One of the reasons I am posting this note is that I think it is valuable for those of us who are tracking the current discussion about effective literacy instruction to get a baseline about how new (or not so new) much of the knowledge being kicked around these days is. It has actually been known for quite some time. Professor Hempenstall, who reviews a lot of literature in his article, described many of the practices that are now quite popularly discussed in the “science of reading.”

Text of original TE post

So that readers of SET can secure a copy of the very valuable paper by Professor Hempenstall, I am republishing the original TE blog post. Note that I have removed the links from this version, but also note that following the post there are other functioning (as of 12 August 2026) links.

Professor Kerry Hempenstall wrote a literature review on teaching reading for Australia’s Centre for Independent Studies. It is an excellent resource, because it is true to the scientific evidence, but it is written in a way that is accessible to lay readers.

Parents, teachers, administrators, and interested others: You don’t have to put up with the statistics-ese and mumbo-jargon that we researchers often use when discussing scientific evidence. In Read About It:

Scientific Evidence for Effective Teaching of Reading, Professor Hempenstall clearly explains the five fundamental features of reading competence and how to foster them in learners. Down load a copy of this excellent PDF or follow this link to learn how to purchase a hard copy.

Links

• Link to Professor Hempenstall’s article on the Centre for Independent Studies, “Read About It: Scientific Evidence for Effective Teaching of Reading.”

• Consider exploring other materials from the Centre for Independent Studies. CIS is a think tank devoted to examining issues of importance in Australia, but it has papers that probably will be of interest to people from other parts of Earth.

• Professor Hempenstall published many blog pieces for the National Institute for Direct Instruction. NIFDI created a catalog of those blogs pieces at Dr. Kerry Hempenstall’s Complete List of Blogs. SET readers who find “Read About It” stimulating may want to review some of his other posts.

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The Council for Exceptional Children is hosting the event. Here is CEC’s description of the Webinar:

This presentation draws on over 1000 intervention studies examining practices for teaching writing to students in grades 1 to 12. It presents five basic principles that should guide writing instruction for students with and without special educational needs. This includes: Students must write; We Need to Support them as they write; We need to teach critical writing skills, strategies, and knowledge; We need to connect writing, reading, and learning so they support each other; and We need create writing environments in which students can grow and enjoy writing.

Steve is a master presenter. Of course, he knows what he’s talking about (after all, he and Karen Harris did lots of the research!), but he also knows how to explain it clearly in readily understandable language. And with humor.

I sent him a note of congratulations and asked for a quote about what he was going to do. He wrote back to me that he planned to explain that, “Writing is a complex and difficult skill, but we have learned much about how to teach it effectively. I’m planning to explain how to create a Tier1 evidence-based writing program.”

Learn more about “Evidence-based Tier 1 Instructional Writing Practices,” which is slated to air 19 August 2026 at 4:00 PM (EDT, 8:00 PM GMT). There should be a registration link on the page. It’s free for CEC members and only $29 for non-members.

This is the real deal in professional development, folks. There will be important content, it will be founded on high-quality research, and it will be readily applicable. Tell your pals, your colleagues, your bosses, and just about anyone else about it.

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Paid subscribers receive special mailings just for them, access to all of the articles (nearly 1800 of them) in the archives, and the authority to comment on articles published by SET—and that doesn’t include the satisfaction that subscribers get from supporting the international community of people who care about students with disabilities and their education.

==> Just follow this link for the August 2026 Special.

At the linked page, use Substack’s secure system to start your annual subscription. As my pal, the Jim Kauffman proposed that we say, “Get SET for an entire year!”

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If you’re already a free subscriber, you can take advantage of this offer, too. Just click on the link or the following “subscribe” button (which may already be populated with your email address).

Mr. Ulmer’s talk with Ivan and his mother are available on YouTube.

Readers interested in learning more about Dandy Walker syndrome might consult advocacy organizations such as the Dandy-Walker Alliance, the Brain Charity section on the syndrome, the Dandy-Walker Syndrome organization, or other sources. For those seeking academic resources, see the fascinating descriptions by Hirsch et al. (1980) and the 2025 report by Bdair et al.

