Amplify Education
04 June 2025
In this episode of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Susan Lambert is joined by Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D. He’s a teacher, instructional coach, and author of the recent book Harnessing the Science of Learning: Success Stories to Help Kickstart Your School Improvement. Emphasizing the science of learning as an ever-growing resource for updating instruction practices, he provides a comprehensive look at how knowledge powers learning, how to identify knowledge-rich curricula, how cognitive load affects learning, and how to understand several common learning misconceptions. Show notes: Access free, high-quality resources at our brand-new companion professional learning page: http://amplify.com/science-of-reading/professional-learning Connect with Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D.: Website: nathanielswain.comResources:Book: Harnessing the Science of LearningThink Forward EducatorsDeans for ImpactListen: Chalk Dust Join our community Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/scienceofreadingConnect with Susan Lambert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-lambert-edd-b1512761/Quotes: “The greatest thing about the science of learning is that it's never really gonna be finished. Much like the science of reading, it's constantly being updated and it's something that we should be constantly turning to.” –Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D. “When we have knowledge at our fingertips—or in this case, in our synapses—ready to be used, we can overcome all these limitations that cognitive load theory talks about.” –Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D. “We're kidding ourselves a little bit if we think that we can replace that rich content knowledge with generic skills and generic competencies.” –Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D. Episode timestamps* 02:00 Introduction: Who is Nathaniel Swain? 03:00 Science of learning book 11:00 Knowledge powers all learning 15:00 Addressing common learning myths 18:00 Knowledge retrieval 21:00 Misconception: Productive struggle 22:00 Misconception: “Preparing students for the 21st century” 26:00 Enriching schema 29:00 Background knowledge and confirmation bias 30:00 Knowledge rich curriculum 32:00 Knowledge that is manageable and achievable 37:00 Skills AND knowledge 44:00 Chalk Dust podcast 45:00 Final thoughts and advice *Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute
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