Voyager Sopris Learning EDVIEW360 Podcast Series

In this insightful episode, we sit down with Dr. Maria Murray, CEO of The Reading League, to explore the transformative impact of evidence-aligned literacy instruction. Passionate about ensuring all students have access to effective reading education, Dr. Murray shares her journey, discusses the science of reading, and highlights why early intervention is key—especially for students struggling with dyslexia or learning English.

Join us as we uncover:

• ✔ The importance of early intervention and how it shapes literacy success
• ✔ How The Reading League is helping educators shift to evidence-aligned instruction
• ✔ Strategies to support struggling readers, including those with dyslexia
• ✔ Practical guidelines and tools for educators looking to improve reading outcomes

This is a must-listen for educators, school leaders, and literacy advocates dedicated to making reading instruction accessible, equitable, and impactful.

Listen now and be part of the conversation on literacy transformation

• Critical components of MTSS, specifically at the secondary level
• How to leverage assessment data to determine student skill deficits
• The importance of aligning interventions with student needs
• Instructional practices that can be implemented in core instruction across content areas to prevent further reading difficulties and support struggling readers

Supporting older, novice readers requires more than just phonics or comprehension strategies—it demands a multicomponent intervention approach. Students need structured instruction in vocabulary, syntax, text processing, and writing when working with complex texts. But for this to be effective, intervention must be intentional, well-planned, and fully supported.

During this episode, Dr. Mitchell Brookins, a nationally recognized literacy practitioner, shares insights from a middle school in New Orleans, where a multicomponent intervention transformed how students engaged with rigorous texts. He breaks down why successful intervention isn’t just about what happens in the classroom—it also requires:

✅ A Structured Framework—A clear instructional model that ensures students get explicit, systematic instruction in vocabulary, syntax, text processing, and writing.

✅ Intentional Text Selection—Choosing texts that are both rigorous and accessible, ensuring they build students’ literacy skills while maintaining engagement.

✅ A Strong Coaching System—Teachers need consistent guidance and professional learning to sustain and refine their instructional practices—intervention is too vital for teachers to navigate alone.

If you’re working with older struggling readers, this episode will challenge conventional approaches to intervention and equip you with the tools to help students succeed with complex texts—no matter their starting point.

Please join us!

Join us as we talk with Lindsay Kemeny, a parent, elementary school teacher, and author of, 7 Mighty Moves. In this inspiring and eye-opening discussion, Kemeny shares her journey into science-based reading after her son was diagnosed with dyslexia and depression. Kemeny will discuss the key changes she made in her classroom after taking a deep dive into effective literacy instruction. 

As this conversation explores the intricacies of effective reading instruction supported by comprehensive research, Kemeny shares evidence-based “moves” that will give you a road map to elevate your teaching practices. Through real-world examples and interactive discussions, this conversation will help you build confidence in your reading instruction. 

We’ll explore:

• Research-backed methodologies for effective reading instruction
• Practical, evidence-based teaching moves
• Ways to develop confidence in reading instruction
   

We hope you’ll join us!

Join us for an enlightening episode of EDVIEW360 Realizing the Promise of Reading Science by Staying the Course, where we bring together two pivotal figures in literacy education, Dr. Reid Lyon and Dr. Louisa Moats. These nationally recognized literacy experts share their invaluable insights about teaching children to read, addressing the intricate balance between what we know and what we practice. They’ll offer their views on progress in the field, and what else needs to happen to ensure widespread implementation of informed teaching that will lead to lasting gains for all students.

During this compelling conversation, Dr. Lyon and Dr. Moats reflect on the progress made in understanding the science of reading, the barriers that still exist in translating replicated

scientific findings into practice, and the solutions required to overcome these barriers. They delve into the complexities of decision-making in education, emphasizing the need for informed, evidence-based practices. Despite significant advancements, they acknowledge the ongoing gap in teacher knowledge and training, calling for a clinical model that fosters mentorship, collaboration, and feedback based on the development and implementation of a common professional language.

Listeners will gain an understanding of Dr. Lyon's “10 Maxims” of practice derived from research as well as the basis for Dr. Moats's “speech to print” approach to instruction. The discussion will also highlight successful programs and initiatives that are paving the way for a brighter future in literacy education.

This episode is a must-listen for educators, administrators, and anyone passionate about closing the gap between literacy research and practice. Tune in to be inspired and equipped with actionable strategies to advance literacy and give every child the confidence and right to read.

