Voyager Sopris Learning EDVIEW360 Podcast Series

Part 3 of the EDVIEW360 “Power of Print” Week on edWeb

As we conclude The Power of Print week, EDVIEW360 is honored to welcome Dr. Lakeisha Johnson—a nationally respected researcher, assistant professor at Florida State University, director of The Village at the Florida Center for Reading Research, and founder of Maya’s Book Nook. Dr. Johnson is widely recognized for her work on language and literacy development in African American children, dialect and identity, and the critical role of representation in reading materials. Her research‑practice partnerships and community‑centered advocacy have made her one of the most influential voices in literacy equity today.

During this powerful closing session, Dr. Johnson builds on the themes introduced by Dr. Louisa Moats and Dr. Susan Neuman, weaving together the science of reading, access to print, and the lived experiences of children. She explores why representation in books is not simply a matter of inclusion—it is a matter of equity, opportunity, and belonging. When students see themselves, their families, and their communities reflected in print, they engage more deeply, build stronger language connections, and develop the confidence needed to thrive as readers.

Drawing from research, classroom practice, and her work curating diverse children’s literature, Dr. Johnson will show educators how to intentionally select, use, and discuss texts that affirm identity and expand students’ understanding of the world.

This session is both inspiring and practical—perfect for teachers, literacy leaders, and anyone committed to ensuring every child sees themselves in what they read.

What You Will Learn

• Why representation in print matters—and how it shapes identity, motivation, and literacy outcomes
• How to evaluate classroom libraries for diversity, authenticity, and linguistic richness
• Ways to use diverse texts to build language, background knowledge, and meaningful discourse through shared book reading experiences
• Strategies for creating equitable reading experiences that honor students’ voices and cultural identities while targeting language and literacy skills
• How families and communities can be partners in building literacy through diverse books at home
• Practical tools and book recommendations from Dr. Johnson’s work with Maya’s Book Nook

Part 2 of the EDVIEW360 “Power of Print” Week on edWeb

Following Dr. Louisa Moats’ inspiring kickoff to The Power of Print week, EDVIEW360 welcomes Dr. Susan B. Neuman, one of the nation’s most respected early literacy researchers and a leading voice on equity, access, and the role of print in children’s learning environments.

During this research‑rich session, Dr. Neuman examines the critical importance of print access—especially for children growing up in communities where books are scarce. Drawing on decades of work on book deserts, summer reading loss, and the influence of trusted messengers, she reveals how access to high‑quality print materials can dramatically change children’s literacy trajectories.

This presentation does not argue against digital tools. Instead, Dr. Neuman shows how print resources remain a powerful, evidence‑based lever for improving vocabulary, background knowledge, reading motivation, and long‑term academic outcomes—particularly for children who need it most.

Educators will learn:

• What research tells us about book deserts and why access to print is still deeply unequal
• How print-rich environments support early language and literacy
• Why summer reading matters—and how print can reduce summer slide
• The role of trusted messengers (teachers, librarians, community leaders) in motivating families to read
• Practical, research-backed strategies for increasing children’s access to books at school, at home, and in the community

Dr. Neuman’s work has shaped national conversations about literacy equity, and her findings offer a compelling case for why print remains essential—even as digital tools expand. This session will equip educators, administrators, and community leaders with actionable steps to ensure every child has the print resources they need to thrive.

Join us for this powerful second installment of The Power of Print week and stay with us for the final session featuring Dr. LaKeisha Johnson.

Part 1 of the EDVIEW360 “Power of Print” Week on edWeb

In an increasingly digital world, what is lost when children spend less time with real books—and what can we do to bring them back? Join literacy trailblazer Dr. Louisa Moats as she opens our three‑part EDVIEW360 series, The Power of Print, sponsored by Voyager Sopris Learning^®.

During this inspiring session, Dr. Moats reflects on why books still matter—not as nostalgic artifacts, but as essential tools for building language, knowledge, connection, and a lifelong love of reading. Drawing on insights from great thinkers and writers, she explores how reading physical books strengthens attention, deepens comprehension, and supports the cognitive and emotional development of young learners.

