For Schools

Structured Literacy Teacher Mentorship ($200/hour)

It seems everyone is talking about it. The way we have taught reading and writing over the last several decades doesn't align with what we know about how the brain learns to read. While many of our teachers are learning how to expand their skills to teach utilizing practices based in the science of reading, we know as educators and leaders that training participation alone doesn't lead to transformed teaching.  Many teachers now have a wealth of knowledge on best practices, the reading brain, and a shared language. However, their classrooms are still full of materials that may appear obsolete, and it may feel overwhelming to puzzle through how to mesh their new knowledge with their years of teaching experience. This is where structured literacy mentorship comes to the rescue! It is in consistent conversation, observing, modeling, and feedback that teachers learn to hone their practice to serve students. Meetings with grade level teams or individual teachers provides for the kind of individualized support teachers need and an opportunity to use specific classroom–level data to inform instruction. 

Each one hour session includes:

• A customized agenda to answer specific instructional questions from the teacher submitted in advance

• An opportunity for observation of a lesson/portion of a lesson 

• An opportunity for modeling of a lesson/portion of a lesson

• An exchange of ideas about how to incorporate a range of materials into literacy lessons

Universal Screening for Reading Difficulties (grade K through 2; $35/student)

Universal screening for reading difficulties provides an efficient and systematic way to identify which students are in need of supplemental reading instruction and/or further language processing evaluation. Our universal screen is compliant with DC law* governing universal screening for local education agencies and includes research–supported components to identify risk for reading difficulties. 

What can you expect?

• Each screen covers phonological awareness, rapid naming, sound/symbol correspondence and decoding.

• Each screen takes ~10 minutes per student to administer.

• Each student will receive screening results including whether they are severely, moderately, or not at risk for reading difficulty.

• All screening results will include recommendations to support reading acquisition for home, regardless of risk.

• Two parent Zoom sessions. A pre–screen parent meeting will be offered to explain the purpose of the evaluation and what to expect. A second post–screen parent meeting will be offered to discuss what findings mean and how to support developing readers across the domains. 

• OPTIONAL ($200/hour): 

  • Teacher sessions (in person or virtual):

    • Pre–screen teacher session to share the purpose and format of the universal screen. A primer of dyslexia and language–based learning differences will also be included.

    • Post–screen teacher session to share the findings and next steps.

This can either be offered universally for all students in a grade level or at the request of families (minimum 10 students). If a student pursues a language processing evaluation after this screening, the evaluation will be offered at a 15% discount for the family ($1275). 

*DC Public Law 23–191 Addressing Dyslexia and Other Reading Difficulties Amendment Act of 2020 requires all public and charter schools to provide universal screening for reading difficulties for children in grades Kindergarten through second. The screening measure must evaluate a child’s phonological awareness; rapid naming skills; correspondence between sounds and letters; and decoding.