GUIDE:  

The Reading League: Science of Reading: Defining Guide: This guide defines what the science of reading is and is not, key instructional practices and outlines how all stakeholders can advocate to transform reading instruction. You may download a copy in English and Spanish.

ARTICLES:

10 Maxims: 50 Years of research distilled into 10 easy to understand maxims about what we’ve learned so far about how children learn to read, by Dr. Reid Lyon. Research supporting each maxim is linked at the bottom of the webpage. (Reading Universe)

Learning to Read: The “Simple View of Reading”:  A brief article on the two areas that are key for learning to read. (National Center on Improving Literacy—NCIL)

Why Reading is Not a Natural Process: Decades of scientific research on how children learn to read support an emphasis on phoneme awareness and phonics in a literature-rich environment. These findings challenge the belief that children learn to read naturally. (ASCD)

Cómo Aprenden Los Niños A Leer (How Children Learn to Read: An article in Spanish and English on how children learn to read and why effective instruction makes a big difference. (Child Mind Institute)

VIDEOS/PRESENTATIONS:

Harvard Medical School—How We Learn To Read: An overview of the brain regions that are involved in the complex process of learning to read, and how early in life it begins.

How the Brain Learns to Read: Cognitive neuroscientist Professor Stanislas Dehaene explains how the brain learns to read and why it is relevant for education.

60 Minutes: Marva Collins 1995 Part 1 and Part 2: Marva Collins was the ultimate advocate for society’s vulnerable and underserved children. This news report is about the high level of success she achieved with “love, hard work and no-nonsense instruction”. In addition, this documentary is about Marva Collins’ teaching methods and the school she founded in Chicago.

INFOGRAPHICS:

The Ladder of Reading and Writing: A visual representation of the range of ease of literacy acquisition, and the implications for instruction and practice, by Dr. Nancy Young.

PODCASTS/INTERVIEWS:

Progressively Incorrect Podcast: Doug Carnine on Advocacy for Evidence: Zach Groshell interviews Doug Carnine, Founder of the Evidence Advocacy Center, who argues that the field of education for too long has relied on dogma and why we must advocate for the profession to be grounded in evidence.

Amplify Interview with Dr. Reid Lyon, Part 1 and Part 2: Dr. Reid Lyon provides an overview of what we know about teaching reading, how children learn, and what methodology of teaching is most effective. In Part 2, Dr. Lyon talks about what he sees in the current science of reading landscape, what he hopes for the future, and how both of those things led to the creation of his “10 Maxims.”

A Novel Idea Podcast: The History of the Science of Reading Movement: A history of literacy instruction in the United States, by the Iowa Reading Research Center.

The Beauty and Science of the Reading Brain with Maryanne Wolf, PhD: Danielle Scorrano of The Windward Institute Research Education Advocacy Podcast talks with Dr. Wolf about the science and poetic story of the reading brain and its connection to child development. Also, see this related article by Dr. Wolf.

ARTICLE: 

Ten Myths About Learning to Read: Ten popular myths that influence reading education. (Reading Rockets)

GUIDE: 

Whole Language High-Jinks: How to Tell When “Scientifically-Based Reading Instruction” Isn’t: How educators, parents, and concerned citizens can spot ineffective reading programs that may hide under the “scientifically-based” banner, by Dr. Louisa Moats. 

WEBINAR: 

Misunderstandings About the Science of Reading: Dr. Sharon Vaughn clarifies common misconceptions about the science of reading including what the term really means in regards to instructional approaches, curriculum and helping all students become strong readers.

PRESENTATION: 

Equity in Reading Instruction – A Frank Conversation: Kareem Weaver explains how we need to “stop the nonsense” and work together to address the literacy crisis head-on for all children.

AUDIO DOCUMENTARIES: 

APM Reports: Sold a Story: A podcast on how teaching kids to read went so wrong, by APM education reporter, Emily Hanford. The Spanish language version can be found at Sold A Story en español along with additional resources in Spanish.  Also, this discussion guide is helpful to guide interested parties in talking about the podcast.  A collection of Emily Hanford’s work on how children are taught to read can be found here, and you can join the mailing list to get curated resources and future updates.

APM Reports: What the Words Say: How children of color are far less likely to get the help they need to learn to read.

VIDEOS: 

NCIL Route to Reading Avoid a Lemon: This video describes how parents can spot ineffective instructional practices and what to ask for instead.

Is My Kid Learning How to Read? Part 1: Purple Challenge: A Mom of a 1st grader demonstrates the impact of her child being taught to ‘read’ using clues in the text such as pictures and context, instead of using the letters to sound out (decode) words.

