comprehension in kindergarten through 3rd grade: A practice guide. National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Available at https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED512029.pdf

Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Grades K–3: Foorman, B., Beyler, N., Borradaile, K., Coyne, M., Denton, C. A., Dimino, J., Furgeson, J., Hayes, L., Henke, J., Justice, L., Keating, B., Lewis, W., Sattar, S., Streke, A., Wagner, R., & Wissel, S. (2016). Foundational skills to support reading for understanding in kindergarten through 3rd grade (NCEE 2016-4008). National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE), Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Available at https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Docs/practiceGuide/wwc_foundationalreading_040717.pdf

Providing Reading Interventions for Students in Grades 4–9: Vaughn, S., Gersten, R., Dimino, J., Taylor, M. J., Newman-Gonchar, R., Krowka, S., Kieffer, M. J., McKeown, M., Reed, D., Sanchez, M., St. Martin, K., Wexler, J., Morgan, S., Yañez, A., & Jayanthi, M. (2022). Providing reading interventions for students in grades 4–9 (WWC 2022007). National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE), Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Available at https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/WWC/Docs/PracticeGuide/WWC-practice-guide-reading-intervention-full-text.pdf

Jake Downs talks with Dr. Blythe Anderson and Dr. John Strong about effective summer tutoring programs to prevent the summer slide in elementary reading. They discuss strategies such as small-group tutoring, differentiated instruction, and interactive read-alouds, based on multi-year research that shows significant gains in vocabulary, reading fluency, and foundational skills. The episode emphasizes the importance of data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement in summer programs, with implications for school-year instruction.

02:07 Understanding the Summer Slide
02:54 Research on Summer School Programs
07:00 Designing Effective Summer Tutoring Programs
08:46 Training and Implementation of Tutors
12:16 Session Format and Instructional Strategies
18:31 Assessment and Differentiation
27:21 Year Three Results and Findings
42:25 Program Evolution Over the Years
48:48 Big Lessons Learned from Summer School Programs
58:52 Final Thoughts and Optimism for Literacy Research

Host Dr. Jake Downs is joined by Dr. Katherine O’Donnell, an Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Utah, to discuss her research on student outcomes in states following the implementation of science of reading legislation.

03:02 Historical Context: Reading First Era
09:37 Mississippi’s Science of Reading Legislation
17:02 Comparative Analysis of State Outcomes
29:08 Impact on Special Education and ELL Students
34:58 Implementation Takes Time
39:48 Why Did the ‘Advanced’ Category on NAEP balloon?
42:56 NAEP SOR Outcomes as ‘Matthew Effects’
48:26 Jake’s Take Capitalizing on Advantages

Dr. Danielle Colenbrander joins the show to discuss the benefits of morphology instruction with students.

Reference:
Colenbrander, D., Von Hagen, A., Kohnen, S., Wegener, S., Ko, K., Beyersmann, E., Behzadnia, A., Parrila, R., & Castles, A. (2024). The Effects of Morphological Instruction on Literacy Outcomes for Children in English-Speaking Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 36(4), 119. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09953-3