Literacy Leadership Blog

News and reflections from experts and practitioners on the latest literacy research, events and daily practice

K-12 | Read to Achieve

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Putting Theory into Practice: Proof of Progress with Leta Palmiter
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January 19, 2023 by User

In 1996, reading scores for students in the state of Mississippi landed dramatically lower than in other states. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 4th grade reading scores in Mississippi averaged around 183–that’s sixteen points below the national average. However, flash forward to 2019 and Mississippi’s reading scores have miraculously climbed, meeting the national average. 

Cover of Book Mississippi Rising - Tree with colorful leaves. Leta Palmiter, executive director and founder of ‘Illuminations Center for Dyslexia’ says the success was no miracle. “I’m here to tell you how change happens and how you can make change happen. Our story is about individuals who want to make a difference”. In her recent book, “Mississippi Rising: How the Last Became First in Literacy Growth,” Palmiter explains the steps that lead to Mississippi’s incredible comeback. Lucky for us, she also shared her findings with the Learning Ally community at our 2022 Spotlight on Dyslexia virtual conference. “It is my privilege to share our story,” says Palmiter. “It’s not just my story… It’s the story of all the educators in the state of Mississippi who have set the pace for the rest of the nation.”

It all began with one mom, Marilyn Carlisle, who was committed to finding better interventions for her son. She reached out to the local chapter of Scottish Rite Masons, an organization that has prioritized treatment for dyslexic students since 1965. With the help of the Masons, Carlisle was able to access dyslexia centered reading instruction on VHS tapes. 

Shortly after, Mississippi College approved the United State’s first ever Master’s Degree in Dyslexia Therapy. These small first steps made a large impact on future literacy because it exposed Mississippi educators to research-backed pedagogy for struggling readers. “There’s a science of reading and an art to teaching,” explains Palmiter, “and we need both.” 

The next step was to get everyone on the same page. Despite the extensive evidence backing the science of reading, many school boards opted to remain with outdated curriculums. “Rooting out failed methods of reading instruction from U.S. primary classrooms won’t be easy. Those roots run deep…” said Dr. Louisa Moats. That’s when Mississippi-born entrepreneur James L. Barksdale got involved. At the time, Barksdale was in-charge of FedEx’s package tracking systems. He famously said, “If FedEx can get a package from the middle of Manhattan to the middle of Tokyo… then we ought to be able to teach every child in Mississippi to read.'' 

Barksdale backed his claims with a donation of $100 million dollars to the cause, insisting that his generosity was not so much a gift, as it was an investment in the lives of Mississippi’s students. Barksdale’s funding was invested in teacher and principal preparation. By doing so, he helped to arm Mississippi educators with dyslexia-focused strategies that could be applied to all students.

Barksdale’s investment paralleled the strategy of another major and final step on Mississippi’s road to literacy. The Literacy Based Promotion Act (LBPA) was passed in 2013, and like Barksdale’s contribution, it focused on equipping educators of all levels with the most up-to-date, dyslexia-friendly, reading instruction. The LBPA provided LETRS training to all K-2 teachers in Mississippi and established as many as 75 salaried positions for literacy coaches in Mississippi schools. 

Palmiter stresses that, unlike in other states, Mississippi’s approach to literacy doesn’t involve a mandated curriculum. “When you really own what’s going on in the brain…when you own that knowledge, it changes the way you teach reading… you don’t have to change the curriculum.” She adds that while curriculums are prone to change every few years, the LBPA ensures that school administrators are informed when making such a decision. “The leaders had to know what was a better choice for them…They needed to see things that were going to be useful to them.”

Amongst all these seemingly separate efforts to improve literacy in Mississippi, Palmiter sees a unified throughline: “When we all started swimming in the same direction, major change happened.” That direction was the science of reading. By focusing state resources on “knowing better,” Mississippi educators were able to “do better” almost  effortlessly. “If we taught every student the way we teach dyslexic students… nobody would be left behind. That’s the secret of our state… Change is possible and it starts with the science of reading.”

