We are forming a District Literacy Committee so that we may engage a diverse representation of our team in the success of our students. This committee will not only work to implement our shifts in identifying and instructing students with markers of dyslexia, but also the required multi-sensory literacy certification throughout our team as we learn together how to implement the Science of Reading into our classrooms from Kindergarten through 12th Grade.
We have the opportunity to develop each student’s curiosity, discernment and independence as they build the habit of life-long learning. Neuroscience research and Science of Reading evidence show how the success of student outcomes expands when we strategically engage the four areas of the brain used to first master letters and sounds, then decode phonetics and build mastery in orthographic mapping. The culmination of this evidence and research weaves together the skills needed to build distinguished readers and writers.
We are seeing success and excitement in the youngest Tigers through this year's implementation of Heggerty’s phonemic awareness curriculum and our investment in LETRS professional training in our early elementary buildings. These evidence-based tools are beginning to empower our teams to build language and decoding confidence in our students and their adults at home as they progress through the school year. This continued education began during the pandemic for a cohort of teachers and showed us that the evidence-based practice works within our walls. These opportunities for our students and teachers will continue to expand—and through your participation in the literacy committee, we will learn more about these changes together.
Our District Literacy Committee will meet monthly beginning on January 27th at 4:15 p.m. to build our understanding of The Science of Reading and the Dyslexia guidelines. The format of the meetings will vary including open discussion based upon 'homework' topics and presentations by guests. At-home learning will also be enriched with videos, podcasts, articles, book studies, etc. that reflect what’s possible for our students. I hope these will lead to rich discussions over the next several months and I am excited for these materials to be shared with everyone, even those who are unable to attend the monthly meetings or not interested in joining formally.
If you are interested in joining the literacy committee, please sign up on this Google Form by Dec. 20. The location of the meetings will be determined once the form closes.
I am looking forward to the opportunities ahead of us and learning alongside you.
Timothy Fleming
Director of Curriculum and Technology
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Listen to more about the Science of Reading in this APM Reports documentary through Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.