For Immediate Release:
February 2, 2022 - Princeton, NJ – Learning Ally, a national leader in education solutions championing literacy for emerging and struggling learners, has launched new Professional Learning solutions and services intended to help K-12 districts provide ongoing, relevant, mixed-modality learning opportunities that allow educators to translate instructional knowledge into their daily practice.
The annual programming is based on research that supports a multiformat professional learning environment designed to ensure immediate and sustained educator efficacy. It will strengthen PreK-12 teacher and administrator knowledge and capacity by drawing on evidence-based literacy skills development methodologies and innovative approaches to literacy leadership.
"Too many students are falling behind because they cannot read at grade level,” said Heather Wiederstein, Vice President of Solutions Design for Learning Ally. “Teachers are clamoring for professional learning opportunities grounded in the science of reading, early literacy, and the whole child. Based on adult learning theory, our programming maximizes 'learning stickiness,' so that more educators become literacy leaders in schools and more struggling readers can improve their learning outcomes for success in school and beyond."
Three new offerings - Literacy Foundation, Literacy Acceleration, and Literacy Transformation - were designed by master teachers to be comprehensive and progressive. Learning stickiness is achieved through necessary pacing, action planning, practice, reflection, and reinforcement for successful implementation in real-time teaching and learning environments. Participants learn in an immersive virtual community platform from experienced instructors, and can customize their program with personalized coaching sessions. A 16-week Community of Practice cohort offers hands-on practice and blended-learning sessions with:
- synchronous learning events (virtual cohort sessions)
- asynchronous learning opportunities (scholarly articles and real-world practice assignments)
- guided discussions with master educators with ample time for learning reflection
A robust 'Spotlight on Learning' series delivering half- and full-day bursts of knowledge from thought leaders focuses on topics in early literacy and the whole child, diversity, equity, inclusion, and dyslexia awareness and instruction.
In addition to learning new concepts in basic and advanced literacy and leadership skills, educators network with a large contingent of like-minded educators and literacy experts to discuss topics on: environmental, social, and emotional considerations that impact literacy; partnering with families to promote literacy at home; and, the critical need for early childhood intervention for struggling learners to achieve academic success.
About Learning Ally
Learning Ally is a leading nonprofit education organization 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 1.6 million students and 260,000 educators through our solutions and community, across the United States.
About Learning Ally Audiobook Solution
The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution is our cornerstone award-winning reading resource used in more than 20,100 schools to help students with reading deficits succeed. Composed of high quality, human-read audiobooks and a suite of teacher resources to monitor and support student progress, it is proven to double the rate of reading growth and designed to turn struggling readers into engaged learners. Visit www.LearningAlly.org.
In 2021, The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution received six education awards including T&L's Award of Excellence for Best Back to School Solution for Secondary Education, T&L Best Remote and Blended Learning Tool, and SIIA Codie Finalist for Best Virtual Learning Solution. Learning Ally was also named a “World Changing Ideas” Organization in the category of Education by Fast Company.