 

Article by: Michael Manzi. Michael was a struggling reader. Now, he writes articles and blogs to promote research-backed literacy interventions for students across the education spectrum.

 

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The Fourth Grade Slump: Understanding the "Big Picture" About The Science of Teaching Reading for English Language Learners
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January 9, 2023 by User

 

As discussions of the Science of Reading (SoR) and the Science of Teaching Reading (STR) have erupted in schools, educators are eager to learn how to apply key strategies with students in their classrooms, and gain a better understanding of “what works” with diverse learning populations. Dr. Peggy Semingson

Dr. Peggy Semingson, Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics and TESOL at The University of Texas at Arlington teaches practitioner-focused courses in TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) Education, and recently gave a presentation about this topic in our Spotlight Learning Series.

Dr. Semingson has extensive background in elementary and bilingual education and holds a PhD in curriculum and instruction with a specialization in language and literacy. Her current research includes digital pedagogies, media based learning, struggling and developing readers, online general education, and remote and virtual ESL teaching and learning. 

You can listen to Dr. Semingson’ s full presentation on-demand to receive professional education certificates. Learn how to conceptualize (STR) in contexts that foster success for English Language Learners; value diverse linguistic experiences of students; and design language experiences that build on the framework of "learning to read" and "reading to learn.” 

SRT and Implications for Teachers with Diverse Learners 

Dr. Semingson: “Even when emergent and young readers are receiving solid evidence-based instruction, the idea of the fourth grade slump is pivotal. It is important for us to understand this shift and what we need to do in our intervention with students who struggle with upper grade texts.  

Jeanne Chall, a pioneer in literacy and seminal researcher on the developmental stages of reading, was among the first to delve into complex and widely debated ideas on how children learn to read, and how stressors like poverty impact their ability to do so. Chall’s idea is that students in grades K to two are learning to code letters and sound relationships. They are ‘glued to print.’ As they become automatic readers, they move into independent fluent reading. This is generally in the upper grades. Around third and fourth grade, if kids haven't picked up decoding skills, they're expending a lot of energy on decoding, rather than comprehension. They are not able to focus on the content or keep pace. This is a red herring for educators. 

English Language Learners Are Particularly Vulnerable Students 

Lack of vocabulary and background knowledge are key signs as well. We know that vocabulary and comprehension are two sides of the same coin. Even proficient readers can be held back, especially if they are English Language Learners. These students are particularly vulnerable. For them, a typical classroom curriculum is not enough. Using morphology or word parts to help them not only decode texts, but make sense of the text, is one key reason we must incorporate evidence-based approaches to the science of teaching reading. (STR)

High Stakes

Fourth grade is a time of “high stakes” when educators must be mindful about how vital reading instruction may still be necessary for many middle and upper grade ELLs, as text becomes increasingly more complex. Instructors should be thinking about diverse ways to support these students as they learn to read more complex texts and move into the “reading to learn,” stage. 

Language and context is crucial. Upper grade students who are at risk will likely continue to be at risk and their opportunities of ever catching up to grade level work will diminish. The key idea is to focus on both vocabulary and comprehension to see these students through to learning information well. Research also suggests that if we directly teach structure in terms of vocabulary like morphemes, prefixes, suffixes and root words, English learners can benefit greatly from those approaches, as well as teaching multiple meaning words. 

While students in primary grades are “learning to read,” students in upper grades are “reading to learn.” Using informative text across the literacy curriculum, high interest nonfiction texts during guided reading groups, or other access to texts for independent reading in and outside the classroom. Leverage technology like human-narrated audiobooks. They are a good resource to build skills in listening, comprehension, vocabulary, and background knowledge.

Listen to Dr. Semingson’ s full presentation for lots of other key signs and strategies to use with English Language Learners and students who struggle with reading. 

Learn more about the work of Literacy Pioneer Jeanne Chall.

