In this episode, Susan Lambert welcomes back Sue Pimentel to discuss the history and impact of the Common Core State Standards on English Language Arts and Literacy (ELA) education in the United States. Susan and Sue revisit what the standards were designed to focus on: knowledge building, college and career readiness, and fluency in both literary and informational texts. Their conversation covers the importance of text complexity, the lack of a research base to support leveled readers, and knowledge building as a matter of equity and content as a matter of access. While acknowledging the value of these standards, the discussion also highlights their limitations. Sue underscores the importance of always returning to the research to ensure students are truly learning, preparing them to navigate the world and ultimately, live happier lives.

Show notes:

• Website: Knowledge Matters Review Tool
• Listen: Season 4, Episode 5: Reading as liberation with Sue Pimentel
• Read: “Standards Are Not Curriculum”
• Website: Knowledge Matters Campaign

Quotes:
“Vocabulary is how we describe concepts; it's how we know how to talk to one another.” —Sue Pimentel

“What the standards say is, ‘Leveled texts are out and complex texts are in.’ There's no research behind assigning a level to students reading and then sort of imprisoning them in that.” —Sue Pimentel

“The more stuff you know, the better you're able to navigate the world….and I think the happier life is. And certainly the happier kids' lives are when they're actually learning stuff.” —Sue Pimentel

In the Season 9 premiere of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Susan Lambert speaks with Ray James, Head of School at The Ansley School, about the transformative impact of literacy instruction. The Ansley School, which serves children experiencing homelessness, has made evidence-based literacy instruction a key piece of its efforts to foster profound educational and community change. Ray shares his journey and explores how a focus on literacy provides benefits that extend beyond the classroom to the broader community. This episode underscores the importance of foundational literacy skills and sets the stage for a new season dedicated to a literacy reboot.

Show notes:

• Submit your literacy questions for a chance to win!
• The Ansley School Instagram): @theansleyschool
• Ray’s Instagram: @the_rayvolution
• Website: https://theansleyschool.org/

Quotes:
"If you don't get reading right in an elementary school, every piece of the school suffers." —Ray James

"We’re not just doing school, but educating people. I think a lot of people do school, we’re trying to educate our community holistically."—Ray James

"Education isn't just about academics, it's about creating a safe place and providing holistic, evidence-based literacy instruction that catalyzes real change."—Ray James

Episode timestamps*
01:00 Season nine: Reading reboot
02:00 Introduction: Who is Ray James?
04:00 Ray James' journey from politics to education
06:00 The Boyce L. Ansley School community
10:00 Support structures for families
13:00 Transforming literacy at The Ansley School
20:00 Impact of literacy initiatives
29:00 Future goals and vision for The Ansley School
40:00 Season nine: Looking ahead
*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute

In this Science of Reading: The Podcast episode, Susan Lambert speaks with Rebecca Tolson and Lisa Lenhart about their roles at the University of Akron's newly established Center for Structured Literacy. They discuss their personal journeys in literacy education, the large grant received from the Ohio Department of Higher Education, and how the Center aims to prepare pre-service teachers using the Science of Reading and structured literacy. Rebecca and Lisa elaborate on the faculty’s training program, curriculum updates, and the potential community impact. The conversation also touches on the emotional and professional challenges in shifting to evidence-based practices, the history of literacy legislation in Ohio, and the Center's long-term goals—including IDA accreditation and expanding their impact on both pre-service and in-service educators.

Show Notes

• The Reading League: What is the Science of Reading?
• E-books from the Center for Dyslexia at Middle Tennessee State University
• Ohio’s Dyslexia Guidebook
• Read Ohio Website
• International Dyslexia Foundation: Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading

Quotes

“We're also making sure that our students are prepared in structured literacy, not just to one program, so they're able to understand the structure and adopt it to any program any district is using.” —Lisa Lenhart

“The Center for Structured Literacy is about empowering teachers at the onset—bachelor's degree. If districts have to retrain them after they graduate, then we're not doing something right.” —Rebecca Tolson

‘The more I learn, the better I'm at my craft and my teaching for my students.” —Rebecca Tolson

“It takes the right person leading you and it takes hard conversations of what we believe.” —Lisa Lenhart

