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Oral Language: The Hidden Barrier to Reading Success
Wednesday, September 24, 2025 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EDT
Presented by Anne Penn Cox, Director of Student Services and Early Learning Coordinator, Livingston Public Schools (MT); Dr. Charles Hulme, Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Education, University of Oxford; and Dawny Hill, Speech-Language Pathologist & Implementation Success Partner, OxEd & Assessment
Sponsored by OxEd & Assessment
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Strong reading comprehension starts long before a child even opens their first book. Decades of research into the Science of Reading show that building strong oral language skills in early education forms the foundation for reading success. Yet in many districts, oral language remains under-recognized in literacy plans, despite its direct impact on students’ literacy skills, academic achievement, and long-term outcomes.
In this edLeader Panel, you hear from both a researcher and a district leader. Together, they unpack the latest findings on how oral language drives reading progress, why gaps in these skills can quietly undermine even the strongest phonics and literacy initiatives, and how schools and districts can close those gaps at scale.
We also introduce the Reading is Language Model, developed by Dr. Charles Hulme and Dr. Maggie Snowling. Building on, but going beyond, the Simple View of Reading, this model challenges the idea that language and reading are separate developmental processes. Instead, it emphasizes that reading and oral language are inseparable, and that strengthening language early is essential to securing literacy and reading comprehension later.
You also hear a real-world example from a district that prioritized oral language across its elementary schools and saw measurable improvements faster than expected. This recorded edLeader Panel is of interest to PreK-3 literacy coordinators, special education coordinators, school leaders, and elementary district leaders.
About the Presenters
Anne Penn Cox is the Director of Student Services and Early Learning Coordinator for Livingston Public Schools in Livingston, Montana. A lifelong champion of early learning, she is deeply committed to ensuring that every child has access to high-quality, research-based instruction that builds a strong foundation for lifelong learning. She believes early learning is not only an academic priority but also a gateway to equity, opportunity, and empowerment for all students.
With a career dedicated to education, Anne Penn supports students, staff, and families by fostering safe, inclusive, and equitable learning environments. She works closely with local and state stakeholders to drive systemwide change, remove barriers to learning, and ensure the district’s most vulnerable learners have the resources they need to thrive. Outside of her professional work, Anne Penn enjoys running, skiing, and snowmobiling in the Montana mountains. At home, she treasures time with her family, her loyal German wirehaired pointer, Cricket, and her spirited pudelpointer, June Shirley—her ever-enthusiastic sidekicks on life’s many adventures.
Dr. Charles Hulme is Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Education at the University of Oxford. He is formerly Professor of Psychology and Education in the Department of Education and William Golding Senior Research Fellow at Brasenose College, Oxford. Dr. Hulme is an expert on reading, language, and memory processes and their development. He has developed a number of effective language and reading interventions. Dr. Hulme is a Fellow of the British Academy, Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, and Fellow of Academia Europaea. He has received numerous awards for his research, including the Distinguished Scientific Contributions Award of the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading (2019), and is ranked one of the top psychology scientists in the world (2023).
Dawnyale “Dawny” Hill is a nationally certified speech-language pathologist (SLP) with over 20 years of experience in the field. She has worked in various settings as an SLP including public and private schools, early intervention, home health, acute hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, outpatient clinics, and private practice. Dawny specializes in language and literacy intervention. She enjoys supporting educators as a LETRS Professional Learning Facilitator, a sound spelling walls coach, and a customer success implementation partner with OxEd and Assessment. Dawny is a doctoral student in the Reading Science Program at Mount St. Joseph University.
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OxEd & Assessment is a University of Oxford spinout company committed to improving early language and literacy outcomes. Founded by world-leading researchers, Dr. Charles Hulme and Dr. Maggie Snowling, OxEd leverages decades of rigorous research in language development and educational interventions to create practical tools that help districts and schools implement the most effective, science-led strategies in their education systems.
Our flagship program, The TEL Ted Program, is a complete oral language toolkit to teach everyone language and is the best-evidenced oral language intervention available globally. It includes a universal language screener, professional development, whole-class instruction, and a pull-out intervention.
