Ground Your Professional Learning in the Science of Reading

Outdated, unsupported reading professional learning can lead to less effective teaching and lower reading achievement — particularly among disadvantaged students. Read this report from Dr. Louisa Moats and the American Federation of Teachers to learn what needs to be done to improve professional learning courses and align them with widely accepted research around how children learn to read and the effective components of reading instruction.

What does the Online Elementary Reading Academy cover?
The Online Elementary Reading Academy consists of seven flexible modules designed to be completed over seven to 12 weeks. Complete each module on your own time and at your own pace.

Each module is collaborative, and teachers get the chance to share ideas with other course participants as well as with expert course facilitators. Modules cover specific skills and evidence-based instructional strategies educators can apply to help all students set strong foundations for reading success. Specific topics discussed include:   

1. Course Orientation and Introduction to Dyslexia
2. The Structure of Language
3. Phonemic Awareness, Explicit Phonics Instruction and Irregular Word Reading
4. Multisyllabic Word Reading and Fluency
5. Vocabulary
6. Comprehension
7. Reading Assessment for Effective Instruction

Get a free preview of the Online Elementary Reading Academy.

How will the Online Elementary Reading Academy strengthen my instructional skills?
At the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Articulate research on the essential components of reading instruction
• Gain clear and explicit models of instruction immediately applicable to the classroom
• Identify the best practices and explicit methods to develop phonemic awareness, phonics and irregular and multisyllabic word knowledge, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and literary and informational text knowledge
• Understand the structure of the English and Spanish language system
• Identify and use techniques to support academic language development for English learners
• Understand how to use informal diagnostic measures of phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension as a basis for instructional decisions

After participating in the Online Elementary Reading Academy, 99% of educators say the course met or exceeded their expectations. Participants also report large increases in understanding the critical components of reading instruction.