Dear Readers of long standing will know that Mr. Ulmer has been publishing videos such as this one since 2015. Mr. Ulmer’s advocacy for individuals with disabilities is a project about which one can learn about (and support) at the site, SBSK as well as at other sites (e.g., “Chris Ulmer” on Wikipedia).

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References

Bdair, M., Milhem, F., Sawaftah, Z., Hamshary, H., Abdul‐Hafez, H. A., Hattab, M., ... & Naseef, O. (2025). Unraveling Dandy‐Walker malformation: A comprehensive literature review and case insight. Clinical Case Reports, 13(4), e70356.

Hirsch, J. F., Pierre-Kahn, A., Renier, D., Sainte-Rose, C., & Hoppe-Hirsch, E. (1984). The Dandy-Walker malformation: A review of 40 cases. Journal of Neurosurgery, 61(3), 515-522.

Footnote

Here is an official video (< 2 min long) of part of President Trump’s comments during the signing ceremony.

In addition, the White House published two pages about the executive order: (1) Delivering Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations for Americans and (2) Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Delivers Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations for Americans.

During the signing ceremony, President Trump and Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., repeatedly referred to concerns about vaccines and autism. Journalists examined the veracity of the connections and found them wanting. Here are links to some news coverage of the matter:

• Melody Schreiber and Joseph Gedeon of The Guardian on 10 August 2026: Trump signs order attempting to override CDC vaccine schedule and break up MMR shots: President and RFK Jr, the health secretary, repeatedly referred to autism during signing, though studies show no link between it and vaccines.

• Apoorva Mandavilli and Dani Blum of the New York Times on 10 August 2026: Trump Signs Executive Order Calling for Fewer Childhood Vaccines: It is not clear whether the order, the president’s third to address the topic in less than a year, has any legal power.

• Apoorva Mandavilli, Dani Blum, and Maggie Astor of the New York Times on 10 August 2026: Fact-Checking the Trump Administration’s Claims About Vaccines: Mr. Trump signed an executive order on Monday calling to scale back the number of vaccinations American children receive.

• Sareen Habeshian of the BBC on 10 August 2026: Trump signs order to limit childhood vaccines and split MMR shots.

• Rob Stein of NPR on 10 August 2026: Trump and RFK Jr. try again to upend vaccines for kids

• Jennifer Jacobs and Kathryn Watson of CBS News on 10 August 2026: Trump signs order on childhood vaccine recommendations, citing autism.

There are surely other sources as well. Please add any especially valuable ones in the comments.

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Photo

It’s been the summer doldrums here is Beautyville. As is usually the case in central Virginia, for the last couple of weeks of July and the first couple of weeks of August our days are often hot and humid and our nights are…well…hot and humid (too). Afternoon thunderstorms are common. I remember as a child, when we did not have air conditioning, that playing under the downspout of a roof gutter while cold rain water flowed over me was a refreshing pleasure.

One of my joys of the season, however, is the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. (The berries have mostly already been consumed, either by we humans or our feathered or furry neighbors.) This past week, Pat snagged a few peaches from a local orchard and I enjoyed them.

The photo I inserted here shows one of those peaches at rest on a paper towel a few minutes before 8 AM on 5 August. Just a seconds after I took the photo, all that was left of that peach was that little stem part that one can see at the left and the pit from the inside of it. Well, there were a few drips of juice on the paper towel and a little residue on my fingers.

It was, if you will please pardon me, peachy.

Status

As of this past week, Substack indicated that there are > 1250 subscribers and ~ 1720 followers for SET. Welcome to those who have joined the community this past week.

About 100 people provide financial support for SET via paid subscriptions. In addition to three patrons (Li-Yu H., Mike G., and Kathy M.), I want to acknowledge contributions by others who are helping to sustain the operation. Special thanks to very Dear Readers: Sunil G., Sonja de B., Ann R., Karmelyn L., Anna O., Bob P., Jackie R., Jean S., Jenni R., Nancy C.-W., Paige P., Angelique W., Joel M., Kimberly B., Kimmy L., Kristen McM., Kristin S., Jennifer S., Larry M., Linda L., Luann D., Luann J., Mary-Anne L.,Roberta B., and Susan O. Thank you!

