The Science of Reading for Every Student and Educator

Students accelerate literacy gains when educators effectively connect knowledge from professional learning to practical classroom instruction. Realize the power of the science of reading to impact change with Lexia®.

Nancy Mather, Ph.D.

Nancy Mather is a Professor Emerita at the University of Arizona in Tucson. She has served as a learning disabilities teacher, a diagnostician, a university professor, and an educational consultant. She has published numerous articles and books and conducts workshops on assessment and instruction for students with dyslexia both nationally and internationally. Her most recent book on dyslexia is Essentials of Dyslexia: Assessment and Intervention, 2nd edition (Mather & Wendling, 2024). She is a co-author of several widely used tests, including the Woodcock-Johnson IV. In addition, Dr. Mather and co-authors have just completed the Tests of Dyslexia (Mather, McCallum, Bell, & Wendling, 2024), a comprehensive standardized assessment that is designed to help identify dyslexia in individuals of all ages.

Ten Things Everyone Should Know about Dyslexia (and a Few Other Things)

Everyone concerned with dyslexia should know certain things. This session will review ten aspects of dyslexia that need to be considered, acknowledged, and addressed by parents, teachers, and related professionals. Examples include: the necessity of systematic reading and spelling instruction with highly trained teachers, the reality of comorbidity, the impact of dyslexia on self-esteem, and the importance of nurturing strengths. The session will also include a few other things.

Martha C. Hougen, Ph.D.

Dr. Hougen is a national consultant collaborating with state leadership and institutions of higher education to improve educator preparation in the implementation of the science of reading and instruction. As a teacher, school administrator, and pre-service and in-service professional development provider, she advocated for effective literacy instruction for all students. She led the Higher Education Collaborative at the Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, The University of Texas at Austin, and supported educator preparation programs with the CEEDAR Center at the University of Florida. Currently she works with organizations promoting the Science of Reading and serves on the board of the Center for Effective Reading Instruction. In addition to numerous publications, Dr. Hougen has authored three textbooks: The Fundamentals of Literacy Assessment & Instruction, Pre-K-6, 1st and 2nd editions (Hougen & Smartt, 2012, 2020) and The Fundamentals of Literacy Assessment & Instruction, 6-12 (Hougen, 2014).