[00:00:00] Simone McQuaige: This is not something that I think should just be driven by a small cohort of people. It should be kind of across a school, across departments.
[00:00:16] Susan Lambert: This is Susan Lambert, and welcome to Science of Reading: The Podcast from Amplify. Today, we are marking the new year with a very special episode. We're going to hear from leading Science of Reading practitioners from around the country. They're the winners of Amplify's 2024 Science of Reading Star Awards. And on this episode, they're going to reflect on, one, why it's so critical to stay grounded in evidence- based literacy practices. And two, how they bring those evidence- based practices into their classrooms and schools. It's going to be an episode filled with some creative ideas for making a difference in students' lives. For those who don't know, the Science of Reading Star Awards are given each year to educators, schools, and districts who are lighting the way for students. Categories range from the District Captain to the Changemaker Award. Last year, there were over 1, 400 nominations from around the country. I'm now honored to bring you the voices of several award winners who are actively using the Science of Reading, on the ground, in their communities. One quick housekeeping note. Next time around, we'll be getting back to our reading reboot with a conversation with Natalie Wexler about her new book, "Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning." Stick around until the end for a preview of that episode. But now, let's hear from Amber Hines. She's one of two educators to be named the Knowledge Builder, for showing the world that the Science of Reading is more than just phonics. And that it empowers students with knowledge, context, and vocabulary from elementary through middle school. Here's Amber.
[00:02:09] Amber Hines: This is Amber Hines with Vance County Schools, Henderson, North Carolina. I think that it is important that literacy instruction is grounded in evidence- based practice. Because that removes barriers. It takes out barriers for teachers, and it takes out barriers for students. When teachers are provided resources that are grounded in evidence- based practices, they are better equipped to be able to implement them within their classrooms. Evidence- based practices for students ensure that they are receiving high quality instruction each and every day. When teachers provide evidence- based practices, they're better equipped to identify students who may have underlying issues, such as learning disabilities, because they can guarantee that the instruction they have been providing is sound, and meets the needs of the majority of the students in the classrooms. Evidence- based practices have already been proven to be effective by research. There is no, let's try this, let's try that. When it's evidence-based, you know that it's proven to be effective. That's why I think literacy instruction grounded in evidence- based practices is highly important.
[00:03:25] Susan Lambert: And here's how Amber brings evidence- based principles into her day-to-day work.
[00:03:30] Amber Hines: We're intentional to pay attention to Scarborough's Reading Rope, both when planning for instruction and when analyzing data. When we're planning, we are intentional to ensure that lessons are addressing multiple areas of the Reading Rope. It is brought to attention sometimes some areas are neglected, or left out. And so we are able to now be more intentional with providing instruction for some areas that in the past may have been inconsistent. Teachers are integrating and using sound walls on a daily basis. Where students are learning about sounds, mouth position, and then connecting it to print. It's found to be really beneficial with our ELL students, and our native English- speaking students. Because they are able to connect sound, which is the first form of learning a language, with print and mouth positioning, which is highly important. We are using strategies that are proven to be effective by research. Then, we are working to ensure that students are able to apply those strategies independently, on their own, when reading any text. Being intentional to equip students with resources and tools that they are able to apply on their own is important, because we want to develop lifelong readers. Another way we are including Science of Reading and evidence- based principles in our work is to ensure that the resources and tools that we are providing to teachers for use within their classrooms are aligned to the Science of Reading. It's important that we, as district leaders, are intentional to review resources, look at white pages, outside third- party research studies, to ensure that the tools we're equipping teachers with are proven to be effective, and are proven to be aligned to the Science of Reading. At this time, we're seeing a lot of content creators putting Science of Reading on the outside covers of books and materials, but taking the time to really look within, you may find that they're not actually aligned, which can be scary to someone who may be new to the Science of Reading. And so there's resources out there to support that process. And I encourage all educators to use them to ensure that the resources being provided are aligned.
