This course offers a practical, evidence-based look at how children learn to read and the strategies that can support their reading development. Often referred to as the Science of Reading, this approach examines how the brain learns to read and how evidence-based instruction can support this process. Participants will explore the research behind phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension, while gaining practical experience with strategies, assessments, texts, and resources that can be used to support children as they develop their reading skills.
What You Will Learn
- Identify evidence-based strategies to teach children how to read
- Examine the science behind how the brain learns to read
- Outline the resources available to teach children to read
How You Will Learn
This course combines research with hands-on activities and opportunities to apply reading strategies:
- Research and Discussion: Examine the research behind how children learn to read and discuss evidence-based approaches to reading instruction.
- Hands-On Practice: Practice blending, encoding, and other reading activities that can be used when working with children.
- Assessment and Reflection: Conduct a Heggerty assessment with a child, reflect on the experience, and consider the findings and areas for further support.
- Working with Texts: Practice using decodable and transition texts with a child and reflect on differences in fluency, decoding, and comprehension.
- Instructional Strategies: Explore strategies for prompting children when they are stuck on a word and develop a routine for reading instruction based on identified reading needs.
- Resources: Explore resources available to support children as they develop their reading skills.
Who Should Take This Course?
This course is intended for individuals who work with or support children developing reading skills, including:
- Parents and caregivers who want to better understand evidence-based approaches to teaching children to read
- Teachers and educators who want to strengthen their understanding of evidence-based reading instruction
- Education assistants and support staff who work with children developing reading skills
- Tutors, literacy instructors, and others who work with or support children and want to develop practical strategies for reading instruction
Why Take This Course?
Understanding how children learn to read can help adults make informed choices about the strategies, resources, and instructional approaches they use to support reading development. This course connects the research behind the Science of Reading with opportunities to practice strategies, work with children, explore reading texts, use assessment, and reflect on what works. Participants will leave with a stronger understanding of how children learn to read, along with practical strategies and resources to support reading development.