Science of Reading News Digest: September 2024
The Literacy Architects
We break down complex literacy routines into step-by-step plans and deliver PD to support you along the way.
The majority of our professional development offerings are virtual, which we absolutely love because we get to connect with and support educators across the country! But there’s just something special about connecting with educators in person like we had the chance to do earlier this month at the Memphis Literacy Conference. Feeling the room buzzing with excitement over new literacy ideas, hearing laughter and aha moments as educators collaborate with each other — we’re so grateful to the Memphis Literacy Institute and Memphis Teacher Residency teams for having us! Stay tuned for a more in-depth recap of our sessions on phonemic awareness and background knowledge!
Here are the literacy headlines that caught our attention during the month of September:
Several Canadian provinces, including Ontario, Nova Scotia, Alberta, and New Brunswick, are shifting to structured literacy to address low literacy rates among students. This instructional approach emphasizes evidence-based practices including phonics and phonemic awareness, marking a move away from the previous balanced literacy method. Experts, such as Jamie Metsala, argue that early reading success is crucial for children's academic and emotional well-being, but some parents feel more support is needed to fully implement the new teaching methods.
A new analysis highlights school districts across the U.S. that are outperforming expectations in third-grade reading proficiency, despite high poverty rates. Using poverty-adjusted scores, the study identifies districts that are successfully helping students, like Steubenville City in Ohio, where 99% of third graders were proficient in reading, despite a poverty rate higher than 96% of districts nationwide. The findings emphasize that while poverty typically correlates with lower reading scores, some districts are "beating the odds" by using effective instructional practices.
The U.S. Department of Education announced $179 million in grants to support academic progress, with a focus on improving literacy and assessment systems. Of this, $149 million is allocated for Comprehensive Literacy State Development grants, the largest amount ever awarded through the program. These funds aim to support evidence-based literacy interventions to support students, particularly those in high-poverty areas. The initiative is designed to enhance literacy education and provide equitable access to high-quality instruction across states.
Stephen and Ayesha Curry’s new documentary, Sentenced, explores the struggles of individuals who never learned to read, highlighting the deep emotional and generational impact of illiteracy. Drawing inspiration from Frederick Douglass’ belief in the life-changing power of literacy, the film portrays reading as a pathway to freedom and breaking the cycle of poverty. The documentary emphasizes the transformative role of education and aligns with the Currys' personal mission to close literacy gaps through their Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. Sentenced is a call to action for educational equity.
What We're Working On
📢 Announcing October's LLN Topic: Innovative Literacy PD for Teachers
Here's what's on the Literacy Leadership Network Calendar:
🌟 October 7: Live webinar to help you translate reading research into concrete plans for instructional change.
📚 October 8: Webinar recording + members-only resources and downloads so you can take your learning with you.
🎬 October 14: 2–4 short videos aligned to this month's topic so you can further your learning.
🤝 October 21: Live consultancy meeting to give you the time and space to receive feedback from and exchange ideas with peers.
⏰ Week of October 28: Office hours to ask our literacy specialists questions about your specific school or district situation.
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📢 Attention university professors!
We have an exclusive opportunity that's perfect if you want more ideas for your course syllabus to align it with the science of reading.
Join us this October and November for a six-week community of practice with other reading professors to learn more about teaching educator prep candidates about evidence-based literacy instruction.
Here’s what past participants had to say about this unique opportunity:
“I liked hearing from the other instructors what content they were adding to their courses and their justification for doing so. It is giving me a lot of great ideas for my own course.”
“There are so many valuable things that I will use. My class will be much more hands-on with students practicing the instructional techniques instead of me always doing the modeling.”
“This course helped me to wrap my head around strategies to help undergraduate students understand the big picture.”
Fall Community of Practice Details:
Mondays, 2 pm–3 pm EST
October 21–November 25
on Zoom
In Case You Missed It
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