DOCUMENTS/GUIDES:

10 Key Reading Practices for All Elementary Schools and for All Middle and High Schools: The latest research findings distilled into 10 recommendations to improve elementary, secondary and high school reading outcomes. (The Meadows Center)

10 Key Policies and Practices for Supporting Language Development: The latest research findings distilled into 10 recommendations to support language development. (The Meadows Center)

Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Practice Guides: Developed for teachers but these are wonderful, accessible guides that will be of interest to caregivers wanting to learn more about evidence-based teaching practices across a range of topics.

What is MTSS?: An overview of the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), a framework that schools use to provide targeted support to students. (Understood.org). Also see this webinar, MTSS 101 with Dr. Stephanie Stollar.  In addition, this website MTSS4ELs provides information and resources for targeted support to English Learners (ELs).

Early Warning! Why Reading By The End Of Third Grade Matters: This report argues that children should be able to read proficiently by the end of third grade to be successful in school, contribute to the economy, and earn throughout their lives. (Annie E. Casey Foundation)

ARTICLES: 

Reading Rockets: What Every Educator And Parent Should Know About Reading Instruction by Joan Sedita. This article provides an explanation of the components of reading instruction.  Parents must become well-versed in science-based reading instruction to affect school-wide policy and ensure their children are receiving evidence-based instruction.

Print-to-Speech and Speech-to-Print: Mapping Early Literacy: Written and supported by many literacy experts, this article describes how children benefit from early literacy instruction that links speech to print, and print to speech, creating connections in the brain to support emergent literacy skills. (Reading Rockets)

A Missing Link in the ‘Science of Reading’ Conversation: A discussion with Dr. Tiffany Hogan on the importance of language development in literacy instruction, including language expression and language comprehension. (EdWeek)

Looking to Research for Literacy Success: A series of four articles on the importance of knowledge-building in classrooms in a content-rich learning environment, by the Scientific Advisory Committee, Knowledge Matters Campaign.

AdLit.org- Essentials of Adolescent Literacy Instruction: The basics on effective practices in key areas of literacy instruction for middle and high school students. AdLit.org is a website that provides educators and families with resources to support adolescent readers and writers.

Strengthening the Mind’s Eye, by Dr. Virginia Berninger. This article addresses the importance of handwriting instruction in the 21st century and its role as a written language skill.  See also The Importance of Teaching Handwriting by Dr. Louise Spear-Swerling, and Want to Improve Children’s Writing? Don’t Neglect their Handwriting, by Dr. Steve Graham.

MODELS OF READING AND WRITING:

International Dyslexia Association: An infographic connecting the “who,” “what” and “how” of structured literacy.

The Language Literacy Network: A model that depicts the many language components that unify into skilled reading and writing, in English and Spanish. (Wasowicz, 2022)

Reading Rockets: Models of Reading: An article describing The Simple View of Reading (Gough and Tunmer, 1986), The Reading Rope (Scarborough, 2001) and Active View of Reading (Duke and Cartwright, 2021).

The Writing Rope: the Strands that Are Woven into Skilled Writing: An article describing The Writing Rope and how it supports our understanding of the interwoven elements that support writing. (Sedita, 2019)

VIDEO CLIPS:

NCIL Informational Videos: A selection of videos on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency and screening.

Anita Archer’s Explicit Instruction: Short video clips in elementary and secondary classrooms that can be helpful for parents to see aspects of explicit literacy instruction.

What is Explicit Instruction?: Dr. Anita Archer explains in under 6 minutes what explicit instruction is, when to use it, and how it differs from discovery learning.

RESOURCE HUBS/TOOLKITS:

National Center on Improving Literacy: A national resource center dedicated to advancing evidence-based teaching methods for students with literacy-related difficulties, including dyslexia. This website includes literacy resources for families, activities, books & games, how-to-guides, and more.

Iowa Reading Research Center – Caregivers Resource Hub: This resource hub contains a number of short lessons on literacy-related topics for parents of K-12 students.

The Reading League Compass—Families and Caregivers: This website offers information and resources to assist families to equip their young children with effective early literacy opportunities.

Florida Center for Reading Research- For Families: Resource hub for families to support their children’s reading development at home.

GUIDES: 

Reading 101: A Guide for Parents: A comprehensive guide to reading and writing instruction for parents organized by grade (PreK – 2nd grade) and by the major components of reading (Reading Rockets)

Project ELLIPSES–Supporting Reading At Home and Apoyando La Lectura En Casa: This guide in English and in Spanish recommends strategies that caregivers can use to help their children develop reading fluency and comprehension. The strategies are designed to accommodate variations in parent literacies and language.

Directory of Professional Tutors: The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) and the Center for Effective Reading Instruction (CERI) each provide directories of professionals who provide services to individuals with learning differences.

