The Science of Reading in action:

Evidence-Based Instruction that works

Shift your literacy instruction from guesswork to a research-backed framework designed to accelerate reading growth at every grade level.

Transform how you teach reading by translating cognitive science into powerful, everyday classroom practices. The Science of Reading in Action is a 6-week virtual professional development series built for elementary, middle, and high school educators, specialists, and instructional leaders.

Throughout this interactive series, we will unpack the foundational research behind how the human brain learns to read and bridge the gap between theory and execution. We will systematically explore the "Big Five" pillars of literacy - phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension - and show how to adapt these principles for both foundational readers and older students navigating complex texts. You will walk away with an actionable toolkit of evidence-based instructional routines, assessment strategies, and multi-tiered intervention methods ready to deploy immediately in your classroom.

MS/HS SESSIONS

WEDNESDAYS from 3:45 - 4:30 PM

1/13, 1/20, 1/27, 2/3, 2/10, 2/17

ELEMENTARY SESSIONS

TUESDAYS from 3:45 - 4:30 PM

1/12, 1/19, 1/26, 2/2, 2/9, 2/16

Register Today!

✨ Key Benefits (Why Sign Up?)

  • Bridge Research to Daily Practice: Translate complex cognitive reading research (including Scarborough’s Reading Rope and Simple View of Reading) into clear, manageable classroom routines.

  • Span the K–12 Continuum: Discover how the core pillars of reading apply across all grade bands—from early foundational decoding to advanced secondary content-area literacy.

  • Master the "Big Five" Pillars: Gain deep instructional strategies for phonemic awareness, systematic phonics/morphology, oral/silent fluency, Tier 2 & 3 vocabulary, and text comprehension.

  • Strengthen Multi-Tiered Support (MTSS): Learn how to seamlessly integrate evidence-based reading strategies into Tier 1 core instruction, Tier 2 targeted groups, and Tier 3 intensive interventions.

  • Walk Away with a Ready-to-Use Toolkit: Access customizable templates, graphic organizers, instructional scripts, and decodable/morphological learning routines you can use immediately.

  • Collaborate in a Virtual Cohort: Connect with fellow educators, share real-world implementation challenges, and collaborate with peers in a supportive, virtual learning community.

Format & Schedule

Duration: 6 Sessions

Meeting Day:

  • ELEMENTARY: Tuesdays

  • MIDDLE SCHOOL/HIGH SCHOOL: Wednesdays

Time: 3:45–4:30 PM (45 minutes)

Platform: Virtual (Zoom link will be shared after registration.)

Detailed Curriculum Outline

Week 1: Groundwork—The Science Behind How We Read

  • Understanding cognitive reading science, Scarborough’s Reading Rope, and the Simple View of Reading.

  • Unpacking brain pathways involved in reading and why balanced literacy routines fall short.

  • Auditing your current literacy instruction to move from intuitive guessing to evidence-backed practice.

Week 2: Phonemic Awareness & Orthographic Mapping

  • The role of advanced phonological and phonemic awareness in long-term reading success.

  • Instructional routines for blending, segmenting, and manipulating sounds without visual print.

  • How orthographic mapping anchors words into permanent sight memory for all readers.

Week 3: Systematic Phonics & Structural Analysis (Morphology)

  • Designing explicit, systematic phonics scopes and sequences for elementary classrooms.

  • Adapting phonics for secondary students using advanced decoding and syllable division rules.

  • Integrating morphology (prefixes, roots, suffixes) and etymology to unlock multisyllabic words across subjects.

Week 4: Fluency—Bridging Decoding to Deep Comprehension

  • Moving beyond speed: Focus on accuracy, automaticity, prosody, and expression.

  • Practical fluency routines (repeated reading, choral reading, echo reading) that build confidence.

  • Diagnostic tools to determine whether fluency gaps stem from decoding issues or language deficits.

Week 5: Vocabulary Acquisition & Knowledge Building

  • The crucial link between background knowledge, oral language, and reading comprehension.

  • Direct instruction routines for Tier 2 (high-utility) and Tier 3 (domain-specific) vocabulary words.

  • Using semantic mapping, word webs, and contextual analysis to deepen word mastery.

Week 6: Reading Comprehension & System-Wide Classroom Integration

  • Explicit strategies for sentence-level comprehension, syntax analysis, and metacognition.

  • Crafting text-dependent questions and structured graphic organizers that drive deep text analysis.

  • Bringing it all together: Building a cohesive, multi-tiered literacy plan for your classroom or school.