LexiaTalks

This podcast, designed for school administrators, delves into the systemic issues schools face, such as outdated views on dyslexia and the lack of alignment with evidence-based teaching strategies. Dr. David Hurford, executive director of the Center for Reading, and Octavia Gray-Essex from Lexia®, share insight about supporting students with dyslexia to promote equitable and inclusive instruction, considering learning abilities, language experiences, and diverse backgrounds, to meet each student where they are and help them succeed. The podcast aims to highlight the connection between dyslexia-inclusive teaching and instructional equity, offering administrators practical strategies to implement in their schools to advance literacy and equity goals. The hosts tackle critical questions facing school administrators, including: How does dyslexia-inclusive teaching look, and in what ways does it promote equity? What evidence-based strategies can schools use to support students with dyslexia? How can these strategies create a systemic, long-term impact on learning outcomes and instructional equity? How can we measure success in building an equitable school culture that supports students with dyslexia? What indicators can administrators use to assess their school's progress? How can administrators advocate for dyslexia-inclusive practices and advance instructional equity in their schools?

All students benefit from systematic and explicit reading instruction that includes phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension—those who read well, those with dyslexia or other learning differences, those from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds, and more.    With their unparalleled knowledge of and access to their learners, teachers must be an integral part of the transition to Structured Literacy. During this webinar, Kari Kurto of The Reading League, Jessica Farmer of Farmer Loves Phonics, and Julie Harris of Lexia®'s own Julie Harris discuss:   Becoming an expert in and advocating for Structured Literacy instruction Identifying areas of improvement in current literacy programs or curricula and leveling up feedback to decision-makers Identifying professional development and training to implement Structured Literacy Finding inspiration to achieve a shared vision of science of reading-based instruction in your classroom and beyond

District administrators are uniquely positioned to cultivate learning ecosystems where science of reading-based instruction can flourish. In this webinar, Ebone N. Johnson of Ohio's Columbus City Schools; Micki Ray of the Kentucky Department of Education; and Kerri Larkin, senior education advisor at Lexia®, discuss:  Designing curricula aligned to the science of reading-based training that teachers receive Creating an ecosystem of educators—principals, coaches, and interventionists—with a shared vision of literacy instruction based on the science of reading Hiring teachers from prep programs committed to the science of reading Providing professional development opportunities grounded in evidence-based, research-backed literacy instruction

School leaders understand the science of reading provides proven, evidence-based practices for teaching students of all abilities and backgrounds how to read. During this candid webinar, Paula White, executive director of JerseyCAN; Rich Zigarovich, principal of Lordstown Elementary School (Ohio); and Dr. Erin Hamilton, Lexia® state solutions manager, discuss: Strategies to support schoolwide changes to literacy instruction grounded in the science of reading How to empower teachers and secure their partnership to incorporate the science of reading and accelerate literacy building-wide Cultivating a schoolwide ecosystem of educators—principals, coaches, interventionists—with a shared vision for inclusive, science of reading-based instruction

Join us in a Q&A with Kareem Weaver—award-winning teacher, administrator, advocate, and star of the recent documentary “The Right to Read.” Weaver sits down with Dr. Liz Brooke of Lexia® and Andrea Setmeyer, national chapter coordinator of The Reading League, to discuss the documentary.

Teachers have more responsibility and less support than ever; they need help from educational leaders. Join accomplished educational leaders Kerri Larkin, Thomas Anderson, Jacqueline Greer, and Dr. Charlene Evans-Smith in this podcast discussing how best to support teachers and bring joy into schools.   Watch the panel now

In this podcast, Kerri Larkin of Lexia® sits down with Horacio Sanchez, president and CEO of Resiliency Inc., and Maya Goodall, senior director of Emergent Bilingual curriculum at Lexia. Join them in discussing how an understanding of neuroscience can help support educational equity for all.   Watch now!

Join Lexia® in this ask-me-anything style Q&A with Donna Hejtmanek, founder of the Facebook group “Science of Reading - What I Should Have Learned in College.” Donna and her group's co-moderator, Jennifer Cyr, discuss the science of reading, professional learning, and teaching best practices.

