Dyslexia Duo Podcast Episode 91 - Dr. Kelly Cartwright

The Dyslexia Duo: Executive Function and Dyslexia - Putting Thinking on the Table with Dr. Kelly Cartwright

Melissa Dean and Aimee Rodenroth of the Dyslexia Duo interview Dr. Kelly Cartwright (UNC Charlotte) about how executive functions—working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility—emerge within reading and help manage decoding, meaning-making, and comprehension. Dr. Cartwright explains why some dysfluent readers still comprehend, how weak executive skills can hinder retelling, summarization, and inference, and how “putting thinking on the table” with concrete scaffolds (manipulatives, story maps, inference maps, text-structure organizers, SRSD-style mnemonics) can reduce cognitive load and improve regulation of reading processes across subjects. They discuss dyslexia/ADHD differences, early identification of comprehension problems (including developmental language disorder), the need to teach decoding and comprehension in parallel, the value of connecting spelling-sound-meaning, concerns about fewer whole books and screen-driven attention, and secondary needs such as multisyllabic decoding and morphology. Cartwright shares READ Lab research on bridging processes and mentions a forthcoming educator toolkit.

00:48 Introducing Dr Cartwright 02:40 Executive Function Basics 05:49 Fluency vs Comprehension 09:20 Cognitive Flexibility in Reading 13:28 Tools and Resources 18:43 Retelling and Inference Scaffolds 24:00 Dyslexia ADHD Differences 27:16 Early Comprehension Instruction 34:09 Classroom Strategy Integration 36:55 Whole Books Decline 39:28 Anxiety and Motivation 41:35 Screens and Attention 44:17 Secondary Dyslexia Needs 47:28 Teacher Prep Myths 49:41 Parents Comprehension Tips 52:52 Building Background Knowledge 56:57 READ Lab Research 01:01:14 Lightning Round Wrap