2022 Literacy Symposium: Word Recognition K-5 Strand

Current debates about the role of phoneme awareness instruction are, unfortunately, creating confusion where there needs to be clarity. We will revisit these questions: Why is phoneme awareness challenging? How is phoneme awareness distinct from, but related to, both word recognition and spelling? How can we select appropriate activities for students whose PA is underdeveloped? What do those activities look like?

What exactly is speech-to-print instruction, and why does it have a such a strong positive impact on learning to read, write, and spell? A “speech-to-print” approach puts spoken language first to leverage the brain's innate, biological wiring and organization for oral language. With “speech to print”, spelling is the gateway through which students learn how to read and write. ALL students – and especially students who have or are at high-risk for reading and writing problems – can benefit from a speech-to-print approach to reading and writing.

Come learn about a class-wide reading intervention for grades 2-8 that will raise the reading proficiency of your students. Lindsay implemented this class-wide intervention and her class median score of 50 words correct per minute improved to 64 words correct per minute in just 2 weeks. Come learn how you can apply this intervention in your classroom and listen as Lindsay shares her tips, mistakes, and questions as she applied research to her practice this past year. Leave with specific strategies and resources to implement this research-based intervention in your classroom.

The purpose of this session is to describe how to use instructional routines to enhance the delivery of your core reading instruction in a multi-tiered system of Tier 1 and Tier 2 support. Systematic strategies and teaching routines designed to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of reading instruction in kindergarten, first, and second grade will be described and will be directly relevant to practitioners implementing multi-tiered systems and response to intervention models.

Teachers will learn how decodable texts are critical for beginning phonics instruction, when to start using decodable text, when it is appropriate to move away from decodable text, and how to track students‚ progress with decodable texts. Teachers will also learn the importance of using decodable text to practice a new advanced phonics pattern when it is taught, even though students are capable of reading grade level text independently. There is a brief discussion of the difference between decodable and leveled texts.

In this session, key findings and questions from a published analysis (Roberts, 2021)of four Randomized Controlled Trial studies comparing generic approaches including the use of Embedded Pictograph Mnemonics to teaching beginning alphabet knowledge to preschool students will be presented. Conventions and policy prioritize letter name recognition and capital letter formation, yet until recently very few studies compared generic instructional approaches to letter learning, or, provided conceptual frameworks for procedures or student engagement. Relevance for practitioners and implications for the students who tend to become the most under served in literacy will be discussed.

Teachers often ask us how to include decodable readers during phonics instruction. This session answers that question. Teachers will learn how decodable texts are critical for beginning phonics instruction, when to start using decodable text, when it is appropriate to move away from decodable text, and how to track students’ progress with decodable texts. Teachers will also learn the importance of using decodable text to practice a new advanced phonics pattern when it is taught, even though students are capable of reading grade level text independently. There is a brief discussion of the difference between decodable and leveled texts.

The presenters will discuss descriptive research that Dr. Miles has conducted which demonstrates some of the issues with word walls. Dr. Dahlgren will then discuss how sound walls and accompanying instructional methods should be used to articulate and distinguish between sounds and to strengthen sound-to-letter correspondences. The presenters will also share data on three action research projects that demonstrate the effective use of sound walls.

If we, as educators, know a great deal about the writing system, will that make even those at the less fortunate end of the scale better spellers? Lyn argues ‘yes’. In this address, Lyn shows, through practical demonstration, the benefits of systematically teaching the orthographic patterns of written English. Drawing on principles of cognitive load theory, linguistic analysis and her vast experience in varied educational settings, Lyn offers suggestions for implementing high quality spelling lessons into everyday classroom instruction.

Dr. Miles will present on her explicit and systematic word reading curriculum for emergent readers. The intervention sessions involve multi-modal phonemic awareness, letter knowledge, word analysis, and decodable sentence reading activities. Since summer 2021, her team has trained over 100 NYC DOE staff and over 230 preservice teachers to conduct the 20 minute sessions 3-5x a week with mostly first grade striving readers. Preliminary results show student growth in phoneme blending and nonword reading skills. An accompanying manual for caregivers and plans to train caregivers/community members will also be discussed.