Let's Talk About Illiteracy

Literacy is a social justice issue! One of the obstacles that prevents children from being proficient readers and spellers is access to knowledge. Even though we know how the brain learns to read, we still have shocking levels of illiteracy in Canada and the US. Throughout the past five decades, the science of reading has provided ample evidence that structured literacy is the approach that should be used to support all learners. Yet many educators and caregivers are still using a balanced literacy approach. In this workshop, we will answer 3 important questions. How does the brain learn to read? Why should we ditch the 3-cueing system and leveled readers? What skills should we explicitly teach our students? Participants will learn about six critical components that support children on their journey to becoming proficient readers and spellers.

Presenters

Hanna Stroud
Hanna Stroud is a Literacy Tutor and Consultant living in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Since 2008, Hanna has provided in-person and online tutoring sessions to students from Kindergarten to Grade 6. Before being a tutor, Hanna worked for the local school board as a Literacy Assistant for 15 years. Following a structured literacy approach, Hanna uses multisensory activities to engage and motivate students in their literacy journey. Along with tutoring services, Hanna also provides workshops and webinars about various literacy topics. As a National Trainer for Reading With TLC for the past decade, Hanna has presented to schools and individuals throughout Canada and the US and shares their passion for the Science of Reading. You can follow Hanna on Instagram where they share daily structured literacy tips, multisensory activities, and the best children's picture book reviews.

Learning Objectives

List how the brain learns to read.
Identify the six essential components of reading.
Explain the importance of explicit and multisensory instruction.

Agenda

5 minutes	Introduction
15 minutes	Information about illiteracy and discuss why the 3-cueing system is not effective, efficient, or sustainable
40 minutes	How the brain learns to read and the six essential components of reading instruction

Disclosures

Speakers - Financial	Hanna Stroud - Teachers Pay Teachers (content creator), Reading With TLC (affiliate), Amazon (affiliate), Steps to Literacy (affiliate), Charge Mommy Readers (affiliate) Hanna Stroud is receiving compensation for this course.
Speakers - Nonfinancial	Hanna Stroud has no non-financial relationships to disclose.
Course - Content	Hanna will be sharing a link for resources that they created on Teachers Pay Teachers, Lively Letters - a phonics-based reading program, and curated lists for decodable books and literacy book bins.
Course - Financial Support & In Kind	This course is being sponsored by SLP Toolkit and Having Our Say.

ASHA

This course is offered for 0.1 ASHA CEUs, Introductory Level, Professional Area, Professional Area