Join us for an engaging and insightful conversation with DeJunne’ Clark Jackson, president of The Center for Literacy & Learning and a renowned literacy advocate. Clark Jackson will share strategies to break down barriers in delivering accessible instruction and interventions to students. She will delve into the complexities of dyslexia and other challenges that can impact a student’s journey in learning to read.

Clark Jackson will inspire listeners to recognize and address biases within and beyond the classroom, fostering better outcomes for both educators and students. In this session, she connects the science of reading to dyslexia, explains the foundations of equitable instruction, and offers evidence-based strategies that can be implemented immediately to help every child overcome reading challenges and thrive.

This conversation is a must for administrators and classroom teachers looking to make a difference. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from Clark Jackson as she shares:

• Cooperative strategies and accessible instruction for all
• The importance of the science of reading as the bedrock for dyslexia support
• Evidence-based practices that engage students and families

For decades, researchers have emphasized the strong connection between reading and writing, both in theory and practice. Multiple studies demonstrate that writing improves comprehension. What has been less clear is what particular writing practices research supports as being effective at improving students’ reading. 

Our guest, respected researcher and author Dr. Steve Graham, will discuss the research he conducted (Graham and Hebert, 2010) that illustrates how writing, and the way it’s taught, improves students’ reading comprehension, and the strategies educators should apply to ensure literacy success.

Join us for this lively conversation where you’ll learn from a true trailblazer when it comes to writing and how it impacts learning to read. 

Attendees will learn:

• How infrequent writing and lack of explicit writing instruction can negatively impact learning to read
• Why teachers of reading need to emphasize writing in the classroom in the earliest grades and across content areas
• Why writing is a critical skill, important in its own right; consistent writing time and instruction improves reading comprehension
• Why more classroom time is necessary for writing

Writing is the most challenging literacy skill to teach and to learn. Teachers who understand the connection of the science of reading and the reciprocal impact of reading and writing are ready to meet the challenge of teaching this complex skill.

Join us for this fascinating discussion about the symbiotic relationship between learning to read and writing. Our expert, a career educator and writing expert, will share how both reading and writing require systematic, explicit instruction that can and should be an integrated part of daily student life.

All students can benefit from strategic reading and writing strategies that focus on the foundational writing skills from basic to complex sentence writing, an understanding of text structure, paragraph, multiparagraph, and essay writing. Let our expert tell you how!

Our expert will share:

1. The connection of writing to the science of reading, based on the Reading Rope
2. How the research (by Graham & Herbert, 2011) illustrates how reading and writing support one another and how writing about reading leads to improvements in a student's reading ability
3. Why systematic and explicit instruction is critical to build skilled writers
4. How writing instruction supports all populations of students—general education, those with IEPs, English learners, gifted and talented, and emergent young scholars

Join us for this fascinating and informative conversation with Dr. Patricia Vadasy, researcher and literacy expert, as we explore phonics instruction, and the research behind it. We will consider the critical nature of alphabet knowledge in teaching young learners how to read and spell words. Throughout her career, Dr. Vadasy has worked to develop effective approaches to early phonics instruction. More recently, she published her research about instructional details that enhance phonics instruction, and effective approaches and details of preschool alphabet instruction. Her school-based intervention research has been funded since 1998 with grants from the U. S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. 

For classroom teachers and administrators who are determined to give early learners the best possible foundation to become successful readers, this conversation will give you the facts behind phonics instruction, the strategies, and impetus to move forward knowing your instruction is the best it can be.

Dr. Vadasy will review and discuss:
 

• The National Reading Panel findings about effective features of phonics instruction, including explicit, systematic, and synthetic phonics instruction
• How the research informs effective phonics instruction, including applying taught letter-sound correspondences and application to beginning decoding
• Individual differences in learning these skills and where students struggle
• The benefits of practice in reading words in isolation and in sentence and story contexts
• Providing student support in the classroom and in supplemental instruction

Dyslexia represents the most common and prevalent of all known learning disabilities and impacts approximately one in five individuals (National Institute of Health). A teacher who understands dyslexia can be the one person who saves a child from years of frustration and anxiety. In this engaging and informative podcast, literacy expert Barbara Steinberg will translate research into practice, providing teachers with the knowledge, tools, and strategies to help students with dyslexia become confident and capable readers. 

Our conversation will cover: 

• Myths and misconceptions about dyslexia
• Characteristics of dyslexia
• The power of early intervention
• Characteristics of effective intervention
• Accommodations that level the playing field