This webinar is not about dismissing digital tools. Instead, it highlights the powerful, irreplaceable role of print in the literacy ecosystem. Dr. Moats will invite participants to reflect on the childhood reading experiences that shaped them—and consider how to create those same lasting memories for today’s students.

Educators will learn:

• Why print books uniquely support language, comprehension, and memory
• How reading aloud builds strong bonds, engagement, and curiosity
• Ways to nurture lifelong readers in a digital‑first world
• How to balance digital tools with the enduring benefits of print
• Practical strategies for encouraging book‑rich classrooms and homes

“We can and must counteract the alarming societal trend away from reading books.” — Dr. Louisa Moats

This session sets the stage for the full Power of Print week on edWeb. After Dr. Moats’ presentation, join us for additional webinars with Dr. Susan Neuman and Dr. LaKeisha Johnson, each offering their own perspectives about why print remains essential to literacy, equity, and lifelong learning.

Start the week with one of the most influential voices in literacy—and rediscover the power of books to change lives.

Join educator and literacy specialist Rachel Sorsel (@mindfulteaccherrachel) for an inspiring session on how fundamental shifts in Tier 1 early literacy instruction lay a foundation for student success far beyond the primary years. Rachel integrates Science of Reading research into manageable instructional design made for real classrooms. 

This webinar moves beyond rote memorization, guiding teachers to foster deep word understanding through morphology, etymology, and phonics in early grades as well as intentionally teaching executive functioning skills. Participants will gain practical strategies they can implement immediately to strengthen early literacy instruction, nurture student confidence, and lay the groundwork for advanced comprehension and academic achievement.

Educators will leave with actionable tools to:

• Increase alignment between reading, writing, and spelling instruction (and more!)
• Differentiate effectively without increasing workload while building executive functioning skills
• Build vocabulary and background knowledge through early attention to word structure
• Use assessment efficiently to guide instruction and communicate meaningful insights to families

Does classroom discussion feel like pulling teeth? Or maybe your students are talking, but the conversation still isn’t as deep, insightful, or meaningful as you know it could be. If you’ve ever imagined a classroom where you and your students can truly get lost in a text—wrestling with ideas, building insight, and shaping understanding together—this session is for you.

Skilled readers capture the essence of a text, and discussion plays a critical role in helping them make sense of it.

In this session, Dr. Mitchell Brookins will show how to move beyond questions that check for understanding and toward using academic discourse to construct it. You’ll learn how to identify critical ideas in a text, guide student thinking using cognitive routines, and press for clarity so students move beyond first answers to deeper, text-based insight.

You’ll Learn how to:

• Identify the critical ideas in a text that are worth stopping and building around
• Use cognitive routines to probe student thinking and generate strong inferences
• Press and refine responses so students develop clear, text-based understanding

Please join us!

Join teacher, author, and writing instruction specialist Lindsay Kemeny for a practical, classroom-tested session about helping young students become successful writers. Drawing from her deep experience in early literacy and her work with Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD), Kemeny introduces educators to the POW writing strategy—Plan, Organize, Write—and shows how it can dramatically improve student outcomes. Her approach is grounded in evidence-based practices and informed by years of working directly with students, designing instructional routines that foster both skill and confidence.

Through real-world examples from a first grade classroom, participants will see how daily and weekly writing structures can be implemented to support planning, organization, and self-regulation. These strategies are designed to be accessible, engaging, and immediately applicable—helping educators create writing environments where students feel empowered to express themselves and grow.

What You’ll Learn

• How to implement the POW strategy using SRSD
• Instructional routines for teaching the writing process in early elementary classrooms
• Strategies for helping students organize and write informational paragraphs
• Techniques for fostering positive attitudes and confidence in young writers
• Real-world examples of lesson structures that support writing growth

Writing is a powerful tool for learning, especially for adolescent students navigating increasingly complex academic demands. During this webinar, literacy expert and author Joan Sedita presents practical, evidence-based strategies drawn from her Writing Rope framework to help educators strengthen writing instruction in grades 5–12. Focusing on three key strands—Syntax, Text Structure, and Critical Thinking—Sedita offers actionable guidance for teaching advanced sentence construction, genre-specific text organization, and written responses to text across content areas.

