Maybe It's Rocket Science

In this episode of Maybe It’s Rocket Science, we dive into the importance of reading. The episode is broken up into 2 different parts; part 1 focusing on how reading creates better humans and how schools are affected by administrations and what that means for the young students, part 2 talks about who gets to read and the organization Reach Out and Read Colorado’s impact on marginalized communities. Sources: Breznitz, Z. (1987). Reducing the Gap in Reading Performance Between Israeli Lower- and Middle-Class First-Grade Pupils. Journal of Psychology, 121(5), 491. doi.org/10.1080/00223980.1987.9915503 Cheema, Jehanzeb. (2018). Adolescents’ enjoyment of reading as a predictor of reading achievement: new evidence from cross-country survey. Journal of Research in Reading, Vol 41 (Issue S1), pp S149-S162. DOI:10.1111/1467-9817.12257 Christian, B., & Bloome, D. (2004). Learning to Read is Who You Are. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 20(4), 365–384. doi.org/10.1080/10573560490489847 Frey, N., & Fisher, D. (2010). Reading and the Brain: What Early Childhood Educators Need to Know. Early Childhood Education Journal, 38(2), 103–110. doi.org/10.1007/s10643-010-0387-z Kenny, C. (2016). Focus on family: it’s OK to play: The importance of playing while reading aloud to young children. Childhood Education, Vol 92 (Issue 2), pp 161-163. DOI: 10.1080/00094056.2016.1150760 Merga, M. K. (2017). What motivates avid readers to maintain a regular reading habit in adulthood? Australian Journal of Language & Literacy, 40(2), 146–156. Mohamed, A. (2016). Voicing the Voiceless: Including the Stories of Marginalized Students in Classroom Literature. Language Arts Hournal of Michigan, 33(1), 36-42. doi.org/10.9707/2168-149X.2151 Morgan, P. L., Farkas, G., & Wu, Q. (2011). Kindergarten Children’s Growth Trajectories in Reading and Mathematics: Who Falls Increasingly Behind? Journal of Learning Disabilities, 44(5), 472–488. doi.org/10.1177/0022219411414010 Smart, D., Youssef, G. J., Sanson, A., Prior, M., Toumbourou, J. W., & Olsson, C. A. (2017). Consequences of childhood reading difficulties and behavior problems for educational achievement and employment in early adulthood. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 87(2), 288–308. doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12150(Links to an external site.) SMITH, M. C. (1990). A Longitudinal Investigation of Reading Attitude Development from Childhood to Adulthood. Journal of Educational Research, 83(4), 215–219. doi.org/10.1080/00220671.1990.10885958 Sui Chu Ho, E., Lau, K. (2018). Reading engagement and reading literacy performance: effective policy and practices at home and in school. Journal of Research in Reading, Vol 41 (Issue 4), pp 657-679. DOI:10.1111/1467-9817.12246 von Hippel, P. T., Workman, J., & Downey, D. B. (2018). Inequality in Reading and Math Skills Forms Mainly before Kindergarten: A Replication, and Partial Correction, of “Are Schools the Great Equalizer?” Sociology of Education, 91(4), 323–357. doi.org/10.1177/0038040718801760 Yurick, A., Cartledge, G., Kourea, L., & Keyes, S. (2012). Reducing Reading Failure for Kindergarten Urban Students: A Study of Early Literacy Instruction, Treatment Quality, and Treatment Duration. Remedial & Special Education, 33(2), 89–102. doi.org/10.1177/0741932510365359

Abusive relationships to some may be a shut and close case. Being able to identify red flags and leave a relationship is not that easy when violence is involved. Jenna Matthews is a psychologist who has worked at The Blue Bench in Denver, CO that focuses on victims of abuse. She is able to provide us with her insight and words of experience to provide us with valuable information that can be used to identify and help others. Puksta Fellow Stephanie Tolbert focuses on women and gender and talks to us about how abuse is reported on college campuses and the specific laws that schools need to follow.

Want to spice up your family holiday? We hear that politics is a great subject to keep things light. We interview Dr. Yevette Bueno Olsen and talk about how to communicate to loved ones who have opposing viewpoints compared to ours and how exactly to navigate these conversations. We will cover how to talk, why to talk, and if you don’t talk to loved ones about these hot topics for whenever you get trapped in the corner or do the trapping.