18
During Reading Activity
(adapted from Allen, 2007)
Direct participants to record additional terms and concepts on their graphic organizer while reading their assigned article or section of an article. Select the number, topic and type (scholarly or practitioner-friendly) of articles based on your participants. Some suggestions are provided in the following list:
What advocates say:
● Barclay, K. & Stewart, L. (n.d.). Building the reading brain.
● Hanford, E. (2019, August 22). At a loss for words: How a flawed idea is teaching millions of kids to be poor readers.
● Johnston, V. (2019). Dyslexia: What reading teachers need to know.
The Reading League (2022). Science of reading defining guide. The Reading League.
What literacy researchers say:
●Gabriel, R. (2020b). The future of the science of reading. The Reading Teacher
● Mesmer, H.A.E. & Griffith, P.L. (2005). Everybody’s selling it -- But just what is explicit, systematic phonics instruction?
● Valencia, S.W., & Riddle Buly, M. (2004). What struggling readers really need. The Reading Teacher, (57) 6, pp. 520-531.
● Worthy, J. et al. (2019). Simple answers and quick fixes: Dyslexia and the brain on the internet.
● Yopp, H., & Yopp, R. (2000). Supporting phonemic awareness development in the classroom.
Optional background information for the PL facilitator:
● Duke, N. K., & Cartwright, K. B. (2021). The science of reading progresses: Communicating advances beyond the simple view of reading.
● Shanahan, T. (2020). What constitutes a science of reading instruction?
● Solari, E J. et al. (2020). Translational science: A road map for the science of reading.
Challenge participants to not only capture a term or concept for the four letters previously circled (i.e., B, M, P, & S), but to attempt to record an idea, thought or word for each letter of the alphabet. The facilitator can choose to go deep into one aspect of SOR or dyslexia by electing to use the same article for all groups and dividing it into assigned sections for different groups to read (i.e., Jigsaw activity). Or, the facilitator may choose to cover more topics and broaden the discussion by using a different article for each group.
Provide time for each group to report out key terms and concepts gleaned from reading their assigned article or section. Populate the alphabet list on the chart paper with each new word that is shared (see Figure 2). Ask participants to concisely define or make a comment about each word they share. Encourage them to note how or why it is significant to the SOR and dyslexia conversation. Or, if they are unsure or do not understand a word or concept, invite them to ask a question or share an example of something they do not understand instead. Throughout the activity, prompt and probe participants to say more or for others to add to the conversation as time permits.
Before wrapping up, ask participants to consider what they read, the definitions that were shared, and the conversations they heard. Ask each participant to divide a blank sheet of paper into three columns and label each accordingly: Here’s what, So What, and Now What. Invite them to use each column label as a prompt to record a synthesis from today’s session and their current thinking about the science of reading and dyslexia. Time permitting, invite several participants to share their thoughts with the group. Use the papers as participants’ “exit ticket” out of the session and review what they recorded to inform professional learning next steps.
.