READ Podcast

Host Marcus Soutra interviews filmmaker and Windward alum parent Anna Toomey about her documentary film Left Behind and what inspired it: her son’s early struggles with reading, the lack of dyslexia identification and public-school supports, and the high cost of neuropsych testing. Anna describes finding answers at The Windward School through structured literacy and parent education, then leveragi...

On this READ podcast episode, host Marcus Soutra, Acting Director of The Windward Institute, welcomes Dr. Jacqueline Rodriguez, CEO of the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), for Dyslexia Awareness Month to discuss her path from special educator and researcher to national advocate, including her daughter’s dyslexia journey and family self-advocacy. Dr. Rodriguez explains NCLD’s missi...

Host Harri Ramkishun welcomes Dr. Joan McGettigan and Bernie McCormick to discuss generative AI in K–12, reflecting on pandemic-era tech shifts and New York City DOE’s moratorium for lower grades. Dr. McGettigan reflects on 1:1 tech rollouts and how it underdelivered due to insufficient investment in teacher training and urges an intentional pause to address pedagogy, screen-time concerns, cogniti...

Introducing the refreshed READ Podcast and Fall Offerings from The Windward Institute.  Hosts Dr. Alison Leveque and Marcus Soutra introduce the refreshed READ podcast from The Windward Institute, now continuing as a bi-monthly series connecting listeners with researchers, educators, and thought leaders in education and child development. Marcus shares his background as a dyslexic educator and for...

Host Dr. Alison Leveque introduces the READ podcast and a conversation about effective professional development (PD), The Windward School’s PD structures, the “Mississippi Miracle,” and current PD trends. Betsy MacDermott-Duffy shares the COMPASS framework for research-based PD: tying learning to content, making it ongoing, modeling with metacognition, active participation, advice/feedback through...

Head of School of The Windward School and Executive Director of The Windward Institute, Jamie Williamson, speaks to New York State Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon about Dyslexia Advocacy Day at the New York State Capitol, created to build understanding, center student stories, and connect families with legislators. They discuss progress in public awareness and funding, implementation fidelity, and m...

In this special LEAD on READ edition of READ Podcast, Head of The Windward School and Executive Director of The Windward Institute, Jamie Williamson , sits down with former New York City Schools Chancellor Dr. Meisha Porter and Assemblymember Robert Carroll ’04 , Windward alumnus and advocate for students with dyslexia. Together, they discuss why literacy must remain at the center of New York City...

The Windward Institute invites all new and returning READ listeners for a five-part Fall 2025 series, What We all Can Learn about Reading, Together . This series brings together 20 guests including researchers and educators. We’ll dive into reading research, practice, and lived experience. This series is for everyone, whether you’re just starting to learn about reading education or you’ve been imm...

The Windward Institute invites all new and returning READ listeners for a five-part Fall 2025 series, What We all Can Learn about Reading, Together . This series brings together 20 guests including researchers and educators. We’ll dive into reading research, practice, and lived experience. This series is for everyone, whether you’re just starting to learn about reading education or you’ve been imm...

The Windward Institute invites all new and returning READ listeners for a five-part Fall 2025 series, What We all Can Learn about Reading, Together . This series brings together 20 guests including researchers and educators. We’ll dive into reading research, practice, and lived experience. This series is for everyone, whether you’re just starting to learn about reading education or you’ve been imm...

The Windward Institute invites all new and returning READ listeners for a five-part Fall 2025 series, What We all Can Learn about Reading, Together . This series brings together 20 guests including researchers and educators. We’ll dive into reading research, practice, and lived experience. This series is for everyone, whether you’re just starting to learn about reading education or you’ve been imm...

The Windward Institute invites all new and returning READ listeners for a five-part Fall 2025 series, What We all Can Learn about Reading, Together . This series brings together 20 guests including researchers and educators. We’ll dive into reading research, practice, and lived experience. This series is for everyone, whether you’re just starting to learn about reading education or you’ve been imm...

