'How Black activists in Northern Virginia transformed the way children learn to read' in The Washington Post (and more)

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Debbie_Hepplewhite
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'How Black activists in Northern Virginia transformed the way children learn to read' in The Washington Post (and more)

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How Black activists in Northern Virginia transformed the way children learn to read

By Sarah Carr

December 27, 2022
https://www.washingtonpost.com/educatio ... nia-naacp/
...In a virtual meeting that March with Fairfax’s school district leaders, Hampton says, she said the NAACP would “flood the internet with your poor reading scores for Black and Brown students if you don’t take this seriously.” The cause, as activists saw it, was partly “the absence of systematic, cumulative, phonics-based reading instruction in the early elementary classroom,” they later wrote in an open letter. “All the research suggests that this shift would have the most immediate and profound impact on closing the achievement gap.” Some teachers had always incorporated phonics — intentionally sequenced lessons in how to sound out words from letters — but the district had not made it a requirement.
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Debbie_Hepplewhite
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Re: 'How Black activists in Northern Virginia transformed the way children learn to read' in The Washington Post

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In The New York Times, more developments and references to Emily Hanford's 'Sold a Story' series and the rising awareness of flawed literacy materials and approach of Lucy Calkin's:
'Kids Can't Read': The Revolt That Is Taking On the Education Establishment

Fed up parents, civil rights activists, newly awakened educators and lawmakers are crusading for “the science of reading.” Can they get results?
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/16/us/s ... rents.html
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Debbie_Hepplewhite
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Re: 'How Black activists in Northern Virginia transformed the way children learn to read' in The Washington Post (and mo

Post by Debbie_Hepplewhite »

What I find so TRAGIC is the time delay and seemingly disconnect from what so many wonderful champions of research findings in America - including the need for systematic phonics - that took place DECADES ago.

You can read about some of the people involved, and the achievements even through legislation in America here:

viewtopic.php?t=1172

That the battle for phonics, and its integration with developing spoken language, sharing books of all genres in whatever way is appropriate for the learning intention, whilst also developing a love for literature because of the information and worlds they open up, is STILL a battle, beggars belief.

https://phonicsinternational.com/wp-con ... v-22-2.pdf

I myself learnt much about the research findings for reading instruction decades ago as an ordinary class teacher. I went on to become a pioneer, with others, to challenge the flawed reading instruction guidance of the the, then, government in England. I was able to utilise and even be in touch with some wonderful people in America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand all those years ago. For a while, I edited some hard copy newsletters of the UK Reading Reform Foundation which included articles from people in America and beyond:

https://rrf.org.uk/resources/newsletter-archive/

It seems to me that teaching unions and publishers have a lot to answer for - but the leaders of schools do too - as they should have known better long ago and they should know better now.
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Debbie_Hepplewhite
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Re: 'How Black activists in Northern Virginia transformed the way children learn to read' in The Washington Post (and mo

Post by Debbie_Hepplewhite »

I'm cross-referencing this thread with one featuring a lot of information about the challenge to the approach of Lucy Calkins that has occurred in America:

viewtopic.php?p=3108#p3108
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