Presented by Laura Stewart, Chief Academic Officer, 95 Percent Group; Dr. Mary Dahlgren, Founder, Tools 4 Reading, and Literacy Executive in Residence, 95 Percent Group; and Dr. Antonio Fierro, Vice President of Professional Learning and Academics, 95 Percent Group

Sponsored by Tools 4 Reading

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View this edWebinar for a lively and instructional conversation between three literacy experts who have, for decades, dedicated their careers to helping educators build the best skills for proven success in reading instruction. During this helpful session, our respected trio helps you build a solid understanding of what a literacy ecosystem is, why it is important, and ways to support your instructional practices to create a learning environment that helps every student learn to read and reach grade-level success—and beyond.

As Laura Stewart, Dr. Mary Dahlgren, and Dr. Antonio Fierro discuss how to create an instructional ecosystem, they also explore the importance of data, focused instruction, routines, the efficacy of teaching, and evidence to support practices. There’s so much to learn from these experts! During this edWebinar, educators learn:

• Why evidence-based literacy instruction and resources are needed to create an ecosystem that results in improved student outcomes
• How they can drive reading achievement in their schools or districts
• Instructional ideas for working with English learners
• To identify cost-effective products and resources that support and strengthen the reading curriculum, including Sound Walls, Kid Lips, and 95 Phonics Core Program®

This recorded edWebinar is of interest to PreK-12 teachers, librarians, and school and district leaders.

About the Presenters

Laura Stewart is an educator and organizational leader. She has served as a classroom teacher, building and district administrator, adjunct professor, and director of numerous professional development initiatives around the country. Before joining 95 Percent Group, Laura was the Chief Innovation Officer with The Reading League and the Chief Academic Officer for Professional Development at Highlights for Children.

Laura presents nationally and internationally and has written for numerous organizations and publications, including co-authoring The Everything Guide to Informational Texts, K-2: Best Texts, Best Practices. She hosted the podcast Teaching, Reading, and Learning: The TRL Podcast. Laura serves on several advisory boards and was formerly a certified LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) trainer. Laura’s position as the Chief Academic Officer at 95 Percent Group suits her perfectly, as her passion is empowering educators to positively impact ALL students and ultimately change the course of literacy achievement in this country.

As the Founder and President of Tools 4 Reading, Dr. Mary Dahlgren has always focused on developing practical tools and training opportunities to bridge the gap between the Science of Reading and classroom practice. She brings over 25 years of experience in the field of education, having served as a dyslexia therapist, elementary classroom teacher, international literacy consultant, national LETRS® trainer, and author. As she joins 95 Percent Group, Dr. Dahlgren will continue to elevate the science behind reading for all educators. Since founding Tools 4 Reading in 2010, Dr. Dahlgren has focused on developing practical tools and training opportunities to bridge the gap between the Science of Reading and classroom practice. These tools include Kid Lips™ and the Kid Lips™ Instructional Guide, Sound Wall Solutions™, Phoneme/Grapheme Cards, and sound wall classes.

Dr. Dahlgren has over 25 years of experience in the field of education, having served as a dyslexia therapist, elementary classroom teacher, international literacy consultant, and author. Additionally, Dr. Dahlgren served as a national LETRS trainer for 18 years until her retirement in December 2021. Dr. Dahlgren’s longstanding interest in early childhood and elementary education has compelled her to spend much of her career working directly with classroom teachers to embrace the science behind reading. She provides training on how to provide the best first instruction along with implementation of effective interventions for struggling readers.

As VP of Professional Learning and Academics for 95 Percent Group, Dr. Antonio Fierro is able to apply his many years in the classroom and as a literacy expert to helping schools and districts teach reading to every student, regardless of previous experience or native language. His vast experience contributes invaluable insight into their products and services. Dr. Fierro is a former Texas State Teacher of the Year and was a member of the LETRS cohort of literacy consultants led by Dr. Louisa Moats for almost 20 years.

Dr. Fierro has contributed to several literacy curricula for English learners along with Tools 4 Reading President Dr. Mary Dahlgren. He is the co-author of Kid Lips, their curriculum that teaches the articulatory features of English phonemes to young children with additional support for English learners. His areas of interest include early literacy instruction, improving the learning experience of pre-service teaching candidates, and the research and practice that impacts English learners. Dr. Fierro is also dedicated to advancing the knowledge base and understanding of dyslexia and other reading disabilities as his son, Antonio Jr., has dyslexia. Dr. Fierro currently sits on the board of The Reading League.

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At Tools 4 Reading, we strive to equip educators with the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to implement effective reading instruction in their classrooms. Our tools and professional learning experiences are grounded in research, easy to implement, and designed to improve literacy instruction.