A Systemic Solution To Low Literacy Rates, Poor Instruction, Dyslexia And Social Ills
July 30, 2020 4pm ET
Debbie Meyer A'lelia Bundles Community Scholar Decoding Dyslexia NYC Chapter Dyslexia Plus In Public Schools Task Force
Agenda
1
History of Reading Instruction
2
Neurodiversity and Reading
3
Dyslexia
4
Reading Instruction Now
5
The Illogical Model
6
The Logic Model
7
NYS and NYC
A quick history Influence on Reading Instruction Reading Wars
1800-1900 1900-1930 1930-1965 1940-now 1955 1967 1973 1975-2000 1981 1986 1997-2000 2000-now 2006 to now
Blue-Backed Speller / McGuffey Readers Beacon Readers Whole Word Orton, Gillingham and Diana King Why Johnny Can’t Read Learning to Read: The Great Debate Dual Route (Pre-Reading Rope) Whole Language Why Johnny Still Can’t Read Simple View Of Reading National Reading Panel Balanced Literacy & Phonics Lite Functional MRI proving Orton & Gillingham
34% of 8th Graders Read at 8th Grade Proficiency
1981
“…That was due to the Dewey revolt in the Twenties in which they threw out phonics and went to word recognition, as if you’re reading Chinese pictographs instead of blending sounds of different letters. I think killing phonics was one of the greatest causes of illiteracy in the country.”
Neurodiversity
Neurodiversity
Reading Neurodiversity: A Continuum
Requires Diagnostic Explicit Instruction, 45%
Reads with Broad Instruction, 35%
Other, 60% Requires Diagnostic Repeated Explicit Instruction, 15%
Reads Effortlessly, 5% https://www.nancyyoung.ca/research-and-links
What is Reading?
WR X LC = Reading
[s / ˈaɪ / l / ə / n / s]
What is Dyslexia? • Dyslexia is a trouble with connecting sounds to symbols: decoding symbols and groups of symbols cough rough through though plough/plow
aid tray table sundae cake prey break eight
lemonade Sunday pray brake ate
b d p q
/a..e/ /ai/ /ay/
What is Dyslexia?
Double Deficit Dyslexia
Co-Morbid with Dyslexia
Poor verbal short term memory
Dysgraphia
Poor rapid serial naming rapid automatic naming
Executive Function Issues
Slow articulation / processing speed
Dyscalculia ADD/ADHD Autism/ASD
Social Deficit Dyslexia Lack of language at home Lack of language in day care and pre-school Lack of parent advocates
Vision/Auditory issues
Poor Instruction at School
Other health issues
Lack of Background Knowledge
https://www.aecf.org/resources/2020-kids-count-data-book/#Education
Reading Instruction
Structured Literacy
Five Foundations of Literacy
Diagnostic
Phonemic Awareness/Phonological Awareness
Systematically Taught
Alphabetic Principals
Explicitly Taught
Synthetic Phonics Taught with Fidelity Practice until Mastery (dyslexic kids take more practice)
Fluency Vocabulary Comprehension
What Else Helps Background Knowledge Read-Aloud (with conversation) Audio Books (with
intonation) & Podcasts
Rich Discussion
Teaching Sounds Before Letter Names Decodable Texts Multisensory Practice Cursive Key Words and Symbols
Reading Instruction: Pedagogy & Approaches (un) Balanced Literacy • • • • • • •
Expect you arrive at school with PA Phonics Lite (incidental) Guessing/Cueing/MSV Leveled Readers / Predictable Count Errors Mini Lessons Sight words = common words to memorize
Structured Literacy • Vs Teach PA • Vs Synthetic Phonics Systematically • Vs Decoding • Vs Decodable Readers • Vs Categorize Errors • Vs Explicit Instruction/Practice • Vs Words that Follow No Code
https://eduvaites.org/2019/10/21/the-trouble-with-common-word-recognition-strategies/
Reading Instruction: Paradoxes and Consequences
Reading Instruction works best in the early years – K-3 RTI / MTSS / Wait to Fail or the same ole same ole again and again is much too late Reading support outside of school complicates school support Reading failures penalizes kids in myriad ways
Reading Instruction: The Illogical Model (lack of ) RESOURCES •Neuroscience Departments (siloed)
•Psychology Departments (siloed)
•Business Schools (siloed) •Colleges of Law (siloed) •Colleges of Education (siloed) •Colleges of Medicine – Pediatricians/GPs (siloed) •Colleges of Social Work (siloed)
•Other Stakeholders
ACTIVITIES • Uninformed Teachers Training new Teachers • Insular Discussions/Events • Unconnected Research • Expensive Neuropysch Exams & Education Lawsuits • Private Specialized Schools • Uninformed Pre-Service Curriculum • Book Distribution, tutoring, Professional Development, Publishing
OUTPUTS • Uninformed Teachers • Uninformed Principals • Uninformed Doctors • Uninformed Social Workers • Uninformed School Psychologists, SLT, OT, Counselors • Lack of Interest by Economists • Uninformed Education Policies • Lack of Early Intervention • Lack of Proper Instruction • RTI Wait to Fail Model • “Niche” Publishers
Outcomes and Impact 50% of prisoners are functionally illiterate due to dyslexia 40% of homeless people are functionally illiterate due to dyslexia 66% + of kids can’t read on grade level in 8th grade $1.4 Trillion lost due to illiteracy Struggling readers
disconnect from school and may never reach their potential.
