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10 Reading Maxims That Matter: What We Know About Learning to Read
Monday, January 12, 2026 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm EST
Presented by Dr. Reid Lyon, Neuroscientist (Neuropsychology), Specialist in Learning Disorders, and Literacy Researcher
Moderated by Pam Austin, Director of Instructional Technology, Voyager Sopris Learning
Sponsored by Voyager Sopris Learning
Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.
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.
About the Presenter
Dr. Reid Lyon is a neuroscientist and specialist in learning disorders. He received his Ph.D. in neuroscience and learning disorders from the University of Mexico in 1978. He joined the faculty of Communication Science and Disorders at Northwestern University in 1980, where he also directed the neuropsychology laboratory. From 1992 to 2005, Dr. Lyon served as a research neuropsychologist and the Chief of the Child Development and Behavior Branch of the NICHD at the National Institutes of Health. In this role, he developed and oversaw research programs in cognitive neuroscience, learning and reading development and disorders, behavioral pediatrics, cognitive and affective development, school readiness, and the Spanish to English Reading Research program. He designed, developed, and directed the 44-site NICHD Reading Research Network.
After leaving the NIH, Dr. Lyon held tenured distinguished scientist and distinguished professorships at the University of Texas, Dallas Center for Brain Health (neuroscience) and Southern Methodist University (educational leadership and Associate Dean, Simmons College of Education and Human Development). Dr. Lyon is the author and co-author of more than 130 peer-reviewed journal articles, books, and book chapters addressing developmental neuroscience, learning and reading disorders/dyslexia, and the translation of science into practice and policy. He also co-authored the definition of dyslexia used at the NIH and worldwide.
About the Moderator
Pam Austin, Director of Instructional Technology for Voyager Sopris Learning, has over 35 years of experience as an educator. She has worked as a Professional Learning Facilitator Manager with over 17 years of experience in training and supporting districts in various literacy and numeracy interventions for Voyager Sopris Learning in addition to delivering LETRS professional development sessions. She has also shared her love of proven VSL solutions as a Product Marketing Manager when she began her role as an EDVIEW360 podcast host in 2019 and continues to this day. Her goal is to aid teachers in changing the lives of students so that they not only become proficient and successful learners but also individuals confident in pursuing personal and professional life goals.
She previously held the role of Literacy Specialist at the Center for Development and Learning (CDL) now the Center for Literacy and Learning. As an educator in the New Orleans Public Schools for 14 years, she served as an elementary teacher, a reading interventionist, a school-based reading coach, and a central office field literacy facilitator. These varying roles allowed her to gain a myriad of experiences that has enhanced her ability to work in collaboration with other educators, schools, and districts for impactful professional learning. Pam’s first steps into a lifelong career as an educator began as a fourth-grade teacher in a small school in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. And the journey continues…
Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.
Join the Teaching Reading and Writing community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, and view recordings of previous programs to earn CE certificates.
Voyager Sopris Learning® is the specialist in reading, writing, and math intervention. Fully focused on intervention, we have established four decades of results that demonstrate the efficacy of our solutions. Providing a holistic offering of reading, writing, and math interventions and assessments, our solutions help educators create strong, sustainable foundations to ensure academic success for all students.
