Eyes on Reading: A Neuroscientist, a Teacher, and the Science of Reading

Saturday, September 27, 2025 | 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

In the early 2000s, neuroscientist Reid Lyon helped create Reading First, a massive federal effort to improve how children are taught to read. At the same time, teacher Margaret Goldberg was beginning her career in a whole-language classroom, deeply skeptical of scientists like Lyon who seemed to be intruding on teachers’ turf.

Now, they are working together to bridge the divide between research and practice.

Join journalist Emily Hanford for an on-stage conversation with Lyon and Goldberg about what happens when research reaches the classroom, why reading reforms often fall short, and what scientists and teachers can learn from each other. Following the discussion, Emily Hanford, Planet Word’s Journalist-in-Residence, will moderate a Q&A session.

9:00 – 9:45 a.m. — Pastry reception (Planet Word Lobby)
10:00 a.m. — Program begins

This program is part of the Journalist-in-Residence Program, presented with support from the Ibis Group, and a featured event in the Eyes on Reading series.

For questions or concerns regarding accessibility needs, please contact [email protected].