Literacy and Justice for All

This episode of the Literacy and Justice for All podcast features Dr. Nadia Jones in a wide-ranging conversation about expanding access to high-quality literacy resources through local, national, and international partnerships. Dr. Jones shares her professional journey and passion for equitable education, highlighting her work building collaborations across school systems, higher education institutions, state agencies, and community organizations. The discussion explores how Cox Campus delivers free, research-based coursework to educators while removing financial barriers and supporting professional growth through credentialing and accreditation. The episode also spotlights innovative initiatives such as partnerships with universities, statewide literacy credentials, and the “Talk With Me Baby” program in healthcare settings, all aimed at advancing early language development and ensuring that literacy truly becomes accessible for all.  About Our Guest:Nadia Jones, EdDDirector of Partnerships, Rollins Center for Language and Literacy Dr. Jones has a background in developing and implementing educational programs, with a focus on literacy and community engagement. In their role at Atlanta Speech School, they contribute to initiatives aimed at breaking the cycle of illiteracy, particularly for children facing generational educational disadvantages. This involves facilitating coaching and supporting the Rollins Center for Language & Literacy's mission to build literacy-conducive ecosystems. Prior to this, Jones served as Engagement Executive Director, Community at Atlanta First United Methodist Church, where they focused on fostering faith and love within the congregation and the broader Atlanta community through various engagement initiatives. Their work also involved making disciples for the transformation of the world.http://www.coxcampus.org

In this episode of the Literacy and Justice for All podcast, Dr. Ryan Lee-James speaks with Dr. Hugh Catts about the revised definition of dyslexia and what it means for schools and learners. They discuss how the updated definition reflects current research, emphasizing persistent reading and spelling difficulties influenced by multiple factors rather than a single cause. The conversation highlights the need for strong early instruction, better progress monitoring, and earlier intervention to replace the “wait to fail” model, while also addressing challenges in equitable identification across different school contexts. About our GuestHugh Catts, Ph.D.Dr. Catts is Professor of the School of Communication Science and Disorders at Florida State University. His research interests include the early identification and prevention of reading disabilities. He is a past board member of the International Dyslexia Association and past board member and President of the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading. He has received the Samuel T. Orton Award from the International Dyslexia Association and the Honors of the Association from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association for his career contributions in each of these disciplines. His current research concerns the early identification of reading and language disabilities and the nature and assessment of reading comprehension problems. Resourceshttps://dyslexiaida.org/ LitLink 2026 is Coming Up!Georgia LitLink is our state’s literacy conference dedicated to Georgia public school teachers. This teacher-facing conference is cohosted by the Georgia Department of Education and the Rollins Center for Language & Literacy, a program of the Atlanta Speech School. This conference connects teachers and educators from across Georgia who will learn as key change-agents in our statewide literacy effort.Click here to register!

In this episode of the Literacy and Justice for All podcast, listeners hear from longtime executive director Comer Yates about his journey from teacher to attorney and ultimately to leading the Atlanta Speech School for nearly three decades. He shares the school’s origins as a free program founded to give every child access to their voice, and traces its evolution into a nationally recognized center for language and literacy, serving children from infancy through elementary school. The conversation explores how advances in the science of reading, the discovery that dyslexia is a language-based disorder, and the school’s commitment to equity led to the creation of the Rollins Center and Cox Campus, initiatives designed to share proven literacy practices with educators everywhere. About our Guest Comer is the Executive Director of The Atlanta Speech School, where he has held the role for more than 20 years. Established in 1938 as a free clinic for children who were deaf or hard of hearing, today the Speech School is the nation’s most comprehensive center for language and literacy. It is composed of three preschools (Katherine Hamm Center, Kenan Preschool and Stepping Stones Preschool), a K-6 school for children with dyslexia (Wardlaw School), a Clinic offering therapeutic and academic services to advance learning, and the Rollins Center for Language and Literacy, our professional development center focused on promoting literacy outcomes with the online support of our Cox Campus — a free learning platform and global community of practice advancing literacy to every ZIP code with members in all fifty states and more than 44 countries.

