Keeping Up with the Research: A Conversation with Vanderbilt University

Redwood Talks: Live conversations with movers and shakers in the field of literacy

Lynn and Doug Fuchs are internationally renowned researchers who have spent decades enlightening and inspiring educators. Specializing in the development of innovative interventions for struggling learners, the Fuchses have had a vital, transformative influence on the field. 

Teachers are praised for their impact in the classroom – rightly so! – but without the knowledge we glean from researchers, our efforts would be unrooted, based on trends and assumptions rather than on evidence. Inspired by the unmet needs they witnessed among low-achieving students, specifically in math and literacy, Doug and Lynn Fuchs have devoted their careers to developing potent, fruitful methods of intervention, and their insights have been guiding educators for decades.  

Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education

The Fuchses are based at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, where I had the honor of joining them to hear about what’s been exciting lately in their research. We spoke about how the studies they’re conducting right now are going to impact instruction for neurodivergent students — what they’re seeing in the research space that they know, once it’s connected to the classroom, is going to produce meaningful outcomes for kids. 

You can watch the interview below.  

connecting the silos - research and instruction

Redwood is passionate about ensuring that everything we do is connected to the latest research. We know that’s what’s best for kids, and we know that much of our nation’s present literacy crisis is the result of insufficient regard for the findings of experts. So it was a delight to hear directly from Lynn and Doug about what they’re finding in their research and how they envision we might become a more literate nation. 

They spoke about the gap between what we know and what we do: how long it often takes for educational practice (how teachers teach; how teachers are taught to teach) to catch up with the research. We also discussed the difference between skepticism and cynicism in the context of literacy and the reasons why “Balanced Literacy” grew so prevalent while “The Science of Reading” (the research-backed, phonics-based approach that Redwood uses and the Fuchses affirm) took so long to grow in prominence. 

Doug said teachers of struggling readers need to be “tolerant of ambiguity” because the solutions aren’t always clear immediately. They need to be relentless, Lynn said. 

Indeed! Cheers to ambiguity and relentlessness. 

the future is bright

It was such an inspiration to speak to these giants in the field of education – both of them are among the most frequently cited researchers in the social sciences – and I’m heartened to see the way organizations are showing up to ensure this work continues. The Roberts Family just gave a large gift to Vanderbilt University to start a school for students with dyslexia (I met Lynn and Doug while consulting on this project), and Redwood is so excited for the Nashville community to be getting this new resource. 

We’ll be looking for ongoing opportunities to collaborate with Vanderbilt and with scholars like the Fuchses – we so value what they do, and look to them as mentors in the education research space. Redwood truly wouldn’t be what it is if it weren’t for their work. 

Do you have questions or comments after watching the interview? I’d love to hear from you.