6/3/2024
Science of Reading: Summer Reading for School Administrators
Lexia’s Science of Reading Week 2024 featured several panelists, guests, and educators who gave valuable insight about how to implement the science of reading (SOR) into an existing curriculum. Several articles, films, podcasts, and tools were referenced during these discussions.
For your convenience, we have compiled a list of these resources, so you can quickly and easily reference tools to support an evidence-based, equitable, and effective literacy program in your school and see improvements in students’ reading comprehension, regardless of budget.
Panelist Recommendations
Articles
Structured Literacy and Typical Literacy Practices: Understanding Differences to Create Instructional Opportunities This article by Louise Spear-Swerling is helpful for determining whether or not a school’s literacy curriculum is evidence-aligned.
Films
The Right to Read This film follows the story of an NAACP activist, a teacher, and two American families and how they used a SOR approach to transform the reading ability of young children.
The Truth About Reading This film showcases several adults, businesspeople, and former educators who were not properly taught how to read and their journey of overcoming reading difficulties.
Other Resources
Not all administrators have the budget to invest in professional development (PD). Reading Rockets and its website, Reading Universe, both offer free resources for teachers and administrators to educate themselves about SOR practices and their implementation in the classroom.
Reading 101 A free self-paced course by Reading Rockets about the science of reading.
Reading Universe A website offering free lesson plans, videos, skill explainers, and printables. Helps students with learning disabilities, multilingual students, and students at various levels learn to read effectively.
Peer Recommendations
Books
A Kids Book About Imagination by Levar Burton A children’s book about the power of imagination.
Readicide: How Schools are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It by Kelly Gallagher High school teacher Kelly Gallagher explores how standardized testing and current models of reading instruction in schools are causing students to lose interest in reading.
The Knowledge Gap by Natalie Wexler Explores the disparity between low-income and high-income students’ experiences with the current reading program and how context-based learning is essential toward improving reading comprehension and equity in schools.
Transform: Achieving Educational Excellence Through the Science of Reading by Greg Clement Greg Clement, a former school principal, provides tools and knowledge administrators and leaders can use to achieve educational equity in their schools through the science of reading.
The Impact Cycle: What Instructional Coaches Should Do to Foster Powerful Improvements in Teaching by Jim Knight Jim Knight explains how to develop a PD model of instructional coaching that is collaborative, respectful, and structured to help teachers.
The Literacy 50–A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night A compilation of Q+A questions Melissa Loftus and Lori Sappington received from teachers about literacy on their podcast, “Melissa & Lori Love Literacy.”
Films/Videos
County of Santa Clara Juvenile Justice Centers Bring the Library to Incarcerated Youth A story about how the Santa Clara Library District worked to meet the educational needs of incarcerated youth who didn’t have access to libraries or reading programs.
WKAR Specials | Building the Reading Brain A PBS special that explains the science of reading, how neural pathways are built, and the “reading center of the brain.”
Watch Reading Rainbow Stories Instructional videos and materials by Reading Rainbow that can be used in the classroom.
How Children Learn to Read, with Margaret Goldberg A concise explanation by Margaret Goldberg from Reading Universe about the science of reading and how she uses SOR in her classroom.
Podcasts
All For Literacy Podcast Lexia’s own All For Literacy® podcast hosts renowned literacy experts and practitioners to help bridge the gap between research and practice, providing actionable tips about how to achieve educational equity through the science of reading.
Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong Exposes how ineffective models of teaching literacy were sold to educators and what caused these models to prevail over time despite their harmful effects.
Melissa & Lori Love Literacy A podcast for educators interested in the science of reading for students of all ages.
Other Resources
Virginia Literacy Act Information about the Virginia Literacy Act and the changes implemented to improve literacy outcomes for students. You can find additional insights and resources about the Virginia Literacy Act on Lexia's resource page.
Literacy Briefs | New York State Education Department Provided by the New York State Education Department, these literacy briefs help to increase knowledge about evidence-based literacy instruction and how educators can support their students’ learning and development.
Khan Academy Kids Free educational app for students.
Advanced Word Study Resource—Mississippi Department of Education News Blog A free public literacy resource tailored toward older students and higher grade levels.