GENERAL RESOURCES

ARTICLE: What is Translanguaging and How Is It Used In The Classroom?: An article about translanguaging, the ability to move fluidly between languages and a pedagogical approach which supports this ability of students to enhance academic learning by using their full linguistic repertoire. (EdWeek)

ARTICLE: AERO Engaging with Families from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds: : A guide for schools but also of interest to families. (Australian Education Research Organisation)

STUDENTS WHO ARE ENGLISH LEARNERS, MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS, OR EMERGENT BILINGUALS

DOCUMENTS/GUIDES:

The Meadows Center 10 Key Series- Teaching English Language Learners:  The latest research findings distilled into 10 recommendations for improving instruction for English Language Learners.

The Meadows Center 10 Key Series- Teaching Reading in English-Spanish Bilingual Programs: The latest research findings distilled into 10 recommendations for improving instruction in English-Spanish Bilingual Programs.

Literacy Instruction for English Language Learners: A multimedia guide to instruction of ELLs for educators and families. Some resources are available in many languages. (Colorín Colorado)

WEBINARS:

Literacy Instruction for Multilingual Learners: Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan discusses literacy and language instruction for multilingual learners including an overview of the related research, the importance of explicit and systematic instruction in foundational skills and examples of instructional practices for the classroom.

Literacy for English Learners: What’s “Reading Science” Got to Do With It?: Dr. Claude Goldenberg refutes the all-too-common claim that reading research is not useful for English Learners. He presents some of the research on how English Learners learn to read and the importance of understanding that research so that we can better support those students in the classroom.

ARTICLES:

10 Ways to Support Your Child’s Literacy at Home: This infographic outlines activities families can do at home to foster early literacy development. (NCIL)

Reading SOS: Bilingual Families’ Questions about Language and Literacy: This article/video series addresses questions from bilingual families about supporting their children’s language and literacy development at home.

The “bilingual brain” and reading research: Questions about teaching English Learners to read in English: Dr. Claude Goldenberg addresses questions about how English Learners learn to read and what practitioners can and should understand from the research about effective literacy practices for ELs. (Colorín Colorado)

Q&A: What Research Says About Teaching English Learners to Read: An interview with Dr. Tim Shanahan on teaching English Learners. Lea este artículo en español. (EdSource)

Oral Language Development and ELLs:  An article describing the challenges related to the oral language development of English Learners and tips for addressing those challenges. (Colorín Colorado)

STUDENTS WHO SPEAK VARIATIONS/DIALECTS OF ENGLISH:

ARTICLE:

Teaching Reading to African American Children: When Home and School Language Differ: by Dr. J. Washington and Dr. M. Seidenberg. How variations in spoken language, particularly African American English, can impact literacy development, and how important it is for educators to understand and address the linguistic diversity of their students to effectively teach reading and writing.

WEBINAR:

Teaching African American Children to Read: The Impact of Dialectal Variation: with Dr. J. Washington. This webinar addresses the impact of language variation on reading development.

GENERAL INFORMATION

ARTICLE: If ELLs Need Additional Literacy Support: An article about questions to ask, considerations, and steps to take if English Language Learners need additional literacy support, as well as related resources (Colorín Colorado)

WEBSITE: LD OnLine: Navigating the Special Education Process: Resources for parents to help with understanding the special education process and their parental rights and responsibilities.

ARTICLE: AERO (Australian Education Research Organisation) Engaging with Families of Children with Disability: A practice guide with engagement strategies for families of children with disability.

Directory of Professional Tutors: The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) and the Center for Effective Reading Instruction (CERI) each provide directories of professionals who provide services to individuals with learning differences.

LETTERS: US Department of Education — Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
— Letter clarifying that there is nothing in the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) prohibiting the use of the terms dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia in IDEA evaluations, eligibility determinations or IEP documents.
— Letter clarifying that there is nothing in IDEA prohibiting the use of the term DLD (Developmental Language Disorder) in IDEA evaluations, eligibility determinations or IEP documents.

DYSLEXIA

WEBSITES:

University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI): Dyslexia Resource Hub: A collection of dyslexia resources for parents, teachers, and advocates.

International Dyslexia Association’s Dyslexia Library: The IDA’s online resource library with resources for families, professionals and researchers.

Dyslexia Alliance for Black Children – Follow the Dyslexia Roadmap: A guide for families navigating the education system with information and resources at each step.

Decoding Dyslexia: a network of parent-led grassroots movements which aims to raise dyslexia awareness, empower families to support their children, and inform policy-makers on best practices to identify, remediate and support students with dyslexia.

ARTICLES:

Understanding Dyslexia In Your Child: Information about the signs of dyslexia and how parents can help their children. (Understood.org)

Helping Children with Significant Reading Problems: by Dr. Sharon Vaughn and Dr. Jack Fletcher, this article offers families research-based practices to support their children with reading difficulties. (American Federation of Teachers)

English Learners and Dyslexia: Important considerations when evaluating English Learners for dyslexia. (International Dyslexia Association)

Gifted and Dyslexic: Identifying and Instructing the Twice Exceptional Student: How to identify and support students with exceptional academic strengths who also have a learning disability. (International Dyslexia Association)

GaabLab – Dyslexia Myths: Thirty-one common myths about dyslexia explained.
Also see this infographic on the myth of vision issues contributing to dyslexia, and this Joint Statement on learning disabilities, dyslexia and vision by the AAP, AAPOS, AACO and AAO.

