础尘辫濒颈蹿测鈥檚 Science of Reading: The Podcast won both the Silver and the Listener’s Choice Awards in the education category at the 2024 Signal Awards! If you haven鈥檛 already, we hope you鈥檒l join those who have helped catapult the podcast to more than 6 million downloads.
You’re welcome to binge-listen to all 29 podcast episodes released in 2024, but if your time is restricted, we’ve selected a few you may enjoy.
The power of the Science of Reading
Some context: As you probably know, the Science of Reading is a much-researched area alongside the science of learning. Applying cognitive, neuroscience, and educational principles, it helps us understand and improve how students acquire and develop reading skills. This knowledge is essential because, while humans typically learn to speak naturally, reading (and writing) require formal instruction. According to the Simple View of Reading, reading comprehension is the product of both decoding and linguistic comprehension. So kids must be taught the relationships between sounds and letters, and how to decode words. Systematic instruction presents these skills in a logical order, explicit instruction goes beyond just 鈥渆xposing鈥� kids to words and texts, and cumulative instruction builds on skills learned before.
The episodes below are a great start to exploring the fundamentals of evidence-based instruction beginning in early literacy. You鈥檒l hear about the importance of knowledge building, the symbiosis between reading and writing, and the power of multilingual learning, just to name a few topics.
The power of knowledge
Season 8 focuses on why knowledge is so critical for literacy development and how educators can empower students to build it.
Episode 10: Comprehension is an outcome, with Sharon Vaughn
Many of us (as students and educators) were taught or trained with comprehension framed as a skill. But award-winning researcher and author Sharon Vaughn, Ph.D., says (spoiler!) that comprehension is not a skill to be taught in a vacuum, but rather an outcome鈥攐f strong decoding, vocabulary, and background knowledge. 鈥淚f students can鈥檛 read words or don鈥檛 know what they mean, emphasizing comprehension is just the wrong priority,鈥� she says. Vaughn stresses the importance of systematically building background knowledge through coherent, high-level informational texts and relevant content lessons, enabling students to connect ideas and deepen understanding. By focusing on these foundational elements, educators can support comprehension and meaningful learning.
Episode 11:
Drawing from his book A Little Guide for Teachers: Cognitive Load Theory, Greg Ashman, a deputy principal and professor, argues that聽students need to build a strong foundation of knowledge in order to think and learn effectively. He challenges the idea of leaving students to “figure things out” on their own. “Kids are not little scientists,” he says, and advocates instead for structured instruction to build the schemas necessary for deeper learning.
Ashman also recommends reducing extra cognitive load鈥攄istractions that overwhelm working memory鈥攁nd cautions against relying too much on approaches like “productive failure,” which can frustrate students who happen to lack relevant foundational knowledge. His advice: Use evidence-based methods and prioritize clear, incremental instruction.
The power of evidence-based literacy instruction
Season 9 dives deep into the key principles of鈥攁nd latest developments in鈥攖he Science of Reading.
Episode 3: Know the non-negotiables in a program aligned to the Science of Reading, with Kari Kurto
Kari Kurto, national Science of Reading project director with the Reading League, discusses the organization’s curriculum evaluation tool designed to assess research-based practices in reading programs. Drawing from her experience teaching students with dyslexia, Kurto emphasizes the necessity of explicit, systematic instruction in phonics and (like ) the importance of reducing extraneous cognitive load.
She says one must-have for any effective, evidence-based curriculum is explicit instruction in phonics through a clear scope and sequence, which ensures that students build foundational skills, such as phonemic awareness, in a systematic way. 鈥淣o program is perfect, but understanding both its strengths and areas for improvement allows schools to maximize its impact,鈥� she says.
Episode 4: Comprehension is not a skill, with Hugh Catts, Ph.D.
Hugh Catts, like Vaughn, continues to challenge us to rethink reading comprehension. 鈥淐omprehension isn鈥檛 the purpose of reading,鈥� says Catts, a professor at Florida State University. 鈥淭he purpose of reading is whatever you鈥檙e reading for.鈥� Whether scanning for a fact, grasping the gist, or diving deep into a complex topic, comprehension varies based on the reader’s intent and context. He also urges educators to do what the evidence asserts: Move beyond isolated skill drills to content-rich instruction that builds knowledge and engages students meaningfully. Catts notes that comprehension grows over time, as students develop mental models and apply critical thinking in a variety of reading contexts.
The power of multilingualism
In this special miniseries, our podcast focuses on how the Science of Reading serves multilingual/English learners (ML/ELs).
Episode 1: Language is always an asset, with Kajal Patel Below
Kajal Patel Below, 础尘辫濒颈蹿测鈥檚 vice president of biliteracy, highlights why language is such a powerful asset, and how multilingualism is not a barrier, but a gift. 鈥淟iteracy in a new language builds from literacy in the home language,鈥� she says.
But that鈥檚 not鈥攜et鈥攖he prevailing view. Multilingual and English learners often face challenges like being left out of research or misidentified in assessments. Below also notes that schools focus too much on phonics and foundational skills, sometimes overlooking the equally important elements of language comprehension, vocabulary, and speaking skills.
With the number of multilingual learners growing fast in the U.S., Below calls for schools and educators to embrace bilingual education, create stronger resources, and celebrate the unique strengths these students bring to the classroom.