And, thanks to folks who interacted with the content this past week. Jane B. was (I think) the only person who dropped a comment. There were an entire host of y’all who dropped “likes” on posts. Thank you!

Please keep on sharing SET in whatever ways you can, Dear Readers. Copy the URL, forward messages, talk about it in classes, meetings, the hallways, the commutes, and wherever else the opportunity rises. Of course, you can simply click the share button.

While you’re sharing, let folks know that there is discount for new paid subscribers this month. Just follow this link for the August 2026 Special.

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Spedlettes list

Subscribers received notices of new posts on SET durning the just-passed week.1 Things got a little thin toward the end of the week. Sigh. I didn’t publish posts on Saturday or Sunday. Still the number (7)2 is within the range readers once told me is a good target. Here is the catalog of them beginning with newsletter for the previous week. Please note that one of the posts is reserved for paying subscribers.

Public

1. Special Education Today newsletter 6(5): How about a compilation of what occurred in the SET community during the week beginning 24 July 2026?

2. Autism for real

3. ALLIED Hub launches literacy resource: Who? What? When? Where? [PAID]

4. U. Frith questioned broadening autism diagnosis: What did the noted autism researcher have to say in

5. August sale on SET subscriptions: Why not?

6. Webinar series on managing classrooms starts 11 August 2026: Did you mebbe not need this reminder?

7. Count me in—Disability in the arts: How about watching a group that includes kids with disabilities perform on stage?

8. Friday catch-up notes—7 August 2026: What about stories that didn’t show up as a full post this week?

Each of these posts was read about 500 or more times. Even though I did not publish posts for a couple of days this past week, there are more to come. Take advantage of the sale on paid subscriptions for the month of August 2026.

Comments

I read other ‘stacks, blogs, posts, and articles frequently. Those who follow me will have seen that I sometimes comment or re-stack those sources, but those notes only reflect a little bit of my reading of other sources. So, I want to provide a shout out (as they say) to some of the other authors education, special education, and disability resources whose works I read. Here I shall list some (only some) of the sources that I read frequently (not ordered).

• Reid’s Substack by G. Reid Lyon;

• Douglas Carnine by…guess who!;

• Carl Hendrick’s The Learning Dispatch;

• David Didau’s The Learning Spy;

• Zach Groshell’s Learning Science Design;

• The Fixed Interval by ‘Fred’;

• Medical Motherhood by Shasta Kearns Moore;

• Filling the Pail by Greg Ashman;

• Planning Beyond the IEP by Kelley Challen;

• Science of Reading Classroom by Kata Solow and pals;

• Holly Korbey’s The Bell Ringer;

• Paul Kirschner by Paul Kirschner (!);

• The Next 30 Years by Robert Pondiscio;

• Laura McKenna’s A Great Leap and Apt. 11D;

• Natalie Wexler’s Minding the Gap;

• Finding Cooper’s Voice by Kate Swenson;

• Eric Turkheimer’s Gloomy Prospect Blog;

• Callie Oettinger’s Special Education Action;

• Kait Brennan’s KB Strategies: The Continuum;

• Mitchell Yell’s and David Bateman’s SpEd Law Blog;

• School Yourself (and its predecessor, Eduvaites) by Karen Vaites;

• Paul’s Substack of Useful Information by Paul Coyne;

• Byson Education by Kyle Carlin;

• Traditional Math by Barry Garlic;

• Be Johns’s Bev Johns;

• …and lots of others.

As you complete your own readings, I hope you remember to take care of yourselves; we need to be in good shape to help our kids (and of the others in your lives). Prevent colleagues from making silly mistakes like buying into to pop education and pop psychology poop, and from playing on the freeway and high-speed roads. Eat healthily. Drive carefully. Make sure that folks buckle up. And, of course, teach our students well.

