In this excellent episode, Nancy and Jose are joined in the studio by Dr. Maria Murray, Founder, President, and CEO of the Reading League. They discuss the mission and impact of The Reading League, a nonprofit focused on advancing the awareness, understanding, and use of evidence-aligned reading instruction, commonly referred to as the science of reading. 

Maria emphasizes the significance of this purpose and the need for educators and stakeholders to possess an understanding of good strategies for teaching reading. She draws attention to the substantial deficiency in teacher preparation that existed before the League was founded and describes the steps the organization is taking to close this gap with resources and training.

The topic of reading proficiency's wider ramifications is discussed, along with the importance of systemic change and parents' roles. Maria urges increased participation and awareness from all spheres of society in order to bolster this educational initiative. She also talks about the Reading League's initiatives to reduce the reading proficiency gap and guarantee improved results for all students by offering parents and teachers resources and training.

Maria's observations highlight that although there has been improvement, there is still a long way to go before good reading education is widely adopted. The Reading League is still leading the charge in this endeavor to improve reading instruction by utilizing community involvement and evidence-based methods.

An excellent episode on filling gaps in the community with Dr Murray. Here are some other takeaways from the interview:

• The Reading League focuses on bridging the knowledge gap in literacy education, especially by training educators and stakeholders on the science of reading.
• The Reading League has grown significantly since its inception in 2015, now comprising 33 state chapters involved in national and state-level educational conversations.
• Dr. Murray stresses that the science of reading is not a temporary trend but a crucial, evidence-based approach that requires long-term commitment and systemic implementation.
• Overcoming resistance to change within the education system, particularly at the university level, is crucial for widespread adoption of effective reading instruction methods.
• The answers to the rapid-fire questions.

An excellent interview from a passionate gap minder. Thank you, Dr. Murray, for your contributions in San Diego, and for joining us on The Gap Minders.

Enjoy this episode and be sure to subscribe to the show.

If you have any questions or want to contact Nancy or Jose, please send an email to podcast@uwsd.org. Thank you for listening.

To learn more about the two social impact organizations making The Gap Minders possible, please visit www.TheGapMinders.org.