Professional Learning and Community 

Learning Ally’s Professional Learning Services are designed to strengthen educator’s instructional capacity, so they can deliver a deeper, richer learning experience and promote better academic outcomes. 

Valerie Chernek writes about educational best practices through the use of technology and the science of reading in support of children and adolescents who struggle with learning differences.   

 

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Learning Ally’s 2023 Great Reading Games National Audiobook Challenge Official Start January 9, 2023
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January 4, 2023 by User

Educators using the Learning Ally’s Audiobook Solution are ready to kick off the 2023 Great Reading GamesA group of people holding a signDescription automatically generated with medium confidence

The seven-week national audiobook challenge is designed to get struggling readers reading, and to support educators who want to innovate their instruction, while sparking a joy of reading, and providing equitable access to grade-level books. 

Students who participate in the Great Reading Games are more engaged. They practice fundamental skills in vocabulary, fluency, background knowledge, and comprehension – all essential skills for future learning success. They become more confident readers who feel happier, and eager to read.

Learning Ally’s human-narrated audiobook library offers tens of thousands of titles to engage all ages and interests. Teachers across America look forward to the annual event to introduce students to new books they will enjoy, and provide culturally-relevant titles they can relate to. 

Each year, hundreds of U.S. districts participate in the Games to spur on a schoolwide culture of inclusive reading initiatives. In 2022, school participation jumped 156%, with more than 158,000 participants who read a total of 36.8 million pages for 31.5 million minutes.  

Great Reading Games Specifics

Beginning January 9, 2023, students are encouraged to read for 20 minutes or more each day. Pre-made teacher resources make implementation seamless for any classroom. Students who read the most audiobooks receive monetary gifts. Teachers and schools have opportunities to win prizes too. Accumulation of points occurs in one of twelve bracket leaderboards based on grade-level and school size. Data from the Learning Ally app keeps an automated tally of each student’s activity based on a sliding point schedule designed to reward them for reading inside and outside the school day. 

Point Schedule: 

  • 100 points for every day a student reads for 20 minutes on a weekday.

  • 50 points for every day a student reads 20 minutes on Saturday or Sunday.

  • 10 points for every page read and 1 point for every student that is reading.

  • Additional points for early participation in pre-game “Boost Up” activities.

Aggregate data from the Great Reading Games indicate that students who participate are three times more likely to excel in reading frequency, and 300% more likely to improve skills in comprehension, vocabulary, critical thinking, and learning independence. Students also demonstrate a deeper connection with peers and their teachers, and administrators. 

Meet the Author Live Event

The Games conclude with a livestream “Meet the Author” event for educators and students. This year, Carmen Agra Deedy, best-selling author of children’s literature, will host. Ms. Deedy learned she had dyslexia as an adult. She advises students to aim for learning to love reading, and success will take care of itself.

Dr. Terrie Noland, V.P. of Educator Initiatives at Learning Ally, said, “The New Year is a perfect time for educators to get their students energized to read. They read for fun. They feel empowered. They enjoy a positive camaraderie across the school community."

Visit www.learningally.org/educators. Call 800-221-1098. 

Read More about Learning Ally’s 2023 Great Reading Games National Audiobook Challenge Official Start January 9, 2023

Best Literacy Blogs of 2022 to Broaden Your Horizons
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December 19, 2022 by User

Educators sitting in a row listening and attentive The shift has begun, and we believe 2023 will be a watershed year for literacy. Are you ready? Center stage is early childhood literacy where effective reading development must occur in PreK-3 to reduce the number of children falling through the cracks and widening the equity gap. 

In early childhood, research tells us teachers must deliver both foundational skills with phonics at the helm, as well as interactive, language-rich literacy experiences, so children will enjoy reading, while building essential vocabulary and background knowledge for full comprehension – the gateway to all learning. Until all children learn to read proficiently, educators, scholars, legislators, parents, and researchers like Dr. Maryanne Wolf, an expert in brain-based learning, and reports like NAEP, will continue to encourage us to broaden our horizons. 