This episode of the Literacy and Justice for All podcast takes listeners inside the work of the Rollins Center and Cox Campus through a conversation with instructional designers Salley Edwards and Makini Coleman. The discussion explores how research-driven, peer-reviewed professional learning content is created to support educators, coaches, caregivers, and education leaders nationwide, with a shared mission of eradicating illiteracy and advancing equity.About our GuestsMakini Coleman, Ed.S., is a seasoned educator and literacy specialist with over two decades of experience in early childhood and elementary education. She began her career teaching Kindergarten and first grade for seven years, followed by six years as a reading instructional coach, where she supported teachers in implementing effective literacy practices.For the past ten years, Makini has worked at the Rollins Center for Language & Literacy, where she has helped educators and coaches deepen their knowledge of language and literacy to improve student outcomes. In her current role as Content Developer/Instructional Designer, she designs impactful instructional resources and engaging online courses for Cox Campus, a free, online learning platform dedicated to advancing equity through literacy.Makini’s professional passions include early childhood education, elementary literacy, and instructional coaching. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, traveling, and spending quality time with her family and friends.Salley King Edwards is a literacy specialist with 25 years of experience working with children and adult learners, from preschool through high school. Throughout her career, she has served in a variety of roles, including classroom teacher, interventionist, instructional coach, MTSS coordinator, and district literacy coach.Salley began her work with the Rollins Center for Language and Literacy 12 years ago as a member of the field team and later partnered with Rollins through the Crisp County School District, supporting educators in implementing evidence-based, language and literacy-rich instructional practices.She currently serves as a Content Developer and Instructional Designer with Rollins, collaborating with subject matter experts to translate research into practice by writing courses and creating content for Cox Campus—a free, IDA-accredited online learning platform dedicated to advancing equity through literacy.Salley is the mother of three and enjoys baking, gardening, and reading. She is also the author of the Brilliance of Babies board book serieshttp://www.coxcampus.org

In this episode Ryan speaks with Dr. Julie Washington to explore language, literacy, and reading development. Drawing on decades of research focused on African American English, dialect variation, and reading acquisition, Dr. Julie Washington unpacks how language evolves within communities and what educators often miss when implementing the science of reading. Together, they discuss linguistic distance, the critical role of oral language, the need for meaningful reading time and integration, and how schools can better support diverse learners by rethinking schedules, instruction, and collaborations.Dr. Washington is a Professor in the School of Education at the University of California – Irvine (UCI). She is a Speech-Language Pathologist and is a Fellow of the American Speech Language Hearing Association. Dr. Washington directs the Learning Disabilities Research Innovation Hub funded by the National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute on Child Health and Human Development. She is also director of the Dialect, Poverty and Academic Success Lab at UCI. ResourcesAmerican Federation of TeachersLanguage Variation and Academic Success Lab

This episode features Dr. Young-Suk Kim, a leading researcher and professor at the University of California, Irvine, whose work explores how reading and writing develop together across languages and cultures. Dr. Kim discusses her path from bilingual classroom teacher to scientist, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the diversity and strengths of multilingual learners. She also unpacks her Direct and Indirect Effects of Reading model (DIER), to explain how foundational, cognitive, and emotional skills interconnect to support literacy growth.  About our guest:Young-Suk Kim is a professor at the School of Education, University of California, Irvine. A former classroom teacher in San Francisco, Young’s scholarship focuses on understanding language and literacy development and effective instruction for racially, ethnically, economically, and linguistically diverse children, and helping them build strong foundations to support their success in school and beyond. Her areas of research include reading comprehension, reading fluency, listening comprehension and oral language, dyslexia, higher-order cognitive skills, written composition, and reading–writing relations. She has worked extensively with monolingual children from various linguistic backgrounds (e.g., English, Korean, Chinese, Spanish, Kiswahili) and multilingual children in the United States. Her research has been supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the National Science Foundation. She was a recipient of the 2012 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers by President Barack Obama and is the AERA (American Educational Research Association) fellow. Resources mentioned:IES Practice Guides

