Hey listeners, it's Susan. If you've been with me on this 10th season journey, then I have the perfect event to tell you about.

The Science of Comprehension Symposium will take place on Friday, February 6th.

And as our listeners know well, reading comprehension is incredibly complex.

And at this all-day virtual event,

you'll develop a richer understanding

of its multiple processes, products, and outcomes.

Plus, you'll hear from some familiar experts,

including keynote speaker Doug Lamov,

whose recent episode was an instant classic. Seriously, if you haven't listened

yet, you're missing out. I hope to see you at February 6th Symposium. Go save your spot now

at amplify.com slash comprehension symposium. We still have two-thirds of students who are unable to read at what we call proficient,

and I think the only way that we can really get that number to be closer to the 95% of what we really

want to see is to do something new and syntax is the new thing.

This is Susan Lambert and welcome to Science of Reading the podcast from Amplify.

Today we begin a two-part exploration of syntax and its critical role in the comprehension process. To kick off our deep dive into syntax and comprehension, I'm thrilled

to welcome Dr. Julie Van Dyke to the show. As you'll hear, Dr. Van Dyke makes a passionate case

that increased attention to syntax is absolutely critical for increasing students' comprehension

and improving reading scores.

Dr. Van Dyck holds a joint appointment as an associate research professor at the Institute for Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Connecticut,

clinical assistant professor at the Yale University Child Study Center, and research scientist at the Yale-UconUkong-Haskins Global Literacy Hub.

She's also the inventor and chief scientist at Cascade Reading.

On this episode, we cover why syntax is so crucial for comprehension, the systematicity and rule

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