All Programs and Professional Development that Claim to Teach the Science of Reading Do Not
Even though the federal law mandates states and districts to provide rigorous and relevant professional development for all teachers, the reading crisis continues due to a lack of knowledge that teachers have about dyslexia and the science of reading. Schools may claim they are closing the knowledge gap, but the evidence shows otherwise. What is the plan to train all teachers so they can effectively implement the science of reading?
To make matters worse, most educational agencies provide substandard professional development instead of using accredited programs with credentialed trainers. It is NOT uncommon for them to label colleagues as “experts” even though they are NOT credentialed in the science of reading, have never remediated a student with dyslexia or even taught using the science of reading; YET, these unqualified individuals provide training to teachers.
Find out how your state and local district trains teachers on the science of reading. Do not blindly believe what is written on a websites, policy, or professional development description.
❗️Request to see the credentials of the provider.
❗️Request to see the skills and knowledge participants are to master.
❗️Finally, request for see the tool used to show mastery of the content.
➡️If the educational agency is unwilling to provide this information, fill out a right to know request. Government agencies are obligated to provide this information under the Freedom of Information Act.
More information and Resources:
The IDA Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading (Knowledge and Practice Standards) provide a comprehensive research based framework that articulates what all reading teachers and specialists should know and be able to demonstrate to teach reading successfully to all students. The focus of the Knowledge and Practice Standards (🔗) is the structure of language and its component systems, their connections to design and delivery of instruction, and the complex nature of skilled reading. Such knowledge is critical in teaching those with dyslexia and other struggling readers, but all students can benefit from the Structured Literacy approach.
All programs need to include the following:
🔗Criteria of Programs
🔗Standards
🔗2004 Article ASCD (It is 2020! Does anyone read this professional journal?)
🔗 The Science of Reading and Its Educational Implications by Mark S. Seidenberg
🔗Article from the Atlantic
🔗NPR