The Conversation

Mothers, metaphors and dyslexia: What language reveals about the challenges of a child’s learning disability

Written by Jenna Abetz, Associate Professor of Communication, College of Charleston

Dyslexia can affect children's reading, writing, spelling, memory and organizational skills.damircudic/E+ via Getty Images

Alarm bells. Red flags. A labyrinth.

These are just a few of the metaphors that mothers of children with dyslexia use to describe the journey from noticing their child’s literacy challenges to receiving a diagnosis and...

Socioeconomic status explains most of the racial and ethnic achievement gaps in elementary school

Written by Eric Hengyu Hu, Postdoctoral Associate, University at Albany, State University of New York

For decades, white students have performed significantly better than Black and Hispanic students on tests of academic achievement. Explanations for these achievement gaps include poverty and systems that result in discrimination. Others cite struggles to learn English. And some folks believe that some groups simply don’t value education.

Our...

In hundreds of communities across the US, finding a dentist is like pulling teeth − but in 14 states, dental therapists are filling the gap

Written by Donald Chi, Professor of Oral Health Sciences, University of Washington

Experts recommend getting a dental checkup twice a year.Julia Burmistrova/Moment via Getty Images

For more than 50 million Americans, finding a dentist is a difficult – in some cases, impossible – proposition. Many rural communities don’t have a dentist. People of color and those with disabilities often lack access, and only about...

Countries spend huge sums on fossil fuel subsidies – why they’re so hard to eliminate

Written by Bruce Huber, Professor of Law, University of Notre Dame

Fossil fuel subsidies keep gas prices low in many countries.AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Fossil fuels are the leading driver of climate change, yet they are still heavily subsidized by governments around the world.

Although many countries have explicitly promised to reduce fossil fuel subsidies to combat climate change, this has proven difficult to...

3 reasons why a Trump White House might not be a disaster for Ukraine − in fact, it might tighten the screws on Russia

Written by Tatsiana Kulakevich, Associate Professor of Instruction in the School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies, Affiliate Professor at the Institute for Russian, European, and Eurasian Studies, University of South Florida

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with the soon to be president-elect, Donald Trump, on Sept. 27, 2024.Alex Kent/Getty Images

Among the first world leaders to speak with Donald Trump following his election victory on Nov. 5, 2024 was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Congratulating the U.S. president-elect, Zelenskyy expressed...

Racism is such a touchy topic that many US educators avoid it – we are college professors who tackled that challenge head on

Written by Adam Seagrave, Associate Professor of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership, Arizona State University

It is not easy to teach about race in today’s political and social climate.

One hundred and sixty years after the United States abolished slavery, racial differences continue to spark pervasive misunderstanding, engender social separation and drive political and economic disparities. American educators are naturally intimidated and, at...

Papal elections aren’t always as dramatic as ‘Conclave’ – but the history behind the process is

Written by Joelle Rollo-Koster, Professor of Medieval History, University of Rhode Island

A view of the Sistine Chapel, where electors choose the new pope, on March 9, 2013, before the start of the conclave that resulted in the election of Pope Francis.AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino

I’m a historian of the medieval papacy and editor of the forthcoming three volumes of the Cambridge History of the Papacy. So it was more or less...

Here’s what happens when a school is located near a cannabis dispensary

Written by Angus Kittelman, Assistant Professor of Special Education, University of Missouri-Columbia

Middle schoolers are more likely to walk to school than their younger and older peers.Prostock-Studio via Getty Images

As more states legalize marijuana, researchers are examining the effects of legalization on society. Angus Kittelman, an assistant professor of special education at the University of Missouri-Columbia, and Gulcan Cil, a senior...

Most US book bans target children’s literature featuring diverse characters and authors of color

Written by Katherine Spoon, Ph.D. Candidate in Computer Science, University of Colorado Boulder

A display of banned books sits in a Barnes & Noble bookstore in Pittsford, N.Y. AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey

Book bans in U.S. schools and libraries during the 2021-22 school year disproportionately targeted children’s books written by people of color – especially women of color – according to a peer-reviewed study we published....

Jails and prisons often fail to protect incarcerated people during natural disasters

Written by Benika Dixon, Assistant Professor of Public Health, Texas A&M University

People who are incarcerated can't protect themselves when a hurricane or wildfire threatens.Brian Vander Brug/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

The United States has almost 2 million people behind bars in prisons, jails and detention centers – the largest such population in any country. Although incarcerated people are locked away from the...