Download a PDF of the Key Takeaways
Learning to read is arguably the most important academic experience students will have during their school years. But it’s not a given.
The “nation’s report card” shows that just over a third of 4th graders are proficient readers. That’s despite decades of cognitive research specifying the skills students need to be taught to read fluently. So what’s happening in schools—and in teacher preparation—that’s making it so hard for some students to gain these foundational skills?
In this online summit, Education Week reporters and their expert guests will discuss the science behind how kids learn to read, as well as explore original survey data on what elementary teachers and education professors know and believe about early reading.
Event Video
Getting Reading Right: In Conversation With Education Week
Agenda
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET | Discussions Open
Education Week journalists and their special guests provide practical takeaways on the foundations of reading.
Education Week journalists and their special guests provide practical takeaways on the foundations of reading.
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
How Colleges of Education Are Approaching Early Reading
According to an Education Week Research Center survey, just 22 percent of professors of early reading instruction said their philosophy of reading is based on systematic, explicit phonics, with comprehension as a separate focus. Education Week reporter Madeline Will will lead a conversation with professors and other experts who are working to introduce the cognitive science of reading into teacher preparation.
Madeline Will is an assistant managing editor for Education Week, leading coverage of school leadership and general education trends.
Amy Murdoch
Reading Science Program Director,
Mount St. Joseph University
Billie Tingle
Assistant Teaching Professor,
University of Southern Mississippi
Kelly Butler
Chief Executive Officer,
Barksdale Reading Institute
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
Improving Comprehension With Emerging Readers
Learning how to decode words is an essential step in learning how to read, but it’s only half of the equation. Children also need a strong vocabulary and a wealth of background knowledge to comprehend text. This discussion will explore how teachers can develop these building blocks of reading comprehension with the earliest readers.
Sarah Schwartz is a reporter for Education Week who covers curriculum and instruction.
Jackie Gross
1st Grade Teacher,
Detroit Prep Academy
Margaret McKeown
Clinical Professor Emerita, School of Education; and Senior Scientist, Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh
Jen McMillan
Co-Founder and Head of School,
Detroit Prep Academy
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
How Do Kids Learn to Read? What the Research Says
How does a young child’s brain respond to an unfamiliar word? How does learning to read differ from learning to speak? We’ll explore the decades of research on the sounds and sights, synapses and stories that coalesce in early reading experiences.
Sarah D. Sparks covers the teaching profession and pedagogy for Education Week.
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
What Teachers and Professors Say About Early Reading: A Look at Our Survey Results
The Education Week Research Center has conducted one of the first nationally representative surveys of K-2 and special education teachers and education professors about their views on early reading. We’ll guide you through highlights of their beliefs on the place of phonics, how they define “balanced literacy,” and the curricula they report using most
Stephen Sawchuk is an assistant managing editor for Education Week, leading coverage of teaching, learning, and curriculum.
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
A Practical Conversation About the Science of Reading
Content provided by Istation
Let’s have a practical conversation about the Science of Reading! Discuss, discover, and share instructional routines for elementary and middle school learners that are based on the Science of Reading and The Big Five!
Let’s have a practical conversation about the Science of Reading! Discuss, discover, and share instructional routines for elementary and middle school learners that are based on the Science of Reading and The Big Five!
Wytonia Montgomery
M.Ed.,
Istation Strategic PD Specialist
Claudia Casillas
M.A.,
Istation PD Specialist
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
Turning Struggling Readers Into Striving Readers
Content provided by Texthelp
Join Vicki Davis (@coolcatteacher) and Jason Carroll from Texthelp, as they discuss tools and tips to help struggling readers. Starting with basic phonics and phonemic awareness, they’ll then dive into fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Our guest will discuss what works not only in the classroom but for parents. She'll conclude with a lighting speed round "reading tools smackdown" where Vicki will share her favorite tools to help students help themselves.
Join Vicki Davis (@coolcatteacher) and Jason Carroll from Texthelp, as they discuss tools and tips to help struggling readers. Starting with basic phonics and phonemic awareness, they’ll then dive into fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Our guest will discuss what works not only in the classroom but for parents. She'll conclude with a lighting speed round "reading tools smackdown" where Vicki will share her favorite tools to help students help themselves.
Vicki Davis
Cool Cat Teacher, Teacher and Instructional Technology Director
2:30–3:00 p.m. ET
Final Reporter Wrap-up
Getting Reading Right: In Conversation With Education Week
Led by Associate Editor Stephen Sawchuk, the Education Week newsroom will close out the day with insights from the discussions they’ve had with you, the readers.
Led by Associate Editor Stephen Sawchuk, the Education Week newsroom will close out the day with insights from the discussions they’ve had with you, the readers.