Dr. Julie Van Dyke

Dr. Julie Van Dyke holds a joint appointment as an associate research professor at the Institute for Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Connecticut; clinical assistant professor at the Yale Child Study Center; and research scientist at the Yale-UConn Haskins Global Literacy Hub. She also is the inventor and chief scientist at Cascade Reading, a reading technology that provides in-the-moment visual scaffolding for reading comprehension. Previously, Dr. Van Dyke served as a senior scientist at Haskins Laboratories for 22 years, where she investigated the interaction of memory and syntactic processing, particularly in individuals with poor language or reading ability. In 2025, she served as the co-theme editor of a two-part special issue of the International Dyslexia Association’s Perspectives on Language and Literacy, called “Syntax Comes First: Understanding How Syntax is the Backbone of Comprehension.” 

For the past two years, she has appeared in more than 30 literacy podcasts, conferences, and curricular publications to spread knowledge about the crucial role of syntax in reading comprehension; Syntax is the next chapter in the science of reading! Dr. Van Dyke is dedicated to translating language research into methods that will improve reading outcomes for all children—a mission that is fueled daily by her experience as the parent of a child with dyslexia, developmental language disability, dyscalculia, ADHD, and autism.