Reading Road Trip

Kate Winn is joined by cognitive psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Daniel Willingham to discuss Outsmart Your Brain and the science of learning. From reading comprehension and background knowledge to note-taking, studying, procrastination, sleep, test anxiety, and focus, this episode is packed with practical tips for educators, parents, students, and lifelong learners. Our work at IDA Ontario, which is a registered charity, depends on the generosity of people like you. If you find the podcast helpful, please consider supporting our organization. Resources Mentioned in This Episode Minnow (Graphic Novel) by Willie Poll, illustrated by Emily Graceanna Pearson Outsmart Your Brain: Why Learning Is Hard and How You Can Make It Easy by Dr. Daniel Willingham Why Don’t Students Like School? by Dr. Daniel Willingham Articles Referenced: “The Usefulness of Brief Instruction in Reading Comprehension Strategies” by Dr. Daniel Willingham Dr. Willingham’s website, www.danielwillingham.com, where articles, videos, blog posts, and many copyright-owned resources are freely available

Handwriting isn’t just about tidy letters on a page, it’s a powerful bridge to reading, spelling, and early literacy. In this episode, Kate sits down with Dr. Shawn Datchuk to unpack the science behind handwriting instruction, the three processes every child needs to master, and five research‑aligned practices teachers can use right away. From tracing to scaffolding to memory retrieval, this conversation brings clarity and practical strategies for the classroom. Our work at IDA Ontario, which is a registered charity, depends on the generosity of people like you. If you find the podcast helpful, please consider supporting our organization. Resources Mentioned I Am Not a Costume — Maria DesJarlais, illustrated by Regina Alice Willman Dr. Shawn Datchuk can be found at https://www.shawndatchuk.com/ along with the free, evidence-based resources to teach print (LIFTER) and cursive (CLIFTER) Handwriting: The ABCs of Explicit Instruction and Assessment By Dr. Shawn Datchuk — OnLit hosts a webinar where Dr. Datchuk breaks down the research behind handwriting instruction, including orthographic coding, motor skills, and explicit teaching routines. A practical, teacher‑friendly resource for anyone implementing evidence‑based handwriting practices. Ray et al. (2022) Systematic Review on Handwriting Instruction A research review examining handwriting instruction in kindergarten. The authors found that explicit handwriting instruction improves letter formation and boosts early literacy skills such as letter names, letter sounds, and early word reading—highlighting handwriting’s strong connection to reading development. Explicit Instruction Framework — Anita Archer & Charles Hughes A foundational model for structured teaching that emphasizes clear, consistent, and concise instruction. Their work guides teachers in modeling, guided practice, and gradual release—principles that apply directly to handwriting instruction. Steve Graham & Karen Harris — Writing and Handwriting Research. Graham and Harris are leading scholars in writing development. Their studies show that short, explicit handwriting lessons (2–3 times per week, 15 minutes each) can significantly improve handwriting fluency and overall writing performance. Their broader work underpins much of today’s evidence‑based writing instruction. Iowa Reading Research Center A research and outreach center focused on improving literacy outcomes through evidence‑based practices. Dr. Datchuk previously served as Director, and the center’s work informs many of the instructional approaches discussed in the episode. Council for Exceptional Children — Division for Learning Disabilities A professional organization dedicated to supporting learners with disabilities. Dr. Datchuk serves as Chair of its Research Committee, and the division’s work emphasizes high‑quality, research‑aligned instruction for diverse learners.

Buckle up - it's the Season 4 premiere of Reading Road Trip! Host Kate Winn kicks off the new season with Dr. Leslie Laud of thinkSRSD for a lively and practical conversation about transforming writing instruction. From kindergarten to high school, discover how this evidence-based approach is scaling across classrooms, building confidence, reducing teacher workload, and aligning beautifully with Canadian curricula. Links Mentioned in this Episode: Cedar School Decodables by Strong Nations Publishing thinkSRSD CommonLit ONlit.org thinkSRSD resources: Getting Started with thinkSRSD and Grade 3 thinkSRSD-inspired POWeR Cycles thinkSRSD Facebook Group thinkSRSD Canadian Facebook Group

For this surprise bonus episode, buckle up and join Kate Winn and Una Malcolm for a candid conversation about all things reading! Kate and Una share their "road bumps" and "refuels" along the road to reading for all. Stay tuned for Season 4 of Reading Road Trip this summer where we'll bring another carload of fabulous guests along for the ride. Keen to explore some of the resources Kate and Una mentioned in the episode? Kate's UFLI in Ontario Kindergarten document, co-authored with Dr. Holly Lane and Dr. Valentina Contesse Season 3 Episode 1 of Reading Road Trip featured Dr. Anita Archer and Dr. Sonia Cabell SISEP and NIRN host the Active Implementation Formula Framework Modules IDA's Perspectives on Language and Literacy has an issue focused on implementation Dr. Stephanie Stollar has an active Facebook page and leads the Reading Science Academy ONlit's Screening: The Reel Deal is a series of short videos addressing common questions about early reading screening Dr. Diana Burchell was a guest on Season 1 Episode 9, and Dr. Steve Graham joined us for Episode 9 of Season 2 Mount St. Joseph University offers access to their library database through the Center for Reading Science membership program Ontario teachers - the wonderful Jenni vanRees made this brief video showing how to navigate the OCT Library

This week Kate is joined by Dr. Amanda Nickerson for a candid conversation about supporting gifted and highly advanced readers. Don't miss this episode that highlights the value of advanced decoding and spelling instruction for skilled readers!

Kate welcomes Dr. Marc Joanisse for a discussion about the neurobiology of dyslexia and other comorbid disorders, including ADHD and DLD. Dr Marc Joanisse is a professor at the University of Western Ontario in the Department of Psychology and the Western Institute for Neuroscience. His research examines the cognitive and brain basis of reading dyslexia and developmental language disability in children, as well as typical reading and language and development. His research team at the Language Reading and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab uses a multimodal approach, including eye tracking, EEG and MRI. His research in dyslexia focuses on better understanding the links between poor reading and spoken language and phonology, and the comorbidities of dyslexia with other kinds of learning disorders like DLD and ADHD. Stay up to date on research and upcoming studies from Marc's lab:Language, Reading and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab Facebook page and website

Dr. Claude Goldenberg joins us this week. Don't miss this engaging conversation about reading instruction for multilingual students - and keep listening to the end to learn about Claude's real-life road trips inspired by a John Steinbeck book! Claude is the Nomelini and Olivier professor of education emeritus at Stanford University. A native of Argentina, his areas of research and publication centred on promoting academic achievement among language minority students, particularly those from Spanish-speaking backgrounds. In the episode, Claude mentioned his work on the National Literacy Panel, an article in Reading Research Quarterly, and his own road trip adventures inspired by John Steinbeck's Travels with Charley: April to May 2023 September to October 2021 May to June 2019 October 2018

Join us this week for a chat with parent educator Maya Payne Smart. Kate and Maya walk through clear, actionable steps to empower parents to support their child's language and literacy development. Maya is the author of Reading for Our Lives: A Literacy Action Plan from Birth to Six. It is excellent - well-researched, clear, and parent-friendly - and even a great read for teachers, too! Eager to learn more? Maya's website is a treasure trove of resources for parents and educators. From book recommendations to tips to build language and literacy, don't miss it. Maya recommended the picture books The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read and An Inconvenient Alphabet: Ben Franklin & Noah Webster's Spelling Revolution.