Dyslexia Duo Podcast

The Dyslexia Duo: Megan Pinchbeck on Dyslexia on Demand, CALT Training, and the Emotional Experience of Dyslexia
 

The Dyslexia Duo (Melissa Dean and Aimee Rodenroth) interview Megan Pinchbeck, a Certified Academic Language Therapist and founder of Dyslexia on Demand, about her path from special education into CALT training at Scottish Rite in Austin and how intensive training and practitioner rigor affect student outcomes. Megan emphasizes widespread confusion about dyslexia services nationwide, differences among states in identification requirements, and the need for better legislation implementation, educator training, and systemic checks and balances. She explains Dyslexia on Demand’s pre-COVID origins to expand access for rural families, its virtual therapy model, the importance of therapist-student fit and relationship building, and its reach (over 1,000 served; currently about 200 across about half of U.S. states, plus some abroad). She discusses her “Don’t Call On Me” podcast’s focus on shared dyslexia stories and emotional impact, and previews webinars on simulations, teachers, SEL, accommodations, and “no dumb questions.”
 
00:00 Welcome Dyslexia Duo
00:42 Meet Megan Pinchbeck
01:33 Path to Dyslexia Therapy
04:10 Inside CALT Training
06:42 Who Counts as Certified
08:49 Emotional Side of Dyslexia
13:34 What Schools Get Wrong
17:58 Medical Diagnosis Confusion
22:09 Building Dyslexia on Demand
25:58 Making Virtual Therapy Work
31:54 Program Reach and Growth
32:53 Starting the Podcast
35:12 Emotional Side of Dyslexia
36:31 Generational Dyslexia Stories
38:48 Building Confidence in Kids
39:32 Spreading Awareness and Policy
42:57 School Funding Front Lines
44:40 First Steps for Parents
48:20 Adults as Dyslexia Mentors
53:10 Webinars and Core Basics
55:55 Resources and Where to Find
57:50 Lightning Round
01:02:52 Final Thanks and Sign Off

The Dyslexia Duo:  Maryanne Wolf on the Reading Brain, Deep Reading, and Digital Wisdom

Hosts Melissa Dean and Aimee Rodenroth interview developmental cognitive neuroscientist Maryanne Wolf, director of the Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners and Social Justice, about how reading is an invented, plastic brain circuit shaped by environment and medium. Wolf argues screens encourage skimming and reduced focus, contributing to a decline in sustained book reading among students, and describes retraining deep reading through print habits. She stresses the importance of reading aloud to young children, including by dyslexic or bilingual parents, to build language, cognition, and positive emotional associations with books. Wolf outlines core reading-brain components using the acronym POSSUM (phonology, orthography, semantics, syntax, morphology) and says multi-component instruction outperforms phonics-only approaches. She discusses dyslexia indicators including phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming, and orthographic factors, urges expansive science-of-reading practices, calls for research on wise AI/technology use and deep reading, and highlights evidence linking music—especially rhythm—to reading gains.

00:00 Meet Dyslexia Duo
01:29 Introducing Maryanne Wolf
04:59 Deep Reading Matters
06:37 Screens Change Reading
09:47 Losing Focus and Retraining
14:07 Reading Aloud to Kids
16:57 Dyslexic Parents Can Read
20:39 Schools and EdTech Debate
26:42 Sponsor Break
28:23 Possum Reading Brain Model
33:31 Research Proof and Ravo
36:17 Targeted Strengths Approach
38:12 Reading Wars Elbow Room
43:04 Dyslexia Signs and Screeners
44:08 Three Key Dyslexia Markers
51:19 Future Research Priorities
54:10 Music Rhythm and Reading
56:45 Message to Struggling Families
01:01:35 Lightning Round and Farewell

The Dyslexia Duo: Pete Bowers on Structured Word Inquiry: Making English Spelling Make Sense for Dyslexic Learners

Melissa Dean and Aimee Rodenroth of the Dyslexia Duo podcast interview Pete Bowers, a former grades 3–6 teacher who began using Real Spelling in 2001 and later developed work in Structured Word Inquiry (SWI) through graduate study with John Kirby in Kingston, Ontario. Bowers describes his own history as a slow reader and poor speller and explains how SWI transformed his understanding by teaching English orthography as an ordered system that links spelling with meaning and pronunciation, rather than relying on memorization or syllabification strategies that can be misleading and shame-inducing for struggling students. Using examples such as “real/really/reality,” “act/actor/acting/action,” and “maybe” as “may + be,” he argues that many spelling questions cannot be solved through phonology alone and that word matrices and word sums provide essential “combinatorial guardrails” and enable falsification of common misconceptions such as the “TION suffix” and a “ti digraph” in words like “action” and “question.” He discusses statistical learning, orthographic memory challenges associated with dyslexia, loanwords (e.g., French spellings), and how spelling-meaning correspondences can relieve shame and improve motivation. Bowers recommends beginning accurate orthographic concepts early (including with kindergarten), using techniques like spelling out orthography and word-family inquiry to build automatic, integrated representations of spelling, meaning, and pronunciation. The episode concludes with resources from Dr. Bowers (websites, YouTube, TEDx talk, courses, and a free weekly SWI digital drop-in) and guidance on integrating SWI with existing structured literacy/Orton-Gillingham programs by adding explanations that reflect how the writing system works.