INTERVIEWS/PODCASTS:

FAQ Video Series: Families Reflect on their Experiences: Produced by the Dyslexia Alliance for Black Children, parents answer questions about their journey to discover their children have dyslexia and what they learned about supporting and advocating for their educational needs

Reading Road Trip: S2E8 Dyslexia Facts, Myths and Strategies with Dr. Jack Fletcher, a discussion about risk factors and prevention, dyslexia vs ‘dysteachia’, instructional tips, wait-to-fail, and dyslexia myths and misconceptions.

The Case for Early Dyslexia Screening: Dr. Nadine Gaab explains the critical importance of early intervention in identifying children with dyslexia and other learning differences.

In Conversation with Diane Lyon on the Importance of Finding Your Voice: Diane Lyon, founder of the Parent Coalition for Literacy and wife of Dr. Reid Lyon, is interviewed by Dr. Tim Odegard for his podcast Dyslexia Uncovered. Diane talks about growing up with dyslexia, raising a son with dyslexia, and her fierce parent advocacy at the state and national level, including her time working for the U.S. Department of Education and other impactful endeavors.

Black and Dyslexic: by Winifred Winston and LeDerek Horne, this podcast series educates, empowers, and equips adults and parents of children with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences with a focus on Black and underrepresented minorities.

DEVELOPMENTAL LANGUAGE DISORDER (DLD)

WEBSITE:

DLD and Me: a website to raise awareness about Developmental Language Disorder and offer support, resources, and more.

FACTSHEET:

Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) Factsheet- English and other languages, by RADLD: Raising Awareness about Developmental Language Disorder – this factsheet provides information on DLD including associated difficulties, employment and mental health considerations, and intervention.

WEBINAR:

Developmental Language Disorder: by Dr. Tiffany Hogan for The Windward Institute, this presentation describes the characteristics of DLD and its impact on academic outcomes, compares and contrasts DLD with dyslexia, and indicates how DLD can be identified and supported by families and educators.

ARTICLE:

Beyond ADHD: The Hidden Language Challenges Behind Academic Struggles: An article by Tatyana Elleseff on common misconceptions about why some children struggle academically which can result in overlooking possible language-based deficits.

A Call for School-Based Language Screenings: An article by Dr. Tiffany Hogan about the importance of language screening in school.

COURSES:

Building a Parent Dyslexia Group with Parents for Reading Justice: This masterclass and workbook provides a roadmap for parents of children with dyslexia to form an advocacy group to press for evidence-based reading instruction in their schools.

Iowa Reading Research Center – Caregiver’s Course: A course called “What do I do if I think my child has a learning disability?” assists caregivers in learning how to advocate for their child.

SPEECH: 

Dr. Shawn Robinson – Alumni Awards Ceremony Acceptance Speech: author, consultant, entrepreneur and public speaker Dr. Shawn Robinson describes his life as a student with undiagnosed dyslexia and how he overcame obstacles, learned to read and went on to earn a doctoral degree.

PODCAST:

The Education Trust: ExtraOrdinary Districts Podcast: S4E15 The Right to Read: An interview with attorney Mark Rosenbaum and Dr. Nell Duke on the responsibility of schools to teach children to read, and a discussion on legal cases to establish that responsibility.

RESOURCE HUBS:

National Center on Improving Literacy: A national resource center dedicated to advancing evidence-based teaching methods for students with literacy-related difficulties, including dyslexia. This website includes literacy resources for families, activities, books & games, how-to-guides, and more.

University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI): Parent Resource Hub: A collection of web-based language and literacy resources for caregivers.

Iowa Reading Research Center- Caregivers Resource Hub: A collection of resources organized into eLearning modules for caregivers.

The Oakland REACH: A Virtual Family Hub of resources, support and training.

ARTICLES:

The Parent Response to “Opinion: A call for rejecting the newest reading wars” in The Hechinger Report: An open letter forcefully responding to a letter by 58 educators who criticized the ‘Sold a Story’ podcast series for selling an incomplete story about reading instruction.

The 74: St. Louis NAACP Marshals Local Nonprofits to Help Make Sure Every Child Can Read: ‘When white America has the flu or a cold, Black America has pneumonia’ — ‘Right to Read’ campaign targets huge disparities in third-grade literacy.

The 74: Oakland Study Finds Parents as Effective as Teachers in Tutoring Young Readers: CRPE’s look at The Oakland REACH called parents ‘untapped pools of talent’ in promoting literacy.