Peace & love,

JohnL

John Wills Lloyd, Ph.D.
Founder and Editor, Special Education Today

Footnotes

• Over on the fine Sped Law Blog, Mitchell Yell dropped a post about women who sued the State of Georgia because they were being kept in more restrictive environments than places in their communities where they could function appropriately, as implied by the US Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision of 1999. The US Department of Justice responded that the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 did not convey the protections of the Olmstead decision and, furthermore, that the US government would not reply of previous guidance from Olmstead in enforcing requirements for least restrictive placements. In “Trump Administration Interpretation of the Supreme Court’s Ruling in Olmstead,” Mitch provide.s greater detail and additional resources about this important case. Although it is about adults who are not in schools, the changes in how laws are being interpreted could affect children with disabilities in schools.

• Over on Disability Scoop, Shaun Heasley dropped observations about misrepresentations of intellectual disability in AI systems, including ChatGPT, Claude, and others. In “AI Has Ideas About Intellectual Disabilities. It’s Not Always Accurate,” published 30 July 2026, he reported about a study in which the AI agents represented individuals with ID in paternalistic, ways.

• Reporting for News4Jax, a Florida television station, Aleesia Hatcher told the story of another child with autism who drowned in a pond near his home. The child was reported missing in the morning of 5 August 2026 and was found in the pond hours later, according to Ms. Hatcher’s report, “JSO says missing 7-year-old with autism has been found dead in a pond, no foul play suspected.” can be seen on YouTube.

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Marlee Maitlin, the Academy Award winning actor, is slated to deliver a keynote address on 19 August 2026 just before one of the screenings. If I was within a couple hours drive from The Putnam, I would go to this!

Fresh Films collaborated with The Penguin Project Foundation on this film. The Penguin Project provides opportunities for children and youths with disabilities to participate in community theater. Participation provides both the opportunities for inclusion and for therapeutic gains. There are dozens of chapters around the US and they offer great chances of our kids to participate in theater as well as for we advocates and supporters to volunteer to make things work.

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The film

This is the tease for the film:

I Am Able follows the journey of nine youth with disabilities as they stage the musical “Seussical”. As these young artists take center stage, the spotlight shines on their abilities and similarities to all of us.

And this is the trailer from YouTube:

Readers who have access to the streams of PBS can see the entire show for free. “I AM disABLEd” is airing at the time of this post. Go to “I AM disABLEd” on PBS to watch.

FreshFilms is provides opportunities for youth to learn about producing TV and film. In this production, many of the participants were individuals who had diagnoses such as bipolar, autism, Down syndrome, and other disabilities familiar to readers of SET. But, watching the film, it’s clear that these kids are having a ball. Sure, there are low points, and they are not glossily ignored, but the kids tell the viewers in their own words, what a wonderful opportunity they had.

Broader perspective

This film is essentially a documentary. It is about the theatrical experiences, but it’s about a whole lot more. The interviews are frank, with parents and lots saying right to camera what they hoped and feared about both their experiences as part of the theatrical troop and their day-to-day lives. Be prepared for scenes that may make you laugh, cringe, or cry.

Who are the orgs?

Although Fresh Films is not new in the production space (it’s been around since at least 2017), it is yet another example of a group making opportunities of individuals with disabilities. There have been many others for many years all around Earth. For example, there have been theater companies connected to the disability community since the 1960s. Among them are (a) Back to Back Theatre (1988 - Australia), Graeae Theatre Company (UK, 1988), Theatre Terrific (Canada, 1985), the National Theater of the Deaf (US. 1967). Phamaly (US, 1989). I encourage readers to find local instances of such work and support them.

Special Education Today supports inclusion of individuals with disabilities in the arts. Our kids should have opportunities to see art that includes individuals with disabilities and to participate in productions. That includes representations of individuals with disabilities in theater, film, TV, music, etc. and also individuals with disabilities working as actors, musicians, and more. Here are a few previous posts about this topic; please see them (and note that some may be behind the paywall):

• News: CODA opens in wide release: What’s the story about a singer raised in a deaf family?

• Melding art, ASL, and accessibility: Can you make it all the way through 3 min without liking this message?

• Guardian feature article on actors with Down syndrome: What can we learn from people with disabilities in mass media?

