Kate Walsh, President of the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), shares the organization’s goal to promote teacher effectiveness for every child, in every classroom. Walsh outlines NCTQ’s areas of focus such as setting greater oversight and transparency in policy and institutions. With a deep investment in the implementation of evidence-based reading instruction in schools, Walsh and the NCTQ launched the first review and rankings of teacher preparation programs in the United States. Wal...
Nov 04, 2020•34 min
This bonus episode follows our October conversation with Ken Pugh, PhD, “Using Science to Decode the Literacy Crisis.” Dr. Pugh further illustrates the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on literacy around the world, citing current scientific evidence of learning loss related to student access to education resources. While the current pandemic has exacerbated existing challenges in our education systems, Dr. Pugh points to other significant factors which inhibit fundamental education access s...
Oct 14, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 12
In this episode, Dr. Ken Pugh, an internationally renowned scientist and the President and Director of Research at Haskins Laboratories, addresses the global literacy crisis, drawing attention to the moral responsibility we have to ensure all children can read. He highlights the advances and promise of neuroscience in understanding complex brain mechanisms for reading, as well as the role of neuroscience in exploring potential brain co-morbidities. Finally, we discuss the promise of educational ...
Oct 07, 2020•34 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Executive functioning (EF) refers to the foundational skill set required to manage daily life including behavior, attention, and self-management. For children, executive functioning is essential for academic performance in school as well as overall resilience and well-being. In this episode Mark Bertin, M.D., shares the research underlying executive functioning in children as well as his expertise in understanding its development. He offers tools for parents and educators to support children’s E...
Sep 02, 2020•35 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Julie Washington, PhD, and Windward’s Head of School, Jamie Williamson discuss the impact of race and culture on the Linguistic Landscape of American schools. Dr. Washington’s research focuses on the linguistic differences in students speaking African American English and the implications on identification, literacy, and support in the classroom. Dr. Washington and Mr. Williamson discuss why teacher competence in cultural and linguistic differences is a critical element of effective reading inst...
Aug 26, 2020•43 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Drawing on decades of research on reading and professional development, Margie Gillis, EdD, presents the necessary elements to provide teachers with the training and tools to implement high quality reading instruction in their classrooms. As the founder and president of Literacy How, Dr. Gillis and her team coach teachers across districts and schools in Connecticut using a prescriptive and research-based model, cognitive coaching. Research supports the individualized nature of teacher coaching w...
Aug 05, 2020•30 min•Season 1Ep. 8
This episode marks a significant milestone for the READ podcast and The Windward Institute- the sixth month anniversary since The Institute’s official launch. In this interview, John J. Russell, EdD, the Executive Director of The Windward Institute, reflects on The Institute’s impact in 2020, particularly in a world of uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Russell explains why The Institute was established—highlighting its work to "increase childhood literacy rates by disrupting the...
Jul 01, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Language is a powerful device we use to communicate every day, yet we may underestimate its complex, multifaceted nature. In this episode, Tiffany Hogan, PhD, CCC-SLP teaches listeners about the fundamental aspects of language and discusses specific language difficulties presented in children with Developmental Language Disorders (DLD). Did you know that about one in ten people are diagnosed with DLD? Dr. Hogan presents the top myths of DLD and explains ways speech language pathologists and clas...
Jun 03, 2020•34 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Host Danielle Scorrano invites READ listeners to enter the classroom with Devin Kearns, PhD! Dr. Kearns, a former teacher, is an expert in educational research and professor of special education at University of Connecticut. Dr. Kearns shares his expertise about dyslexia, dispels its pervasive myths, and presents research on reading. He explains the necessary components of effective reading interventions and offers examples for classroom application. Drawing on his experience as a professor, Dr....
May 13, 2020•32 min•Season 1Ep. 5
This current COVID-19 outbreak has significantly changed how we live. While practicing social distancing from their own homes, host Danielle Scorrano interviews Rachel Busman, PsyD, the Senior Director of the Anxiety Disorders Center, Director of the Selective Mutism Service at the Child Mind Institute, and a faculty member of The Windward Institute. Dr. Busman provides her expertise on how families and educators can support children at home and from a distance. Dr. Busman shares applicable stra...
Apr 22, 2020•25 min•Season 1Ep. 4
One of the benefits of in-school neuroscience is the engagement between researchers, educators, and students. In this episode, we speak with Nicole Landi, PhD, about her work as a cognitive neuroscientist at Haskins Laboratories and professor at University of Connecticut. Dr. Landi discusses the promise of in-school neuroscience to expand learning opportunities for researchers and educators. Host Danielle Scorrano asks questions fielded from her eighth-grade students, eager to learn more about n...
Mar 04, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 3
In this episode, Jamie Williamson, the Head of School at The Windward School, shares his experiences as an educator and leader. He calls for creating educational environments that centralize in advocating for the overall development of the child and that remain laser focused in providing instruction using empirically validated research and data. As a leader, Jamie discusses the importance of values and creating a school community where all students, families, teachers, and leaders thrive....
Feb 05, 2020•21 min•Season 1Ep. 2
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Richard Aslin, a Senior Research Scientist at Haskins Laboratories. Dr. Aslin explains how neuroimaging has broadened our understanding of the remarkable abilities of the infant brain to acquire language. He cites examples of how infants learn language, and how that influences later learning. Lastly, Dr. Aslin describes the potential for closer integration between research and practice to optimize the learning environment for all students.
Jan 08, 2020•15 min•Season 1Ep. 1