The Hechinger Report: NAACP Targets a New Civil Rights Issue- Reading: Fairfax County NAACP and other local advocates call on school district leaders to address the persistent achievement gap for minority students by requiring systematic, cumulative, phonics-based reading instruction in all elementary classrooms.

DOCUMENTARIES:

Our Dyslexic Children:  In 2010, a group of parents in a suburban Ohio school district discovered their children could not read. They formed a grass-roots organization and filed a systemic group complaint against the school district. This documentary serves as a roadmap for parents to advocate on behalf of all children.

The Right to Read: Follows Oakland NAACP activist, Kareem Weaver, who believes literacy is our most important civil right. With a focus on Black and brown children, Kareem demands Oakland schools bring in science-based reading instruction.

Blame it on Gutenberg: About the evolving science of dyslexia, dueling theories about how to teach reading, and one family’s landmark struggle with an unresponsive school system.

The Truth About Reading: A look at the illiteracy problem in America, highlighting people who learned to read as adults, and sharing proposed solutions for working towards a future where every child learns to read proficiently.

Hopeville: How to Win the Reading Wars: Examines the US reading crisis and how instruction aligned to reading science can help nearly all children learn to read.

ORGANIZATIONS:

Decoding Dyslexia: a network of parent-led grassroots movements which aims to raise dyslexia awareness, empower families to support their children, and inform policy-makers on best practices to identify, remediate and support students with dyslexia.

Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA): An organization that supports the educational rights of students with disabilities and their families.

National Parents Union: A parent-led organization that works to advocate for policies and initiatives that support families and promote educational equity; includes a specific focus on literacy, dyslexia and special education.

ARTICLES:

How Families Can Partner with Schools on Literacy Development: Guidance for families in collaborating with their school about their children’s literacy development, including questions to ask your teacher. (NCIL)

Is My School Getting Reading Right? What to Ask. What to Look For: An explanation of the components of good reading instruction, along with questions to ask your child’s teacher. This is Part 2 of a 3-part series called Guide to Reading Advocacy by the R2R Project. Part 1 is about the importance of collaboration between the mainstream classroom teacher and the special education team, and Part 3 addresses how to advocate for a change in how your child is being taught. (Right to Read Project)

Parent Involvement vs. Parent Engagement: Is There a Difference?: This article discusses the importance of parent engagement and why it matters for students’ educational outcomes (Parents for Public Schools)

What Parents Need to Know About the Research On How Kids Learn to Read: What good reading looks like in a classroom, and suggestions for questions parents can ask their children’s teachers.

AERO Family Engagement: : Resources focusing on engagement and collaboration between schools and families to support student learning (Australian Education Research Organisation)

AERO Engaging with Families to Support Student Learning in Primary and Secondary School: Practice guide on how primary and secondary school teachers can effectively engage with families to improve learning outcomes (Australian Education Research Organisation)

SCREENING AND ASSESSMENT

EAC Assessments Team Menu: This menu contains a section for parents under the heading, “Assessment in General”.

VIDEO:

Screening: What Is It and Why Is It Important?: An introduction to screening for risk of reading difficulties. (NCIL)

ARTICLE:

Screening and Assessment: Information on the four types of reading assessments used in schools, a list of common tools, and links to additional resources. (Reading Rockets)

FACTSHEET:

Universal Screening: K-2 Reading: Information on the importance of universal screening in the primary grades to identify students in need of reading intervention. (IDA)

PODCAST:

Biliteracy and assessment with Dr. Lillian Durán: Dr. Durán discusses the advantages of bilingualism and the skills those students bring to school, and the process of screening and assessment (Amplify Science of Reading: The Podcast)

ASSESSMENT TOOLS:

NCIL: The Adolescent Assessment of Literacy Tool: A free screening tool designed to measure reading and language skills for students in grades 3-12. Also see NCIL’s Screening & Assessment hub of informational resources.

CUBED-3 Assessment: A language comprehension and word recognition assessment tool, by Language Dynamics Group.

TOOLS/TOOLKITS:

Literacy Dialogue Tool for Parents/Caregivers: This tool provides examples of questions you might ask your school principal or literacy leader to start a dialog about the school or district literacy program. The tool was developed in consideration of Colorado’s READ Act, but this is a generic version that the CDE produced so it can be used by parents across the country.

PODCASTS:

How Can Parents and Educators Advocate for Reading-Science Aligned Curriculum and Instruction?: Melissa & Lori Love Literacy, with Brett Tingley, founder of Parents for Reading Justice and host of Literacy Now Podcast – Learn how parents can come together to advocate for their schools to use evidence-based methods of literacy instruction.

Turning It Around: New Madrid, MO Administrators Share Their Recipe for Literacy Success: Jessica Hamman of Glean Education interviews a Principal and Superintendent about their success in raising literacy rates in their district, and how other districts can use their model to successfully raise their literacy rates.