Join Lexia® Chief Learning Officer Dr. Liz Brooke in a fireside chat with Dr. Louisa Moats, author of LETRS Professional Development, as they discuss the science of reading. Get access to the interview and learn about the importance of professional learning here.

In this episode of the EduJedi Report podcast, Host and Learning Counsel CEO LeiLani Cauthen talks with Kristie Shelley, Senior Director of Emergent Bilingual Curriculum at Lexia Learning about digital learning design that is heritage-relevant.   Lexia English is a K-6 product that helps promote bilingualism or multilingualism. From day one, they approached the program with an asset model, which makes it unique, seeking to honor learners first and foremost. Studies indicate that teachers talk 80 percent of the time in the classroom. Lexia flipped the model because the only way to learn a language is to actually speak the language. In order to make this happen in an interactive atmosphere, they use a technology of the speech recognition engine. And to make the learner comfortable, Lexia allowed characters to use familiar accents, yet encouraged the learner to use Academic English, which showed in their writing and reading.  The unique Lexia English program is finding huge success while removing the burden from disappearing numbers of ESL teachers, and the professional grade UI/UX design is blowing the doors off competitors' offerings. 

A short interview with Dr. Liz Brooke about returning to school post-pandemic, and how Lexia Learning uses the science of reading to create edtech that can empower ALL students and educators, regardless of the learning environment. 

For 21 years, Dr. Henery has provided vision, management, and leadership to meet the needs of all English Learners in her student population and their families. During the early weeks and months of the COVID pandemic, Little Rock School District stepped up to meet the unprecedented educational challenges it faced—in part, by providing equitable access to proven technology-based solutions, such as Lexia Core5 Reading, across the district. Listen to the podcast to learn more.   

Schools are bringing on professional grade digital curriculum and aiming at true personalization.  LeiLani hosts Dr. Liz Brooke and Michele Eaton, Director of Virtual And Blended Learning from the M.S.D. of Wayne Township.  This discussion about what software can do in schools reveals how leaders are trying to balance human teaching within a new context of real personalization because of more sophisticated software so that they can rid themselves of systemic inequities.  

Tens of thousands of school leaders are realizing they may have lost a year of progress with students. LeiLani discusses with Dr. Liz Brooke, Chief Learning Officer at Lexia and Felecia Evans, Principal at Lander Elementary School, Mayfield Heights, OH, what to do about realigning student learning amidst ongoing alternate schedules including on-campus, remote and hybrid learning. As educators come out of the fog of issuing millions of devices and making sure students have connectivity, they are finding a professional world of digital curriculum to help them play catch-up. This discussion focuses on practical leadership from the front lines by a Principal and new software qualities that result in leaps upward in achievement in shorter time – a critical discussion right now for K12 schools who hope to recover in language literacy.

Dyslexia, the most common learning disability, affects up to 15-20% of the population. What exactly is this learning difference, how can educators better understand dyslexia, and how can we best meet the needs of these students today?Listen to this interview with Dr. Suzanne Carreker, Lexia’s Principal Educational Content Lead, and Lee-Ann Tolfree Mertzlufft, Director of Options with Learning and a faculty member at Albany City Schools, to learn how our definition of dyslexia has changed over the last 30 years, why using the right tools is so essential, and how educators can better understand dyslexia—from both personal and global perspectives.

Listen to an interview with Lexia’s Chief Learning Officer Dr. Liz Brooke on the critical importance of motivation and engagement in today’s K–12 education landscape.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, much of the country's workforce is grappling with a new normal that has no clear end in sight. In the education sector, the massive and abrupt shift to remote learning received extensive media coverage as educators transitioned from in-person classroom instruction to teaching digitally from afar. But while teachers have certainly experienced a significant amount of upheaval over the past couple of months, their sense of job security is likely much stronger than that of many other working professionals—including the roughly 50% of people working in K–12 schools who aren't classroom teachers.To view the original blog, visit: 50/50: Uncertain Fates for Non-Teaching Personnel in Times of Recession

