"Do No Harm" | Phyllis Hakeem

In this episode of The Reading Symphony Podcast...

Katie hosts Phyllis Hakeem, Professor of Education at Bay Path University, for a thought-provoking conversation about the science of reading, neuroscience, structured literacy, and why educators must embrace the principle of "do no harm" when teaching children to read.

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👤 About Phyllis Hakeem

Phyllis Hakeem is a Professor of Education at Bay Path University. Her work focuses on literacy, neuroscience, reading assessment, teacher preparation, and structured literacy. Drawing from decades of experience in education and research, she helps educators better understand how the brain learns to read and how evidence-based literacy instruction can improve outcomes for all students.

🔗 Phyllis's Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phyllis-hakeem-a92b4838

Email:phakeem@baypath.edu

Bay Path University: https://www.baypath.edu/

Faculty Profile: https://www.baypath.edu/academics/faculty-directory/biography/phyllis-hakeem/

Reading & Literacy Programs: https://www.baypath.edu/academics/graduate-programs/reading-literacy-instruction-msed-eds/

Chapters

00:00 – Do No Harm: Why Reading Instruction Matters

01:43 – Meet Phyllis Hakeem

05:18 – From Neuroscience to Literacy Education

08:38 – Finding Joy in Literacy Work

11:03 – Why Phyllis Says "Do No Harm"

12:54 – Practice Makes Permanent in the Brain

15:13 – Understanding Reading Assessment and DIBELS Data

17:24 – Fluency Is More Than Reading Speed

19:18 – Marketed Misconceptions in Education

19:37 – Science of Reading and Marketing Claims

20:09 – Research-Based vs Evidence-Based

21:40 – How to Evaluate Literacy Research

24:18 – When Curriculum Isn't Enough

25:00 – Intellectual Humility and Lifelong Learning

25:25 – You'll Never Know It All

26:03 – Prior Knowledge vs Background Knowledge

27:33 – Building Better Literacy Systems

28:18 – Bay Path University's Literacy Program

31:00 – Preparing the Next Generation of Reading Teachers