JOIN US FOR OUR THIRD ANNUAL SUMMIT
Now that the science of reading has been raised to a level of conscious awareness across the country, schools are eager to put it into practice. Educators and learners of all kinds are using their new knowledge in an effort to achieve higher outcomes. However, sometimes educator knowledge is incomplete, which leads to oversimplified understandings and instruction is not as effective as it could be. In addition, sometimes the translation of the scientific findings seems incomplete, leading to disagreements among the experts. It is time for the education community to identify what those disagreements mean for instruction so that educators can be assured of how to teach most effectively.
The Simple View of Reading equation is one of the first things educators learn about in their science of reading journeys. Yet, how well do they understand its implications and what do the researchers have to say?
MEET THE MODERATORS
Dr. José Viana
Panel One:
The Simple View of Reading as a Starting Point for Understanding Reading Development in All Learners: Consensus and Critique
Dr. Tiffany Hogan
Panel Two:
Language Comprehension: Consensus and Critique
Dr. Louisa Moats
Panel Three:
Word Recognition: Consensus and Critique
Dr. Mitchell Brookins
Panel Four:
Reading Comprehension: Consensus and Critique
2025 PANEL DISCUSSIONS
Panel One
The Simple View of Reading as a Starting Point for Understanding Reading Development in All Learners: Consensus and Critique
Description:
Even though the Simple View of Reading equation is a starting point as educators begin their science of reading journeys, there is often confusion and even oversimplification in its application. Panelists will discuss how to better understand the Simple View of Reading, what its implications are for classroom practice, and what researchers have to say about it.
Moderator:
Dr. José Viana, Senior Education Advisor, Lexia
Panelists:
Nell Duke
Kathy Escamilla
Wesley Hoover, Executive Officer (Retired), SEDL/AIR
Richard Sparks
Panel Two
Language Comprehension: Consensus and Critique
Description:
Critics of the science of reading often point to a lack of attention to language comprehension. Panelist discussions will clarify misconceptions related to prioritizing and instructing each of the components needed for language comprehension based on findings from the reading science.
Moderator:
Dr. Tiffany Hogan
Panelists:
Peter Bowers
Teresa Krastel, Director of Professional Learning Curriculum, WIDA at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
M. Adelaida Restrepo, Professor and Chair, University of South Florida
Julie Van Dyke, Associate Research Professor, Yale-University of Connecticut Haskins Literacy Hub
Panel Three
Word Recognition: Consensus and Critique
Description:
Scientific research on word recognition has resulted in a lot of consensus among researchers and experts. Yet educators and other stakeholders often have incomplete knowledge of this component and how to effectively translate the research results into their classroom practice. Panelists will discuss the main scientific findings on word recognition—our internal lexical representations in memory—as a common denominator that drives both the reading and spelling of words. They will also clarify nuances of opinions that have contributed to confusion in implementation.
Moderator:
Dr. Louisa Moats, President, Moats Language Essentials, LLC
Panelists:
Susan Brady
Linnea Ehri, Distinguished Professor of Educational Psychology emerita, CUNY Graduate Center
David Kilpatrick
Ramona Pittman
Panel Four
Reading Comprehension: Consensus and Critique
Description:
The ultimate goal of reading is reading comprehension. Panelists will provide insights on how to create an impactful literacy experience by clarifying areas of confusion, such as background knowledge, strategy instruction, sentence-level comprehension, and text structure. Using findings from the science of reading, they will identify where educators and other stakeholders should prioritize attention to drive students’ understanding of and engagement with texts.
Moderator:
Dr. Mitchell Brookins
Panelists:
Leslie Laud, Director, thinkAUM
Reid Smith
Adrea Truckenmiller, Associate Professor, Michigan State University
Kay Wijekumar
SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
1:00 to 2:45 p.m.
Keynote by Dr. Heidi Beverine-Curry
2:45 to 3:00 p.m.
Keynote discussion
2:45 to 3:15 p.m.
Refreshments and sponsor networking
3:15 to 4:45 p.m.
Panel One
4:45 to 5:15 p.m.
Panel One discussion
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
8:00 to 9:00 a.m.
Check-in and sponsor networking
9:00 to 10:30 a.m.
Panel Two
10:30 to 11:00 a.m.
Panel Two discussion
11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Lunch and sponsor networking
12:30 to 2:00 p.m.
Panel Three
2:00 to 2:30 p.m.
Panel Three discussion
2:30 to 3:00 p.m.
Refreshments and sponsor networking
3:00 to 4:30 p.m.
Panel Four
4:30 to 5:00 p.m.
Panel Four discussion
5:00 to 5:30 p.m.
The Reading League’s closing remarks
Questions?
Do you have a question about the Summit? We’d love to hear from you. Contact us at events@thereadingleague.org.
SUMMIT
The Reading League’s Summit is designed to convene literacy experts from multiple disciplines and viewpoints to discuss a specific topic on which there might be misunderstandings or disagreements. Panelists and moderators work together prior to the Summit to identify areas where there is consensus and areas where further discussion and research are needed. This work is presented at the Summit, which typically consists of multiple panel sessions where all attendees spend the day(s) together in one room to listen, learn, and discuss.