Mastering the Science of Reading (5 hours)

This two-part, five-hour training series is targeted to literacy professionals outside of the K-12 context; all are invited to participate. This on-demand course was originally available as a two-part webinar series from 9:30am to noon EST on Fridays September 20th and October 4th, 2024.

This session is designed for educators, literacy specialists, and anyone passionate about improving reading outcomes for learners of all ages. Participants will dive into the science of reading—a research-based approach that blends cognitive science, neuroscience, and educational psychology to understand how reading develops in the brain. This training focuses on instructional strategies recommended by research to teach reading across the life span which are applicable to a variety of settings. It does not include specifics on policy, curriculum or implementation in K-12 schools.

Key Learning Objectives:

• The Basics: Gain an understanding of the five components of reading including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
• Assessment: Learn strategies for assessing learners on the 5 components of reading.
• Interventions: Learn strategies to help learners in each of the five components, including using data-driven decision-making to tailor instruction.

Outcomes: By the end of this training, participants will be equipped with the knowledge and tools to implement reading instruction grounded in scientific research, improve student reading outcomes, and contribute to closing the literacy gap in their schools and communities.

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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR

Carmine Stewart, PhD is the Director of the Aspire Program at the Neighborhood Centers Association in Cleveland, Ohio. Carmine has worked in adult literacy for eighteen years as a volunteer tutor, instructor, program coordinator, program director, instructional designer, professional developer, researcher, and content developer.  She is passionate about helping beginning adult readers, and educating educators about learning and instruction. She dreams of eliminating illiteracy as a social problem and recently started a company “Ending Illiteracy” to extend her work assisting beginning readers beyond the adult literacy space.  Carmine is the President and CEO of Aspire Consulting and Educational Services, conducting research, evaluation, professional development, executive coaching, and diversity training. Carmine is the President of the Ohio Association of Adult and Continuing Education (OAACE), the moderator for the United States Department of Education’s LINCS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Community, the Chair of the Association of Adult Literacy Professional Developers (AALPD), and a member of the NAACP Education Committee. Carmine earned her doctorate from Cleveland State University in August 2012 after defending her dissertation, “Teacher Preparation and Professional Development in Adult Literacy Education.”