Making Sense of Multisyllabic Words with Don Compton & Laura Steacy

Episode 207 from Oct 11 2024 Imagine facing not only the struggles of growing up in a challenging environment, but also battling a learning difference that went undiagnosed for years. Hear the inspiring story of Ameer Baraka as he discusses his book: Undiagnosed: The Ugly Side of Dyslexia. Ameer will discuss: How he grew up in New Orleans, facing unimaginable obstacles His experiences with being misunderstood and how it impacted his life How he transformed his life by r...

Episode 262 In this episode, we sit down with Nancy Blair and Pat Roberts, co-founders of AIM Academy and the AIM Institute for Learning & Research, to talk about how a school built on research came to be. Nancy and Pat share the story of meeting as parents of newly diagnosed daughters, and how that friendship grew into a non-profit school and a research institute that is celebrating its 20th year. We discuss the early warning signs of dyslexia that too many families are told to wait out,...

Episode 100 from April 1, 2022 Over time, the chronic trauma of not being successful with reading wears down many students. It has devastating effects. In our official 100th episode, Dr. Steven Dykstra discusses trauma and reading. He explains the connection between not being taught to read using evidence-based practices and the subsequent, unnecessary trauma this causes in children’s lives. This is a pervasive problem happening everywhere. Dr. Steven Dykstra is a psychologist, ad...

Episode 261 In this episode, Caitlin Lucas shares innovative routines for kindergarten literacy instruction, emphasizing consistency and active participation to build foundational skills. Caitlin also uses sign language as part of her routines and shares easy ways teachers can use it too. Resources Maximizing Instructional Time Through Routines and Rehearsal Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, an...

In this episode, we talk with Julia Lindsey about her book, Reading Above the Fray: Reliable, Research-Based Routines for Developing Decoding Skills. Julia shares why decoding is one of the most important skills we can help students develop and how research-based instructional routines can make that learning more efficient, effective, and joyful. Together, we explore the foundational skills that support decoding, the role of purposeful practice, and how consistent routines help students know ...