The Wonder Years is a 12-part lunch & learn webinar series grounded in the Science of Reading, designed for caregivers, educators, families, and special education professionals. Each session runs 60 minutes (45 min of content + 5 min intro + 10 min Q&A) and explores what research tells us about how reading brains develop-from birth all the way through adulthood. No jargon. No prior background required. Just the real science, made accessible for everyone in a child's life.
The webinars each run for one hour. They are free of charge. Please register for the webinars that you would like to attend individually. You will receive a ZOOM link to each webinar.
The Wonder Begins: How Brains Learn To Read
April 16 at 12:00 pm
Reading isn't natural, it's a remarkable feat of brain rewiring. We'll explore what research tells us about how the reading brain develops and why that changes everything about how we teach and support children. "No child is born knowing how to read. But every brain can learn".
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More Than Five: The 8 Senses And The Learning Body
April 30 at 12:00 pm
Most of us learned about five senses, but science gives us eight. We'll explore how proprioception, interception, and the vestibular system shape a child's ability to focus, regulate, and be ready to learn to read. "A child who can't sit still may be telling you something important about their brain".
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Talk Is Everything: Oral Language As The Root Of Reading
May 14 at 12:00 pm
Before a child ever touches a book, the words they hear and speak are building the neural pathways reading depends on. We'll dig into vocabulary, conversation, and why language-rich environments are the first act of literacy instruction. "Reading starts with talking, long before Kindergarten".
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Sound It Out: Phonological Awareness And Learning The Code
May 28 at 12:00 pm
Children must first hear the sounds in words before they can connect them to print. We'll unpack phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, and the alphabetic principle, in plain language that makes sense for families and educators alike. "The sounds come before the letters. Always".
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The Big Flip: From Cracking The Code To Reading With It
June 11 at 12:00 pm
There's a pivotal moment when a child stops laboring over words and starts thinking through them. We'll explore what reading fluency really means, what the brain looks like when it gets there, and how we support every child in making that shift. "Fluency isn't speed. It's freedom."
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Making Meaning: Comprehension, Knowledge & The Reading Rope
June 25 at 12:00 pm
Decoding gets you in the door, comprehension is the whole house. Using the reading rope as a touchstone, we'll explore how background knowledge, vocabulary, and language comprehension weave together into deep understanding. "You can't comprehend what you can't picture".
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Different Wiring: Understanding Dyslexia And Reading Differences
July 9 at 12:00 pm
Dyslexia is the most researched learning difference in the world, and still one of the most misunderstood. We'll walk through what the science actually says, what to watch for, and how a strengths-based, research-aligned approach changes outcomes. "Dyslexia is not a vision problem. It's a phonological one, and it's very teachable".
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Home Is The First Classroom: Family Engagement & Literacy
July 30 at 12:00 pm
Research is clear: family involvement is one of the strongest predictors of reading success. We'll explore what meaningful engagement actually looks like, not worksheets sent home, but authentic connection around language, story, and print. "Families don't need to teach reading. They just need to keep talking, singing, and reading together".
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It Takes A Village: Community As A Literacy Ecosystem
August 13 at 12:00 pm
Libraries, pediatric offices, faith communities, childcare providers, and local employers all play a role in a child's reading life. We'll explore how community connections extend literacy learning beyond school walls, and how to build those bridges intentionally. "Literacy doesn't live only in classrooms. It lives everywhere a child does".
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Still Learning: Reading Brain Development In Adulthood
August 27 at 12:00 pm
The reading brain never stops changing. We'll explore what research tells us about adult literacy, lifelong vocabulary growth, and what it means to support adults who are still building foundational skills, without shame and with real science behind it. "Learning to read better at 40 is not failure. It's brain science".
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Raise Your Voice: Becoming A Literacy Advocate
September 3 at 12:00 pm
Understanding the science is powerful. Using it to drive change is transformational. We'll talk about how families, educators, and community members can advocate for evidence-based literacy instruction at the school, district, and policy level. "Advocacy isn't just for legislators. It starts in every conversation you have about reading".
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Still Wondering: The Reading Brain, From Here Forward
September 17 at 12:00 pm
A capstone session that weaves the full journey together. The brain science, senses, language, family, community, and advocacy to empower participants forward with a clear vision of what it means to be a champion for every reader. "You came here wondering. Leave here knowing, and ready to act".
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