So too, is the urgency for more professional learning in literacy, and communities of practice. Learning Ally addresses these needs by helping educators build on their knowledge of the science of reading, and whole child literacy, two initiatives close to the heartbeat of our organization. In case you missed any of these informative articles, here are the most-read literacy blogs of 2022 by experts eager to share their knowledge and experiences with you. 

What the Experts Say

Dr. Molly Ness, Learning Ally’s V.P. of Academic Content, describes the science of reading as an interdisciplinary body of knowledge about five decades in the making that shows how the brain learns to read. In her words, “To be proficient readers, children need to be able to lift the words up off the page through decoding, and have the necessary language skills to understand them.” 

Read: “The Science of Reading Supports a Comprehensive Approach to Early Literacy Instruction... An Overview with Dr. Molly Ness

 

Dr. Sherril English, Clinical Associate Professor at Southern Methodist University, examines the concept of “belonging,” and the foundational importance of literacy in achieving equity in disadvantaged populations. 

Read: “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion --’Belonging’ in Literacy Education

 

Dr. Kenneth Kunz, Founder of For the Love of Literacy, and V.P. of the International Literacy Association, describes his work to coach schools on literacy and language arts, and how to bridge research and practice. 

Read: “Prioritizing SEL in Elementary/Middle School Language Arts Classrooms

 

Linda Diamond, Founder of the Consortium on Reaching Excellence in Education, describes findings from studies by the Wallace Foundation, “How Principals Affect Students and Schools: A Systematic Synthesis of Two Decades of Research” (2021). 

Read: “Principals’ Impact on Changing Practices is Immeasurable

 

Brent Conway, Assistant Superintendent of Pentucket Regional School District, West Newbury, MA, shares learnings to improve literacy at a school or district based on the science of reading and transforming Tier 1 systems.

Read: “Early Literacy Systems for School & District Implementation”

 

Dr. Almitra Berry, nationally recognized expert on culturally and linguistically diverse learners, raises thought-provoking questions about equity and access, and how to address the critical mass of students who are underperforming in reading in K12 education.  

Read: “Keys to Bridging the Achievement Gap: Race, Income and Education”

 

Drs. Antony Smith and Allison Hintz, Associate Professors of Mathematics Education at the University of Washington Bothell, recommend how to make connections between essential early reading skills and mathematical concepts. 

Read: “Mathematizing Children’s Literature To Spark Connections, Joy, and Wonder, Through Read-Alouds and Discussion”

 

Making Literacy-For-All Learners Happen


Let’s make 2023 the year of literacy! Learning ‘how to read’ in order to ‘read to learn’ is the essence for academic success. Administrators and teachers are eager to implement sustainable literacy solutions that will improve reading outcomes at all levels. Learning Ally is here to help you broaden your knowledge and literacy leadership skills to make reading mastery a reality for all children.

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Flipping the Script on Low Reading Outcomes - Learn to Influence Up, Down, and Across the Aisle
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December 16, 2022 by User

Literacy Leadership

Early childhood educators undoubtedly are questioning why so many children leave their classrooms without a good foundation in reading. Some emergent readers come to school and catch on fast. But there are many more children who are slow to catch on, and some who never do. Something in their early education didn’t work, didn’t click, or was missed. In middle school, these students are struggling.

Reading failure is all too common in our schools, but you can flip the script to improve reading outcomes. How? By learning about the latest research on the Science of Reading, by challenging assumptions about how our brain learns to read, by joining others with a similar goal, and by influencing up, down and across the aisle. Read on to learn how three educators changed the course of reading instruction in their schools.

Leading UP – Advocating for Effective Early Reading Instruction Missy Purcell

Missy Purcell, a former elementary teacher in Gwinnett County, GA,  realized she was underprepared to teach reading after many years. The balanced literacy approach she had been taught in college was ineffective. Her AHA moment came into full display during the pandemic as she observed her own three children during their reading instruction. She had one child in general education, one in special education, and one with a learning disability. None of her children were catching on. “It struck me that this wasn’t a remediation issue, or a Tier II or Tier III problem…it was a failure in Tier I instruction,” she said. 

