The Critical Role of Language in Dyslexia with Susan Danker

In this episode of More Than Words, host Tristen talks with Susan Danker, co-owner of the Reading and Language Learning Center (RLLC) and co-creator of the Sounds2Print™ Reading Program, which was recently accredited by the International Dyslexia Association (IDA).

Susan shares why dyslexia is fundamentally a language-based learning difference, not just a reading issue and how a strong foundation in oral language sets the stage for reading and writing success. Together, they explore what dyslexia looks like long before a child ever begins reading, why speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are uniquely qualified to serve as reading specialists, and how addressing language first is essential for effective literacy intervention.

Listeners will come away with a deeper understanding of how phonological awareness, vocabulary, and syntax all contribute to reading development and why “language is the soil that reading grows in.”

Topics Covered:

• What dyslexia is and how it affects the brain’s processing of language and print
• Early signs of dyslexia in preschool-aged children
• The critical role of oral language—vocabulary, grammar, and listening—in reading success
• Why speech-language pathologists make exceptional reading specialists
• The importance of phonological awareness as the bridge to literacy
• When children need to strengthen receptive and expressive language before formal reading instruction
• How articulation challenges differ from spelling and decoding difficulties
• Explaining to parents why “strengthening language first” leads to better reading outcomes
• The Sounds2Print™ multisensory reading program and its recent IDA accreditation

About the Guest:

Susan Danker, M.S., CCC-SLP, is the co-owner and co-founder of the Reading and Language Learning Center (RLLC) and co-creator of the Sounds2Print™ Reading Program, recently accredited by the International Dyslexia Association (IDA).

A certified speech-language pathologist with more than two decades of experience, Susan specializes in helping children with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences build strong foundations in both oral and written language. At RLLC, she has pioneered approaches that integrate speech-language pathology with structured literacy instruction, empowering SLPs to take the lead in reading intervention.

Susan is passionate about helping professionals and families understand that reading grows out of language and that when we strengthen language first, we give children the foundation they need to become confident, capable readers.

Resources Mentioned:

• International Dyslexia Association – Definition of Dyslexia
• Reading and Language Learning Center
• Sounds2Print™ Reading Program

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