Podcasts

Reading Inspires! with Dr. Geoffrey Borman

Dr. Erin Bailey talks with Dr. Geoffrey D. Borman, Alice Wiley Snell Endowed Professor at Arizona State University, about what happens when children have sustained access to books they can choose, enjoy, and take home, drawing on the research behind a five year randomized trial in high poverty elementary schools and how book access can support reading practice, motivation, and achievement. The conversation connects evidence to action for schools, families, nonprofits, and policymakers, covering summer learning loss, the importance of choice and relevance, the role of a home library, why multi year book distribution matters, and what researchers still need to learn about the literacy experiences that happen after books go home.

What You’ll Learn

  • Why access to books can help interrupt reading loss during out-of-school months.
  • How reading volume, choice, and personal relevance can reinforce motivation and literacy growth.
  • What a five-year randomized trial found when students received books over multiple years.
  • Why sustained, scalable book distribution can complement more intensive interventions.
  • What schools, literacy organizations, and policymakers should consider when designing book-access programs.

Resources

 

Subscribe and Listen to Reading Inspires!: