Spotlight on Dyslexia Event Speakers

Antonio A Fierro

Antonio A. Fierro

Chief Academic Officer, Tools4Reading

Dr. Antonio A. Fierro is the Chief Academic Officer for Tools 4 Reading. He is a former Texas State Teacher of the Year and a former member of the LETRS cohort of literacy consultants led by Dr. Louisa Moats for almost 20 years. Dr. Fierro also helps lead the Mississippi Momentum Project, assisting university and college faculty throughout the state with implementing Reading Science in their college coursework. He is also dedicated to advancing the knowledge base and understanding of dyslexia and other reading disabilities as his son, Antonio Jr., has dyslexia.

Sessions

Build

Minimizing the Cognitive Workload of the Struggling English Learner

There are over 5 million English learners in schools across the country, and most teachers are either already working with a few or will be soon. There seems to be an abundance of questions about whether one technique is more efficient or even more effective than another. Often, in our quest to find the perfect program or approach, the instruction given to the student is never adjusted and misses the mark entirely.

We know there is a significant variability factor to consider when working with English learners. Most importantly, however, we must remember that English learners must do double the cognitive workload. Our English learners must learn content as they build vocabulary, add to their background knowledge, and, most importantly, learn a rather complex orthographic system. This session will briefly focus on the cognitive workload our English learners' experience, especially those struggling with learning difficulties, and the importance of a robust linguistic knowledge base that a teacher should possess.

Antonio A. Fierro

Antonio A. Fierro
Chief Academic Officer,
Tools4Readin