A Novel Idea: The History of the Science of Reading

Our journey through the history of literacy instruction in the United States has brought us to the very place we started: the current science of reading movement that has taken the education field by storm. In this concluding episode of A Novel Idea, we discuss the future of the science of reading movement and hear input from a variety of experts, including:
Emily Hanford (Twitter: @ehanford), senior producer and correspondent, APM Reports
Melissa Loftus and Lori Sappington (Twitter: @literacypodcast), co-hosts, Melissa and Lori Love Literacy 
Kareem Weaver (Twitter: @KJWinEducation), co-founder, FULCRUM
Dr. G. Reid Lyon, former director, NICHD
Hannah Bain, Iowa teacher
Nina Lorimor-Easley, assistant director for education and outreach, Iowa Reading Research Center
… & more!
Learn More
Science or snake oil: How to tell the difference, Holly Lane, University of Florida Literacy Institute
https://ufli.education.ufl.edu/science-or-snake-oil/
Read it, say it, hear it, write it: Instructional routines that engage the four language skill areas, Meg Mechelke, Iowa Reading Research Center
https://irrc.education.uiowa.edu/blog/2023/05/read-it-say-it-hear-it-write-it-instructional-routines-engage-four-language-skill
Scope and sequence: What is it, and how do educators use it to guide instruction?, Meg Mechelke, Iowa Reading Research Center
https://irrc.education.uiowa.edu/blog/2023/03/scope-and-sequence-what-it-and-how-do-educators-use-it-guide-instruction
Episode transcript and sources
https://irrc.education.uiowa.edu/transcript-and-sources-novel-idea-episode-8

A Novel Idea website:
irrc.education.uiowa.edu/resources/novel-idea-podcast

Following the explosion of the Reading Wars in California, a push for nationwide literacy legislation swept the nation. In this episode of A Novel Idea we explore the consequences of this movement, including the influence of legislative efforts including The National Reading Panel and Reading First. Featuring thoughts from:
Dr. G. Reid Lyon, former director, NICHD 
Natalie Wexler (Twitter: @natwexler), author, The Knowledge Gap 
Dr. Timothy Shanahan (Twitter: @ReadingShanahan), distinguished professor emeritus, University of Illinois at Chicago 
Dr. Maryanne Wolf, author, Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain and Dyslexia, Fluency, and the Brain
Learn More
National Reading Panel
https://www.nichd.nih.gov/sites/default/files/publications/pubs/nrp/Documents/report.pdf
Episode transcript and sources
https://irrc.education.uiowa.edu/transcript-and-sources-novel-idea-episode-7

A Novel Idea website:
irrc.education.uiowa.edu/resources/novel-idea-podcast

In the 1990s, debates over literacy instruction reached a tipping point in the nation’s most populous state. Learn more about the reading crisis in California and the start of the so-called “Reading Wars” in this episode of A Novel Idea. Plus, hear from:
Dr. G. Reid Lyon, former director, NICHD
Dr. Maryanne Wolf, author, Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain and Dyslexia, Fluency, and the Brain
Dr. Timothy Shanahan (Twitter: @ReadingShanahan), distinguished professor emeritus, University of Illinois at Chicago 
Learn More
“The Reading Wars,” Nicholas Lemann, The Atlantic Monthly
https://www.pbs.org/weta/twoschools/thechallenge/history/
Scarborough’s Rope
https://institute.aimpa.org/resources/readingrope
Episode transcript and sources
https://irrc.education.uiowa.edu/transcript-and-sources-novel-idea-episode-6

A Novel Idea website:
irrc.education.uiowa.edu/resources/novel-idea-podcast

Whole language is one of the most talked about developments in literacy instruction in the past several decades. In this episode of A Novel Idea, we take a look at the history and founders of this popular teaching philosophy and examine its effects on contemporary instruction. Featuring insight from:
Dr. G. Reid Lyon, former director, NICHD
Natalie Wexler (Twitter: @natwexler), author, The Knowledge Gap
Kate Will, program coordinator, Iowa Reading Research Center
Melissa Loftus and Lori Sappington  (Twitter: @literacypodcast), co-hosts, Melissa and Lori Love Literacy
Dr. Maryanne Wolf, author, Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain and Dyslexia, Fluency, and the Brain
… & more. 
Episode transcript and sources
https://irrc.education.uiowa.edu/transcript-and-sources-novel-idea-episode-5
A Novel Idea website:
irrc.education.uiowa.edu/resources/novel-idea-podcast

In this episode, we take a deep dive into the work of several influential researchers in the early days of the science of reading. These pioneers of literacy research paved the way for the development of evidence-based instruction of today and played major roles in advocating for effective, equitable literacy instruction for all students. Plus, hear from:
Natalie Wexler (Twitter: @natwexler), author, The Knowledge Gap
Dr. Fumiko Hoeft (Twitter: @FumikoHoeft), director, University of Connecticut Brain Imaging Center
Dr. Maryanne Wolf, author, Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain and Dyslexia, Fluency, and the Brain
Nina Lorimor-Easley, assistant director for education and outreach, Iowa Reading Research Center
... & more!
Episode transcript and sources
https://irrc.education.uiowa.edu/transcript-and-sources-novel-idea-episode-4
A Novel Idea website:
irrc.education.uiowa.edu/resources/novel-idea-podcast