Season 9, Special Episode

Translating research into action, with Amie Burkholder

In this episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, literacy coach (and podcast host in her own right) Amie Burkholder joins us to discuss her new book, Literacy Unlocked: How to Implement the Science of Reading With Young Learners. Amie talks through the origins of the book, how she structured it to be really actionable for educators, and what she hopes educators will take away from it. Amie and Susan also discuss some of the biggest recent changes to the Science of Reading movement, the areas Amie most often sees educators struggle when making the switch to research-based literacy instruction, and some tips educators can implement today—including a walkthrough of a classroom activity targeting phonemic awareness.

Meet our guest(s):

Amie Burkholder

Amie Burkholder is a literacy coach, national speaker, and author of Literacy Unlocked: How to Implement the Science of Reading With Young Learners. With over 15 years in education, Amie helps teachers bridge research and practice through structured literacy. She’s the creator of the Route2Reading Membership and Foundations to Fluency phonics curriculum, approved in Virginia. Amie is passionate about making the Science of Reading practical for real classrooms and helping every child become a confident reader.

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Meet our host: Susan Lambert

Susan Lambert is Chief Academic Officer of Literacy at Amplify and host of Science of Reading: The Podcast. Throughout her career, she has focused on creating high-quality learning environments using evidence-based practices. Lambert is a mom of four, a grandma of four, a world traveler, and a collector of stories.

As the host of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Lambert explores the increasing body of scientific research around how reading is best taught. A former classroom teacher, administrator, and curriculum developer, she’s dedicated to turning theory into best practices that educators can put right to use in the classroom, and to showcasing national models of reading instruction excellence.

Quotes

“I want [the book] to follow the research, but I want it to be simple enough for teachers to execute, [and] also engaging enough for kids to want to do it.” —Amie Burkholder
“If you try to change everything you're doing, you're not going to do anything well. Pick one area of your literacy block you’re really gonna nail. Once you nail that, add another one.” —Amie Burkholder
“Look to those that you trust to guide you.” —Amie Burkholder