Science of Reading News Digest: October 2024
The Literacy Architects
We break down complex literacy routines into step-by-step plans and deliver PD to support you along the way.
Things that don’t scare us:
Things that scare us a little bit:
Things that are terrifying:
Things that terrify us even more: knowing that behind these statistics are students who are struggling every day to read and understand the world around them. But there’s good news—change is happening. This month, we dive into districts, states, and programs making strides in adopting evidence-based literacy practices. Plus, if you're a university professor, this is the last week to sign up for our 6-week community of practice -- details are below!
Ohio's Partnership Schools have adopted research-based reading instruction following the 2023 state mandate, highlighting the importance of systematic phonics and high-quality curricula. However, the success of these programs depends on effective teacher implementation, which requires strong training, teacher buy-in, and precise phonics instruction. A focus on fluency and challenging texts beyond third grade is also crucial. Improving literacy outcomes demands both urgency and patience in this ongoing effort.
The Maryland Initiative for Literacy and Equity (MILE) released a report with recommendations to improve literacy instruction across the state. Their comprehensive review focused on curriculum, teacher training, support for diverse learners, and community engagement. The report emphasizes the need for effective teacher coaching, culturally relevant materials, and addressing proficiency gaps, particularly for students affected by pandemic disruptions. MILE aims to support equitable, research-based literacy practices for long-term student success.
The Leading Men Fellowship, a program run by the Literacy Lab, trains young Black and Latino men to become early literacy instructors in preschool classrooms across the country. Aiming to address the shortage of male educators and improve outcomes for boys of color, the fellowship recruits and trains participants who help preschoolers with reading skills while also breaking stereotypes about who can be a teacher. Research shows that Black teachers positively impact Black students, especially boys, and the fellowship hopes to inspire more young men of color to pursue careers in education.
The Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation celebrated its 20th anniversary, marking major milestones in strengthening early literacy across Tennessee. Originally inspired by Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the foundation has distributed 55 million books to children and expanded its efforts to include book buses and interactive reading initiatives. Supported by public-private partnerships, the foundation has gained bipartisan support from Tennessee governors since its inception in 2004.
What We're Working On
?? Last call for professors!
We have an exclusive opportunity that's perfect if you want more ideas for your course syllabus to align it with the science of reading.?
Join us in two weeks for a six-week community of practice with other reading professors to learn more about teaching educator prep candidates about evidence-based literacy instruction.
Here’s what past participants had to say about this unique opportunity:
“I liked hearing from the other instructors what content they were adding to their courses and their justification for doing so. It is giving me a lot of great ideas for my own course.”
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“There are so many valuable things that I will use. My class will be much more hands-on with students practicing the instructional techniques instead of me always doing the modeling.”
“This course helped me to wrap my head around strategies to help undergraduate students understand the big picture.”
Fall Community of Practice Details:
2 pm–3 pm EST
November 4: Foundational Knowledge
November 12: Phonemic Awareness
November 18: Decoding and Encoding
December 2: Oral Language and Vocabulary
December 9: Reading Fluency
December 16: Reading Comprehension
?? Your Literacy Leadership Network line-up for the next six months is out!
Here's what's on the Literacy Leadership Network Calendar for November:
?? November 4: Live webinar to help you translate reading research into concrete plans for instructional change.
?? November 5: Webinar recording + members-only resources and downloads so you can take your learning with you.
?? November 11: 2–4 short videos aligned to this month's topic so you can further your learning.
???? November 18: Live consultancy meeting to give you the time and space to receive feedback from and exchange ideas with peers.
? Week of November 25: Office hours to ask our literacy specialists questions about your specific school or district situation.
In Case You Missed It
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