[00:05:58] Susan Lambert: That was Amber Hines from Vance County Schools in North Carolina. Congratulations, Amber! Later, we'll hear from our second Knowledge Builder. Before we hear from our next winner, let me tell you some exciting news. Nominations are now being accepted to honor the next group of Science of Reading stars. If you know an educator, school, or district deserving of the recognition for their literacy work, please nominate them. Find out more information and submit a nomination at amplify.com/science-of-reading/star-awards. We'll also have a link in the show notes. Now let's hear from Elizabeth Caton, representing the Windber Area Elementary School in Pennsylvania. This school was named the Science of Reading Rookie, for a school that has adopted the Science of Reading in the last two years and demonstrates a true cultural transformation from top to bottom.
[00:06:57] Elizabeth Caton: Hi, my name is Elizabeth Caton. I'm the instructional coach/MTSS coordinator at Windber Area Elementary School in the Windber Area School District in Pennsylvania. And I believe that literacy instruction should be grounded in evidence- based practices, because that is the best way we are going to reach students, and respond to student needs, across each grade level and each subject. It's important that we are aligning our practices to standards, and what the students are required to do, but also what they need. Looking at all areas of literacy, including phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension, these are all equally important when learning to read. Having resources that have been studied under the Science of Reading and through evidence- based practices is also exceptionally important, because it gives you the foundation for what the students really need in order to be the best learners and learn the best possible way. For question two, how do you bring the Science of Reading evidence- based principles into your work? First, we really strive to look at having a quality, tier one program. We recently switched this past year. That has been tremendous for our team to work and review over the last year, to see the difference in the quality of a good, tier one system. So, as the instructional coach, I support all of our teachers in kindergarten through fifth grade with our programs, and all of the implementation of our MTSS framework that we are working on currently. My goal as the instructional coach and MTSS coordinator is to work to focus on prevention, rather than intervention, because if we can meet the needs of the students in tier one, then we will have less students needing intervention that is so intensive. And we can have better instruction and discussion about what we are doing for our students, and how effective it is. I also support our teachers through professional development, coaching. And looking at what principles are evidence- based and which aspects of the Science of Reading we should be looking at, to ensure that we are meeting the needs of our students to the best of our abilities. Thank you so much for this opportunity.
[00:09:34] Susan Lambert: That was Elizabeth Caton from the Windber Area Elementary School in Pennsylvania, winner of the Science of Reading Rookie Award. You can learn a lot more about all of these awards by visiting the Science of Reading Star Awards website, which we'll link to in the show notes. Next, let's go to Jamie Vannoy. She is representing Wirt County Primary Center in West Virginia, which was named the Literacy Legend, for the school that has seen significant reading gains among its students school- wide when using the Science of Reading. Here's Jamie.
[00:10:09] Jamie Vannoy: Hello, my name is Jamie Vannoy, and I'm from Parkersburg, West Virginia. I'm a kindergarten teacher, and an advocate, and leader in evidence- based literacy instruction at Wirt County Primary Center in Elizabeth, West Virginia. I want to start by saying how much I appreciate this opportunity to be part of this very podcast that was so influential in my own Science of Reading journey. So when it comes to evidence- based practices, I think it's important to understand that 50 to 60 percent of students really are going to rely on evidence- based literacy practices in order to learn to read. If these evidence- based practices aren't at the forefront, we're going to continue down this path of low literacy rates across the country. To reiterate some of those impacts of low literacy rates, we're looking at things like graduation rates, unemployment rates, incarceration rates. I really could just go on and on about the societal impacts of low literacy levels. I think if we don't make a conscious effort to utilize evidence-based practices, we are going to be failing our most at- risk populations. So when it comes to bringing the Science of Reading or evidence-based principles into my work, I feel that I do that by continuously seeking out professional development. And keeping up with current research. If something works, I'm going to continue using it. I'm going to find ways to improve it. If it doesn't, I'm going to get rid of it. No more hanging on to practices that are ineffective just because I've always done it that way. I think another way I bring Science of Reading and evidence-based principles to my work is not just picking and choosing the pieces of evidence or practices I want to follow and then ignoring the rest. I think we're seeing a lot of that in the current Science of Reading movement. There's a lot of people cherry- picking evidence to support their current practices, and they're kind of ignoring all of the rest of it. I think one big example we're seeing of this is in the area of phonological awareness. We know evidence supports focusing on just one or two skills at a time, and getting to the phoneme level as soon as possible, and integrating graphemes when we're ready. Yet some people are still using inefficient programs and practices just because of anecdotal reasons, or nostalgia. I think we just need to stick with the evidence. And that's it.
[00:12:45] Susan Lambert: That was Jamie Vannoy. She's from Wirt County Primary Center in West Virginia, winner of the Literacy Legend Award. Let's go to our second winner of the Knowledge Builder Award. This is Christine Michalik from Cicero, Illinois.
[00:13:00] Christine Michalik: My name is Christine Michalik. I'm a district literacy instructional coach in Cicero, Illinois. And literacy instruction grounded in evidence practice is so important, because we need research- based methods for teaching reading, writing, and spelling. Instruction should include phonemic awareness, systematic phonics, vocab, and comprehension instruction. A way that I support this, and put it into my work, is I support teachers and instructional coaches with using rich, complex text for language, analyzing text structures, and understanding of the text. This may begin with a teacher modeling, and then lead to partner reading. All students should have the opportunity for multiple readings of the same text to build comprehension, to build fluency. And that's a way I support Science of Reading into my work as a district instructional coach.
[00:13:59] Susan Lambert: That was Christine Michalik, from Cicero, Illinois. She was a winner of the Knowledge Builder Award. Now's a good time to also remind you that season eight of this podcast was devoted to knowledge building. Scroll back in your feed to hear much more about the importance of knowledge building, as well as ideas for building students' knowledge. Now let's go to Andrea Mason, who was named the MTSS Maestro, for implementing an MTSS framework that creates a thriving and robust literacy ecosystem.
[00:14:30] Andrea Mason: My name is Andrea Mason. I am an academic interventionist at County Line Elementary in Barrow County, Georgia. So I do think that it is very important that our literacy instruction is grounded in evidence-based practices. And one reason that I feel this way is because it is one of the main ways that we can make sure that what we're doing with our students is effective. Evidence-based practices have been rigorously tested. And they've been shown to improve student outcomes. So if an educator is implementing these strategies that are evidence-based, then they're going to be more likely to succeed in helping their students develop their reading and writing skills. I Also think evidence-based practices are important because they help us ensure equity. They help us ensure that all of our students, no matter their background, no matter their learning differences, that they will receive effective instruction. I think this is important, especially for our striving readers. The students who are struggling with the skills to learn to read, they're usually facing a lot of difficulty to begin with. And so, making sure that we instruct them with the same level of instruction that we are giving other students I think is really, really important. How do I bring the Science of Reading and evidence-based principles into my work? Well, first of all, I prioritize structured literacy approaches. I work with students who are struggling with learning to read. I spend most of my time working on phonemic awareness, working on phonics. I make sure that my instructional approaches are structured, that they're explicit. I make sure that what I'm doing with my kids is sequential. And that what we're doing is continuously building upon what we've already done. I also make sure that these instructional decisions that I'm making are data driven. I think it's really important to utilize assessments. Make sure that my students are getting exactly what they need based on the data that I get from assessments, but also based on the data that I get from regular progress monitoring. It's so important to look and see if the interventions that I'm providing my students are working. So I progress monitor regularly. And if they're working, that's awesome! We keep going with it, and take it up a notch. But if it isn't working, then it's time to stop and revisit what I'm doing. And look and see what I can change in my instructional practices to better meet the needs of that student.
[00:17:07] Susan Lambert: That was Andrea Mason, academic interventionist at County Line Elementary in Barrow County, Georgia. And last, but certainly not least, I'm excited to bring on the winner of the Changemaker Award. This is the grand prize for showcasing exemplary Science of Reading routines and practices, and serving as an inspiration to others on the journey. Here's our 2024 winner, Simone McQuaige. I feel like we needed a drum roll there. Brrrrrrrrrrrr.
