The Orton-Gillingham Podcast | A Brainspring Production

The Gap Between Science and Practice (with Dr. Maria Murray)

  “There’s one reason people don’t know how to read… they weren’t taught.” —Maria Murray, Ph.D. President and CEO of The Reading League   Many classrooms are still not

Why Knowledge Building Matters in Reading Instruction (with Natalie Wexler)

  “We’ve been making reading and writing harder for kids than they need to be.” —Natalie Wexler   Systematic phonics instruction is essential, but it's not enough to

Become a Mentor, Transform a Life (with Dr. Shawn Anthony Robinson and Dr. William Kitz)

In this episode, we welcome back Dr. Shawn Anthony Robinson, joined by his longtime mentor, Dr. William Kitz. Dr. Kitz played a pivotal role in Dr. Robinson's academic de

From Special Ed to Ph.D. (with Dr. Shawn Anthony Robinson)

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Shawn Anthony Robinson, a truly inspiring guest who struggled with dyslexia throughout his childhood. After learning to read at age 18,

LEFT BEHIND and the Moms Who Built a School (with Anna Toomey)

Today, we'll speak with special guest Anna Toomey, director of LEFT BEHIND, an award-winning documentary about a group of mothers who band together to create the first pu

Decoding Decodable Readers (with Olivia Whicker)

Today, we'll speak with Olivia Whicker, co-author of Talewinds™, Brainspring's new collection of decodable readers, about what makes decodable texts so effective, how dec

A Case for Handwriting (with Denise Sherman)

Today, we’ll speak with Denise Sherman, Curriculum and Instructional Specialist at Brainspring, about the importance of handwriting instruction for students, how handwrit

Maryanne Wolf on Digital Literacy

Today, we’ll speak with special guest Maryanne Wolf, a renowned scholar and director of UCLA’s Center for Dyslexia, about her research on the reading brain, how digital t

Inequities in Education (with Dr. Ryan Lee-James)

Today, we’ll speak with Dr. Ryan Lee-James, a speech-language pathologist with expertise in reading disabilities, about her research on inequities in education, what we c

America's #1 Youth Motivational Speaker (with Jordan Toma)

Today, we're joined by Jordan Toma, an inspirational author who overcame multiple learning disabilities to become the number one youth motivational speaker and youth advo

An Artist with Dyslexia (with Krista Weltner)

Today, we’ll speak with Krista Weltner, a gifted artist who overcame dyslexia and found success as an author, illustrator, puppet maker, stop-motion animator, filmmaker,

"Keep the Light Burning": How Brooke Steingold Overcame Dyslexia and Became a Successful Nurse

Today, we’ll speak with Brooke Steingold, a successful nurse with dyslexia and ADHD, about how she went from dropping out of high school to becoming a college graduate an

The Pillars of Reading: A Need for Comprehension Instruction (with Dr. Elena Forzani and Dr. Andrea Bien)

We’ll speak with Dr. Elena Forzani and Dr. Andrea Bien, two former elementary teachers and current professors at Boston University, about the importance of comprehension

Surviving the NFL...when you can't read the playbook (with Deon Butler)

We’re joined by Deon Butler, a former tight end for the Detroit Lions, whose personal battle with dyslexia inspired him to start a new vocation as a motivational speaker

The Pillars of Reading: Dr. David Kilpatrick on Phonemic Awareness

Today, we’re joined by special guest Dr. David Kilpatrick, a certified school psychologist, professor emeritus of psychology for the State University of New York College

"Never Lose Heart": A Push to Improve Literacy in Kentucky (with Micki Ray)

Today, we’ll speak with Micki Ray, Chief Academic Officer of the Kentucky Department of Education, about how her experience as a high school English teacher inspired her

A Need for Decodable Stories (with Carolee Dean)

Today, we’ll hear from Carolee Dean, a speech-language pathologist, certified academic language therapist, and children’s author whose experiences working with dyslexic s

Self-Esteem, Anxiety, and Dyslexia (with Nicki Winter)

Next from the IDA Conference, we'll hear from Nicki Winter, a dyslexia therapist and the creator of Brilliant Strengths, a strengths-based program designed to raise self-

Voices from the IDA - A Conversation with Trevor Thomas

Today, we’ll hear from special guest Trevor Thomas, Superintendent for Heath City Schools in Heath, Ohio and the Superintendent Representative on the Ohio Dyslexia Commit

Voices from the IDA - A Conversation with Marilyn Zecher

Today, we’ll hear from special guest Marilyn Zecher, a Certified Academic Language Therapist, dyslexia specialist, and the creator of two graduate-level methods courses i