LETTER:

Fairfax County NAACP letter to Superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools: This organization demands a switch to evidence-based structured literacy methods of teaching reading in all K-3 general education classrooms.

ARTICLE:

What WNY Schools Can Learn From Seaford School District: Top takeaways from a trip by over 40 education leaders to learn about Seaford’s success in moving from near the bottom of the State in reading scores, to the top.

SAMPLE LETTERS:

Letter to the Lindbergh Board: Letter from community members to their school board of education addressing concerns about low literacy rates and poor curricula in district schools and advocating for the adoption of evidence-based structured literacy programs, comprehensive teacher training, and increased accountability for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), while urging parental involvement in curriculum reform decisions.

Template for Board Communication for Parent/Community Advocacy: Sample public comments and template of parent/community engagement at the school board level.

Letter to SCUSD Board members: Template of parent/community engagement at the school board level.

VIDEO:

Visitors Comments to Lindbergh Board of Ed by Diane Dragan, Esq.: A parent’s comments to her school board on the poor results from intervention services for children with reading disabilities and lack of accountability by the district.

ARTICLES:

A School Board Member’s Insights: A pediatrician and school board member describes what school boards can and should do to advocate for evidence-based literacy programs in their schools. (The Reading League Journal)

How our district moved the needle on early literacy (and you can too): Todd Collins, school board member and founder of the California Reading Coalition, discusses how his district tackled its long-standing issue of low reading proficiency among high-need students. He also addresses the issue in this Leading Literacy podcast interview.

SPEECHES/TESTIMONY:

Response to Mills College at Northeastern Undermining Students’ Civil Right to Read: A letter to the Oakland, CA community from Fulcrum Executive Director Kareem Weaver.

Ameer Baraka at Senate HELP Committee Hearing on Dyslexia: Actor, producer and author Ameer Baraka testifies at Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee on the impact of undiagnosed dyslexia on his life. PDF Transcript

Brett Tingley Testimony at Ohio Senate Education Committee:  Brett Tingley of Parents for Reading Justice testifies on May 14, 2025, on the importance of school districts reporting of Science of Reading training and on the need for a single, statewide literacy diagnostic assessment (at 5:52:17).

Brett Tingley Testimony at Ohio State Board of Education: Brett Tingley of Parents for Reading Justice testifies on February 15, 2022 in support of the Ohio Dyslexia Guidebook (at 3:30:30 through 5:05:00).

Sample parent comments and Sample teacher comments: Examples of comments by parents and teachers when advocating at the state level (e.g., ‘Visitors Comments’ at state board of ed meeting, testimony at a legislative hearing, or at a press conference).

PODCASTS:

Literacy Now! Podcast: Parents for Reading Justice: Hosted by EAC member Brett Tingley, this parent-focused podcast features parents, literacy experts, and thought leaders discussing current topics in the science of reading and parent advocacy.

“Literacy Leadership” The Learning Ally Podcast—with Missy Purcell and Mallary Lattanze: Interview with two literacy advocates and former educators on the importance of advocating for students with dyslexia.

“Literacy Leadership” The Learning Ally Podcast—with Sonya Thomas: Interview with the executive director of Nashville PROPEL, a parent advocacy group that organizes and develops powerful parent leaders who demand equitable education policies and practices.

“Literacy Leadership” The Learning Ally Podcast—with Resha Conroy: Interview with the founder of the Dyslexia Alliance for Black Children, an organization that supports Black children who are dyslexic, their families and their communities to transform barriers to literacy through education and empowerment, and to confront racial bias in public education through collaboration and action.

The Literacy View—with Kate Mayer: Parent advocate, teacher and co-founder of Everyone Reads PA, a nonprofit organization with the mission to ensure that every educator and parent in Pennsylvania has the tools they need to help all students read to the best of their potential.

Leading Literacy Podcast—with Denise Morgan: Parent advocate and co-founder of Equitable Literacy for All, Denise talks about her advocacy work in California at the local, district and State levels.

ARTICLE:

Training School Leaders to Spend Wisely: Article regarding new provision in the Every Student Succeeds Act where beginning with the 2018-19 school year, school-level expenditure data is made public.

REPORTS TO SUPPORT ADVOCACY EFFORTS:

2024 Nashville’s Hidden Literacy Crisis: What Parents Are Doing About It: A Nashville P.R.O.P.E.L. whitepaper.

Families in Schools: The Literacy Crisis in Los Angeles and Beyond: A 2024 landscape report on the early literacy crisis in Los Angeles.

Equitable Literacy for All Students: California State PTA resolution which passed in 2023. This process may be replicable in other states.

NCTQ State of the States 2024: Five Policy Actions to Strengthen Implementation of the Science of Reading: Report on current state policies and recommendations for changes.

