S03E9 - Making sense of the science of reading with Mandy Nayton

In this episode of Knowledge for Teachers, Brendan Lee sits down with Mandy Nayton — CEO of the Dyslexia-SPELD Foundation and president of AUSPELD — for a deep and timely conversation about how students really learn to read.

Mandy draws on decades of experience to unpack what the science of reading actually is (and what it isn’t), why explicit instruction matters, and how effective intervention can change the trajectory for struggling students.

They explore key frameworks like the Simple View of Reading, Scarborough’s Reading Rope, and the Cognitive Foundations Framework — and dig into DSF’s new Word Origins program, designed to transform how spelling is taught in Years 3–6 by building deep morphological and etymological knowledge.

Whether you're just starting to explore structured literacy or you're leading change in your school, this conversation is packed with insight, clarity, and practical takeaways.

 

🎧 Listen now and explore how teacher knowledge is the most powerful tool we have to improve literacy outcomes.

Resources mentioned:

Word Origins

Literacy Frameworks & Models

• Simple View of Reading (Gough & Tunmer)
• Scarborough’s Reading Rope
• Cognitive Foundations Framework (Hoover & Tunmer)
• Dehaene’s Four Pillars of Learning

Instructional & Program Resources

• DSF’s Word Origins Program
• Direct Instruction Phonics Manual

Others

• Kathy Rastle
• National Reading Panel (2000)
• Reid Lyon
• John Hattie

 

You can connect with Mandy:

Twitter/X: @mandynayton

Facebook: @dyslexiaspeld

Linkedin

Website: https://dsf.net.au/

 

You can connect with Brendan:

Twitter: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Website: learnwithlee.net

 

Support the Knowledge for Teachers Podcast: 

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast