Curious about the "Science of Reading"?
Dr. Stollar has a straight-to-the-point way of explaining Science of Reading topics in simple and easy to understand terms.
Curious about the difference between "research-based" and "evidence-based"?
In this webinar, Dr. Holly Lane, director of the University of Florida Literacy Institute, and author of UFLI, helps you distinguish fact from fiction.
It explains - in an hour-long nutshell - why we have not been using best practices in schools for decades.
Want more than just a passive webinar?
Craving small-group, LIVE training that’s practical, hands-on, and highly interactive?
Join Martha’s Structured Literacy Boot Camp!
Curious about Problems with Balanced Literacy?
Listen to this engaging Melissa and Lori podcast with Pamela Snow!
Click Here to read posts by Pamela Snow at The Snow Report.
These (now infamous) Emily Hanford podcasts jump started a Science of Reading revolution. I have spent my entire career seeking out beginning reading instruction science and trying to put it into practice - facing ridicule, shame, and intense reactions along the way. These podcasts gave me, and thousands like me, the courage to break the silence about approaches that remove barriers and provide equal access to print.
RICH in content, light-hearted, guests are wise, sincere, honest, knowledgeable, and insightful. I like to watch them on YouTube while they do their podcasts.
Some of my favourites are Episode 80 (START HERE!), 71, 116, 92, 66, 112, 105, 109., 100 (trauma and reading)
This podcast not only addresses DLD (struggles with taking in (understanding) and expressing (using) language. It is about ORAL LANGUAGE in general.
My favourites so far are "Storytelling" (ep. 27) and "School & DLD" (ep. 24) with Pamela Snow - I learned so much!!
Just plunk on some running shoes, and pop in some earbuds! I love going for a walk and listening to any of these well-respected podcasts!
Anna Geiger, M.Ed. (a.k.a. The Measured Mom) explains beginning reading instruction topics so engagingly, you feel reassured, competent, and motivated to improve your practice right away. She helps us make small, but mighty changes.
I have confidence in her resources because they are in alignment with evidence-based practices. I don't have to go through any weeds or fact-checking here.
Anna has what it takes to make beginning reading instrucion work: Experience, Open-Mindedness, Knowledge, and Integrity.
*I had the privilege of being one of her guests in Episode 112/113 (re: oral language & DLD) :)
The Ontario International Dyslexia Association has contributed in profound and prolific ways to changing the way that we teach reading across Ontario and beyond.
In this podcast, Kate Winn interviews highly regarded and influential contributors to the science of reading. Kate is a highly experienced and knowledgable teacher, and shares many practical insights into how this may all really play out in the classroom.
I am so excited about the latest webinar I attended by Sara Marye.
Her presentation was called "From Strong Sentences to Solid Paragraphs: How to Explicitly Teach Writing in Upper Elementary", and it was excellent.
Having read (and studied in book clubs and in practice) both "The Writing Revolution" (Hochman & Wexler) and "The Writing Rope" (Joan Sedita), it was clear that Sara is gifted in taking a large body of research and information and making it easier for teachers to implement. I am still just getting to know about Sara and her work, but am very excited to dig in, learn, and share!
Curious about the Science of Reading in the Junior and Intermediate and Senior Grades?
This is one of my favourite webinars by Amplify.
Mitchell Brookins not only explains why and how to teach complex texts, but he also provides VERY PRACTICAL teaching strategies. This is an extremely engaging webinar!
A MUST WATCH FOR EVERY jr/int/sr TEACHER!
Curious about Reading Fluency & Comprehension?
THIS IS A MUST WATCH!!
Another one of my favourites! This is an EXCELLENT video - very easy to understand.
Dr. Jan Hasbrouck explains so much in such a succinct way!
Feeling curious about how LANGUAGE COMPREHENSION fits into the Science of Reading?
Listen to Amplify's S6 E1 Podcast: The other side of Scarborough’s Rope with Margaret Goldberg
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Keys to Literacy offers an array of training including comprehension, vocabulary, and writing
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Keys to Literacy is also the home of Joan Sedita and the Writing Rope.
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CLICK HERE for Keys to Beginning Reading training.
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Although phonemic awareness is best taught along WITH letters, these are EXCELENT videos to support teachers in understanding the many facets of phonemic awareness.
It doesn't get any easier than this!
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Only $75CAD
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Free for students in teacher's college!
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Engaging! LOTS of video demonstrations/practical exercises
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Complete! Everything you need to know is covered from the very basics to morphology
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Get together with a colleague or your team and go through it together for motivation
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Quizzes are extremely beneficial to help you consolidate your learning
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All proceeds go to the Ontario IDA so that they can keep doing the good work that they do!
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Click Here for 10 SHORT VIDEOS (<5 min) explaining how to teach the first few basic spelling patterns
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These are videos I did with ONLIT, Ontario's resource for teachers to support them in providing sound literacy instruction
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Founder Dr. Marnie Ginsberg has OVER 200 VIDEOS in which she explains simple ways that we can implement more explicit and systematic reading strategies
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Join the Reading Simplified Academy to go through a series of online modules.