NCTQ Teacher Prep Review: Strengthening Elementary Reading Instruction:  Report regarding teacher preparation programs implementing scientifically-based reading instruction.

NCTQ The Four Pillars to Reading Success: An Action Guide for States: An Action Guide Report for States.

A Nation of Readers: How State Chiefs Can Help Every Child Learn to Read: This report by the Council of Chief State School Officers provides recommendations for state leaders to improve reading skills for all students.

ExcelInEd Comprehensive Policy Solutions and Literacy Map: A comprehensive resource including a Literacy Map that indicates 18 Early Literacy Fundamental Principles that provide educators and families with strategies to improve literacy outcomes.

EAB Narrowing the Third Grade Reading Gap: Research Briefing prepared by District Leadership Forum Setting Out Science of Reading.

LETTERS:

Letter ISO SB 691:Parent advocate letter in support of California state legislative bill related to early screening for at risk readers.

Letter ISO AB 2222:  Parent advocate letter in support of California state legislation related to comprehensive literacy bill.

OVERVIEW:

Is There a “Science of Math” Too?:  This article by Holly Korbey explains that there is a ‘Science of Math’, just as there is with reading, and that schools must use evidence-based instructional practices in order to close gaps and raise unacceptably low achievement resulting from widespread inadequate instruction. (Ed Post)

Evidence-Based Math Instruction: What You Need to Know: This article outlines four elements of effective math instruction. (Understood.org)

Early math is not on parents’ radar, but it should be: This article by Holly Korbey provides information on a few key ideas that parents should know to support early math development.

MATH INSTRUCTION:

WEBSITES AND GUIDES:

The Science of Math: This website emphasizes the use of evidence-based practices and research on student learning to inform mathematics instruction and intervention, and provides a wide array of resources on effective teaching practices in math.

EAC Math Glossary:  A list of mathematical terms by the Evidence Advocacy Center

IES Practice Guides- What Works in Math: The Institute of Education Sciences produces practice guides in math for teachers which are also useful for parents; guides cover instruction in preschool through high school as well as a guide for Intervention in the Elementary Grades.

10 Key Mathematics Practices for All Elementary Schools: Research-based practices to improve math achievement for elementary students. (The Meadows Center)

10 Key Math Practices for All Middle and High Schools (in English and Spanish): Research-based practices to improve math achievement for middle and high school students. (The Meadows Center)

ARTICLES:

How a debate over the science of math could reignite the math wars: This article by Jill Barshay explains the ongoing debate between teacher-led math instruction and discovery/inquiry-based math instruction. (Hechinger Report)

Myths The Undermine Maths Teaching: In this paper, leading education researchers Sarah Powell, Elizabeth Hughes and Corey Peltier debunk seven commonly-held myths about teaching mathematics.

Literacy is Every Subject- Math and Word Problems, Part 1 and Part 2:  This is a two-part blog post on how solving mathematical problems depends on reading comprehension, and how commonly taught strategies fail students. (Iowa Reading Research Center)

Fluency Before Function: A Case Against Early Calculator Use:  Dr. Amanda VanDerHeyden explains how giving calculators too early to novice learners can undermine long-term math proficiency. (SpringMath)

Math Instruction for ELLs: This webpage contains articles, blog posts, and other resources on teaching math to English Language Learners. (Colorín Colorado)

PODCASTS, WEBINARS AND VIDEOS:

The Science of Math Instruction: Using Evidence-Based Practices in the Classroom:  Dr. Anna Stokke and Dr. Benjamin Solomon discuss how evidence-based instructional practices can improve math outcomes for all students.

Unlocked: Why So Many Students Can’t Master Math:  In this podcast (with full transcript), Dr. Amanda VanDerHeyden explains the stages of the learning process, how instructional tactics must match the stage the child is in, the problems that arise when there is a mis-match, and the importance of mastery of foundational math skills.

Chalk & Talk: How to Build Automaticity with Math Facts: Dr. Anna Stokke explains practical, research-backed methods to develop math fact automaticity.

Chalk & Talk: Do Timed Tests Cause Math Anxiety?: Dr. Robin Codding discusses myths and facts about timed tests and math anxiety.

Minds on Math, with Dr. Stanislas Dehaene: Dr. Dehaene discusses how we learn math and the science that supports how we developed this ability.

MATH AT HOME:

Parent-Teacher Conference Checklist for Math (in English and Spanish): A list of questions for parents and caregivers. (Understood.org)

M.I.N.D. Measures and Interventions for Numeracy Development: Developed for educators but also useful for parents, this website offers free materials to help build early numeracy and math-fact fluency.

Made for Math: YouTube Channel: This channel has a series of math videos across a range of topics for use by parents and teachers.

Pirate Math Equation Quest: This is an evidence-based intervention program for elementary and middle school students who struggle with solving math word problems.

