News and reflections from experts and practitioners on the latest literacy research, events and daily practice
Welcome to Learning Ally's blog. You've come to the right place if you are an innovative teacher who wants to transform more struggling readers into grade-level achievers.
February 3, 2023 by User
Friday, February 10, 2023 - An Asynchronous Event
Educators register now for a special, asynchronous event: Best of Spotlight: Literacy on Replay, to take full advantage of new insight and best teaching practices on the science of reading and the dyslexic brain.
Learning Ally loves educators, and this event is our gift to you for Valentine’s Day!
We've cultivated the best of our ongoing Spotlight Learning Series, including eleven of our highest-rated sessions condensed into key learning points that will directly benefit you.
Sessions cover a range of education topics on curriculum design, pedagogy, assessments, technology integration, and much more. All sessions are geared toward the goal of improving literacy and reading outcomes.
Learn how to apply new findings directly into your own teaching practice,
Use Facilitation Guides to deepen your knowledge,
Receive up to two CE certificates toward your professional development goals,
Extend the learning in our award-winning Educator Community.
Whether you are an educator, researcher, or administrator, you won't want to miss this opportunity to learn from some of the best literacy thought leaders in the field. Attendees of our professional learning events are true literacy champions with a deep quest to improve reading and learning outcomes for all children and adolescents who struggle with reading challenges.
Register today!
Be inspired by some of the brightest minds in education, all from the convenience of your own device, plus receive a nice discount on future Spotlight Learning Series events.
Categories: Activities, Curriculum & Access, dyslexia, Early Literacy, Education & Teaching, Educators, English Language Learners, Reading Strategies for K-12, Student Centric Learning, Teacher Best Practices, The Digital Age, Whole Child Literacy
January 30, 2023 by User
Learning Ally’s mission is to ensure all students have equal opportunities to receive supplemental reading resources to become successful readers, and to support educators with opportunities to become literacy leaders. We do this by offering professional learning events to cultivate a deep understanding of “how” we learn, with an emphasis on whole child literacy. This philosophy combines the application of evidence-based reading instruction (think Scarborough’s Reading Rope), layered with brain-based learning, and social and emotional well-being. This includes a child’s cognitive abilities, their school-home environments, and how they perceive themselves as learners.
Teaching Bilingual Learners
In this blog, we’re recapping an edWebinar with Doris Baker, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Special Education and Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Texas-Austin.
Dr. Baker’s research focuses on developing and testing interventions and assessments designed to improve academic outcomes for bilingual students, particularly Latino/bilingual students. As part of this work, she has focused on Latino/family engagement, and the use of technology to reduce academic inequities among underserved populations.
Dr. Baker's edWebinar, delves deep into building language acquisition and reading development support for bilingual learners. If you teach, you will want to listen to the entire presentation to earn an education certificate. It is a ‘must view’ to learn new instructional approaches, and to check your assumptions about how bilingual students learn.
Emphasize Language Development and Phonemic Awareness
Born in Brazil, Dr. Baker lived in Colombia, Mexico, and the United States. She speaks multiple languages -- Spanish, German, English, and Portuguese. She understands what it’s like to learn in environments where English is not your native language.
“Language development is all important in everything we want to do,” she says. Dr. Baker strongly emphasizes evidence-based best practices to facilitate learning success, and wants to eliminate misunderstandings about how bilingual students learn and flourish. Here are some of her recommendations:
Learn who your bilingual students are as people.
Analyze the language demands in your lesson.
Connect what students are learning with previous experiences.
Provide explicit instruction.
Use their native language to support conceptual understanding if possible.
Provide opportunities to practice reading and vocabulary every day.
Encourage students to engage in peer discussions.
Extend instructional time on learning explicit vocabulary.
Use visual aids to scaffold instruction.
Integrate listening, speaking, reading, and writing in every class.
Use formative assessments to follow progress and enhance instruction.
Teach, Pre-Teach, ReTeach
Dr. Baker’s approach to teaching bilingual students is to pre-teach and reteach vocabulary, especially text-based vocabulary that provides background knowledge to help students make sense of the words. Give students time to get comfortable in class and opportunities for small group discussions. Scaffold your frameworks and lessons to break down information. Ensure grade-level instruction supports whole class instruction. Give students various ways to express themselves, and to demonstrate knowledge on assessments. Show them you are interested in them, and appreciate their culture. Celebrate them!
Misconceptions
Dr. Baker has heard many misconceptions about bilingual learners, including that vocabulary and listening comprehension in early childhood may not be a good approach. This is not true. Learn why in her edwebinar. Some educators may also believe that academic language should come after social language has been acquired, but Dr. Baker recommends being flexible in different approaches to teaching content.
At times, we may think that our bilingual students are confused, but confusion may also come from the educator, the environment, or peers. One common source of confusion is pronunciation of student’s names, or words that have dual meanings like “duck” (bird) and “duck” (under the table).
Others believe that code switching is not good for developing a second language. Dr. Baker disagrees. When a bilingual student is thinking, they may use code switching as a natural thought progression to express themselves.