The UFLI Foundations Teacher's Manual is something many teachers are trying to get their hands on now. Here is a link to some training videos that accompany the manual.
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Keys to Literacy offers an array of training - not just about phonemic awareness and phonics
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CLICK HERE for Keys to Beginning Reading training.
Nine FREE online course modules on reading, writing, and assessment.
SIMPLE, BASIC, AT HOME LEARNING TRAINING
The BIG DIPPERS
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Current, engaging, thorough, and well-respected contributors.
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5 modules - 10 hrs of content - a solid introductory foundation
Curious about Structured Literacy in General?
Margie Gillis is at the helm of Literacy How, and provides structured literacy courses for special educators, reading specialists and interventionists.
CLICK HERE for IDA accredited training programs and opportunities.
The Center for Effective Reading Instruction (CERI), a subsidiary organization of IDA, offers professional certificates and certifications to qualified individuals teaching and supporting reading in public and private general, remedial, and special education settings.
These certificates and certifications include:
CLICK HERE to find a Structured Literacy professional that offers training in your area.
CLICK HERE to find Accredited University Programs and/or Teacher Training Programs.
The Reed Foundation's mission is "To make best-in-class literacy instruction accessible to all".
https://reedcharitablefoundation.org/
I have heard MANY good things about this organization! This is an affordable and manageable way to obtain certification.
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CLICK HERE to find out more about their PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
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accredited by the International Dyslexia Assn
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very thorough and comprehensive training - a gold standard
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EXCELLENT FREE VIDEOS online
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training is expensive, but I am sure well worth it
ACCREDITED by both IMSLEC (International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council) and IDA (International Dyslexia Association).
CLICK HERE for a link to training that is also offered ONLINE.
The MISSION OF IMSLEC is to accredit quality training courses for the professional preparation of multisensory structured language education specialists.
All IMSLEC training centers meet IDA's Standards for Teachers of Reading
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One of the best places to start to build in-depth knowledge
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Dr. Louisa Moats spearheaded the LETRS program
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It has recently been acquired by LEXIA
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I am not sure if LETRS is available in Canada, but you can go to this link and scroll down to INTERNATIONAL and contact someone for help.
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I have heard many good things about LETRS training.
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I think LETRS would now be considered a classic foundational training program.
Structured Literacy in Kindergarten?
Watch these webinars (courtesy of the Ontario branch of the IDA) to hear Ontario teachers Emily Moorehead and Kate Winn explain practical strategies for implementing Structured Literacy in play-based and inquiry-based Kindergarten classrooms.
This is an OUTSTANDING webinar (2025). It is the most thorough explanation of how we can put Structured Literacy into practice.
Melissa Monette Smith demonstrates how she uses screening and diagnostic data to plan and organize her Grade 1 literacy block. She walks through her processes for building small groups, using a scope and sequence to guide instruction, and setting up her long-range plans.
This is a webinar I presented for the Ontario IDA. It is from 2021 (and I have learned a lot since then!), however teachers tell me that this is still very useful for them in terms of practical applications for the "3 part routine" (and other things) Melissa describes above.
Feel free to Click Here and Make a Copy of my teaching slide deck.
You can add, change, delete whatever works for you.
Susan Jones has many videos that are engaging/entertaining It is just fun to see how this one teacher organizes her classroom, materials, and literacy blocks.
I received my training from the Scottish Rite Learning Centre in Barrie, Ontario under the supervision of Evelyn Reiss, Fellow of the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators. Evelyn Reiss is now the principal at The Claremont School in Toronto, and provides Orton-Gillingham Structured Literacy training and certification. She certified me through the Scottish Rite, as well as through Claremont School in Toronto.
This is where I started my Orton-Gillingham training. The Scottish Rite Learning Centres for Children offer FREE tutoring for children who have been diagnosed with dyslexia-related learning disabilities. The centres are run by volunteers, and they are always looking for volunteer tutors, so if you would like to volunteer at one of these centres, it is a great way to receive Orton-Gillingham training. They have nine centres across Canada.
The Reed Foundation's mission is "To make best-in-class literacy instruction accessible to all".
https://reedcharitablefoundation.org/
I have heard MANY good things about this organization! This is an affordable and manageable way to obtain certification.
This is an example of one of many Orton-Gillingham Fellows - Cheryl Urbanczyk - and the training that may be provided.
Curious about the Science of Reading in the Junior and Intermediate and Senior Grades?
Curious about Complex Texts?
This is one of my favourite webinars by Amplify.
Mitchell Brookins not only explains why and how to teach complex texts, but he also provides VERY PRACTICAL teaching strategies. This is an engaging webinar!
A MUST WATCH FOR EVERY Jr/Int/Sr TEACHER!
I recently attended a presentation by Sara Marye called "From Strong Sentences to Solid Paragraphs: How to Explicitly Teach Writing in Upper Elementary", and it was OUTSTANDING.