March 2020 saw a massive upheaval in Americans' day-to-day lives as the COVID-19 pandemic began to take its toll. While professionals able to do their jobs remotely transitioned to working from home, schools closed their doors and took on the Herculean task of moving learning from the classroom to the cloud—no small feat under ideal conditions, let alone when the country is in crisis and life has changed seemingly overnight. Every individual is coping with and adjusting to the upheaval in their own way, and students are no different. But although schooling in a pandemic has proven difficult for some, others seem to be not only getting by but flourishing.To view the original blog, visit: Silver Linings: Why Remote Learning Allows Some Students to Shine

When it comes to distance learning, one key question is often relegated to the background: What do students think?To view the original blog, visit: Interaction, Structure, Creativity: Students Weigh in On Improving School During a Pandemic 

It is no exaggeration to place teaching among the most important professions in our society; after all, teachers are uniquely positioned to have a profound impact on young people by inspiring their actions both within the school walls and beyond them. Sadly, it is also no exaggeration to place teaching among the country's most stressful jobs. To view the original blog, visit: Moving Away from Standardized Professional Development for Teachers

It is no exaggeration to place teaching among the most important professions in our society; after all, teachers are uniquely positioned to have a profound impact on young people by inspiring their actions both within the school walls and beyond them. Sadly, it is also no exaggeration to place teaching among the country's most stressful jobs. To view the original blog, visit: Social-Emotional Learning: Support for Teachers Who Are Feeling the Burn

With in-classroom learning on hold for many schools throughout the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic, educators, students, and parents have been adjusting to the often-referenced “new normal.” In education, navigating the transition to e-learning has been a significant component of this adjustment—and because moving from the classroom to the cloud is by no means a one-size-fits-all process, instructors and administrators must take care to avoid common remote learning pitfalls as they develop effective approaches that work for them and their students. To view the original blog, visit: Avoid These 5 Common E-Learning Pitfalls

A recent New York Times article began by presenting a familiar scenario: A young girl, newly equipped with an iPad, was eager to begin online learning after her public school had been shuttered due to the COVID-19 crisis.To view the original blog, visit: Online Learning: Accessible to All?

As schools across the United States close for weeks—and potentially months—to slow the spread of COVID-19, communities are scrambling to reimagine education. Are districts prepared to move to online learning? How will virtual classrooms work for very young students? How will grade-level expectations be communicated and assessed? To view the original blog, visit: Let Teachers Lead: Our Teachers Know What Their Students Need

In school districts across the United States, the COVID-19 outbreak has pushed teaching and learning from the classroom to the computer practically overnight.To view the original blog, visit: Switching to E-Learning? Don’t Leave Equity Behind

Suddenly, the world has changed. With schools across the United States closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers and students have been left wondering how to cope with the loss of structure, community, and support provided by the K-12 system.To view the original blog, visit: A Self-Care Guide for Teachers and Students

Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures. In the face of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, organizations of all types are being forced to rapidly reevaluate and restructure the way they conduct business during a public health emergency. Like other business leaders, school administrators must think critically about how each decision they make may impact students, parents, and surrounding communities.To view the original blog, visit: Classroom to Cloud: 3 Factors to Consider When Transitioning to Remote Learning

In 2019, Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg captured the world’s attention with her eloquent environmental activism. But although Thunberg's fight against climate change certainly makes her stand out from the crowd, she is by no means the only youth activist out there. As noted in a CNN list of young environmental activists, Mari Copeny of Flint, Michigan, sent a letter about her city's water crisis to then-President Barack Obama in 2016 that was written powerfully enough to prompt Obama to fly to Flint and assess the situation personally. Arguably the most impressive part of the story is the fact that Mari was just 9 years old at the time.To view the original blog, visit: How Can We Help Foster Greta Thunberg's Drive in All Students?

