A community embracing students with dyslexia and language learning differences.
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Outreach at Odyssey understands the power of literacy and is committed to offering resources and presentations to the greater community so that every child with a language learning difference has the opportunity to an inclusive and supportive learning environment.
Lindsay Dryden Speaker Series 2026: Dr. Timothy Shanahan
Are Your Kids Learning to Read from the “Right” Books?
Thursday, November 12, 2026 | 6:00-8:00 P.M.
Join The Odyssey School for our annual Lindsay Dryden Speaker Series featuring Dr. Timothy Shanahan.
For 80 years, educators have tried to teach students to read by matching them to “just the right” books. The idea was that if books were too hard or too easy, the students wouldn’t make progress. Often this has spilled over to independent reading: parents, teachers, and librarians all trying to protect the kids from challenging text.
But is that the best way to go? Research says, “no.” This presentation from one of the world’s premier literacy educators will explore the alternatives and why they are better. It will also address other ideas for supporting literacy and literacy learning.
EVent Schedule:
6:00 p.m. - Doors open
6:15 p.m. - Meet & Greet with Dr. Shanahan
6:30 p.m. - Presentation begins, followed by Q&A
8:00 p.m. - Program ends
This event is free and open to the public. All community members are welcome. Registration required.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Timothy Shanahan is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Previously, he was director of reading for the Chicago Public Schools and Visiting Research Professor at Queens University, Belfast, Northern Ireland. He is author/editor of more than 300 publications on literacy education including the book, Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives (Harvard Education Press, 2025)—Education Theory and Practice winner of the American Association of Publishers PROSE Award. He took a leadership role on the National Reading Panel and served on the Advisory Board of the National Institute for Literacy under Presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama. His research emphasizes the connections between learning to read and learning to write, literacy in the disciplines, and improvement of reading achievement. He was recently recognized as one of the top 2% of scientists in the world, according to a study published by Stanford University scholars (Ioannidis, Boyack, & Baas, 2020). He was inducted to the Reading Hall of Fame in 2007 and is a former first-grade teacher. For more information, visit his website: www.shanahanonliteracy.com.
ABOUT THE LINDSAY DRYDEN SPEAKER SERIES
The Lindsay Dryden Speaker Series is an annual event at The Odyssey School that welcomes compelling speakers who are leading national experts in the fields of learning differences, dyslexia, ADHD, and other areas that are highly relevant to our community.
Past Speakers:
2025:Dr. Fumiko Hoeft—Hope & Resilience: Understanding Mental Wellbeing in Children with Learning Differences
2024:Dr. Nadine Gaab—The Dyslexia Paradox: Understanding the Neurobiology of Reading and Why a Proactive Approach Matters
Free workshops and presentations are available by request:
Dyslexia: What You Should Know Learn facts and myths about dyslexia.
Language & Literacy: What is Speech-to-Print? Learn about why this method is successful for students with language-based learning differences.
The Role of Oral Language on Learning to Read and Write Learn about the progression of hearing and speaking on early literacy and the benchmarks for preschoolers.
These 45-minute in-person workshops are led by Odyssey experts on our campus and can be scheduled by contacting our Outreach team. All sessions will be held in the evening. If you'd like our experts to visit your school or organization, see our professional development offerings.