The Windward Institute invites all new and returning READ listeners for a five-part Fall 2025 series, What we all can learn about reading, together . This series brings together 20 guests including researchers and educators. We’ll dive into reading research, practice, and  experience. This series is for everyone, whether you’re just starting to learn about reading education or you’ve been immersed...

Kate Cain, PhD, joins the READ Podcast to explain the latest research on reading comprehension and shares practical, daily ways that teachers can promote critical literacy skills. Dr. Cain reflects on her research journey and expertise, exploring the multidimensional nature of reading comprehension and the role of oral language development in literacy. In this episode, you will learn about: Readin...

This LEAD on READ episode features Dr. Amy Murdoch, Assistant Dean of Reading Science at Mount St. Joseph University. Starting her career as a school psychologist, Dr. Murdoch has been a leader in reading education, driving systemic change and empowering teachers through the science of reading. In this episode, Dr. Murdoch discusses adopting a systems-level perspective and fostering collaboration...

Dr. Stephanie Al Otaiba joins READ to share her expertise in literacy interventions, the impact of social-emotional development on learning, and the future of reading education research. A leading researcher and professor at Southern Methodist University, Dr. Al Otaiba has led and collaborated on key studies on literacy and learning disabilities. In this episode, she discusses a framework for appl...

Ola Ozernov-Palchik, PhD, joins READ to discuss her work in dyslexia, neuroscience, and early literacy policy. She explores the paradox of dyslexia—why early identification is critical yet often delayed—and how neuroimaging research uncovers the brain's role in reading development and challenges. In this episode, you'll learn: What neuroscience studies reveal about reading acquisition an...

The Windward Institute team joins READ Podcast host Danielle Gomez for an in-depth exploration of knowledge and reading comprehension. Colleen McGlynn, associate director of language arts, and Alison Leveque, content and implementation director, discuss the research supporting comprehension, the role of knowledge in reading, and how these insights translate into classroom practice. In this episode...

This month on READ, we’re revisiting one of our most popular episodes featuring Dr. Sonia Cabell to highlight the vital role of knowledge in reading comprehension. In this conversation from episode 50 , Dr. Cabell and Danielle discuss the integrated nature of reading comprehension, knowledge and writing. You will learn about the reciprocal nature between background knowledge and comprehension. lit...

The READ Podcast celebrates its 5th anniversary in research, education, and advocacy with distinguished professor and researcher in literacy, Devin Kearns, PhD. A longtime friend and advisory board member of The Windward Institute, Dr. Kearns and host, Dr. Danielle Gomez, reflect on the evolution of the Science of Reading (SoR) and its impact on educational practices over the past five years. In t...

Join co-hosts Danielle Gomez and Jamie Williamson as they interview Kelly Carvajal Hagemen for an episode of LEAD on READ. Kelly Carvajal Hagemen shares the story of the Seaford School District as the district transformed its literacy outcomes from an underperforming "focus school" to one of the highest achieving districts in the state of Delaware. As the former Director of Instruction o...

Jan Hasbrouck, PhD, joins READ to discuss the complexities of fluency, including its components and misconceptions, and how it relates to word reading and comprehension. Dr. Hasbrouck emphasizes the importance of effective assessment, instruction, and intervention to support struggling readers at all grade levels. In this episode, you will learn about the multifaceted nature of fluency. effective...

Kareem Weaver, a leading advocate for literacy equity and social justice, joins a special conversation of LEAD on READ to discuss critical issues and questions surrounding literacy, leadership, and education. Kareem's commitment to literacy for all is unwavering. In this episode, we discuss literacy as a fundamental civil right for all children across the United States. the consequences to il...

Current research and insights in education examine a whole child approach to development. What does this mean in the context of literacy and social emotional learning?  In this episode of READ, Dr. Rebecca Gotlieb explores the interconnectedness of literacy and social emotional learning and emphasizes the importance of viewing these two aspects of child development as coordinated and interdependen...

How should teachers understand text comprehension, and what are effective practices to facilitate comprehension, particularly for adolescents across all content areas? Letty Martinez, PhD discusses her research on supporting adolescents and multilingual students as they engage with and comprehend text. In this episode, you will learn about Comprehension through a multicomponent lens  Challenges an...