Where do the billions of dollars allocated for K-12 education in the United States each year actually end up?A new mandate borne of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) aims to answer this question by requiring the addition of state-by-state data points to each state’s annual report card. With this improved insight, parents, teachers, policymakers, and other interested parties will theoretically be able to more accurately "follow the money." To view the original blog, visit: New ESSA Provision Aims to Boost School Funding Transparency

Once an optional, preschool-like addition to elementary school programs, kindergarten has come a long way. For years, most kindergarten classes offered a half-day introduction to life in school, with plenty of time for free play, snacks, and even naps. Today, however, parents have a hard time finding anything other than the full-day option, let alone one that comes stocked with blocks, nap time, and unstructured lesson plans. In fact, more than 75 percent of all kindergartners now attend full-day programs, according to a 2015 study by nonprofit research group Child Trends.To view the original blog, visit: Full-Day Kindergarten: Pros, Cons, and State Requirements

Students from around the ages of 11 to 16 are learning how to think critically and analyze information with greater depth, and teachers must determine how to effectively assess middle and high school students' learning in a way that acknowledges both their developmental strengths and challenges.To view the original blog, visit: How to Make Assessments Meaningful for Middle and High School Students

English Learners are often thought of as a homogenous group, but in reality, they are extremely diverse. Although you likely know these common facts about ELs, you may not be as familiar with the underlying complexities of this often misunderstood population. Here are five things you may not know about English Learners:To view the original blog, visit: 5 Things You May Not Know About English Learners

A teacher shortage is affecting school districts across the United States, with the Economic Policy Institute calling the situation “real, large and growing, and worse than we thought.” As EPI researchers explained, “A shortage of teachers harms students, teachers, and the public education system as a whole,” with higher turnover rates contributing to the destabilization of schools and the deprofessionalization of teaching. High-poverty, high-need schools have been hit the hardest, with these more vulnerable communities struggling to find and retain experienced, highly qualified teachers.To view the original blog, visit: Supporting New Teachers: What Do They Really Need?

Site-based instructional coaching is becoming a more frequent (and sometimes mandated) form of support and leadership. But is it effective? A 2019 article published by the online education news site Education Dive came up with some insightful answers to this question.To view the original blog, visit: Instructional Coaching: The Professional Development Approach Leading to Better Outcomes

How do students learn to read? Although this deceptively simple question has inspired decades of research and yielded an array of science-backed instructional methods, many students are still not making the progress educators would like to see, with the most recent Nation’s Report Card indicating that fourth- and eighth-graders' average reading scores have decreased over the past two years. So, why is student reading proficiency so low when there is a wealth of research devoted to reading instruction?To view the original blog, visit: Putting the Science of Reading to Work

“Little people have all the feelings that adults have—[just] with way less world experience,” according to Mayra Cruz, principal of a public middle school in Washington, D.C.Cruz’s words are a succinct answer to a question posed in a recent article from The Atlantic: Why is middle school so hard for so many people?. Ask just about anyone to reflect on their middle-school years and you’ll likely be met with a resounding groan, a few shared memories laced with regret and self-deprecation (“I can’t believe I dressed like that”, “I was so awkward at that stage!”), and general disdain for the middle-school environment and its unwritten social rules. To view the original blog, visit: Stuck in the Middle: Navigating the Middle School Experience

Staying motivated to read can be a challenge for many students, especially those who are reading below grade level. Some students are motivated to keep working for external, competitive reasons—they want to earn a good grade, win a contest, etc.On the other hand, collaborative activities encourage students to learn from each other with less pressure to perform, which is a more appealing option for other students. So, which motivational strategy should educators use: competition or collaboration?To view the original blog, visit: How to Motivate Students Using Competitive and Collaborative Activities

Homework seems like a fact of life for most people—something that students and teachers alike accept as an essential part of teaching and learning. But is homework necessarily a good thing? While some parents and teachers insist that it is an important way to reinforce what goes on during the school day, persistent questions are being raised about how much homework students should get (and whether they need it at all).To view the original blog, visit: Homework: Good, Bad…Necessary?

Concerned literacy educators work tirelessly to close achievement gaps caused by socioeconomic status, race, disability, and English-language proficiency. However, there’s one more education gap that needs to be addressed: gender. Educators have noted that girls consistently outperform boys in reading skills, and research bears this out. Studies reveal that the literacy gap between male and female students is both longstanding and worldwide.  To view the original blog, visit: Closing the Literacy Gender Gap: Top Tips for Motivating Boys to Read

Project-based learning is a popular teaching practice built around student-driven projects, done either independently or collaboratively, that are often shared with one or more groups of students. This way, students are encouraged to learn by doing, which may lead to more interest, excitement, and energy in the classroom. The question is, can this practice apply to ELL students, too?