Timestamps*
02:00 Introduction: Who is Rebecca Tolson?
04:00 Introduction: Who is Lisa Lenhart?
05:00 Overview: University of Akron Center for Structured Literacy
11:00 Overhauling an undergraduate program
15:00 Origin Story: Center for Structured Literacy
20:00 A Passion for the Science of Reading
23:00 Intersecting goals: Center for Structured Literacy and the state of Ohio
27:00 The importance of training teachers well the first time
33:00 Training teachers to encounter schools with a variety of approaches to literacy
36:00 Long-term goals for the center
39:00 How to get more educators prepared to teach with evidence-based practices
41:00 The importance of having hard conversations

*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute

Check out Amplify’s new podcast, Beyond My Years— host and educator Ana Torres seeks out educational insights and hard-won lessons directly from people who have thrived for decades in the classroom: seasoned educators.

On this premiere episode, Ana soaks up wisdom from Joyce Abbott, an educator so passionate about her students that she inspired one of them to go on and write the hit show “Abbott Elementary.” Joyce tells all about her experiences working in a Title 1 school and what it means to know the community of Philadelphia. They also discuss how Joyce’s time serving in the military informed her work as an educator, how she transformed a challenging classroom during her first year, how it has felt to witness the success of “Abbott Elementary,” and her driving force: passion. At the end, Ana is joined by Classroom Insider Eric Cross to discuss some actionable teaching tips for bringing Joyce's lessons into your classroom.

Show notes:

• Subscribe to Beyond My Years on Apple
• Follow Beyond My Years on Spotify
• Website: Beyond My Years

In this episode, Jamie Clark and Susan Lambert delve into Jamie's new educational resource called: one-pagers, designed to distill complex educational literacy research into accessible, practical one-page summaries for teachers. Jamie, originally from the United Kingdom and now based in Australia, also shares his one-pager journey from ideation, to creating these resources, to witnessing their impact in the classroom. Aside from discussing his methodology, Jamie also highlights the iterative process of refining his work and collaborating with key figures in the educational field, and the importance of contextual application of these strategies in different educational settings. Jamie also gives an in-depth explanation of his Think-Pair-Share one-pager, highlights how important it is for teachers to continue learning, and ends with advice for anyone looking to make research more accessible.

Show Notes

• X: https://x.com/XpatEducator
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xpateducator/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamieleeclark85/
• Website: https://www.jamieleeclark.com
• Book: Teaching One-Pagers: Evidence-informed Summaries for Busy Educational Professionals
• Website: JamieLeeClark.com
• Book: Teaching WalkThrus: Visual Step-by-Step Guides to Essential Teaching Techniques

Quotes
“In order to help our students learn effectively, teachers need to know how they learn and sometimes why they do not learn.” —Jamie Clark

“Think-pair-share is important because it makes students feel safe before they share with the class.” —Jamie Clark

“The main thing as a teacher for me is that you always need to learn and that you never stop learning.” —Jamie Clark

“The best research is the stuff that you can glean information from and then do something with that's actionable and practical.” —Jamie Clark

Episode Timestamps*
02:00 Introduction: Who is Jamie Clark?
05:00 The Birth of One Pagers: Inspiration and Early Days
08:00 Going Viral: The Impact of One Pagers
10:00 Feedback and Collaboration on One Pagers
11:00 Designing for Educators: The Journey to a Book
19:00 Designing Effective One Pagers
21:00 Exploring the Think-Pair-Share Strategy
24:00 Implementing Think-Pair-Share in the Classroom
26:00 Application Across Subjects and Levels
29:00 Challenges and Insights in Creating One-Pagers
35:00 Advice for Teachers and Educators
39:00 Final Thoughts and Future Directions
*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute

In this episode, Susan Lambert talks with Kelly Butler and Margaret Goldberg about their experiences and insights into improving reading instruction, particularly in Mississippi and California. Kelly discusses her work with the Barksdale Reading Institute, its impact on reading education, and the importance of coaching and structured literacy. Margaret shares her experiences as a coach in California, the challenges of teacher training, and the importance of having a clear and effective literacy plan that includes acquiring high quality data and using it to inform all your strategies. Both guests emphasize the need for systemic change and the role of community involvement in educational success.