As a knowledgeable and passionate educator, Purcell sought new knowledge on structured literacy and explicit instruction. She immersed herself in the Science of Reading, and attended Board of Education meetings to advocate for change. She wrote to and met with her Superintendent who listened to her concerns. Coming from an honorable quest to help more children succeed, Purcell opened new dialogue to solve the lingering reading problem. Her district began to implement early literacy pilots. She joined a community of people advocating for children with dyslexia. She built credibility through knowledge and leadership, and succeeded in furthering the mission. 

Leading ACROSS the Aisle Advocating for Professional KnowledgeLori Severino

Dr. Lori Severino, a former Assistant Professor of Special Education at Drexel University and Co-Founder of Credentials Unlimited, taught in public education for 26 years. In her high school English classes, many students with special needs could comprehend what she read aloud, but could not recognize words or read fluently on their own. Severino took courses in the Wilson Reading Program. She became a certified trainer, and has trained hundreds of teachers in structured literacy. She co-authored a book, “Using Creativity to Address Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia: Assessments and Techniques.” 

Now in 2022, the instructional approaches she helped implement are working. Students are graduating and reading at grade level. Dr. Severino encourages educators to explore professional learning through “micro-credentialing,” taking small steps to develop specific skills through high-quality coursework. She advocates at the higher education level for pre-teachers to receive Science of Reading training. She encourages grassroots efforts to press legislators for more funding for professional learning in reading instruction. She urges colleges of education to align teaching standards with the Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers who Teach Reading (KPS) from the International Dyslexia Association. For her service in the literacy field, Servino received the 2019 Floyd G. Hudson Award from the Council for Learning Disabilities. 

LJake Flowerseading DOWN – Modeling Leadership - Learning In the Trenches

Superintendent Jake Flowers leads a small K-8 district in Peoria, Illinois. He began his journey into the Science of Reading in late Spring/Summer of 2021, after reviewing data on reading outcomes. 

His teaching staff was delivering a balanced literacy approach they believed was effective, but reading data suggested otherwise. They needed to add more phonics and structured literacy into daily instruction. 

Flowers joined the Facebook group “Science of Reading,” read books, and hired consultant Dr. Neil Thompson. His leadership style is to lead through modeling and to get into the trenches of learning the Science of Reading with his teaching staff. 

“It’s hard to change minds, but we’re making progress,” says Flowers. “There’s a quote, ‘Go as fast as you can, but as slow as you must,’ but let’s not slow the positive progress students are now making.” He recommends bringing all the staff together to join the conversation, looking at data, and to not place too many labels on students as learners.  

The Ripple Effect – Improving Equity Through Reading

At the end of the day, it’s all about the children. Making your collective goal to improve reading outcomes isn’t easy, but it can be done with knowledge and leadership. It’s not about your title or position. It’s about the ability to question assumptions, to pursue lifelong learning, and to find ways to influence others objectively and positively. It's about partnerships, and accountability. It’s about finding people who strengthen your resolve. 

These are educators who know that when we know more, we do better. What matters most is that you take action, and become a literacy leader now.

Professional Learning and Community 

Learning Ally’s Professional Learning Services are designed to strengthen educator’s instructional capacity, so they can deliver a deeper, richer learning experience and promote better academic outcomes. 

Learning Ally’s Educator Community is a place to learn, share, be yourself, and grow. 

Access our Spotlight on Literacy Leadership event on-demand at no cost now through May, 2023, and stay tuned for more events coming in early 2023. 

This handout on “Literacy Leadership and Influence” offers talking points that may help you begin a dialogue with peers, colleagues, and administrators about exploring the science of reading and brain-based learning best practices. 

Valerie Chernek writes about educational best practices through the use of technology and the science of reading in support of children and adolescents who struggle with learning differences.   
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