MATH DIFFERENCES:

Reading Supports Abound in Schools, But Effective Math Help Much Harder to Find: This article by Holly Korbey explains how there is a widespread lack of identification and support of students who struggle in math. (The 74)

What is Dyscalculia?: This article explains what this math disability is, what the signs are, and how it is diagnosed. (Understood.org)

How to Spot Dyscalculia (in English and Spanish): This article provides information on dyscalculia and what signs to look for in children who have difficulty with math. (Child Mind Institute)

Dyscalculia Association: This organization was set up to promote understanding of dyscalculia and math learning difficulties generally.

Chalk & Talk: Supporting Students with Math Difficulties: In this podcast, Dr. Sarah Powell explains how to support students struggling with math and emphasizes the ethical responsibility of educators, policymakers, and advocates to ensure effective math instruction.

Unlocking Dyscalculia: This is a podcast series by Made For Math on the research, identification, and intervention of dyscalculia.

Made for Math: Custom Accommodations Generator: This webpage offers a list of math interventions for struggling students as well as a questionnaire that is used to create a customized list of accommodations for a child.

MATH ADVOCACY:

NCTQ Teacher Prep Review: Elementary Mathematics:  A report by the National Council on Teacher Quality that evaluates teacher preparation programs in every state on how well they teach future elementary teachers essential math concepts and skills.

NCTQ State of the States: Five Policy Levers to Improve Math Instruction: Specific actions states can take to improve math instruction; includes snapshots of effective states and also identifies states with challenges in relation to the 5 recommendations.

ExcelinEd: Math Policy Playbook:  Resources for advocates of evidence-based math policies in their state, including model policies for K-8 math, universal math screening, and knowledge and skills FAQs

Archimedes Math Standards Report:  A comprehensive set of model standards for PreK-12th grade designed to restore academic rigor, intellectual honesty, and instructional clarity to America’s classrooms. The standards are intentionally drafted to be understandable for teachers and parents alike.

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP): Mathematics:  Also referred to as the ‘nation’s report card’, NAEP was established in 1969 and is a continuing and nationally representative measure of trends in academic achievement of U.S. elementary and secondary students in math, reading and other subjects.

Evidence-Based Practices for Algebra I Access, Placement, and Success:  “Algebra I is a key gatekeeper to advanced coursework, college access, and STEM careers, but it is also one of the most failed high school courses”.  This brief explains what is needed to increase success. (EdResearch for Action)

AERO Encouraging a Sense of Belonging and Connectedness in Primary and Secondary Schools: Practice guides with research-based recommendations for fostering a sense of belonging and connectedness in schools (Australian Education Research Organisation)

AERO Measuring Effective Transitions to School: A paper on measuring the effectiveness of transitions and the impact on children and families’ sense of belonging (Australian Education Research Organisation)

Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS): Family Resources: Resources for families for partnering with their school to provide their children with supportive and productive learning environments.  PBIS is an evidence-based multi-tiered framework for improving students’ social, emotional, and academic outcomes. The Center is funded by the U.S. Department of Education and provides technical assistance, develops resources, and shares best practices.

Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR): A hub of resources and support for parents of children with disabilities or suspected disabilities

CPIR Supporting Families with PBIS at Home: Information for parents about how to use positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) to effectively build children’s social-emotional-behavioral skills and reduce challenging behaviors.

Intensive Intervention Infographics for Parents and Families (in English and Spanish): A high-level overview of intensive intervention, examples of questions parents can ask school teams to learn more, and tips to support their child who is receiving intensive intervention.

Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL): Parents/Caregivers page: This organization provides resources to schools, families and communities to advance social-emotional learning so that children and adults develop skills for life success.

10 Key Policies and Practices for Schoolwide and Classroom-Based Behavioral Supports: Research-based practices to support behavioral support systems at school (The Meadows Center)

CEEDAR Center: A Family Guide to At-Home Learning (in English and Spanish): Practical strategies to support children in completing at-home tasks in reading, math and behavior

What is Executive Function?: This article explains what executive functioning is, signs of challenges, possible causes, and testing and treatment of EF challenges. (Understood.org)

IDEA, Section 504, and the ADA: Which laws do what : An overview of three major laws that protect the rights of people with disabilities. (Understood.org)

Wrightslaw – IDEA 2004: This website provides free access to resources about special education law and advocacy. This section is specifically about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Wrightslaw – FAPE: Learn about a ‘Free and Appropriate Public Education’ under IDEA.

Wrightslaw – Child Find Mandate: By law, all school districts are required to identify, locate, and evaluate children with disabilities.

Wrightslaw – Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA): By law, schools must ensure that all students receive a fair, equitable, and quality education, and close educational achievement gaps. Included are provisions specifically designed to improve literacy instruction including requiring evidence-based strategies to effectively teach reading and writing.