Professional Development: READING BY DESIGN

Professional Development: READING BY DESIGN

Reading by Design is an evidence-based, week-long reading program that targets struggling readers Many tools and interventions that can benefit a student with dyslexia can often be used to support and improve a variety of reading deficits in children with autism spectrum disorder. This training was an excellent addition to the professional development of our Westview teachers in Kindergarten, Lower Elementary, and Upper Elementary.

Reading by Design training focuses on phonological awareness, sound symbol association, written spelling patterns, morphology, reading fluency, and comprehension. It also emphasizes the importance of early detection and intervention of reading disabilities and discusses tailoring teaching to meet the student's specific needs.

Some of the Westview teachers attending the course shared their key takeaways from the training and how they plan to implement what they learned in their Westview classrooms.

Liza Reyes, Kindergarten teacher, said, "I felt confident coming out of the training because it gave me a better understanding of how I could add additional supports in the classroom. A key takeaway was learning some fun new instructional activities that align with the kindergarten TEKS. I came away with a clearer understanding of reading challenges and how it impacts learning in our classroom."

"This program reinforces the importance of listening to students' needs and observing their behaviors," said Sarah Minns, Upper Elementary teacher. "It taught me how vital it is to build skills rather than supplement them periodically or as needed. Early identification and intervention are best. Reading By Design opened my eyes as a teacher and an individual who cares about the well-being and development of my students."

Christine Reilly, Lower Elementary teacher, said, "[Reading by Design] teaches to meet each student where they are. One strategy is to work at a manageable pace using lots of repetition. This helps to store the information into long-term memory."

I learned about the different ways dyslexia can present in children and what to be on the lookout for. Identifying these traits in a student could lead to them getting intervention sooner.

The differentiation of our instructions is a part of what makes Westview such a unique learning environment. No student learns the same. "This training gives us even more options to deliver material where students are, and in the method, they learn best," said Christine. "There are components for visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners."

The Reading by Design training proves that Westview has the right idea, "meeting our students where they are and fostering their development in reading by creating multisensory lessons to support their learning style," said Chanmatty Harilall. "The integration of audio, visual, and print components help to link the sounds to print (words) and spoken language."

For students struggling to read, write, and spell, the earlier identification is made, the sooner intervention can begin and the more positive the outcome.