S10 E8: Beyond decoding: The power of syntax, with Nancy Chapel Eberhardt

S10 E8: Beyond decoding: The power of syntax, with Nancy Chapel Eberhardt

From Science of Reading: The Podcast by Amplify Education

December 31, 2025 · 60 min · Season 10 · Episode 8

About this episode

Nancy Chapel Eberhardt discusses the importance of teaching syntax for reading comprehension.

In this episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Susan Lambert is joined by educational consultant Nancy Chapel Eberhardt, who explains why focusing on syntax at the sentence level is just as important for comprehension as word-level decoding. Together, Nancy and Susan also discuss how syntax helps students process meaning while reading, why we should start early and teach syntax to students from the beginning, and a more functional approach to syntax. Show notes: Submit your questions on ...

People in this episode

Host: Susan Lambert

Guest: Nancy Chapel Eberhardt

Topics covered

  • syntax
  • comprehension
  • reading education
  • word-level decoding
  • sentence structure

Keywords

  • syntax
  • reading comprehension
  • education
  • decoding
  • sentence level

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Science of Reading: The Podcast, Amplify Education

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