Literacy Leadership Blog

News and reflections from experts and practitioners on the latest literacy research, events and daily practice

K-12 | Read to Achieve

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Welcome to Learning Ally's blog. You've come to the right place if you are an innovative teacher who wants to transform more struggling readers into grade-level achievers.


Unlock the Library For Struggling Readers…Give Them Access to New Worlds and Higher Learning Potential
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June 27, 2022 by User

school cart with limited books on the shelfWhen we restrict content for struggling readers due to low decoding ability, we fail to consider their personal and cultural interests, as well as their academic potential. Being singled out from a rich reading experience impacts not only a child’s learning potential, but often their social and emotional psyche, leaving a feeling of inferiority that will last well beyond their K-12 years.  

Setting the Scene

You walk inside your school library. The librarian leads you to a small, dedicated cart. You think, these are the books that someone decided is within my ability to read. The cart is small, the books are few, and the covers don't catch your eye. Around you the library is buzzing with other students. Vibrant book covers stare at you but are out of reach. Other learners are bustling to select books, pulling them off the shelf, thumbing through pages, inspecting book covers. Their “book finding mission” repeats until they find the title that suits their interest, curiosity or class requirement. You look at the limited cart of books selected for you. It makes you sad. This is what it's like for struggling readers relegated to books that might not interest them, but are within their ability to decode. They see others carrying off grade-level books to engage with their peers or friends. They know they will be stuck reading low-level books and will not be able to engage. 

The Magic of Human-Narrated Audiobooks 

Now imagine that you look up from your small, restricted book cart and find yourself sitting at a computer connected to Learning Ally’s audiobook library. You quickly search for topics that interest you. You find the required curriculum you need for school. You can hear books narrated by award-winning voice professionals like Dave Fennoy and Grant Patrizio. Hearing a book read by authentic authors is eye-opening. Professional voice artists are among a thousand volunteers, authors and subject experts who provide voice narration to Learning Ally. Each title is carefully, culturally cast by a narrator best suited to bring a story or curriculum to life. 

Access to New Worlds

Enabling unlimited access to a world of words, thoughts, academic ingenuity, and imagination through authentic and captivating voices is the magic of human-read audiobooks. This experience can have an amazing effect on students who have been restricted to uninteresting, and uninviting book sections. 

Dr. Maryanne Wolf, author of ‘Proust, and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain,” says, “While reading, we can leave our own consciousness, and pass over into the consciousness of another person, another age, another culture. "Passing over," a term used by the theologian John Dunne, describes the process through which reading enables us to try on, identify with, and ultimately enter for a brief time the wholly different perspective of another person's consciousness. When we pass over into how a knight thinks, how a slave feels, how a heroine behaves, and how an evildoer can regret or deny wrongdoing, we never come back quite the same; sometimes we're inspired, sometimes saddened, but we are always enriched. Through this exposure we learn both the commonality and the uniqueness of our own thoughts -- that we are individuals, but not alone.” This listening experience can happen with human read audiobooks! 

Schools Gives Unlimited Access 

Patricia Verrilli, MLIS, Ed.D, Media and Information Technology Specialist, Lexington KY, says, “Learning Ally affords our students the ability to browse and find books of cultural interests, and our teachers the ability to assign, tens of thousand books by category, genre, curriculum, title, ISBN, or author. Our school's media center cannot begin to provide such a vast array of reading materials that cater to all students’ interests and reading levels. I am thankful my district encourages the use of Learning Ally because it is equity-driven.” In 2020, her district began providing Chromebooks, as well as hot spots, to students in homes with limited to no internet service. The school media center was still tethered to the traditional "check-out" and "pick-up" systems and needed a way to provide a library of books through a seamless, digital experience for struggling readers. They did it through Learning Ally. This school’s commitment to net neutrality helped bolster student access to quality online resources regardless of their socio-economic status. 

Access Can Be Liberating

Human-narrated audiobooks grab readers’ attention no matter the reading level or grade-level. They augment students’ decoding processes and allow cognitive capacity to take over. They help students think critically, comprehend deeply, understand, imagine, and be free to thrive in new journeys and learning experiences, especially those on grade-level. No matter the learning environment – virtual, hybrid, or in-person – students can access textbooks and novels with Learning Ally. They can read at their grade and cognitive level and gain access to a high-quality educational experience. When students are given the freedom to choose books, read what their friends are reading and feel prepared for the day's lesson, academic, and social-emotional gains are inevitable. 

