GC to host Science of Reading Summit

The Goshen College Education Department, in partnership with the Lilly Foundation, is pleased to announce that it will be holding a Science of Reading Summit on Nov. 7-8. The summit will include workshops for teachers, administrators and parents on strategies for teaching literacy to young children.

The summit’s featured speaker is Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan, president of the Valley Speech Language and Learning Center in Brownsville, Texas, and bilingual speech and language pathologist.

“Dr. Cárdenas-Hagan is a national expert on what the science of reading means for English language learners,” said Kathy Meyer Reimer, professor and director of education at Goshen College. “We’ve got some lovely things planned.”

Friday, Nov. 7, will include two half-day sessions for teachers and administrators on the science of reading, with a special focus on multilingual learners. The schedule allows schools to share a substitute teacher between staff members, with one attending the morning session and the other in the afternoon. Lunch will be provided to all participants on Friday.

On Saturday, Nov. 8, Cárdenas-Hagan will give a keynote address for parents on how to help their children with literacy skills. While the teachers’ address on Friday will be heavy on instruction, the Saturday session will explain basic aspects of the science of reading. Cárdenas-Hagan will discuss specific strategies for the home to increase children’s literacy skills — strategies that will benefit both English language learners and native English speakers.

“Lilly has provided us a wonderful chance to fund this, something that we could not otherwise provide to our community,” Meyer Reimer said. “To be able to shape something that really fits the needs that our schools and our community are facing — we’re delighted to be able to do this.”

The professional sessions on Friday are from 8-11:30 a.m. and 12-3:30 p.m, with free registration required. The parent and community session on Saturday is from 9-10 and is open without registration. All sessions are held in the Church-Chapel building on the Goshen College campus, 1900 S. Main Street. Parking on the south end of the building is free — enter through the south doors.

The Science of Reading Summit is made possible by a generous grant from the Lilly Foundation.