00:42 Meet Pete Bowers: from struggling speller to Structured Word Inquiry

03:07 Reading vs spelling: why production is harder than recognition

04:17 The “really” breakthrough: matrices, word sums, and ending spelling shame

11:50 Loanwords & orthographic memory: why “exceptions” aren’t really exceptions

18:36 SWI isn’t just morphology: teaching the full orthography system

21:56 Statistical learning, attention, and the myth of the “TION suffix”

29:20 Hands-on demo: ACT → actor/acting/action (falsifying the “ti” digraph)

36:19 Combinatorial guardrails: graphemes, morphemes, and why T can say /sh/

50:57 When to start SWI: building an accurate schema from the very beginning

56:44 Classroom-friendly decodables: Tumbleweed’s distraction-free design

57:04 Sponsor spotlight: Discovery Dyslexia Services therapy, evaluations & advocacy

58:04 From “replay” to word meaning: spotlighting morphemes, suffixes & etymology

01:00:49 The “Play” word-family game: tapping graphemes and building a base

01:08:04 Homophones aren’t “crazy”: why meaning drives spelling consistency

01:09:44 Why two cues aren’t enough: triangulating spelling with meaning (and the “maybe” story)

01:14:05 When to teach word origins: Wonder Wall questions & the calculus analogy

01:17:40 Live word investigation: breaking down CONVENIENCE with connecting vowel letters

01:28:18 Teacher takeaways: schema shift, does/do, and SWI resources to keep learning

01:37:44 Integrating SWI with OG programs: “spell it out” to trigger self-correction

01:43:45 Final challenge: EXORBITANT, orbit as the base, and ending shame in learning

01:50:32 Wrap-up

The Dyslexia Duo: Exploring Dyslexia with insights with Dr. Molly Ness
 
In this episode of Dyslexia Duo, Melissa and Aimee sit down with Dr. Molly Ness, a renowned expert in reading education and dyslexia. Dr. Ness shares her extensive background as a classroom teacher and university professor, highlighting her focus on the science of reading and structured literacy. The discussion dives deep into orthographic mapping, comprehension strategies, and the systemic challenges in addressing reading disabilities. Dr. Ness also talks about her projects, including her books and podcast 'End Book Deserts,' which aims to tackle book access issues. This episode is packed with valuable insights and practical strategies for educators, parents, and advocates.
 
00:00 Introduction to the Dyslexia Duo
00:50 Meet Dr. Molly Ness
02:17 Early Focus on Dyslexia
04:05 Teacher Knowledge and Dyslexia
05:28 Challenges in Literacy Education
08:00 The End Book Deserts Podcast
14:14 Strategies for Effective Read Alouds
26:14 Comprehension and Dyslexia Support
33:05 Understanding the Complexity of Comprehension
33:19 Tactics for Improving Vocabulary and Comprehension
33:59 The House of Cards Analogy for Comprehension
35:21 The Role of Grammar in Comprehension
36:22 Challenges in Diagnosing Comprehension Issues
37:45 The Importance of Fluency in Reading
39:43 Introducing the New Book: Making Words Stick
40:36 Orthographic Mapping Explained
46:33 The Brain's Role in Orthographic Mapping
55:27 Lightning Round: Quick Insights
58:06 Final Thoughts and Farewell

The Dyslexia Duo: Insights from Dr. Jan Hasbrouck on Dyslexia and Effective Strategies
 
In this episode of the Dyslexia Duo podcast, hosts Melissa Dean and Aimee Rodenroth engage in an enlightening conversation with Dr. Jan Hasbrouck, a renowned literacy expert specializing in dyslexia. Dr. Hasbrouck discusses her journey in the field, key strategies for fostering literacy among children, and the importance of systematic, evidence-based instruction. She highlights the prevalence of dyslexia as a language-based disorder, debunks common myths, and emphasizes the critical role of early intervention. The discussion covers the necessity of accuracy in reading to build fluency, the significance of encoding in developing spelling and writing skills, and the potential for almost all children to learn to read and write with proper instruction. Dr. Hasbrouck also addresses the challenges in current educational practices and underscores the need for teacher and leadership training to implement effective literacy programs.
 
00:42 Welcoming Dr. Jan Hasbrouck
01:20 Dr. Hasbrouck's Journey in Literacy
07:33 Challenges and Changes in Literacy Education
14:43 Understanding Dyslexia Myths and Realities
17:04 Early Warning Signs of Dyslexia
26:35 Effective Reading Instruction and Leadership
32:45 Structured Literacy vs. Queuing Methods
39:25 The Complexity of Learning to Read
40:06 The Importance of Accuracy in Literacy
40:59 Connecting Words to Meaning
41:53 Triple A Instruction: Accuracy, Automaticity, Access
44:50 Building Fluency Through Accuracy
47:46 The Role of Repeated Reading
52:06 The Importance of Encoding in Literacy
57:34 Strengthening Writing Skills
01:02:01 Final Thoughts on Dyslexia and Literacy Growth
01:02:54 Upcoming Events and Conferences
01:05:00 Lightning Round Questions
01:07:01 Closing Remarks and Resources