There is a time and a place for struggling readers to read within their decoding ability – when working on explicit skill building in a one-to-one or small group setting. All other times, when students need to read for grade-level assignments and participate in classwork or self-select titles for pleasure reading, they need access at their grade-level or cognitive level. Learning Ally can make this happen for your students. A Denver case study confirms this finding. When students read with fidelity with Learning Ally, their rate of reading growth doubled. 

Start unlocking the library for your struggling readers now. 

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SIIA Awards CODiE to The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution For “Best Learning Recovery Tool” in K-12
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June 17, 2022 by User

Key Education Industry Award Signals “Versatility” of Supplemental
Reading Resource to Support Diverse Student Populations 

For Immediate Release: 

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June 17, 2022 PRINCETON, NJ — Learning Ally, publisher of the Learning Ally Audiobook Solution, has received a distinguished SIIA CODiE Award for Best Learning Recovery Tool. 

Learning Ally is a national nonprofit working with schools across the country to solve the literacy crisis for diverse and marginalized students. Its signature product, the award-winning Learning Ally Audiobook Solution, is composed of high quality, human-read audiobooks, and a suite of teacher resources to monitor and support student progress. Case studies prove its effectiveness to double the rate of reading growth, while providing equitable access to curriculum and literature to transform struggling readers into engaged, competent achievers. 

Today, the Audiobook Solution serves over 1.6 million U.S. students in grades- 3-12, and holds prominent education awards for exceptional quality including:

  • Best Learning Recovery Tool – SIIA CODiE

  • Best Virtual Learning Solution Finalist – SIIA CODiE

  • Best Back to School Product for Secondary Education - T&L Excellence Award

  • Cool Tool Award - EdTech Digest

  • World Changing Ideas Honorable Mention - Fast Company

  • Best Remote & Blended Learning Tool – T&L Excellence Award

  • Academic Choice Awards – Smart Media

  • Mom’s Choice Award of Excellence 

  • The Parents and Teachers’ Choice Awards 

Judges criteria for winning the 2022 CODiE Award for Best Learning Recovery Tool included adaptability, ease of use for educators, independent use by students, standards alignment, data and reporting, learning engagement and innovation. 

Heather Wiederstein, Vice President of Solutions Design for Learning Ally says, “We are especially proud of this CODiE award because it recognizes how Learning Ally has supported educators and students with learning recovery, and signals yet another huge benefit for educators working with struggling readers…versatility. The Audiobook Solution is a supplement that enhances remote and blended learning settings as easily as it does whole group and small group instruction. Educators use it to support their evidence-based reading instruction, and to improve fundamental reading skills in comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency. Students who once felt left behind become confident, independent learners who can read on grade-level. That is why our Audiobook Solution is a top CODiE winner.”

The Association for Software and Information Industry (SIIA) serves the education technology sector through advocacy, legislation, and public affairs. Teachers and administrators review all nominated ed-tech products for the CODiE Award. Their evaluations determine the finalists, and SIIA members vote on the final products. Combined scores represent the top winners as the most innovative and effective education products available in the education marketplace today. 

Jeff Joseph, SIIA President says, “This year’s winners are the best of the best. They address many critical issues facing students – from introduction and equality to individualized and tailored learning, and much more.”

Visit www.learningally.org/educators or call 800-221-1098. 

About Learning Ally   

Learning Ally is a leading education nonprofit dedicated to empowering educators with proven solutions that help new and struggling learners reach their potential. Our range of literacy-focused offerings for students in Pre-K to 12th grade and catalog of professional learning allows us to support more than 1.6 million students and 260,000 educators across the United States. 

 

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Learning Ally Honors Educators Driving Literacy Achievement - Prestigious 2022 Winslow Coyne Reitnouer Excellence in Education Award Presented at National Spotlight on Dyslexia Event
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June 9, 2022 by User

For Immediate Release 

June 9, 2022 PRINCETON, NJ — Learning Ally, a national nonprofit with a mission for “literacy for all” in U.S. schools, will give special recognition to four outstanding educators and a Christian K-8 school during its annual Spotlight on Dyslexia. The virtual  professional development event is June 9-10, 2022 and the largest of its kind in the nation. 

