This session will begin with Scarborough’s Reading Rope and the big picture of reading acquisition. It will then zoom in to the word recognition strand of the rope. Educators will review the brain science that supports foundational skills instruction, learn the different components of effective foundational skills instruction, and experience instructional strategies in action through video clips, modeling, and opportunities to practice. Participants will walk away an understanding of the value of foundational skills instruction for all students as well as a tool kit of instructional strategies to begin building strong foundational skills in their own classroom. Throughout the session we will attend to strategies and impact for students with thinking and learning differences and multi-lingual learners.
Learner Outcomes:
Explain why daily, systematic, explicit foundational skills instruction is a critical component of a comprehensive literacy program. Articulate the difference between phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, and phonics. Select from high leverage instructional strategies for teaching foundational skills in the classroom. Select from high leverage instructional strategies for supporting students with thinking and learning differences and multi-lingual learners.
Learning Questions:
- Share two key takeaways around best practices in literacy instruction that you learned in this session.
- Share one clear next step you plan to take from the learning in this session.
- Share more about the learning that you would want or need to advance your practice in literacy instruction.