• Singing in sign: Is it enough to get me to watch the Stupid Bowl?

• An ordinary, unusual film: What is Ola - En helt vanlig uvanlig fyr?

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Funded by a grant from the Wilson-O’Connor Family Foundation, the “hub” will advocate for policy and practice changes that promote improved literacy outcomes for US students. The goal is “to ensure that every child has the opportunity to unlock the power of literacy.” Here at Special Education Today, we think that “every child” includes our kids.

The ALLIED Hub site provides clues about the work it is proposing. One of the big ones is that G. Reid Lyon is among the principals leading the “hub.” He’s joined by a host of other competent folks (see here). They are planning to promote efforts to get literacy education using a common language, examining effectiveness of practices, sticking with research about efficacy and utility, and more.

This is a project worth following. Bookmark. Share. Check back repeatedly.

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• Want to know the scoop on Leucovorin. It is here.

• Want to learn about distinguishing between good and not so good behavior analysis providers? Read this issue.

• Want a gateway to articles about lots of similar topics? Follow ASAT.

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ASAT is available in translation (I’m not sure how many languages, but let me just say, “Many”).

Dear Readers, this is one of those “real deals” when it comes to approaching special education issues from a scientific perspective. The folks at ASAT don’t just make up explanations, they start from the evidence and see where that scientific foundation takes us.

No tricky dance steps. No BS. No mash-data-to-fit an argument. Just straight poop.

Go here. Read. Reflect. Share.

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As I was writing the foregoing introductory paragraphs, I had a couple of thoughts that I shall pause and share:

1. Theoretically, there’s got to be a limited number of ways I can write that same content over and over, again and again. I know some linguists among us might argue that there are infinite ways to do it, because of variations in the syntax and vocabulary. So, be it. Still I fear being repetitious.

2. I wonder what we would get if I gave an AI bot the direction to write an SET newsletter. This is not a product of AI, rest assured…but asking one of those bots to draft a newsletter does sound like an informative test. Would it follow the usual structure? Would the intro paragraph seem familiar?

Photo

Until this immediately past weekend, central Virginia has been in drought. Rains this weekend dampened (teehee) the drought’s strength, but according to Drought.gov, the local area is considered to be in “extreme drought.” Check the map for the conditions in Virginia.

Pat has been quite parsimonious about watering the flora in our yard. We have no lawn, no built-in sprinkler systems, and mostly distribute water captured in barrels at the base of downspouts carrying water that falls on the roof of the house and garage. She has sustained the potted plants with early morning or evening watering from a pitcher she carries outside from the kitchen.

Here is a photo of one of those plants that she has sustained. Given the fairly substantial rain Saturday night and Sunday, this little pot should be doing well for a couple of days on its own.

I didn’t get a great photo…should have done better with the depth of field. Sigh. Still, the flowers are right pretty, don’t you agree? And, thanks, Pat.

Updates

Welcome to Judith H. and Sam B. who plunked down payments this past week. They join Ed P., Clay K., Joel M., Dan H., Christine T., Mike N., Linda L., Angelique W., Larry M., Ed M., Hill W., Michele M., Kristin S., Mary-Anne L., Pam S. (both of you), and others who support SET.

And, let me remember to note that Anita A., Kathy M., and Mike G. are patron-level supporters. They deserve a thanks for all of us. Cheers to them!

Note to all folks on free subscriptions: SET year-long subscriptions are on sale for the month of August 2026. New paid subs for a year are available at a 25% discount. Just follow this link for the August 2026 Special. Secure a paid subscription and you’ll be able to read any and all of the ~1750 posts in the archives as well as the authority to contribute to discussions with the other members of the community.

The overall subscriber base for SET includes greater than 1250 people. Slightly greater than 20% of those subscribers are from the US. As the following map indicates, five states in the US (Virginia New York, California, Texas, and North Carolina) are home to over a third of those subscribers.2 So far, Montana and the two Dakotas have zero subscribers.

Over the past month, since SET came back from summer break, pages on the site have been viewed about 800+ times per day. On five days there have been greater than 1000 views.

