“What I’d like to focus on here, however, are the ways in which Calkins’s discussion of phonics reveal a startlingly compromised understanding of the subject for someone of her influence and stature.”
News & Articles
Urging States to Continue Educating Students with Disabilities, Secretary DeVos Publishes New Resource on Accessibility and Distance Learning Options
Apps for Students With Special Needs—As School Buildings Shutter
Legal FAQs on Coronavirus, School Closings, and Special Education
For those concerned, there are some helpful links in this article.
How To Engage Kids And Build Their Knowledge When Schools Are Closed
There are many good links to resources in this article written by Natalie Wexler, the author of The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—and How to Fix It.
Coronavirus Triple Duty: Working, Parenting, And Teaching From Home
Fact Sheet: Addressing the Risk of COVID-19 in Schools While Protecting the Civil Rights of Students
US Department of Education Fact Sheet
Resources For Teaching and Learning During This Period of Social Distancing
Helpful article during this time of distance learning.
“Most importantly, be kind and forgiving of yourself and your students. The next few months will be emotionally taxing, so pedagogical energies are better directed to the heart than the mind. Subject learning is important but, as the world is reshaped in the foreseeable future, there will be opportunities to learn invaluable lessons about community, family, civic responsibility, and social health: central components of human life that can be woven into the curriculum.”
The article also states that, “if school policy allows, individual calls and check-ins to support struggling students is crucial, as distance learning particularly disadvantages students who struggle.”
E-Learning: Setting Kids Up for Success
“Making the transition from a brick and mortar classroom to a virtual one can be overwhelming in the beginning, but once a student gets the hang of things life gets much easier.”
The Case For Shutting Schools Down Instead of Moving Classes Online
“Many K-12 schools this week have cancelled in-person classes and announced a shift to online teaching. But at least one online-learning expert thinks that’s a bad decision, especially for vulnerable students.
That case was made on Twitter this week by Justin Reich, an assistant professor at MIT and the director of the Teaching Systems Lab there. He made his argument in a 20-tweet thread. See a slightly revised version here, published with his permission.”
Registration open for PC READS’ special education conference featuring attorney Peter Wright of Wrightslaw
Check out this Park Record article about our upcomining Wrightslaw Conference!
NOTE: This Conference has been rescheduled to October 26, 2020.
20 Things Only Parents Of Children With Dyslexia Would Understand
A great list for all to understand! All are important, but #16 is a favorite!
#16 – Dyslexic kids are individuals. Their disabilities come in all ranges. Some may exhibit symptoms of ADD, while others will not. Some have real difficulty putting thoughts into words, while others are much more verbal. Some are of average intellectual ability, while others are truly gifted. Some have “acting out behavior;” while others are too quiet. It is unfair to treat all dyslexic children as if they are one homogeneous group.
Thank You Dyslexia Moms: Now Can We Get Some Back Up?
We are definitely thankful for all the moms, dads, advocates, educators, journalists and policymakers who are working hard every day to ensure that every child learns to read.
Take a moment to enjoy this piece & take note of the excellent resource list at the end, too.
Technology Tools That Can Help Dyslexic Students
How Dyslexia is a Different Brain, Not a Disease
Excellent article!
“It’s important to note that dyslexia is NOT caused by visual problems, and it isn’t the flipping of letters, or reading letters backwards, or mispronouncing words—and it’s not related to motivation or intelligence. It’s merely the result of a brain with a different organization that makes reading and writing more difficult.”
“Because the human brain doesn’t come already wired to read, there is no “reading center” of the brain and there are no “reading genes.”
Different ≠ Deficient, featuring Jonathan Mooney
October 30, 2019
Over 100 community members joined PC READS to hear Jonathan Mooney share his personal and professional experiences as a dyslexic and ADD student in a presentation filled with humor and knowledge. Jonathan, who co-founded Project Eye-to-Eye while a student at Brown University, spoke about neurological and physical diversity, emphasizing that different does not mean deficient. His message, that we shouldn’t be striving for normalcy, was well-received and attendees left this event filled with hope.
Thanks to the support of The Hall Family Fund, PC READS was able to give 50 attendees a free copy of Jonathan’s recently released book, Normal Sucks: How to Live, Learn, and Thrive Outside the Lines.
Read the Park Record article published before this event: PC READS and Hall Family Fund books author and student advocate Jonathan Mooney
PC READS and Hall Family Fund books author and student advocate Jonathan Mooney
Thanks to the Park Record for this wonderful article featuring our upcoming speaker!
At Risk in the Culture of ‘Normal’
We are so excited that Jonathan Mooney is coming to Park City on October 30th! Read the Op-Ed he wrote for the New York Times.
Utah State Dyslexia Handbook
The Utah State Board of Education published a Dyslexia Handbook in 2018. PC READS Executive Director, Elissa Aten, participated in the taskforce that drafted this important document. It is a resource for educators and parents and we encourage all to read and share it!
Entrance Exams: Tips for Students with Learning Issues
This article, written by PC READS, appeared in the Park Record’s 2019 Park City Parent Back to School Special Edition.
