Posted November 11, 2020

Children do more than grow, they develop. They change both qualitatively and quantitatively over time to become themselves. More factors play a role in this development than we can possibly conceive of or measure, but some play a larger role than others. During this on-demand webinar, Dr. Steve Dykstra, a clinical psychologist for Milwaukee County, unpacks the uniquely essential role that language and literacy play in the process of child development in the modern world, and how language and literacy interact with other factors that drive healthy development. READ MORE

Posted October 28, 2020

Pajaro Valley Unified School District (CA) students whose teachers participated in training and instructional coaching provided by CORE achieved greater growth in their reading skills.

Many factors contribute to student achievement but research conducted by SEG Measurement, an education research, evaluation, and assessment firm, has found that professional development provided by Consortium on Reaching Excellence in Education (CORE) moves the needle on student achievement. A study of third grade reading performance in Pajaro Valley Unified School District (PVUSD) conducted in January 2020 and recently peer-reviewed for presentation at AACE’s Innovate Learning 2020 Summit found that students in classrooms with teachers who participated in CORE professional development showed statistically significant growth in their reading skills in comparison to students in classrooms whose teachers did not receive training and coaching from CORE. 

Since the 2016–17 school year, CORE has provided professional development and technical assistance to elementary teachers and administrators in PVUSD to help implement, in addition to their broader English Language Arts instruction, the Systematic Instruction in Phonological Awareness, Phonics and Sight words (SIPPS) reading foundational skills program. “We weren’t using SIPPS to fidelity,” Dr. Michelle Rodriguez, Superintendent at PVUSD, says. “Specifically, teachers weren’t given the instruction or training to implement it well.” CORE began working closely with classroom teachers and instructional coaches, providing training and instructional coaching within the context of the SIPPS curriculum and their own classrooms.  READ MORE

Posted October 28, 2020

Welcome to the Fall 2020 edition of the CORE Academic Quarterly newsletter!

In this edition of the Academic Quarterly, the Reading Expert shares recommendations and resources to help you better support students with dyslexia when they are participating in remote learning.

The Marvelous Mathematician shares many techniques to help students with dyslexia overcome their challenges learning mathematics with less pain and with greater success.

Finally, in the Leadership Corner you’ll find you’ll find guidance for selecting and implementing valid and reliable screeners, high-quality curriculum, and intervention materials.

START READING!

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Posted October 15, 2020

In 2018, Emily Hanford began an investigation into reading instruction in the U.S. Her reporting for American Public Media added fuel to a long-simmering debate about phonics-based instruction versus a whole language approach to teaching reading. During this on-demand webinar Ms. Hanford takes a deep dive into what she’s learned, including:

• Key concepts from scientific research on reading
• Why early reading instruction is critical when it comes to achieving educational equity
• Why reading instruction has been so controversial in American education and, in particular, why people fight about phonics
• Why reading instruction in so many schools is not aligned with scientific research

READ MORE

Posted October 12, 2020

This is the third video in a series of free on-demand professional learning videos from CORE and Pivot Learning* that feature expert advice about supporting students with word reading difficulties.

Racial, ethnic and socio-economic inequality in education unfortunately has a long and persistent history in the United States. These inequities are especially profound when it comes to how schools identify students with reading difficulties and provide reading instruction. But in this moment, many are working harder than ever to reduce barriers so that all students can receive the support they need to become successful readers. READ MORE