The importance of phoneme awareness for acquiring the alphabetic principle and for learning to read has been documented since the 1970s, gaining broad recognition when the National Reading Panel Report was published in 2000. Since then, instruction to foster phonological awareness has become routinely recommended for the early grades.

However, the widespread practice in schools is to target awareness of larger phonological structures such as words, syllables, and onset-rimes before focusing on phonemes, with attention to the phoneme not occurring until well into kindergarten or first grade.

During this hour-long on-demand webinar, Dr. Susan Brady examines studies that raise questions regarding whether following this “continuum” is necessary and/or beneficial for students.

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When it comes to reading comprehension, teachers generally think of vocabulary, comprehension skills, and background knowledge as the critical components for students entering the middle grades. While this is true, we’re learning it’s an incomplete picture. Reading fluency is also vital to becoming a competent reader.

During this on-demand webinar, Dr. Claude Goldenberg will discuss reading fluency and aspects of reading fluency that are often ignored once students are no longer in the stage of early literacy development. You will learn:

• Why reading fluency matters for adolescent readers
• Why reading fluency might particularly matter for English learners
• The four key components of reading fluency
• Strategies to help both English learners and non-English learners experiencing reading difficulties due to a lack of reading fluency

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Welcome to the Fall 2021 edition of the CORE Academic Quarterly newsletter!

In this edition of the Academic Quarterly, the Reading Expert explores what has changed in our knowledge base since the International Dyslexia Association adopted a definition of dyslexia in 2003, and how a new definition can help move the needle toward more accurate ways to diagnose and intervene.

The Marvelous Mathematician has a conversation with Dr. Ben Clarke, Associate Professor at the University of Oregon, about the importance of elementary math assessment, look-fors when selecting math assessments, and what actions to take when assessment data reveal gaps in learning.

In the Leadership Corner you’ll find resources to help determine how well your current elementary reading/ELA curriculum, or one you’re considering adopting, aligns with the Science of Reading and Structured Literacy.

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Outside of the classroom, much of the math we encounter is in the form of word problems. “I’m having 12 people for Thanksgiving dinner. Each person will eat 1.5 pounds of turkey. How big of a turkey do I need to buy?” Yet, inside the classroom, how to solve word problems can leave students and teachers scratching their heads.

During this on-demand webinar, Dr. Sarah R. Powell shares:

• Two ineffective word-problem practices and why not to use them
• The importance of an attack strategy when working through word problems
• Common word-problem structures that help students see consistency with word-problem solving
• How to incorporate an attack strategy and a focus on structure in your math instruction

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During this information-packed on-demand webinar Dr. Jan Hasbrouck, author of the 2019 book Conquering Dyslexia, unpacks the latest research on dyslexia and explains our current understanding of this neurobiological disorder.
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