The prestigious Winslow Coyne Reitnouer Excellence in Education Award honors educators who are exemplary in supporting students challenged with reading deficits in general and special education and who ensure Whole Child LiteracyTM, an approach focusing on the academic, cognitive and environmental factors that impact a student’s ability to learn and achieve. 

Dr. Terrie Noland, VP of Educator Initiatives for Learning Ally, says, “This year, we are recognizing these extraordinary educators and their accomplishments at our Spotlight on Dyslexia event. Each recipient has a unique story to tell and demonstrates the outcomes students can achieve with the right instruction, accommodations, and approach. All students have potential to succeed, and these educators make it possible.”  

These 2022 winners receive monetary prizes and distinction in their state and local education communities:  

  • Flora Encarnacao, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, Kearney School, NJ - Mrs. Encarnacao is a first generation American. She has a B.A. in Elementary Education/Social Studies from Caldwell University, an M.A. in Instruction & Curriculum with a specialization in Bilingual Education from Kean University, and an M.A. in Educational Administration from Montclair State University. As an education leader, she has chaired the Hudson County Professional Development and Curriculum Consortium, and is an Executive Member of the Montclair State University Network for Educational Renewal. Her team provides the best education possible for all students’ success and well-being. 

  • Caroline Radlinger, Occupational Therapist, Medford Area Public School District, WI- Leader of the Core Assistive Technology Team, Ms. Radlinger specializes in training students, staff, and family members in the use of assistive technology to increase students’ learning independence. 

  • Deborah Hanson, English Language Arts & Reading Specialist, Leadership Academy, Austin, ISD, TX – Ms. Hanson has a MS in Special Education, and has worked with at-risk students for over 30 years, including incarcerated juveniles, high school dropouts, ex-offenders, displaced workers, and children in the foster care system.

  • Lisa Kendall-Brown, Intervention Specialist, Kiowa USD #433, Mullinville, KS – To ensure the love of reading takes hold, Ms. Brown created safe and welcoming environments in her classrooms by developing a relationship with each student.  She is an advocate for children with learning differences. Under her guidance, many students have improved their reading knowledge and learning confidence. 

  • Casas Christian School, Tucson, AZ – Joshua Kempf, Principal – The school mantra is, “All children are unique, and their educational journey should reflect their personal learning styles and talents by nurturing a child’s spiritual, emotional, physical, and academic needs.” 

If you know an educator, administrator or school that is making a difference for students with reading deficits, Learning Ally’s nomination process is open for the 2023 Winslow Coyne Reitnouer Excellence in Education Award. 

Visit www.learningally.org/educators or call 800-221-1098. Learn more about the 2022 recipients.

About Learning Ally   

Learning Ally is a leading education nonprofit dedicated to empowering educators with proven solutions that help new and struggling learners reach their potential. Our range of literacy-focused offerings for students in Pre-K to 12th grade and catalog of professional learning allows us to support more than 1.6 million students and 260,000 educators across the United States. 

 

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Halt the Erosion of Reading Engagement. Use Culturally-Relevant Titles to "Jolt" Curiosity
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June 6, 2022 by User

Dr. Evan Ortlieb Reading engagement is an ongoing challenge for educators, but “All is not lost with reading engagement when students view literacy “as a means” to learn, communicate, and interact with peers”, says Dr. Evan Ortlieb. An internationally renowned scholar in literacy education with expertise in literacy teacher preparation, leveraging diversity as an asset in classrooms, and educational leadership. Dr. Ortlieb currently serves as Dean, Zucker Family School of Education at The Citadel. He is the President of Ortlieb Foundation, Inc., co-editor of Literacy Research and Instruction, area chair in the Literacy Research Association, and board member of the Specialized Literacy Professionals (SIG) of the International Literacy Association. He is the author of Attraction Theory: Revisiting How We Learn, a model to engage learners and published in the Journal of Curriculum Theorizing. 

Culturally-Relevant Material

To halt the erosion of reading engagement, Dr. Ortlieb’s approach is to assign literature that is personal and relevant to each student’s interests so the content will jolt an emotional response to challenge their existing knowledge and agency. He encourages educators to focus on reengaging learners by using targeted emotional responses and multimodal media. This can include human-read audiobooks and video to stimulate their senses. “When students are excited to learn about a topic, we can jolt their inquisitive nature and help them produce higher proficiencies in learning.” 