Having read (and studied in book clubs and in practice) both "The Writing Revolution" (Hochman & Wexler) and "The Writing Rope" (Joan Sedita), as well as having attended several webinars about writing, it is clear that Sara is gifted in taking a large body of research and information and making it easy to understand. She very succinctly explains EXACTLY how to make writing instruction more practical and effective in the classroom.
I am just getting to know what Sara has to offer, but this is a TERRIFIC link to have her send you (FREE) daily emails for 5 days with VERY HELPFUL resources/checklists to use for teaching students to revise their writing in ANY subject.
Oral language encompasses a variety of skills across five main areas: phonology, morphology, semantics, syntax, and semantics.
To learn more about oral language skills, click here to access the LD@school article
Oral Language Skills and Learning Disabilities: A Review for Educators :
https://www.ldatschool.ca/oral-language-skills/
In the Ontario Human Rights Commission Right to Read report, it was highlighted that,
“A comprehensive approach to early literacy recognizes that instruction that focuses
on word-reading skills, oral language development, vocabulary and knowledge
development, and writing are all important components of literacy.”
(Ontario Human Rights Commission, 2022, p. 5)
This toolkit provides strategies to support each strand of language comprehension in the
classroom.
Click Here for tips on how to support students with their listening and speaking skills in the classroom.
Curious about the difference between DLD, Specific Learning Disorder, Specific Learning Disability? Click Here
"DLD is a significant difficulty learning, understanding, and using spoken language. DLD is a relatively NEW term (2017) for a condition we have known about for hundreds of years." (DLD Fact Sheet, RADLD)
RADLD is coordinated by a volunteer committee of professionals from Australia, Canada, China, UK & USA who give up their time to raise awareness of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD).
This is a quick video that summarizes 3 things you need to know about children (and ADULTS!) who have DLD.
Viewing these videos can make a profound difference in the life of ALL students (and teachers!) as they help us ALL understand how difficult it can be to listen and talk.
Tip Sheet #1
What Teachers and Parents Can do to Help Students with DLD - which help ALL students, and harm none:
I created this 2-pager for teachers and parents to help them provide support to students with DLD (or any listening/speaking challenge) in the classroom.
Tip Sheet #2
13 Things to keep in mind DAILY.
Download and keep on your Desk for easy reference.
Brand new - 2025
Guide for Parents and Families with Children with DLD
These two books (and a 3rd is coming) are the quickest and easiest way to learn about DLD and the supports they need, and how this can change your whole classroom behaviour! They are BRILLIANT!
Tricoast Education (Canadian) also has a dynamic assessment for oral language.
This is a straightforward video that explains the basics of dyslexia thoroughly. It is one hour long and will go in depth.
And, of course, all things Dyslexia may be found here.
Dyslexia Canada is a national charity committed to ensuring that every child in Canada with dyslexia gets a fair and equitable education.
Download their Parent Handbook here!
This is an engaging Google Slide Deck that explains what parents and the general population need to know about Dyslexia.
You can MAKE A COPY and share with friends, family, students, and/or colleagues!
This 30-minute webinar was FILLED with practical strategies.
Here is the brief and EXTREMELY PRACTICAL pdf that accompanies this webinar and outines these strategies.
This Syntax Party series was terrific. I learned so much from Margie Gillis, and ONLIT has created all these little videos that put learning about syntax into manageable chunks. Less than 10 minutes each.
I am using what I learned in every lesson with my students! Simple but effective strategies that improve my practice.
I use these cue cards in my lessons regularly. Find the Who and the Do, then flip over the cue cards to expand.
Instructional Swaps for Speech to Print Approaches:
Strategies from this video reflect what I have been integrating into my practice as well.
Dr. Marnie Ginsberg has always used a Speech to Print approach:
Her videos, strategies, and wisdom are far-reaching, and she has a gift for literally "simplifying" (and speeding up!) beginning reading instruction.
This podcast updates us on what we know about fluency (2024).
I am always very curious about this topic as I work with students with profound dyslexia and helping them reach a level of fluency (especially reading rate/automaticity) that supports their comprehension is always so challenging!
Jan Hasbrouck (queen of fluency measures) explains that ACCURACY comes first, and AUTOMATICITY is the goal. So a cold read of a one-minute passage that measures the rate of reading will give us a clue into how a student reads - but reading as fast as possible is NOT the goal. There is so much more to comprehension than automaticity. But Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) scores can help us quickly identify students who are struggling.
Curious about Reading Fluency & Comprehension?
THIS IS A MUST WATCH!!
Another one of my favourites! This is an EXCELLENT video - very easy to understand.
Dr. Jan Hasbrouck explains so much in such a succinct way!
Are your students reading accurately (for the most part), but still very slowly? They may need more support with fluency at the WORD level in a specific spelling pattern.
This Reading Rockets video with Linda Farrell (who is the queen of simple explanations and demonstrations!) is so helpful to see how we can support students in moving from word-by-word reading (which is fine when we are learning to decode rather than guess) to more fluent word reading., which then supports sentence and passage reading fluency.
This is the infamous Dr. Anita Archer demonstrating an explicit vocabulary lesson.
I created THIS SCRIPT (just my rough notes) for the teachers I work with, and to help me get used to using this approach with my students.