The Mistake Leaders Make: The "Need for Speed" in Science of Reading-Based Instruction

Wednesday February 19, 2025
10:15 - 11:15 AM
Exhibit Hall 5

Teaching phonics is NOT rocket science, nor should it be when we know that the "end user" of beginning reading instruction is only five years old and eating his shoe. Recent research on the science of reading brings us closer to understanding how our brain learns to read, but not how our brain actually learns. Our brain is wired to make connections, and it's easier to learn and store information when there's an emotional hook to hang it on. The affective, or "feeling” based neural networks develop long before the higher-level, executive processing centers are formed. By aligning abstract phonics concepts with familiar feelings and behaviors kids know and understand (i.e. having a crush and getting embarrassed, playing too rough and getting hurt, not getting along, feeling left out, acting sneaky, etc.) we can leverage social-emotional intelligence to make sounds more predictable—empowering ALL students to become fearless codebreakers and lifelong learners!

Presenters
Katie Garner

Katie Garner, M.Ed., author of Secret Stories® Cracking the Reading Code with the Brain in Mind, is an international keynote speaker, author and educator with 30 years of experience and a passion for infusing neuroscience into literacy and learning. Katie's “backdoor to the brain” approach using neuroscience to deliver phonics faster has become a cornerstone of science of reading-based instruction and professional development for teachers. Her dynamic presentations spotlight evidence-based strategies for boosting existing curriculum with neural research on how our brain learns best. Katie’s practical and research-proven methods have been the subject of both lecture and panel discussions at Harvard University and MIT, as well as numerous journal articles and publications. Her Facebook Group, Science of Reading Meets Science of Learning is a popular learning hub for over 150k+ educators from around the world and provides access to free instructional resources in the group files, bit.ly/SoRgroup.
type:
Hybrid Lecture
theme:
Leadership
audience:
Classroom Leaders
tags:
Reading and Writing/Literacy, Effective Leaders