Science of Reading Webinars 2023-2024
What to Look for in a Diagnostic Reading Assessment
Wednesday, 3PM EST, 1 hour
It seems like every reading assessment you look at today is deemed to be diagnostic. But, what does diagnostic mean? And, what should we look for when selecting a diagnostic reading assessment. In this webinar, we will discuss the characteristics that a diagnostic reading assessment should have. You will leave the webinar with the knowledge and tools you need to make decisions when selecting a diagnostic reading assessment that best fits your needs.
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Expanding the View of the Science of Reading beyond Phonics
Wednesday, 3PM EST, 1 hour
The Science of Reading framework has recently gained popularity as a result of state reforms of reading instruction. In the process, the framework has been unfortunately mis-characterized as phonics-based reading instruction in K-3. In reality, however, the Science of Reading framework involves a lot more than simply knowing the letter-to-sound correspondence, and is relevant to reading in K-12 and beyond.
The Science of Reading framework is a vast, interdisciplinary body of scientifically based research about reading and issues related to reading and writing that has been developed over the past five decades by scholars from cognitive psychology, education, special education, linguistics, and neuroscience, among others.
The Science of Reading research informs how proficient reading and writing develop, why some individuals have difficulty, and how to effectively assess and teach reading and writing. Importantly, the Science of Reading has helped educators understand the cognitive processes that lead to reading proficiency while debunking various methods, such as the three cueing system, that are not scientifically grounded.
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Foundational Reading Skills in Middle School
Wednesday, 3PM EST, 1 hour
The Science of Reading continues to permeate the education world. Most of the conversations relate to foundational reading skills in the primary grades; however, the Science of Reading is not only for primary grades. In fact, the research-base provides evidence-based practices that support readers well beyond primary grades into middle school where readers confront increasingly complex disciplinary texts. It is in these upper grades where teachers can rely on the research base to better inform high-quality reading instruction.
In this webinar, we will present ways middle school teachers can build on the foundational reading skills that are developed in the primary grades. A reading researcher who is a former middle school reading interventionist will share the research and provide tangible methods that support middle school readers’ achievement in reading complex texts.
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Using the Science of Reading to Develop Vocabulary and Morphological Awareness
Wednesday, 3PM EST, 1 hour
As the Science of Reading permeates education and politics, it is imperative to expand our understanding of what the science says beyond phonics. One aspect of the research that is clear is the need for word analysis instruction that builds word knowledge. This is especially important given that word knowledge highly impacts reading comprehension. Providing students with robust word analysis instruction that fosters both word and morpheme knowledge leads to success as students strengthen their understanding of language and make connections across words and concepts independently.
In this webinar, hear from a reading researcher how to center instruction on word analysis using practices that foster word consciousness. Transform your instructional approaches to teaching vocabulary and morphology to include general academic words and morphological aspects of words. Presenters will share the transformative impact of having a diagnostic assessment that measures vocabulary and morphology.
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Using the Science of Reading to Develop Sentence Processing Skills
Wednesday, 3PM EST, 1 hour
As the Science of Reading continues to inform educational practices, it is important to understand what the science says about foundational reading skills. Sentence level processing skills are critical for skilled comprehension. While comprehension is often focused on at the passage level, comprehension is built at the phrasal and sentence level. Older students require support in making sense of the relationships either explicitly or implicitly marked in sentences.
In this webinar, learn how to center instruction on sentence-level processing skills that lead to successful reading comprehension. Transform your instructional approaches to support older readers in being able to make sense of phrasal and sentence level relationships. You will hear about the transformative impact of having a diagnostic assessment that measures older students’ sentence processing skills.
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Using the Science of Reading to Develop Fluency
Wednesday, 3PM EST, 1 hour
As the Science of Reading continues to be the focus of educational reforms, it is important to understand what the science says about foundational reading skills beyond phonics. Fluency is a critical skill that leads to good comprehension. This is because fluent reading assumes that readers are able to read with accuracy and at a rate that supports comprehension. A fluent reader automatically recognizes most words on the page and does not have to devote time to sounding out individual words. This ability leads to comprehension as readers learn to make sense of the text at the phrasal level—where comprehension lives. Providing students with opportunities to build both their oral and silent fluency is critical to long-term reading success.
In this webinar, hear from a reading researcher how to center instruction on fluency practices that lead to comprehension. Transform your instructional approaches to teaching fluency to include engaging and motivating practices that build fluency. Presenters will share the transformative impact of having a diagnostic assessment that measures silent reading fluency
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Using the Science of Reading to Develop Word Recognition and Decoding
Wednesday, 3PM EST, 1 hour
As the Science of Reading continues to inform educational practices, it is important to understand what the science says about foundational reading skills. Automatic word recognition and effective decoding skills are critical skills that lead to good comprehension. While phonics is a first step in “breaking the code,” older students require more advanced word analysis skills to be able to break apart multisyllabic words. They also require instruction that fosters automatic word recognition of academic words. Building automatic word recognition leads to comprehension as readers learn to make sense of the text.
In this webinar, hear from a researcher and 5th grade teacher on how to center instruction on word recognition and decoding practices that lead to successful reading comprehension. Transform your instructional approaches to teach word analysis skills that support older readers in being able to decode academic, multisyllabic words. Presenters will share the transformative impact of having a diagnostic assessment that measures older students’ word recognition and decoding skills.
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