Presented by Stacy Hurst, M.Ed., Assistant Professor of Teacher Education, Southern Utah University, and Chief Education Officer, Reading Horizons; and Donell Pons, MAT, M.Ed., Literacy and Reading Coordinator, American International School of Utah
Moderated by Erika Huff, Event and Campaign Manager, Reading Horizons

Sponsored by Reading Horizons

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Closed captioning will be added to the recording within 2 weeks of the live presentation.

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For young learners, preK through grade three, phonological and phonemic awareness are essential building blocks for literacy. And for older, struggling readers grade four and beyond, mastering these core literacy skills can help break barriers to academic success and progress.

In this recorded edWebinar, two skilled, innovative educators introduce you to research-based, classroom-tested techniques and activities, all created to build and reinforce students’ phonological and phonemic awareness. Many of the techniques and activities you’ll see will also support students with dyslexia. If you’re looking for approaches that will make the connection between speech and the written word, this is your edWebinar!

This recorded edWebinar will be of interest to teachers, school and district leaders, reading and literacy coaches, reading specialists, special education teachers, special education department chairs, district-level special education directors, professional development leaders, curriculum leaders, equity, inclusion, and diversity leaders, school improvement leaders, and Title I and federal funding directors of all grade levels.

About the Presenters

Stacy Hurst is an assistant professor of teacher education at Southern Utah University where she teaches courses in literacy and early childhood education. She has degrees in sociology and elementary education and a master’s degree in education. Her extensive experience also includes teaching first grade and working as a literacy coach and reading specialist. Stacy is the co-author of a foundational literacy program and is also the chief education officer at Reading Horizons, an educational software company that teaches structured literacy concepts through a blended software and direct instruction approach. Stacy is passionate about literacy and believes that learning how to read well is a civil right.

Donell Pons has a husband and several children with dyslexia. When Donell discovered her son had dyslexia and was struggling to find appropriate services, she went back to school and received a dual MED and MAT in teaching and learning with a special education certification, none of which addressed dyslexia. Donell has taught secondary language arts and worked at a charter school focusing on supporting students on the autism spectrum. Donell is trained in multiple structured literacy-based reading methods. She was the literacy and reading coordinator and ELL director at a public charter school and her efforts to implement a comprehensive literacy program there were featured in Language Magazine, October 2016 and MiddleWeb SmartBrief. Donell has produced a nationally recognized three-part webcast series on teaching reading and recognizing dyslexia and has had numerous articles in educational publications. She is a member of Decoding Dyslexia Utah and helped compose the Utah State Dyslexia Handbook. She is currently working with adults in a workplace literacy program as well as supporting students with dyslexia in the transition to college.

About the Moderator

Erika Huff serves as Event and Campaign Manager for Reading Horizons. Passionate about literacy, she is focused on improving reading for families in the home. Erika holds a BA in social work from Utah State University in addition to an MA in social work from the University of Utah.

Closed captioning will be added to the recording within 2 weeks of the live presentation.

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Reading Horizons offers professional learning and curriculum tools that prepare teachers to deliver the principles of reading science in a classroom, hybrid, or virtual setting. Direct instruction coupled with technology-supported explicit phonics instruction helps students build a solid foundation in reading and spelling.