Dr Louisa Moats: Staying Grounded in Reading Realities: A Better Approach for Struggling Readers

[Debbie_Hepplewhite]

Here's a great post by Dr Louisa Moats - allaying some of the misinformation that abounds regarding 'dyslexia', including 'giftedness', IQ, phonological awareness and progress in reading:

Staying Grounded in Reading Realities: A Better Approach for Struggling Readers

http://www.voyagersopris.com/edview360- ... ng-readers

At the end of October 2015, I attended and spoke at the annual International Dyslexia Association (IDA) meeting in Dallas. IDA remains the best interdisciplinary conference for all professionals, advocates, and families concerned with reading, writing, and language difficulties. IDA meetings, over the past three decades, are where I’ve obtained my real education.
This meeting was as informative as ever. We heard from neuroscientists, psychologists, directors of interdisciplinary research centers, researchers in language acquisition, experienced clinicians, education advocates, teacher educators, public school literacy leaders, and families affected by learning difficulties. Through diverse perspectives, one theme stood out for me: We will serve students and families better if we are informed by the facts. Romantic ideas, though appealing, will not serve the needs of students or teachers. Let’s examine a few beliefs that we’re better off without...

Dr Louisa Moats is a member of IFERI's Advisory Group:

http://www.iferi.org/advisory-group/

[Debbie_Hepplewhite]

Here is a great 'Question and Answer' session with Dr Louisa Moats talking about progress (or otherwise) in the US:

Q&A With Dr. Louisa Moats

The IMSE Journal talks to Dr. Louisa Moats, founder of LETRS and co-author of ‘Straight Talk About Reading,’ and ‘Parenting a Struggling Reader.’

https://journal.orton-gillingham.com/qa ... isa-moats/

...I’ve always been frustrated by the prominence of fads and wild, unsupported ideas that prevail in education. But lately I’ve become more forgiving. Last year I attended a meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading (SSSR) and realized that the gulf between education (teaching) and scientific research has been created and perpetuated by both sides. Researchers often do not consider the educational import of their studies (or are discouraged by grant givers, professional organizations, and journal editors from doing so). Simultaneously, education courses, textbooks, and conferences de-emphasize the importance of evidence in decision-making and do not require teachers to base their judgments or practices on research. It’s a two-way problem.

We had a few golden years during the Reading First initiative (2002-2008) when qualified researchers were speaking frequently at meetings of educators, knowledge of research-based practice was promoted and valued, and instructional programs were better aligned with research-based practice. We’ve been back-sliding lately, or certainly not making the progress we should be making in changing the substance of teacher education, the standards for education publishing, or the content and methods of instruction....