Frustration in school can lead to
mental health issues, sometimes as early as grade school or is
criminalized by the school and punished by families. Dyslexic/ Struggling readers without the proper instruction are more likely than others to experience
child abuse, become homeless, and/or enter the criminal justice system
What More We Can Do: Universities & the Logic Model RESOURCES • Neuroscience Departments • Psychology Departments • Business Schools • Colleges of Law • Colleges of Education • Colleges of Medicine – Pediatricians/GPs • Colleges of Social Work
ACTIVITIES Seminars Symposia Conferences
OUTPUTS X-Pollination Intra / Inter University Other Stakeholders
Research Thought Partners
Economic Costs Change Management
Education Policy Education Law
Teacher Licensing Teaching College Accreditation Family/Community Advocacy
Pre-Service Curriculum Early Screening
Early Intervention Proper Instruction
Outcomes and Impact Parents informed and advocating Teachers teaching reading Learners learning to read / Learners accessing content Less remediation saving $$ More college and career readiness Increased social and economic mobility Better health outcomes
Successful Dyslexics
What We Can Do - NYState: Call to Action • Support Dyslexia Legislation
o Dyslexia Task Force – policy makers, parents, school reps o Teacher Preparation (pre-service programs) o Universal Screening / Screening in Prisons o Appropriate Interventions (schools) o Specialized Schools (school districts) o Untimed State Tests
• National Info https://www.dyslegia.com/
What We Can Do - NYC: Call to Action • Support the DOE Universal Literacy Program – needs expansion • Support IEP OG teachers • Support Imagine Schools Manhattan Prep and City College Lab School for Literacy • Remote Learning: Do we need districts? Can everybody get access to expertise?
Literacy Leadership Institute A Systemic Solution
What We Can Do - Universities: Call to Action • Research – social, economic, neuroscience • Inter-School and Departmental Cooperation • Pre-Service Training • Change Management • Family, Community and State Advocacy
1981
“…That was due to the Dewey revolt in the Twenties in which they threw out phonics and went to word recognition, as if you’re reading Chinese pictographs instead of blending sounds of different letters. I think killing phonics was one of the greatest causes of illiteracy in the country.”
Contact and Resources
Debbie Meyer decodingdyslexianyc@gmail.com http://bit.ly/DMliteracyblogs https://bit.ly/DDNYNYC @ReadorPrison
•
https://www.apmreports.org/reading
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bit.ly/IncarcerationLiteracy
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https://bit.ly/DyslexiaPrivilege
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https://bit.ly/DyslexiaPrison
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https://bit.ly/KellySandmanHurleyTedX
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https://bit.ly/DyslexiaMindshift
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http://bit.ly/dyslexiaApril19
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Understood.org More resources next slide
More Resources From the Presentation https://www.aecf.org/resources/doublejeopardy/ and https://www.aecf.org/resources/2020-kidscount-data-book/#Education http://www.ldonline.org/article/19296/ https://www.futurity.org/childhood-abusedyslexia-729212/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1087 6375
Books • Language at the Speed of Sight, Mark Seidenberg • Overcoming Dyslexia, Sally Shaywitz • Proust and the Squid, Maryann Wolf
Podcast • https://amplify.com/science-ofreading-the-podcast/
Low Literacy Rates, Poor Instruction, and Social Ills A Systemic Solution
Debbie Meyer A'lelia Bundles Community Scholar Decoding Dyslexia NYC Chapter Dyslexia Plus In Public Schools Task Force