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Defining Moment
Science of Reading: A Defining Moment
"The science of reading has culminated in a preponderance of evidence to inform how proficient reading and writing develop; why some have difficulty; and how we can most effectively assess and teach and, therefore, improve student outcomes through prevention of and intervention for reading difficulties.
Although the scientific evidence base for effective reading has existed for decades, the term “the science of reading” has gained traction in the last few years, potentially leading to misunderstandings.
The Science of Reading: Defining Guide provides a firm definition of what the science of reading is, what it is not, and how all stakeholders can understand its potential to transform reading instruction." (Jasmine Hall, 2022, Administrator and Moderator Facebook Group: Reading Science in Schools).
- The Science of Reading: A Defining Movement Book LaunchOn January 22, 2022, The Reading League brought together a star-studded roster of thought leaders to launch their new book: The Science of Reading: A Defining Movement. Guest speakers included
Maria Sabene Murray, Pam Kastner, Steve Dykstra and Louisa Moats! Register to watch the Webinar.
- The Science of Reading: a Defining Guide byISBN: 9780578997575Publication Date: 2022-01-01Humankind's most precious treasure is our children, and our future depends on them. We recognize literacy as a fundamental human right that empowers individuals in a society. We also know that grim life outcomes are connected to illiteracy. We are resolved to prevent the collateral damage that is incurred by our students, especially the most vulnerable among them, when adults have limited access to the convergent scientific evidence. Research has yielded proven assessment and instructional practices with which every teacher and leader should be equipped. We believe that providing educators with this knowledge is a moral imperative. We are committed to evidence-aligned reading instruction being scaled with a sense of urgency in a comprehensive and systematic way by multiple stakeholders. We know that our children can be taught to read properly the first time. In a knowledge economy, the currency of the 21st century will be built on the foundation of skilled reading. Students who can read well have a place at the table of opportunity whether their aspirations lead them to preparation for college or the workforce. We believe in a future where a collective focus on applying the Science of Reading through teacher and leader preparation, classroom application, and community engagement will elevate and transform every community, every nation, through the power of literacy.
Click on the book cover below to download the eBook.
introductory pd
Introductory Professional Development
- Science of Reading PD""This is a self-paced professional development unit designed for K-3 teachers who desire to learn more about the science of reading.
Participants will move through seven self-paced modules focused on each component of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The phonemic awareness unit will also include a module on sound walls. Estimated time for completion of all the modules is six hours."
national reviews
National Reviews
- National Reading Panel: Teaching Children to Read"An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications on instruction" (United States, 2000).
- Independent Review of the Teaching of Early Reading"Over the first nine years of the National Curriculum (1989 to 1998) very little impact was made on raising standards of reading. Despite the content of phonic work being a statutory component of the National Curriculum over that time, reports from Her Majesty’s Inspectors show that it was often a neglected or a weak feature of the teaching. That changed markedly with the advent of the National Literacy Strategy in 1998.The Strategy engaged schools in developing a structured teaching programme of literacy that included not only what phonic content should be taught but also how to teach it, with a subsequent rise in standards ..." (UK, 2006).
- Teaching Reading: National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy"Underlying this report by the Committee for the National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy is the conviction that effective literacy teaching, and of reading in particular, should be grounded in findings from rigorous evidence-based research ... " (Australia, 2005).
- Read About It: Scientific Evidence for Effective Teaching of Reading" ... There are five essential and interdependent components of effective, evidence-based reading instruction — the five ‘keys’ to reading: Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary and Comprehension ..."
at a loss for words
At a Loss for Words
- At a Loss for Words: How a flawed idea is teaching millions of kids to be poor readers"For decades, schools have taught children the strategies of struggling readers, using a theory about reading that cognitive scientists have repeatedly debunked. And many teachers and parents don't know there's anything wrong with it."
ending the reading wars
Ending the Reading Wars
- Ending the Reading Wars: Reading Acquisition From Novice to Expert"There is intense public interest in questions surrounding how children learn to read and how they can best be taught. Research in psychological science has provided answers to many of these questions but, somewhat surprisingly, this research has been slow to make inroads into educational policy and practice. Instead, the field has been plagued by decades of “reading wars.” Even now, there remains a wide gap between the state of research knowledge about learning to read and the state of public understanding. The aim of this article is to fill this gap. We present a comprehensive tutorial review of the science of learning to read, spanning from children’s earliest alphabetic skills through to the fluent word recognition and skilled text comprehension characteristic of expert readers. We explain why phonics instruction is so central to learning in a writing system such as English. But we also move beyond phonics, reviewing research on what else children need to learn to become expert readers and considering how this might be translated into effective classroom practice. We call for an end to the reading wars and recommend an agenda for instruction and research in reading acquisition that is balanced, developmentally informed, and based on a deep understanding of how language and writing systems work ... "
reading is rocket science
Reading is Rocket Science
- Reading is Rocket Science: What expert teachers of reading should know and be able to do"The most fundamental responsibility of schools is teaching students to read. Because reading affects all other academic achievement and is associated with social, emotional, economic, and physical health, it has been the most researched aspect of human cognition ... "
rethinking guided reading
Rethinking Guided Reading