Daily Reading Practice 

Teaching evidence-based reading instruction and using supportive resources, like audiobooks, to reinforce daily reading practice will ensure the academic success of more learners. Human-read audiobooks are proven to keep struggling readers engaged and curious. A perfect “jolt” story for children in grades 3-7 is The Templeton Twins, by Ellis Weiner. You can find it in the Learning Ally audiobook library with hundreds more culturally-relevant titles to interest every age, cultural backgrounds and grade-level requirement. To produce higher reading outcomes, Dr. Ortlieb recommends, “Giving students reading assignments that connect their lives to historical and current contexts through authentic reading activities.” This strategy is especially useful in engaging diverse learners to fully engage in positive literacy and learning experiences.  

Literacy Learning and Leadership

Follow Learning Ally to learn best literacy and leadership practices from the nation’s top thought leaders to broaden your professional knowledge.

Register now for our Spotlight on Dyslexia conference June 9 and 10, 2022. You can attend the event live and on-demand. 

Earn CEU’s and become a literacy leader in your school or district. 

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Prioritizing SEL in Elementary/Middle School Language Arts Classrooms
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May 23, 2022 by User

In our Spotlight on Early Literacy and the Whole Child virtual conference, Dr. Kenneth Kunz, Director and Founder of For the Love of Literacy, LLC., explored research-based ideas to connect the social and emotional needs of readers and writers to intentional planning for instruction in the language arts classroom. Our blog provides a brief overview of this important topic for education leaders. You can view the full presentation on-demand to earn CE certificates.

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SEL requires a community effort and must be a thread that runs through the core values of a school or class and knitted into the fiber of early childhood instructional frameworks. "SEL should not be a hidden curriculum," says Kunz. "No matter where I go to coach language arts teachers and reading specialists, SEL is a major concern. Educators must intentionally design instructional frameworks with SEL and equity in mind." Kunz recommends connecting with organizations who prioritize SEL, such as Learning Ally and CASEL. He says, "Frameworks are meant to be utilized." The CASEL framework model: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. 

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All children deserve an authentic literacy day, and schools must prioritize SEL and have a common belief system around it.  Kunz asks educators, "How are we showing up each day for ourselves? Are we intentionally addressing the challenges of vulnerable student populations with significant learning gaps? Are we finding ways to challenge negativity? Are we prioritizing joy and agency to help learners believe they can do it! " 

He cites the initiative of Franklin School in Newark, NJ where school-wide read-alouds intentionally integrate SEL into the school’s core values. Teachers take those learnings into their classroom instruction to emphasize its impact.

Children's Right to Read Initiative

To consider literacy as a fundamental right for all children, Kunz points to the International Literacy Association's "Children's Rights to Read," manifest and suggests class strategies that include cultural integration, class community building, and promoting ethnic-racial identity development. His presentation goes into detail of ways to accomplish this. 

 I’m Gonna Push Through

Dr. Kunz reTextDescription automatically generatedcommends a book by Jasmyne Wright, "I'm Gonna Push Through," for empowerment. Wright, an elementary teacher in a Title I school in Memphis, TN, was inspired by a mantra written for her third-grade students -- an uplifting call to “push through.” It is an invitation to young readers to announce their own power and to recognize and reaffirm that of others, regardless of setbacks. The book includes a curriculum guide for teachers. 

About Dr. Kenneth Kunz 

Dr. Kunz is the Vice-President of the International Literacy Association and a Board Member for Little Free Library, Learning Ally, and the NJ Literacy Association. He coaches schools on literacy and language arts and how to bridge research and practice. He is the co-author of "Breaking Through the Language Arts Block, and "Literacy Changemakers."

About Learning Ally 

Learning Ally works with leading experts in early childhood and whole child literacy, dyslexia, social and emotional learning, and evidence-based reading instruction to help educators unlock the learning potential of all students. Our “Perspectives on Whole Child Literacy” blog features exclusive content from literacy thought leaders who believe…“With the right mindset, leadership, evidence-based instruction, and social-emotional modeling, all children can become successful readers and achievers."

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