Cox Campus Free courses and resources to learn about the science of reading and why it’s effective.
Active Implementation Hub Covers the science of implementation to understand how administrators effectively implement evidence-based practices in their schools.
Reading 360 Reading 360 is a literacy movement in Tennessee that supports phonic-based reading. Several free literacy materials are linked at the bottom of the webpage.
Lexia LETRS—Professional Learning for Educators (Pre-K-5) Lexia® LETRS® is a professional development program that equips educators and administrators with everything they need to know to improve student outcomes with a SOR-based literacy program.
Lexia Aspire—Professional Learning for Educators (4-8) Lexia® Aspire™ Professional Learning, grounded in the science of reading, is a flexible, self-paced, digital solution that empowers all educators to accelerate literacy skills among students in grades 4-8.
IES The Institute of Educational Services provides several informative resources for educators including Practice Guides for secondary students and older readers, as well as the Regional Educational Laboratory Program which partners with educators and policymakers nationwide to create sustained change in student outcomes.
Shanahan Literacy Resources Includes several research articles and classroom resources for literacy.
Explicit Instructions | Effective and Efficient Teaching Anita Archer is an educational consultant who has helped teachers plan and deliver lessons in the most efficient and effective way.
University of Florida Literacy Institute Resources for teachers to improve literacy curriculum. Includes resources for students with dyslexia and the virtual classroom.
Resources for Dyslexic Learners | Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators A collection of classroom resources targeted toward students with dyslexia.
Panelist Projects
Resources from our partners at The Reading League
The Reading League Compass Featured on day four of Lexia’s Science of Reading Week, Kari Kurto’s Reading League Compass is a comprehensive resource that provides educators and administrators with the resources, knowledge, and support they need to advocate and implement a Structured Literacy program at the local, district, and national levels.
The Reading Rope: Key Ideas Behind the Metaphor Provided by The Reading League, The Reading Rope is a diagram that helps administrators determine whether they are assessing students on all key components of reading comprehension.
Educators and Specialists Equips administrators and teachers with the resources needed to provide professional development that effectively builds knowledge in evidence-based SOR practices.
Educator Preparation Programs Provides resources and strategies to support and implement SOR practices in an educator-prep program.
In Spanish: LA CIENCIA DE LA LECTURA This eBook helps to clarify confusion about a Structured Literacy approach by defining what the science of reading is and what it is not.
English Learners/Emergent Bilinguals and the Science of Reading Misconceptions in the science of reading have led to school practices that are detrimental to Emergent Bilinguals. The ELEB page of The Reading League provides information about the effectiveness and implementation of a SOR approach for multilingual students, a Joint Statement addressing these misunderstandings, and useful knowledge to support conversations around the topic.
Policymakers and State Education Agencies Equips administrators and educators with the knowledge needed to engage in difficult conversations with policymakers and legislators when advocating for evidence-aligned literacy instruction.
Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines To eliminate confusion for teachers, a consistent curriculum is key. The Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines and Reviewer Workbook help walk administrators through all components of literacy to determine whether or not they are aligned to the science of reading. The research section and instructional materials provided on this page help administrators see how their suite of assessments and materials align with the SOR body of knowledge.
Other Resources
Clarifying the Science of Reading—Language Magazine Misunderstandings of the science of reading can lead to a curriculum that can worsen a student’s overall reading comprehension. This page helps educators and administrators clarify what the science of reading is, what it’s not, and how to know if the curriculum in their school is effective in improving literacy.
Jessica Farmer, @farmerlovesphonics Featured as a guest on day four of the Science of Reading Week, Jessica Farmer is an influencer and educator on SOR-based instruction who provides several literacy resources and videos on her social media accounts.
Next Steps
Download Your Summer Reading List
It is an administrator's responsibility to do everything they can to support teachers and students in improving reading comprehension in their school.
With these resources at their fingertips, administrators have the incredible opportunity to help students achieve life-changing outcomes in reading.
However, without properly taking advantage of this opportunity, building a strong community, and fully supporting teachers in this transition, change will not be sustained.
And in case you missed any of our incredible Science of Reading Week programming, you can find recordings of each webinar on our website:
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