Participants will explore how writing supports comprehension, retention, and academic success, particularly in middle and high school settings. With a focus on instructional routines that build fluency and confidence, Sedita shares tools for note-taking, summarizing, and planning written responses that deepen student engagement and elevate writing outcomes. Whether you’re a classroom teacher, literacy coach, or curriculum leader, this session will help you integrate writing as a vehicle for learning across disciplines.

What You’ll Learn

• How to teach advanced sentence writing using the Syntax strand of The Writing Rope
• Strategies for helping students organize informational, argumentative, and narrative writing using text structure
• Techniques for guiding students to respond to text in writing across subject areas
• Tools for note-taking, summarizing, and pre-writing that support critical thinking
• How to apply The Writing Rope framework to strengthen adolescent writing instruction

Discover the five research-backed practices that help students become confident, capable, and fluent writers.

Description:

Join internationally recognized literacy expert Dr. Steve Graham for a dynamic session that translates decades of writing research into practical classroom strategies. Drawing from multiple meta-analyses and studies of exceptional literacy teachers, Dr. Graham presents a comprehensive framework built around five essential practices: students need to write regularly, they need support while writing, writing must be explicitly taught, reading and writing must be connected, and educators must encourage risk-taking and creativity.

This webinar is designed for educators and education leaders who want to move beyond buzzwords and toward measurable impact. Dr. Graham will share actionable strategies—such as goal setting, feedback, pre-writing routines, and collaborative learning—that can be implemented immediately to strengthen writing instruction across grade levels. Whether you’re refining your literacy block or designing a districtwide writing initiative, this session will help you build classrooms where writing truly works.

What You’ll Learn

• The five evidence-based practices that form the foundation of effective writing instruction
• How to integrate writing with reading and learning to deepen comprehension and critical thinking
• Practical strategies for supporting students as they write, including feedback, goal setting, and collaboration
• Why fostering risk-taking and creativity is essential for building classrooms where writers flourish
• How to apply research findings to daily lesson structures that accelerate student growth

Join trailblazing literacy researcher Dr. Reid Lyon for a high-impact edWebinar that distills 50 years of reading science into ten essential maxims every educator and district leader should know.

Drawing from thousands of studies across neuroscience, psychology, linguistics, and education, Dr. Lyon unpacks the foundational principles that drive effective reading instruction—and illuminate what it takes to support all learners, including those with dyslexia, language differences, and instructional gaps. This session is designed to bridge research and practice, equipping you with the clarity and confidence to lead literacy improvement in your school or district.

Viewers learn:

• Why the science undergirding the Science of Reading can be trusted
• Why leaders, teachers, and the public must communicate and collaborate using a common professional language
• Why reading must be explicitly taught—and why speech development alone isn’t enough
• How decoding, fluency, and comprehension work together to build strong readers
• What the research says about differentiated instruction and the limits of three cueing

This recorded edWebinar is of interest to PreK-12 teachers, librarians, school leaders, and district leaders.

Small-group phonics instruction doesn’t have to be overwhelming for teachers and administrators. During this session, we’ll walk through a simple, repeatable three-part framework that helps you plan and deliver powerful phonics instruction in any setting—whether you’re in the classroom, managing reading teachers, or tutoring one-on-one.

Join us as Amie Burkholder, reading instructor, author, and literacy expert, shows you how to:

Build in a cumulative review to boost mastery and confidence
Teach new skills explicitly and systematically
Guide students to apply what they’ve learned through real reading and writing

Packed with ready-to-use examples, weekly planning tips, and ideas for streamlining your routines, this professional development will help you spend less time planning and more time teaching, while ensuring your students get exactly what they need to grow.