Reading Road Trip

This week Kate is joined by Dr. Amanda Nickerson for a candid conversation about supporting gifted and highly advanced readers. Don't miss this episode that highlights the value of advanced decoding and spelling instruction for skilled readers!  

Dr. Andrea Fraser joins Kate to chat about her systems change journey: first in a board central team role, shifting her district's literacy instruction to structured literacy, and then preparing preservice teachers to teach with a structured literacy approach. Tune in to hear her insights on bridging the gap between research and practice at the district level and in higher education! The  Basics o...

Kate welcomes Dr. Marc Joanisse for a discussion about the neurobiology of dyslexia and other comorbid disorders, including ADHD and DLD.  Dr Marc Joanisse is a professor at the University of Western Ontario in the Department of Psychology and the Western Institute for Neuroscience. His research examines the cognitive and brain basis of reading dyslexia and developmental language disability in chi...

Curious about evidence-based instruction for older readers? This week, Kate welcomes Dr. Heidi Anne Mesmer to discuss strategies for helping older readers decode big words and tackle complex texts, focusing on syntactic features like connectives and anaphora to improve text comprehension. Heidi Anne is the author of several great books, including Big Words for Young Readers: Teaching Kids in Grade...

Dr. Claude Goldenberg joins us this week. Don't miss this engaging conversation about reading instruction for multilingual students - and keep listening to the end to learn about Claude's real-life road trips inspired by a John Steinbeck book! Claude is  the Nomelini and Olivier professor of education emeritus at Stanford University. A native of Argentina, his areas of research and publication cen...

Kate welcomes Meredith and David Liben for a candid conversation on reading comprehension. The Libens walk through effective instruction to help students understand what they read - from close reading to structured journals, they share practical tips to support comprehension! The Libens are the authors of  Know Better Do Better:  Teaching the Foundations So Every Child Can Read , and the newly rel...

Join us this week for a chat with parent educator Maya Payne Smart. Kate and Maya walk through clear, actionable steps to empower parents to support their child's language and literacy development. Maya is the author of  Reading for Our Lives:  A Literacy Action Plan from Birth to Six . It is excellent - well-researched, clear, and parent-friendly - and even a great read for teachers, too! Eager t...

This week, Kate welcomes fellow podcaster Anna Geiger from The Measured Mom.  As two teachers who have shifted from balanced literacy to structured literacy, this episode is filled with candid discussion as Kate and Anna highlight the biggest surprises they encountered along the way! Anna is the CEO of The Measured Mom, host of Triple R Teaching , and the author of the soon-to-be released book,  R...

Season 3 of Reading Road Trip kicks off with a candid conversation between literacy greats: Dr. Anita Archer and Dr. Sonia Cabell. Anita and Sonia recorded this episode at the 2024 Literacy & Learning Conference. Their conversation is both thoughtful and lighthearted - we hope you will enjoy!   Show Notes: Sonia is a co-author of the new book  Strive-for-Five Conversations: A Framework That Ge...

Buckle up - Reading Road Trip is back for a third season! Join classroom teacher Kate Winn for a jam-packed season featuring fabulous guests. From researchers and authors to educators and advocates, they're all sharing practical ideas that can be implemented now in your class, school, board or district!

Season 2 of Reading Road Trip closes out with a conversation with Dr. Jennifer Buckingham. Kate and Jennifer dig into reading science - what do teachers really need to know? From syllable types to comprehension strategies, linguistic terms to cognitive science, this episode distinguishes between what is a "need to know" and what is "nice to know."    Dr. Jennifer Buckingham is the director of stra...

In this week's episode, Kate chats with Dr. Steve Graham about all things writing. Dr. Graham highlights the importance of handwriting and spelling, and unpacks evidence-based strategy instruction to build strong writers.   Show Notes:  Steve is an author and editor of many books, including Best Practices in Writing Instruction  and Writing Better Steve and his co-author Dolores Perin explore many...

Kate chats with Dr. Jack Fletcher this week, unpacking all things dyslexia: Risk factors and prevention, dyslexia vs dysteachia, instructional tips, wait-to-fail, and dyslexia myths and misconceptions.   Show Notes: Learn more about some of the articles Jack mentioned: The importance of early reading intervention ( Lovett et al., 2017 ) Problems with dyslexia identification models ( Scientific Ame...

