The Science of Reading Part 09: Building Comprehension and Writing Through Vocabulary

Vocabulary is one of the essential components of reading instruction, but it is sometimes neglected as it can be tricky. How can effective vocabulary instruction be squeezed in to an already limited schedule? Which words are the best words to teach? How many new words do students need to learn in a year?

In The Science of Reading: Building Comprehension and Writing Through Vocabulary, literacy specialist William Van Cleave leads our discussion on vocabulary and best practices that can strengthen reading and writing skills. The topics covered in this course range from the development of vocabulary and how it affects reading and writing to choosing and teaching words in a way that will benefit all students.

Building Comprehension and Writing Through Vocabulary is the ninth course in the 15.5-hour Science of Reading learning path. It was recorded on March 2, 2019 at the Main Library in Little Rock, Arkansas. This series was developed to help Arkansas educators meet the requirements in the Right to Read Act (Act 1063 of 2017).

The Science of Reading Part 12: Reading Comprehension Difficulty - Causes and Instructional Scaffolds

Understanding why some students seem to struggle with or even despise reading can be difficult but is necessary in providing the critical support these students need to be successful learners.  

In The Science of Reading: Reading Comprehension Difficulty - Causes and Instructional Scaffolds, Joan Sedita, founder and author of professional development routines for Keys to Literacy, aims to help educators strengthen their instructional practices regarding reading comprehension. Ms. Sedita explores the skills involved in reading comprehension, as well as the various reasons students may struggle to understand what they read. She also shares some practical strategies that teachers of any subject can use to support comprehension as students read and learn in their classrooms.

Reading Comprehension Difficulty – Causes and Instructional Scaffolds is the twelfth course in the 15.5-hour Science of Reading learning path. It was recorded on October 7, 2019 at the Faulkner County Library in Conway, Arkansas. This series was developed to help Arkansas educators meet the requirements in the Right to Read Act (Act 1063 of 2017).

The Science of Reading Part 13: Using Graphic Organizers to Support Comprehension

Graphic organizers are powerful tools that can be used by every teacher, no matter their subject area. In The Science of Reading: Using Graphic Organizers to Support Comprehension, Joan Sedita, founder and author of professional development routines for Keys to Literacy, explores the power of graphic organizers in supporting reading comprehension for all students. Ms. Sedita explains what the research says about the use of graphic organizers and shares a variety of examples to illustrate how educators can best utilize these tools in their classrooms. She focuses on two types of graphic organizers and the underlying skills students must have in order to use them effectively.

Using Graphic Organizers to Support Comprehension is the thirteenth course in the 15.5-hour Science of Reading learning path. It was recorded on October 7, 2019 at the Faulkner County Library in Conway, Arkansas. This series was developed to help Arkansas educators meet the requirements in the Right to Read Act (Act 1063 of 2017).

The Science of Reading Part 14: Supporting Critical Thinking Through Question Generation

Students generating questions about what they’re reading and learning is a powerful way to improve comprehension.

In The Science of Reading: Supporting Critical Thinking Through Question Generation, Joan Sedita, founder and author of professional development routines for Keys to Literacy, explores how critical thinking and in turn reading comprehension can be supported by question generation. Ms. Sedita talks about the roles of both student- and teacher-generated questions.

Supporting Critical Thinking Through Question Generation is the final course in the 15.5-hour Science of Reading learning path. It was recorded on October 7, 2019 at the Faulkner County Library in Conway, Arkansas. This series was developed to help Arkansas educators meet the requirements in the Right to Read Act (Act 1063 of 2017).

Teaching to Close the Opportunity Gap: Let Them Know

Stacey McAdoo, 2019 Arkansas Teacher of the Year, shares deep insights about why and how she provides opportunities for young people to creatively pursue and express their ideas. In these documentary-style videos, Ms. McAdoo is shown working with students in the safe spaces she strategically structures at Little Rock Central High School where she teaches communication as well as college and career readiness skills in the AVID program (Advancement Via Individual Determination). We also watch as she guides youth in The Writeous, a poetry collective she co-founded. Along with students, parents, and colleagues, this passionate teacher-leader addresses the opportunity gaps that exist for marginalized students, and she shows us how personalized, connective teaching helps students find authentic learning and growth.

The Science of Reading Part 02: An Overview

Dr. Wendy Farone connects research behind the science of reading to classroom instruction with an analysis of four theoretical models of reading: Scarborough's Rope Model, the Simple View of Reading, the Four-Part Processing Model, and Ehri's Phases of Word-Reading Development. She discusses the research that is the basis for these models and relates each one to instructional practices, assessments, and interventions for K-12 classrooms.

The Science of Reading: An Overview is the second course in the 15.5-hour Science of Reading learning path. It was recorded on January 5, 2018 at the Hillary Rodham Clinton Children's Library and Learning Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. This series was developed to help Arkansas educators meet the requirements in the Right to Read Act (Act 1063 of 2017).

The Science of Reading Part 03: The Reading Brain

The Reading Brain with Dr. Kenneth Pugh is the third course in the 15.5-hour Science of Reading learning path. In this course Dr. Pugh, President and Director of Research at Haskins Laboratory, discusses recent studies dealing with the neuronal connections made as typically and atypically developing children learn to read. The focus of his presentation is on the various ways neuroscience and its emerging technologies can inform intervention and teaching practices.

The Science of Reading: The Reading Brain was recorded on March 5, 2018 at the Science of Reading Conference in Hot Springs, Arkansas. This series was developed to help Arkansas educators meet the requirements in the Right to Read Act (Act 1063 of 2017).

The Science of Reading Part 04: Essential Elements

Dr. Wendy Farone shares an overview of the Five Essential Elements of Effective Reading Instruction and the research that serves as the basis for each of the five elements. Join us as she delves into the skills and the evidence-based practices that we should see at the elementary and secondary levels.

The Science of Reading: Essential Elements is the fourth course in the 15.5-hour Science of Reading learning path. It was recorded on January 5, 2018 at the Hillary Rodham Clinton Children's Library and Learning Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. This series was developed to help Arkansas educators meet the requirements in the Right to Read Act (Act 1063 of 2017).

The Science of Reading Part 05: Phonology

Phonological awareness is the foundation on which skilled reading is built. In The Science of Reading: Phonology, Dr. Wendy Farone explores this essential element. In defining the concept and discussing the research behind phonology, she clarifies why it is such a critical skill for children learning to read and how it applies to classroom instruction in elementary school and beyond.

Continue through the Science of Reading learning path with Dr. Wendy Farone and The Science of Reading: Phonology. This is the fifth course in the series and was recorded on January 5, 2018 at the Hillary Rodham Clinton Children's Library and Learning Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. This series was developed to help Arkansas educators meet the requirements in the Right to Read Act (Act 1063 of 2017).

The Science of Reading Part 06: Critical Foundational Skills - Decoding

Stacey Mahurin, a Speech Pathologist and Certified Academic Language Therapist, dives into the decoding side of phonics skills. Ms. Mahurin explains how students progress through various stages of development and what concepts and skills students must master in order to become confident decoders. Although most phonics skills should be mastered by the end of elementary, there are advanced skills older students should continue to work on. Ms. Mahurin discusses phonics instruction for middle and secondary students and how to assess these older students when reading difficulties are suspected.

Critical Foundational Skills - Decoding is the sixth course in the 15.5-hour Science of Reading learning path. It was recorded on August 7, 2018 at the John Gould Fletcher Library in Little Rock, Arkansas. This series was developed to help Arkansas educators meet the requirements in the Right to Read Act (Act 1063 of 2017).