Teachers Make All the Difference
Dr. Baker encourages the use of “bilingual” rather than “ESL.” She says, “The definition is better suited for students who think in two languages, and process in dual time. “Bilingual students bring various assets to any learning environment like cultural traditions, social norms, and diversity that we should appreciate and celebrate. Educators who teach bilingual students have multiple challenges, and enormous opportunities to influence, impact, and impart knowledge and wisdom to children who are eager to learn. You can make all the difference!”
More About Dr. Doris Baker
Doris Luft Baker is an affiliate of the Texas Center for Equity Promotion and a board member of the Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk. She is a literacy thought leader, the author of many books and research papers, and senior author of the Indicadores Dinámicos del Exito en la Lectura, a formative assessment to screen and monitor students at risk for reading difficulties in grades K-3. Dr. Baker has been a principal investigator or co-principal investigator on grants funded by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), and the National Science Foundation, among others.
Learning Ally Professional Learning
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. Our nonprofit partners with families, schools, and districts to share research, encourage new pathways to leadership, and expand instructional and teaching knowledge.
Valerie Chernek writes about educational best practices through the use of technology and the science of reading in support of teachers, children, and adolescents who struggle with learning differences.
Categories: Education & Teaching, Educators, English Language Learners, Reading Strategies for K-12, Student Centric Learning, Teacher Best Practices
January 24, 2023 by User
For Immediate Release
January 24, 2023 -- Princeton, NJ – Learning Ally, a national nonprofit partnering with educators to solve the literacy crisis, has won the 2023 CMX Community Industry Award for Best Growth Marketing Community for its thriving Educator Community.
The CMX Community Industry Awards celebrates the achievements of the best in the community space. This category recognizes exceptional efforts in innovative strategies used to drive growth and engagement among members.
Elizabeth Zwerg, Learning Ally’s Educator Community Manager, was a finalist for “Best Executive Leader” for her work building an internal, employee-driven “Sunshine Committee” that empowers champions for the Educator Community. This internal group drives collaboration, engagement, and fosters a sense of community for Learning Ally’s mission to close the literacy gap.
“The Sunshine Committee is a place of connection. It's where our staff forges lasting connections with educators who are the agents of change. At Learning Ally, we live our values, and we place a high value on education, literacy and especially educators,” says Eleanor Cotton, Learning Ally’s Director of Community and Thought Leadership.
Learning Ally’s Educator Community connects educators of all titles, roles and responsibilities in a safe and collaborative network where they can share best instructional practices in literacy and recognize the achievements of fellow educators. Now, in its second year, a guiding principle of the Educator Community is that all educators are welcome.
Dr. Terrie Noland, Learning Ally’s Vice President of Educator Initiatives, said, “This is an honor for our organization, and for our Community team. Learning Ally’s mission is to support educators to be the best they can be so they can improve academic achievement and ensure students reach their full potential. Our Community is an extension of that mission – supporting personal and professional knowledge, encouraging a growth mindset in evidence-based literacy practices, and making new connections."
Members of Learning Ally's Educator Community, now 6,100 educators strong with another 5,300 members on Instagram, are from different towns and cities, from urban and rural schools, and from big and small districts. They come together as one community with an unbreakable bond – to empower each other, educate children, and hone their craft of teaching and leading.
Ms. Zwerg says, “It is exciting to have our efforts acknowledged. Our community is truly an ecosystem with many points of access. Educators draw support from each other and they identify new ways to enhance their instruction. There are communities that focus solely on instructional practices, without acknowledging that teachers are people. Our community is unique because all interactions, content, and framework is developed with the mindset that teachers are the ultimate thought leaders. Meaningful change in education begins with teachers, and our members know we are always in their corner. They become influencers, mentors, dreamers and doers.”
In U.S. schools, Learning Ally works with more than 450,000 educators to improve reading outcomes for students who struggle with learning disabilities and reading deficits. The organization’s Solutions in PreK-12 are grounded in the science of reading and brain-based learning, with an emphasis on Whole Child Literacy.™ This teaching philosophy prioritizes the developmental and personal needs of children, in addition to their academic achievement. Whole Child Literacy™ includes a student’s cognitive variables, their environment, and social and emotional factors that impact their ability to learn and succeed.
Ms. Zwerg adds, “Staying true to our non-profit roots, Learning Ally’s Educator Community is open to all educators – including those who do not use our products or professional services. By connecting educators from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, we can create a more inclusive and effective education system.”
Read this blog about the research behind why teachers need community.
About Learning Ally
Learning Ally is a leading education nonprofit dedicated to equipping educators with proven solutions that help new and struggling learners reach their potential. Our range of literacy-focused offerings for students in Pre-K to 12th grade and catalog of professional learning allows us to support more than two million students across the United States.
Categories: Education & Teaching, Educators, In the news, Press Releases, Teacher Best Practices, The Digital Age
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.
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.
Categories: Authors for Access, Books, Authors, & Movies, Education & Teaching, Reading Strategies for K-12
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, 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.
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.
Categories: Education & Teaching, Educators, English Language Learners, General, Reading Strategies for K-12, Student Centric Learning, Teacher Best Practices, The Digital Age, The Great Reading Games, Whole Child Literacy
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