Thread by @BenisonMrs

"The Right to Read": A Conversation with Kareem Weaver

@KJWinEducation -inspirational as always
@LexiaLearning
Main takeaways:
# 1
When children struggle to read is a life-altering experience that can have a negative impact on the student future

#2
Teachers have been asked to make bricks without straws and then they get blamed for the results.

#3
Social justice starts at home both metaphorically and literally. We need to make sure that our children have a champion in us.
Don't give up! Our kids are worth it.

#4
Literacy saves lives and will often require some of us to push those within our circle into zones of discomfort.

#5
The good news is that struggling readers need what we already have. All we need is to follow the evidence science has yielded to be effective.

#6
To parents:
"Don't wait for the alarm in the system to go off. Do not wait until the chair is thrown up in the air. ..Don't be afraid of labels like special ed. "

#7
Our universities and teacher prep need to do a better job of aligning with the scientific evidence of what is effective reading instruction.

#8
There are many myths about #SOR. We need to dismantle those.
The #SOR is not phonics only
#SOR will not take away teacher autonomy
#SOR will not hurt children
#SOR allows and includes rich and encourages enriched reading and writing experiences.

#9
We, in the field of education, need to learn how to identify our biases and how to keep them at bay and allow the evidence to guide our instructional decision

#10
Security it is one thing to lose your job when can read and quite another when you can't access society, freedom, security opportunity

#11
The science of reading is not a fad, a thing, or a static body. It is an ever-growing body of knowledge.

#12
It isn't an achievement gap but rather an opportunity gap...

#13
When we look at reading struggles as an achievement gap we blame the kids or the teachers...
When we look at it as an opportunity gap we will look at it differently ...it allows us to seek ways to match science, structure, and system to meet the needs of the students

#14
Our NAEP score shows that this opportunity gap problem is persistent and pervasive across our nation, but it is not new.

#15
We need to make up our minds that ALL kids can learn how to read.

#16
Oral language is the foundation for later written language.

#17
To become proficient kids need structural literacy early and consistently so. This type of instruction will help not only the struggling students but also the brightest among them.

#18
We need to understand the science:

What it is and what it is not. We need to understand that #SOR is multidisciplinary.

We need to find and consult with the allies within our district.

Be curious and find YOUR people. Don't go it alone.

#19
As practitioners, we need 1s & foremost build our knowledge about evidence-based instruction.

Knowing the science will allow us 2 understand what can wrong & how 2 intervene if does.

We also need to B willingly stop instructional & let go of when more effective ones emerge

#20
Who receives evidence-based instruction should not be left to chance...it should not be the "lucky child" the one who ends up with a teacher who understands the SOR. Every child has the right to receive the type of reading instruction they need.

#21
Though we are not reinventing the wheel (the evidence has been out for 40 years), we will need to allow for and to extend GRACE toward the learning that will be required from educators and administrators.

#22
Teachers should get compensated for their learning time. The boars need to decide that the children and the teachers are worth the investment.
We need to have a menu of options that allow teachers to access the information within the context of their lives.

#23
For administrators and Board of Ed members:
"If you aren't willing to lead in this area this might not be your season. Stop talking about equity if evidence-based literacy instruction is not the center stage of everything you do..

#24
Don't get jaded and cynical. It is ok to start again...continue to mine for gold. Hang in there. It is worth it ...our children are worth it.

#21
Use your voice.
All who want to see every child receive the evidence-based instruction that they need must organize and work together.

Change is hard.