Kate chats with Clara Fiorentini this week. Tune in to explore novels in the classroom: how class novel studies fit into structured literacy, how complex text can be scaffolded, using "read-alikes" to choose texts, and avoiding the perils of "extractitis" - don't miss this thoughtful conversation about chapter books! Clara is the president of the Literacy Association of Ireland and a lecturer in i...

This week Kate talks to Kristin Conradi Smith, Tammy Williams, and Ellen Frackelton about research-based comprehension strategies for the classroom, including considerations for text selection and preparation, common pitfalls to avoid and “use it tomorrow” ideas. Bottom line: no more strategy of the week!   Show Notes: Kristin, Ellen and Tammy co-wrote the open-access article  "No More Strategy of...

In this week's episode, Kate welcomes Kareem Weaver for a candid conversation about the role of literacy in equity, and some myths and misconceptions as strive for the goal of literacy for all.   Kareem Weaver is a co-founder and executive director of FULCRUM and is also the Oakland NAACP's Second Vice President and Chair of its Education Committee. Kareem's advocacy is featured in the film The Ri...

This week, Kate chats with Dr. Deb Glaser about the second edition of Next STEPS for Literacy Instruction, co-authored with Dr. Susan Smartt. Kate and Deb unpack how to use valid and reliable assessments to shape effective literacy instructions, particularly through the Next STEPS framework: Set-up, Teach, Engage, Practice, and Show You Know. Deb's knowledge and experience in structured literacy i...

Kate welcomes Catherine Shawana, a member of Wiikwemkoong unceded territory, for a candid discussion about her First Nation school's journey from balanced literacy to structured literacy, as well as a broader conversation about First Nations education. Catherine's passions are rooted in the foundation of building Anishnawbek identity and establishing a connection to Indigenous ways of knowing, doi...

This week, Kate is joined by Nancy Chapel Eberhardt to discuss all things syntax. A key element of language comprehension, equipping students with an understanding of syntax is key to supporting strong reading  and  writing skills! Take a listen to learn more about how syntax develops and how to best teach this domain of language.   Nancy Chapel Eberhardt is  the coauthor of Sortegories 3.0 , a we...

Season 2 of Reading Road Trip kicks off with Emily Hanford! Join Kate Winn to get the inside scoop on Emily's reporting work on the science of reading, including the incredibly popular podcast  Sold a Story . Emily unpacks her journey into reporting on literacy instruction, how Sold a Story was made, and how she responds to critics.     Show Notes: Emily's articles and podcasts through APM Reports...

Buckle up - Reading Road Trip is back for a second season! Join classroom teacher Kate Winn for a jam-packed season featuring fabulous guests. From researchers and authors to educators and advocates, they're all sharing practical ideas that can be implemented now in your class, school, board or district!

In the Season 1 finale, you get to ask the questions! Kate Winn and Una Malcolm answer listener questions, sharing their thoughts on sound spelling walls to structured literacy in older grades. Stay tuned to the end for the answer to the most common question - will there be a Season 2 of Reading Road Trip?   Show Notes: In the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation, we hope to amplify the work of an I...

Kate hosts Diana Burchell for a conversation about language learners. Is structured literacy appropriate for multilingual learners? Can early screening and intervention support students in French Immersion? What does research tell us about the language and literacy development of refugees from Syria? Diana is a former high school French Immersion teacher, and is now a doctoral candidate in Develop...

This week, Kate is joined by Dr. Carolyn Strom for a conversation about the reading brain. What are the neural underpinnings of how students learn to read? How can research in this field help us in the classroom? Carolyn is a clinical assistant professor of Early Childhood Literacy at NYU's Steinhardt School of Culture Education and Human Development. Her work is focused on bridging the divide bet...

Kate welcomes Dr. Daryl Michel for a candid discussion on literacy coaching and PD. As we look to the beginning of a new school year, and as many systems plan structured literacy teacher PD, how can we create meaningful professional learning opportunities that lead to strong student and teacher outcomes?   Dr. Daryl Michel is the founder of Be A Change, LLC, and a lifelong educator who is passiona...