Show Notes

• Follow: Kelly Butler’s Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/kelly-butler-5b92b31b
• Follow: Kelly Butler’s Twitter/X: @KellyButler8
• Follow: Margaret Goldberg’s Twitter/X and Facebook: @right2readproj
• Follow: Margaret Goldberg’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-goldberg-247613117/
• Listen: S2 E5: The Right to Read Project on nurturing automatic readers, with Margaret Goldberg and Alanna Mednick
• Listen: S6 E1: The other side of Scarborough’s Rope, with Margaret Goldberg
• Listen: Emily Hanford “Sold a Story” series
• Look: Textbook sSpreadsheet from the Center for Reading Science at Mount Saint Joseph University
• Watch: Reading Universe: How Children Learn to Read, with Margaret Goldberg

Quotes

“The laws are telling us that time's up. We need to get this job done. The good news is we know how to do it. We just need to get it done everywhere.” —Kelly Butler

“My role is more to help people make sense of information that is much more widely available, and help them understand how it applies to the work that we're doing. Whereas before, I felt like I was trying to alert people to the existence of research that had been kept out of reach.” —Margaret Goldberg

Episode Timestamps*
03:00 Introduction: Who are Kelly Butler and Margaret Goldberg?
11:00 Challenges in Teacher Preparation
19:00 Effective Coaching Models
28:00 Margaret's Journey into Coaching
29:00 Collaborative Learning and Best Practices
30:00 Challenges and Solutions in Coaching
35:00 The Impact of Legislation on Coaching
36:00 Reflections on Coaching and Curriculum
48:00 Future Visions and Final Thoughts
*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute

In this episode, Susan Lambert is joined by Arturo Valadez Sáenz, a demonstration teacher from Dallas, Texas, who delves into his journey from his childhood in Mexico to becoming an educator in the United States. He describes his current role, teaching both English and Spanish language arts, and emphasizes the importance of bilingual education. He shares the demographics and linguistic challenges of his students, many of whom are newcomers to the country, some of whom come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds or speak different dialects. Arturo discusses effective strategies like bilingual pairing, feedback for learning, and the impact of Science of Reading practices in his classroom. He also highlights the necessity of creating a positive classroom culture and building students’ confidence. Arturo’s story is a testament to the transformative power of education and the significant difference a dedicated teacher can make in the lives of students.

Show notes:

• Follow on Instagram: @arturosaenzelviajero
• Visit: https://arturosaenz.hearnow.com/

Quotes:
“I realized that I truly have a calling of being with kids, and the biggest thing to me is the intrinsic reward that you receive, especially working with economically disadvantaged communities.” —Arturo Valadez Sáenz

“It’s all about confidence, building the student’s confidence. It’s a huge component of preparing students to be successful.” —Arturo Valadez Sáenz

“It’s not about the teacher. When planning, my biggest suggestion is do not plan for your own actions. Plan for what the students are going to be doing in every single portion of the lesson.” —Arturo Valadez Sáenz

Episode timestamps*
03:00 Introduction: Who is Arturo Valdez Sáenz?
05:00 Journey to Teaching
09:00 Importance of Bilingual Education
14:00 Strategies for creating positive classroom culture
21:00 Parental Involvement
23:00 Challenges in Bilingual Education and the importance of educator collaboration
27:00 Setting High Expectations for Every Child
28:00 The Power of Immediate Feedback
33:00 Building student confidence and classroom collaboration
34:00 Effective Grouping Strategies in Bilingual Classrooms
37:00 Engaging Students Across Different Grade Levels
40:00 Implementing Science of Reading Practices
45:00 Celebrating Student Growth and Success
48:00 Final Thoughts and Encouragement for Educators
*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute

Listen to this trailer for our new podcast, Beyond My Years, launching August 14th.

Every day headlines tout something “new” in education—the latest research, the hottest tech, the trendiest new hacks for organizing your classroom. However, beyond all the hype there’s one underestimated resource that’s truly deserving of our attention: educators who’ve been doing this for years. In this trailer, you’ll hear from host and educator Ana Torres as she explains her season-long journey of learning from the experiences and lessons of seasoned educators from around the world. Their stories will make you laugh, make you cry, and—just maybe—change the way you think. Subscribe now so you don’t miss a thing.

(Not an Apple user? Subscribe here via Buzzsprout.)