If decoding, speed, and accuracy in silent reading are a struggle for some readers, imagine how much more difficult it can be to read aloud. Oral reading requires students to use the correct inflection, accurate pronunciations, and appropriate expressions, which is why helping students practice reading aloud is a top priority for many literacy educators.  

Learning to read can be hard. For children with dyslexia, it can be especially hard. In a 2017 interview with American Public Media reporter Emily Hanford, neuroscientist Guinevere Eden argued that “reading is not a natural skill,” as our brains were designed to recognize objects—such as an animal loping toward us across the plains—but not necessarily letters. Eden pointed out that to become fluent readers, students must learn to bypass aspects of their brain’s “visual system” in order to understand, for example, that “b” and “d” are not just similar objects but different letters.

A common misconception among teachers is that if a student can speak English fluently, he or she does not need extra accommodations in order to grasp the curriculum. In reality, many students struggle with academic language because their exposure to language outside of school does not include advanced words and phrases. 

With more focus than ever on reaching proficiency levels on state achievement tests, schools are using Title I funds to help students in need attain academic goals. Before creating and implementing programs, it is important to understand what exactly Title I is and how it can be used. Just as important, however, is developing an understanding of the unique needs of Title I students in order to maximize success.To view the original blog, visit: https://www.lexialearning.com//blog/understanding-unique-needs-title-i-students

Students need to develop strong, fundamental reading skills in elementary school to set the groundwork for future success in all academic areas. That’s why it is essential to help struggling students close academic literacy gaps in the early years before they begin to tackle more complex materials. To help struggling students make the reading gains they need, consider incorporating the following 6 tips into your everyday instructional plans.To view the original blog, visit: https://www.lexialearning.com//blog/6-ways-help-students-struggling-reading-close-gap

Today’s students and teachers are under increasing pressure to show early progress and success in reading. Not all of this can be attributed to a desire to increase standardized test scores, as some may fear; it also has to do with a concern that kids will be “left behind” if they are not reading independently by at least third grade. This situation often leads to intervention as a strategy for boosting the skills of slow or reluctant readers. But is intervention a one-dimensional tool?To view the original blog, visit: https://www.lexialearning.com//blog/5-classroom-strategies-early-reading-intervention

There are two related but different strategies to approach the identification of words with more than one syllable: syllable division and structural analysis.To view the original blog, visit: https://www.lexialearning.com//blog/2-classroom-strategies-teaching-multisyllabic-words

Many state assessments, mid-year tests, and reading programs report students' progress using a Lexile measure.But the number is not just a measurement of student growth—it can be a tool for challenging students and promoting a love of reading.To view the original blog, visit: https://www.lexialearning.com/blog/more-number-what-is-lexile-measure 

In education, there seems to be an acronym for everything. Response to intervention (RTI) and Multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) are two of the most commonly used acronyms, with mentions thrown into practically every department meeting, professional development seminar, and district conference. Though often discussed together, the two are not the same. It is important to understand the differences between RTI and MTSS in order to properly utilize both in creating successful interventions and paths to success. To view the original blog, visit: https://www.lexialearning.com/blog/rti-and-mtss-do-you-know-difference-between-these-support-systems

In an effort to build students' academic language, educators are incorporating increasingly complex texts into their lesson plans. With College and Career Readiness standards emphasizing the acquisition and use of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, students are encouraged to find the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary by choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. One strategy is the use of a variety of reference materials, while another involves applying knowledge of the structure of words and parts of words, such as stems, root words, prefixes, and suffixes. Here, we'll focus on helping students develop the ability to use the context of an unfamiliar word—i.e. the text surrounding it—as a clue to the word's meaning.To view the original blog, visit: https://www.lexialearning.com/blog/context-clues-5-fun-activities-boost-vocabulary-development

Between two students, one with the motivation to persevere after a mistake and one who refuses to try when an assignment "looks hard," which do you think is more likely to achieve academically?To view the original blog, visit: https://www.lexialearning.com/blog/6-tips-help-students-develop-growth-mindset-classroom