Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

A recipe for using explicit phonics instruction in reading lessons

Key points:

Evidence-based reading research, or what many refer to as the Science of Reading, has been a much-discussed topic within the literacy landscape for the past few years. While it may seem like the “next new thing” in reading instruction, the theory, research, and instructional best practices are based on historical, neurological, and scientific understanding of how the human brain works, as well as the relationship to language and literacy development. At the root of evidence-based reading research and reading instruction is the goal of heightening the reader’s experience with text by providing them with strategies to engage with that text for deep understanding and the synthesis of content to build knowledge. 

One aspect of evidence-based reading research is the need for explicit phonics instruction versus implicit instruction.  While comprehension of text is the goal, the foundational skills of early literacy, such as phonological awareness, decoding, encoding, and fluency are essential. …Read More

Utah State Board of Education Approves 95 Percent Group Resources as Evidence-Informed, Recommended Supplemental Programs for Grades K-5

Lincolnshire, Ill. – 95 Percent Group LLC, the trusted source for comprehensive, proven literacy solutions, announced today the Utah State Board of Education approved its flagship 95 Phonics Core Program® and 95 Phonics Intervention and 95 Phonological Awareness Intervention as Recommended Supplemental Literacy Curriculum Resources. 

In 2022, Utah joined a growing number of states to realign reading instruction to structured literacy, grounded in the Science of Reading. The Utah State Board of Education convened a panel of experts to oversee the process of implementing a requirement that districts use materials backed by the Science of Reading. Its goal is to get 70 percent of Utah third graders reading at grade level by 2027. 

The selection of 95 Percent Group’s programs for state schools is based on rigorous review by Utah’s professional educators. …Read More

Winsor Learning Releases Free Professional Development Resource in Response to Steep Declines in National Reading Scores

MINNEAPOLIS (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In the wake of devastating recent news about the nation’s reading test scores, Minnesota-based Winsor Learning, the nation’s leading expert and provider of science-based reading instruction and teacher training, announced the release of a new and entirely free professional development resource for administrators and teachers. The 90-minute Science of Reading-based training is now available for download at no cost to teachers, administrators, tutors, and other teachers of reading.

To download the resource, go to: https://members.winsorlearning.com/5-strategies-for-teachers/

The most recent results of National Association of Education Progress (NAEP) testing indicate performance levels of 9-year-olds in math and reading dropping to levels not seen in more than two decades. The declines include nearly all races and income levels and are the most steep for at-risk and already lower-performing students.…Read More

How our reading platform changed our instruction

Nearly all students can learn how to read, yet only 35 percent of them are reading proficiently. This widening gap seems insurmountable, but the bottom line is that teachers are the most essential factor in student reading success.

However, here’s the problem as I see it: only about half of all teaching institutions effectively prepare teachers for literacy instruction. And while it’s easy to assume that the schooling, master’s degrees, and pre-service training adequately prepare us to walk into the classroom and teach students how to read, the reality is that this training isn’t enough.

To truly master reading instruction, teachers need more. Fortunately, our cooperative’s previous director recognized this and started using LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) Suite. The program teaches the skills needed to master the fundamentals of reading instruction, including phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, writing and language.  …Read More