October 8, 2024 — Barbara Davidson
Comprehension is a struggle for many students—even those who have mastered foundational skills can’t reliably explain what or why they’re reading. What should teachers prioritize to help students read deeply and make meaning from a text?
That’s the focus of Season 2 of the Knowledge Matters Campaign Podcast: “Know Better, Do Better: Comprehension.” This season’s hosts are literacy experts David and Meredith Liben, who draw from decades of teaching experience and their recent book to connect cognitive science and reading research with proven classroom practices.
In six 30-minute episodes, they offer a master class in teaching reading comprehension while keeping focused on the text. These lessons provide concrete examples of how vocabulary and knowledge support comprehension and share strategies to boost confidence and get the right material in front of students. Featured guests include Margaret McKeown and Lily Wong-Filmore, as well as teachers who lead classrooms where texts are at the center of classroom instruction.
Curious? A sneak peek is available today!
The podcast officially debuts next Tuesday, October 15 with a special double-feature: Episodes 1 and 2 go live at 6am EDT. Look for new episodes each Tuesday morning through mid-November.
I couldn’t be more excited to share this next podcast season. Our first season, “Reading Comprehension Revisited” hosted by Natalie Wexler, was downloaded more than 200,000 times! If you missed it, check out Season One to hear what the research says about how children learn to read—and come back next Tuesday for Season Two, where the Libens will help us put these insights to their best use.