[00:17:41] Simone McQuaige: I'm Simone McQuaige, the supervisor of elementary reading and English language arts at Prince George's County Public Schools in Maryland. For the first question, why do you think it's important that literacy instruction is grounded in evidence-based practices? Well, using evidence-based practices in literacy instruction is crucial, because these methods are proven to be effective through research, ensuring that teaching approaches lead to better outcomes. This helps in making instructional time efficient, and allows teachers to confidently apply techniques that they are known to work. Such practices are also designed to cater to diverse student needs, including those with disabilities and multilingual learners. Helping to close achievement gaps and promote equitable learning opportunities. When I think about evidence-based literacy, I also think about it's decision making. It's supporting data- driven decision making. And allows teachers to tailor their instruction based on the progress of their students. But also ensuring a consistent, high quality approach to literacy education across schools. It looks at ultimately creating a better reading situation for students to be more effective in their reading and writing skills, by providing them with the foundation for academic and future success. And the second question, how do you bring the Science of Reading evidence-based principles into your work? I think it's really important as a supervisor for elementary reading language arts to immerse ourselves in the research, first and foremost. Learning the fundamentals around key research, around reading. Focusing on the foundational skills, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. This is not something that I think should just be driven by a small cohort of people. It should be kind of across a school, across departments, where you're looking at ensuring that teachers, who work with all students, are a part of those opportunities, and that they are not just a one and done. Immersing ourselves in the research means that it's an ongoing process, as people are learning and building their capacity with applying it in their classrooms. In order to do that. I think it's important that districts ensure that they have reliable data tools to assess their students. To see where those students are actually reading. How are they progressing? But in doing that, it would mean using the data wisely, so that teachers are able to adjust their teaching. It also means taking a close look at the resources that are in hand. When we're talking about immersing ourselves into this daily practice of evidence-based instruction, we need to ensure that our resources support us in teaching structured literacy, and that they use multi- sensory approaches. We don't want our students to be just focused on one modality. We want them to be engaged with activities that involve hearing and sight. Seeing and doing. And within this, we also want to ensure that we're helping our parents understand how they can support at home. This is not something that can be just done at the schoolhouse. It involves the community, and all of our community stakeholders. Thank you.
[00:21:46] Susan Lambert: That was the Changemaker, Simone McQuaige, from Prince George's County Public Schools in Maryland. By the way, you'll be able to hear much more from Simone on an upcoming episode of the new Beyond My Years podcast. Simone will share more about her journey in education, as well as advice for newer educators. If you haven't already, subscribe to Beyond My Years, wherever you're listening to this show. We'll have a link in the show notes. And remember to submit nominations for this year's Science of Reading Star Awards. Go to amplify.com/science-of-reading/star-awards/ to submit. The deadline is January 31st. Listeners, thank you so much for joining us throughout 2024. And for helping us kick off this new year in style! In two weeks, we'll be getting back to our reading reboot with friend of the show, Natalie Wexler, who'll be discussing her new book, "Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning." Here's a little preview of that.
[00:22:52] Natalie Wexler: I think I'd like teachers, and also those in the cognitive science world, to see that these barriers that we have erected between certainly reading and writing are kind of artificial. And need to come down. But also between reading, writing, and learning. This stuff is all connected.
[00:23:11] Susan Lambert: That's coming up next time. Please consider sharing this episode, or this show, with a friend or colleague. We're grateful for any help spreading the word about the podcast. The best way to get new episodes is to subscribe to Science of Reading: The Podcast on the podcast platform of your choice. While you're there, please leave us a rating and review. You can join the conversation about this episode in our Facebook discussion group, Science of Reading: The Community. Science of Reading: The Podcast is brought to you by Amplify. I'm Susan Lambert. Thank you so much for listening.