Spedlettes

That traffic on the site comes to see the recent posts, primarily. There were a dozen articles posted this past week. Paula and I co-authored one of them, but I am culpable for all the others.

Here’s a list of the spedlettes for the past week. You can review the list and click through to any that you missed or might want to review.

1. Special Education Today newsletter 6(4): These are the updates for the week that began 23 July 2026

2. Division for Emotional & Behavioral Health slates Webinar series on classroom management: Want to know about this professional development opportunity?

3. US Senate committee hearing on legislation relevant to special education: What is the legislation that will be managed on 30 July 2026?

4. Hearing is today!: You do remember, right?

5. Chris Ulmer has another interview from SBSK

6. Senate committee hearing of 30 July 2026 on special education: What happened in these hearings?

7. Friday catch-up notes—31 July 2026: What about stories that didn’t show up as a full post this week?

8. Science of reading and structured literacy: What do Odegard, Gierka, and Lyon have to say about the meaning ofd these terms?

9. International conference: “Listen to me! Children’s Voices and Agency”: How about attending the International Conference on Child Studies in October 2026?

10. ICYMI: G. R. Lyon and D. Carnine on professionalizing teacher preparation: What do they see as the fundamental impediment thwarting process in the reading crisis?

11. SET years ago #001: August 2021: What was happening on SET years ago?

12. Not eating broccoli, spinach, sprouts, seed cakes...: Why don’t educators eat their vegetables?

Here’s the obligatory reminder: Folks, regardless of subscriber status, can find a full catalog of posts on the Web site for Special Education Today.

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Comments

I have been writing and editing a group of longer posts that focus on instruction. Our kids need the best instruction that we can provide. They don’t have time to waste with diddly-daddly-duddly teaching, of course. So, this cluster of SET articles will examine how to design and deliver effective teaching.

In the past couple of years, I have seen a lot of instances of educators, education experts, and education critics writing about effective instruction. Among the most frequent topics in those instances has been “the science of [this or that].” Often that science has referred to constructs from education adjacent disciplines, particularly psychology and especially cognitive psychology. As I’ve noted previously, I admire the research in psychology, including cognitive psychology, but I fear we educators are at risk of jumping onto a train or bandwagon and going somewhere we shouldn’t go when we (warning: mixing of metaphors ahead) embrace this “science.”

So, I have drafts of articles about the research we need for guiding instruction, the bases of some concepts (e.g., attention, memory) from our friends in psychology, comparisons of curricula, process-product research, practice, mastery, and a super-simplified model of teaching. If that sounds like a jumble, it is. I’m feeling like it is an inchoate, amoeba-like, mass. There are so many connections among the ideas that I’m having a hard time chopping it into bite-sized pieces. I’m hoping, however, to begin rolling out posts in the coming weeks.

On another note, thanks to all you who have sent kind and encouraging words to me about my recovery from the hip replacement surgery. Things are coming along pretty well. I almost exclusively use a cane now; rarely am I supporting myself with a walker. I can manage stairs going step-over-step ascending (descending is still one-at-a-time). Although I am still quite stiff, the pain’s pretty much gone. I have to be a good (i.e., compliant and faithful) patient of the physical therapy I’m receiving (now as an out patient) so that I can regain mobility, balance, flexibility, and such.

Meanwhile, please remember to take care of yourself. Do right by your loved ones and friends—and even those people whom you only see once or twice in your village. Eat healthily (broccoli!) and exercise. Of course, make sure that our kids get the teaching that they deserve.

Peace,

JohnL

John Wills Lloyd, Ph.D.

UVA Professor Emeritus

Founder & Editor, https://www.SpecialEducationToday.com/

SET should not be confused with a product that uses essentially the same name and is published by the Council for Exceptional Children. SET predated CEC’s publication by decades; I wonder if CEC put “today” in all capitals to distinguish its product from SET. Despite my appreciation for CEC, this product is not designed to promote that organization nor should the views expressed here be considered to represent the views or policies of that organization. A membership in CEC does not get one a subscription to SET and vice versa!

Footnotes

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From a perusal …

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