New Webinar Series to Share Instructional Strategies Backed by Science of Reading to Help Educators Transform Their Literacy Practice

Dr. D. Ray Reutzel, Dr. Parker C. Fawson, and Dr. Heidi Anne Mesmer to lead the free series The Science of Reading: Putting Research into Action, kicking off on Thursday, March 2, 2023

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass., Feb. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Curriculum Associates is offering a free webinar series next month to help educators effectively implement new instructional strategies based on the Science of Reading. Led by literacy experts Dr. D. Ray Reutzel, Dr. Parker C. Fawson, and Dr. Heidi Anne Mesmer, The Science of Reading: Putting Research into Action series will help attendees move from understanding what the research is to how to implement it in practice to transform their instruction.

A 2011 study found that teachers who attended Science of Reading training or seminars and had additional coaching made greater shifts to their instruction than teachers who did not receive coaching or support.   

"Helping students master foundational phonics, fluency development, vocabulary, and comprehension is an important—yet challenging—task for teachers, reading specialists, and literacy coaches alike," said Elizabeth Bassford, vice president of content and implementation at Curriculum Associates. "During the upcoming webinars, Dr. Reutzel, Dr. Fawson, and Dr. Mesmer will address definitions, key research findings, curricular progression, and assessment related to the Science of Reading. Most importantly, they will provide practical and actionable instructional strategies to help propel educators' practices and support them in this ongoing work."

The webinars include:

• Demystifying Phonological versus Phonemic Awareness Instruction on Thursday, March 2
• Big Words: Systemic, Explicit Instruction of Multisyllabic Words on Tuesday, March 14
• Alphabetics: What's Hard about Teaching Letters and Sounds (and How to Do It well!) on Thursday, March 23
• The Science of Decodable Readers: Part 1 on Tuesday, April 4
• How to Deliver Effective Phonics through Spelling Instruction on Thursday, April 27
• The Science of Decodable Readers: Part 2 on Tuesday, May 9
• Why and How to Teach Word Recognition: Sight Words and Orthographic Patterns on Thursday, May 18

All webinars will be held at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT and last for one hour.

Dr. Reutzel is the dean of the College of Education at the University of Wyoming and president of the Reading Hall of Fame. He is the author of more than 225 published research reports, articles, books, book chapters, and monographs in reading, early literacy, and early childhood education. He also served as authors and research advisor to i-Ready, Magnetic Reading Foundations, and Magnetic Reading.

Dr. Fawson directs the Center for the School of the Future at Utah State University. He taught Grades K–6 early in his career and later served as a faculty member, department chair, and dean.

Dr. Mesmer is a professor of literacy in the School of Education at Virginia Tech.

To learn more and register for the upcoming webinars, visit CurriculumAssociates.com/Science-of-Reading-Webinars.

About Curriculum Associates
Founded in 1969, Curriculum Associates, LLC designs research-based print and online instructional materials, screens and assessments, and data management tools. The company's products and outstanding customer service provide teachers and administrators with the resources necessary for teaching diverse student populations and fostering learning for all students.                   

SOURCE Curriculum Associates, LLC