Audiobooks or Reading? To Our Brains, It Doesn’t Matter
Back to School Tip: Students in the Park City School District re fortunate to have access to a district-wide Learning Ally subscription. If your student benefits from this wonderful opportunity, be sure Learning Ally has been reloaded to the school laptop.
“The subject’s brains were creating meaning from the words in the same way, regardless if they were listening or reading. In fact, the brain maps for both auditory and visual input they created from the data looked nearly identical.”
Dyslexia: Cracking the code
Thank you, Susan Spencer & CBS Sunday Morning for your report this morning on dyslexia!
SUMMARY: “Yale researchers who have studied hundreds of kindergartners for nearly 40 years say one in five was dyslexic. But perhaps their most important finding: There is no link at all between dyslexia and intelligence. Susan Spencer reports on efforts to help those with dyslexia “crack the code,” from students at a Louisiana school catering to dyslexic children, to a new law to help the high percentage of prison inmates who have dyslexia.”
At a Loss for Words: How a flawed idea is teaching millions of kids to be poor readers
“In 2015, 37% of students in 12th grade were proficient or advanced in reading.”
One of our favorite reporters, Emily Hanford, is back with another insightful audio documentary about reading instruction and the continued need to ensure that the science of reading is understood by educators and put to practice in classrooms.
Too many students have been “taught” how to read using insufficient strategies or programs, such as three-cuing, MSV (meaning, structure & visual), whole language and balanced literacy.
“These poor reading habits, once ingrained at a young age, can follow kids into high school. Some kids who were taught the cueing approach never become good readers. Not because they’re incapable of learning to read well but because they were taught the strategies of struggling readers.”
Influential Reading Group Makes It Clear: Students Need Systematic, Explicit Phonics
The ILA and the IDA have not always seen eye-to-eye and there was particular debate over the ILA’s 2016 Research Advisory on Dyslexia (link below). So, we are happy to see that the ILA has published a brief (link below) on the importance of explicit and systematic phonics instruction.
EXCERPTS:
The question of whether to include phonics instruction has been resolved.
The answer is yes. Although phonics can be taught in different ways, research supports instruction that is explicit and systematic.
LINKS
Meeting the Challenges of Early Literacy Instruction (2019 ILA Literacy Leadership Brief)
Here’s Why Schools Should Use Structured Literacy
We often post about the importance of using Structured Litearcy in classrooms and why we are so pleased that the Park City School District has implemented it through the use of Wilson Fundations in all K-3 classrooms. Here is a great article from the International Dyslexia Association explaining what Structured Literacy is why all schools should use it. Additional resources are included at the end of the article
‘Shark Tank’s’ Barbara Corcoran Says This Disability Helped Make Her a Millionaire
Very often, a child’s diagnosis leads a parent to realize that he is also dyslexic. Read more about “Shark Tank’s” Barbara Corcoran in the article below or listen to the podcast (linked in article).
EXCERPT: Struggling with insecurity at an early age, Corcoran could not read or write until she was in third grade. “I’ve wrestled with letters and numbers my whole life… My biggest fear all day long was that I would be called on to read out loud,” Corcoran said in her recent podcast on her series “Business Unusual.” It was only when her son Tom was diagnosed with dyslexia when he was in second grade that Corcoran realized she also had the disorder.
Liberty Science Center Honors Drs. Sally and Bennett Shaywitz with Genius Award
Congratulations to Drs. Sally and Bennett Shaywitz on their well-deserved recognition for their work in the field of dyslexia! The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity is one of our favorite resources!
“At a recent gala event at the Liberty Science Center in New Jersey, Drs. Sally and Bennett Shaywitz were presented with LSC’s “Genius Award” for their groundbreaking work on dyslexia. To begin the presentation of the award, the audience was shown a specially-commissioned video that celebrates the lives and careers of the Shaywitzes. ” (Click on the original article to see the video.)
District Curriculum Specialist Receives PC READS Literacy Award
PC READS was pleased to honor Julie Hastings, PCSD Elementary Curriculum Specialist, with our 2019 Elevating Literacy Award on Friday night.
“It’s been a pleasure to collaborate with Julie over the past three years on The Dyslexia Initiative. Her attention to planning and implementation, as well as her commitment to professional development, has enabled this Initiative to succeed and become a model program within our school district. Julie’s dedication to improving literacy instruction for all students, including struggling readers, makes her a deserving recipient of our 2019 Elevating Literacy Award.” – Elissa Aten, Executive Director
Park City School District Leader Honored for Implementing Reading Initiatives
On May 3rd, PC READS awarded Julie Hastings with our 2019 Elevating Literacy Award. This award was started as a way to recognize someone who has embraced the PC READS mission and is making a difference in our community. It honors an individual who has made a significant contribution towards improving the lives of students with reading disabilities, including dyslexia.
Nonprofit PC READS Expands, Set to Host Second Fundraiser
Thank you to the Park Record for covering our exciting news! “PC READS is in its fifth year of operation, and it is expanding. Aten, the co-founder and former president of the board of directors, was recently hired as the organization’s first executive director.”
To purchase your Gin & Phonics or Adventure Package Opportunity Drawing tickets, visit www.parkcityreads.org.