NEWS

Educators from across the region recently gathered at Louisiana Tech University for the first annual L3: Literacy and Learning at Louisiana Tech Institute. These interactive professional development sessions focused on helping educators build their content knowledge about the what, why, and how of teaching recognition skills to K-3 students.

“The goal of the institute is to help teachers better understand the new research we have about teaching children to read,” Dr. Carrice Cummins, director of L3 and the Science of Reading project, said. “In the past, we’ve based our literacy research on observation, but now we have more solid evidence related to how the different parts of the brain are activated and connected during reading. Research has proven how explicit and purposeful instruction can help make this happen.”

The L3 institute is an extension of the Science and Art of Teaching Reading grant awarded to Louisiana Tech by the Louisiana Department of Education. This grant promoted the development of literacy-based modules designed to strengthen the content knowledge for K-3 educators across the state. The institute allowed educators to work closely with Louisiana Tech literacy faculty and staff, engaging in deep discussions and collaborative activities centered on best practices in early reading instruction.

Participants explored how the brain learns to read, diagrammed the reading brain, and discussed the role of explicit instruction in activating different brain areas. This understanding paved the way for digging deeper into the many skill areas such as, recognizing the 44 sounds in the English language, syllable patterns, morphology, and more. L3 emphasized the difficulty of word recognition and why teaching reading is “rocket science”.

For educators like Michelle Thrower, K-2 facilitator for Lincoln Parish Schools, the experience was a chance to reconnect with the science behind the reading process.

“In the day-to-day routine, it’s easy to lose sight of the foundational research behind literacy practices,” Thrower said. “This institute was a great reminder to revisit why these strategies matter.”

Thrower, who supports both literacy teachers and coaches, said the workshop gave teachers time to network and collaborate.

“The teachers here want to improve their practice and build meaningful connections,” she added. “They learn from each other by discussing different scenarios and use those insights to think more intentionally about their instruction.”

“We are so excited to have a dedicated faculty focusing on reading which is essential to the learning process,” Dr. Henrietta Williams Pichon, dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences, said. “By improving teacher readiness to engage in life-long reading for the students, our faculty are able to truly transform the human experience.”

Both Cummins and Thrower emphasized the importance of continuous growth in the classroom.

“We’re shifting the way we teach children to read,” Cummins said. “So often, we rely on the methods we were taught as young students, but with new research and insights, we have an opportunity to grow professional learning and encourage teachers to embrace a more effective approach to reading instruction.”

“When I chose to be a teacher, I committed to be a lifelong learner,” Thrower added. “To improve as a teacher, you also need to be willing to learn new things.”

Cummins hopes participants leave with a stronger understanding of how to connect what they already know with the latest literacy research and the importance of using this information to inform their instruction.

“When we address those connections directly, we have a greater chance of reducing the number of children who struggle with reading.”

The institute closed by reminding participants that educators teach the children, not the curriculum.