Using Data to Strengthen the Reading Brain
The Literacy Architects
We break down complex literacy routines into step-by-step plans and deliver PD to support you along the way.
When I booked an early morning flight to the 2024 NWEA Fusion in Denver, it was with the intention of avoiding the delays that seem common at the tiny regional airport closest to my house. So you can imagine my surprise when I heard my phone ding at 5:22 am letting me know my 7 am flight had been delayed for three hours (which turned into four).
Cue:
~Frantically texting my NWEA contact to let them know I might be late for my session.~
~My heart beating faster than normal.~
~Cutting myself off from another cup of coffee (see above).~
Flash forward – I made it with plenty of time to grab a drink of water, put on some lipstick, and even snap a selfie before heading to the conference room for Using Data to Strengthen the Reading Brain.
Implementing the science of reading is like that sometimes, isn’t it? We do a training on the basics of literacy instruction, thinking we have everything planned out just right – and then something goes awry. Research assures us that this isn’t just a fluke, either. Implementation in educational settings is a messy, long-term process that requires meaningful investment, ongoing collaboration, and continual refinement. All that to say, sometimes we just need to take a deep breath, lean on our community for support, and invest in the process.
One essential component of effective implementation was the focus for my time with education leaders in Denver: data. Research shows that many educators struggle to connect data to instruction. They may be skilled in assessment administration procedures overall but are still unsure of what to do with the data they collect. This is of little surprise when considering that only 12–14% of PD materials on curriculum-based measures address data-based decision-making (Fry et al., 2023 ).
After going over the types of assessments that drive literacy instruction and how many subtests and diagnostic tools it actually takes to target student needs, a school leader in our session shared, “This is a lot to coordinate. I can see now how this could easily become overwhelming for teachers.”
However, we’re not just collecting data to shove it in a filing cabinet. The whole purpose of collecting the right data is to use it to drive instruction. Sure, some broader data sources might be really useful high-level indicators to administrators, state officials, and other stakeholders. But if teachers don’t know how to connect their data to the reading brain, it’s not going to mean much for student achievement.
The elementary literacy director of a school district in Georgia commented, “Teacher prep programs aren’t giving us candidates that are ready to do this work, either. New teachers come to us without knowing how to look at data or what it should mean for their instruction.” An analysis by the National Council for Teacher Quality on the state of teacher preparation programs shares the same concerns. “Misaligned [literacy] assessment strategies make up several practices that top the list of those still being taught that run contrary to research (pg. 11).” [Side note – this is exactly why we started our higher ed community of practice .]
So what does all this mean for Literacy Leaders like you, doing your best to implement evidence-based literacy practices? Here’s what session participants found most helpful during our time together:
“Learning about data habits and an effective data cycle”
“Protocols for interpreting data”
“Understanding how the brain reads and having the tools to evaluate your own programs.”
“The collaboration with my table group was the best of the day.”
“Being able to talk to others to get more information was useful and being shown what to actually do with data.”
Just because the research is clear on how students learn to read, doesn’t mean that it’s simple to put into practice. Having the right tools, embedding frameworks that support implementation, receiving meaningful support, and having a community to lean on is crucial to making this work sustainable. That’s why we’re committed to showing up for your learning journey in whatever way you may need .
Caitlin, Science of Reading Specialist, The Literacy Architects
What We’re Working On
We’ve been busy this summer! Here’s what we’re up to:
Teach for America cohort on Teaching Students How to Read Through Explicit and Systematic Instruction: In partnership with Teach for America - D.C. and Virginia, we’re leading corps members through the ins and outs of teaching their students to read and write . Says one corps member, “I just want to be a better learner so that I can be a better teacher! I think I am becoming a better learner through this process.”
Higher Education Literacy Community of Practice: We’re halfway through our series with college and university professors! Here’s feedback from a CoP member: “We had a great conversation today about the gap in what preservice teachers are seeing out in the field compared to what we are teaching them about SOR and how to prepare them to vet and critically analyze the strategies they are seeing.” Missed our inaugural cohort? Join the waitlist for Fall !?
PD Resources for DCPS: Our team is designing training modules and materials for the DCPS LEAP Program . These modules will be used by instructional coaches to support teachers in mastering targeted literacy routines. Topics include irregular words, continuous and successive blending, closed and open syllables, and error correction.
领英推荐
?? Announcing August’s Literacy Leadership Network Topic: Supporting Multilingual Learners
??? Here's what's on the Literacy Leadership Network Calendar:
?? August 5: Live webinar to help you translate reading research into concrete plans for instructional change.?
?? August 6: Webinar recording + members-only resources and downloads so you can take your learning with you.
?? August 12: 2–4 short videos aligned to this month's topic so you can further your learning.
?? August 19: Live consultancy meeting to give you the time and space to receive feedback from and exchange ideas with peers.
?? Week of August 26: Office hours to ask our literacy specialists questions about your specific school or district situation.
?Access six months of LLN content through August!
New Self-Paced Courses!
We’re thrilled to announce the launch of three phonemic awareness self-paced mini-courses! These one-hour courses can be accessed for only $14/month and are perfect for bite-sized summer learning! Here are the details:
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
?Explain the relationship between phonological and phonemic awareness.
?Articulate the key principles of phonemic awareness instruction, according to current research.
?Segment words into phonemes.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
?Articulate the need for a phonemic awareness diagnostic survey.
?Administer a phonemic awareness diagnostic survey to your students.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
?Analyze data from a phonemic awareness diagnostic assessment.
?Utilize assessment data to determine students' instructional needs.
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