11/26/2024

Infusing the Science of Reading Into Secondary Instruction

Challenge: Implementing science of reading-infused instruction at the secondary level. 

Solution: Lexia Aspire® Professional Learning and Lexia® PowerUp Literacy®

Renee Hesson, district supervisor of instruction for secondary ELA and reading interventions in Caroline County, Maryland, knew her secondary students needed more support in literacy to succeed, regardless of their intervention tier.

“My charge is to help every child read proficiently,” Hesson said. Her solution? Implementing Aspire professional learning for her ELA teachers and PowerUp for her students in intervention.

Using Aspire, teachers truly understood the “why” behind the science of reading and were better equipped to teach literacy because of their own deeper understanding of the science of reading. 

Aspire’s modules were particularly beneficial for secondary teachers working with:

• Emergent Bilinguals
• Students with dyslexia
• Students needing additional support

Hesson explained that English content teachers aren’t consistently taught how to address different skill levels in their teacher-preparation programs. 

Aspire paired with PowerUp, which accelerates literacy gains for secondary students reading below grade level, has led to teachers and students in Caroline County seeing dramatic gains in word study, grammar, and reading comprehension.

Hesson is thrilled by the improvements she’s seen in a matter of months: “With Aspire and PowerUp, teachers have the knowledge and the resources they need to teach kids not only to learn to read, but read to learn, and then apply it.” 

Learn what happens when you invest in your educators and check out the infographic to see how Aspire and PowerUp are transforming literacy instruction in Caroline County.