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The Heavy Hitters of Intermediate Literacy: Multisyllabic Decoding and Morphology
Thursday, October 12, 2023 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm EDT
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 95 Percent Group
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As students move into the upper elementary grades, there is a notable difference in the type of words they are being asked to read and understand. Not only do students need to be adept at decoding multisyllabic words, but they must also have strategies for unlocking the meanings of unfamiliar words. To equip students with the rigorous demands of complex text in these grades, we need to bring out the “heavy hitters” of intermediate word work: multisyllabic decoding routines and morphology.
The upper elementary grades are critical years to continue laying the strong foundation for lifelong literacy. The foundational skills don’t end in third grade; our experts illustrate how to expand that foundation with more sophisticated tools to move our students into the sophisticated text demands they will meet in school and beyond.
During this applicable edWebinar, our experts showcase efficient instruction to get the job done: replicable, reliable routines to teach our students to fearlessly attack big words while building morphological understandings to accelerate vocabulary growth.
We hope you join us! This recorded edWebinar is of interest to K-12 teachers 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.
Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.
Join the Be a Literacy Hero community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, and view recordings of previous programs to earn CE certificates.
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.