In this episode we welcome Dr. Laura Rhinehart of UCLA’s School of Education and Information Studies for an in-depth conversation about literacy, equity, and the science of reading. Dr. Rhinehart shares her unconventional journey from philosophy major to special education teacher and researcher, detailing experiences in juvenile facilities and charter schools that shaped her commitment to early intervention and equitable literacy access. She discusses her work at the UCLA Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice, emphasizing reading as a basic human right and the importance of evidence-based, inclusive approaches to literacy. The conversation explores misconceptions surrounding the science of reading, the role of neuroscience, oral language, and how educators can apply scientific findings flexibly in their classrooms.Laura Rhinehart is an Assistant Researcher in the Department of Education at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She earned her Ph.D. in Special Education from UCLA and California State University, Los Angeles. Dr. Rhinehart’s research on reading, learning disabilities, ADHD, and dyslexia has been published in peer-reviewed academic journals. In 2024, she received the Early Career Publication Award from the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division for Research for her article, “Children Who Receive Special Education Services for ADHD”, published in the Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. Her current research focuses on dyslexia, assessment/screening, and children’s executive functioning skills. She is also interested in developing and testing interventions for students with ADHD and/or dyslexia.Resources Shared by Dr. RhinehartThe UC|CSU Collaborative for Neuroscience, Diversity, and LearningWhat Works ClearninghouseReading UniverseFlorida Center for Reading ResearchThe Free Reading Program

Josh is a humanitarian. He champions the cause of neuro-diversity in education and promotes the science of reading as a vehicle for education reform and social good. He is chair of the International Dyslexia Association and an expert contributor to the global nonprofit Made By Dyslexia and Microsoft Education. He also co-founded the Association of LD Schools (ALDS) and sits on their board, along with the board of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). Josh has presented about the importance of recognizing and supporting students with language-based learning disabilities (LBLD) all over the world. Josh is a life-long educator. He began his career in education at Lausanne Collegiate School, an International Baccalaureate World School in Memphis, Tenn., where he served as assistant head of the Middle School and a middle and high school English teacher for seven years. Prior to his current position at Landmark School, Josh served as the head of two different schools that serve students with dyslexia, the Bodine School in Memphis, Tenn. and The Schenck School in Atlanta, Ga.  Josh is currently the head of Landmark School and Landmark Outreach.

Born and raised in Monroe, Louisiana, Ray is a critically conscious and outcomes-driven educational leader. Over nearly 15 years, Ray has held various roles in schools and communities in Baton Rouge, LA, Atlanta, GA, and Newark, NJ including substitute teacher, graduate assistant, literacy teacher, educational policy fellow, instructional coach, education community organizer, curriculum auditor, assistant principal, adjunct professor, and educational consultant. Ray firmly believes in the limitless potential & power of all children and knows they will be the leaders of their revolution - now and later. As a third-year Head of School at The Boyce L. Ansley School in Atlanta, Ray looks forward to strong stewardship, community coalition building, and most of all - continuing to co-create the most optimal conditions that Ansley School students, families, staff, and community deserve.

Special guests featured in this episode include: Dr. Lisa Domke is an assistant professor in the College of Education and Human Development at Georgia State University. Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan is a bilingual speech and language pathologist, a certified teacher, dyslexia therapist, certified academic language therapist and a qualified instructor. Dr. Shurita Thomas-Tate is an associate professor of speech-language pathology in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Missouri State University. Dr. Ginger Collins is a Professor in the School of Speech, Language, Hearing, and Occupational Sciences at the University of MontanaDr. Hagan's ResourcesColorín ColoradoMeadows Center International Dyslexia AssociationEvidence Advocacy CenterDr. Domke's ResourcesDEEPL TranslatorGoogle TranslateThe Reading TeacherDr. Thomas-Tate's ResourcesVoices of North CarolinaUjima Language and LiteracyDr. Collins' ResourcesMrs. Steven's Classroom BlogWord Works KingstonOnline Etymology DictionaryMini Matrix-MakerStructured Word Inquiry Research Vanguard Books recommended: "Beneath the Surface of Words" by Sue Hegland"Teaching How the Written Word Works" by Pete Bowers"Vocabulary & Morphology using Structured Word Inquiry" by Lisa Barnett &Katie Squires

Margie B. Gillis, Ed.D is a nationally recognized literacy expert and a Certified Academic Language Therapist who has been teaching children of all ages to read for over 40 years. She received her Doctorate of Education from the University of Louisville in Special Education. In 2009, Margie founded Literacy How, Inc. to provide professional development opportunities and coaching for teachers on how best to implement evidence-based reading practices in the classroom.

Welcome to the Literacy and Justice for All podcast produced by the Rollins Center for Language Literacy and its free online Cox Campus. Join Dr. Ryan Lee-James, our host and conversational partner, as we dig deep into literacy through conversation with research scientists, expert practitioners, caregivers, educators, policymakers, business leaders, statisticians, and everyone in between. Together, we will uncover illiteracy as a critical threat to the promise that every citizen has the opportunity to live a life of self-determination, a basic and civil human right.