Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES (E2CCB) educators and component district teachers from throughout the region recently had the privilege of learning from renowned reading expert Dr. David Kilpatrick, who led an insightful workshop focused on the Science of Reading. This valuable professional development opportunity, made possible through RECOV grant funding secured by the E2CCB grant services team, demonstrates the organization’s ongoing commitment to supporting literacy instruction and student success.
Dr. Kilpatrick, author of the acclaimed book Essentials of Assessing, Preventing, and Overcoming Reading Difficulties, shared his expertise on phonological awareness, phonics, and orthographic mapping, emphasizing the importance of understanding how these skills support skilled reading. He highlighted the crucial role educators play in leveraging this knowledge to support students effectively.
“It’s actually not only the awareness that drives the reading process, it’s what’s called phoneme proficiency,” Dr. Kilpatrick explained, emphasizing the need for students to develop automaticity in accessing and manipulating the sounds of language. He further elaborated on the challenges of English orthography, stating, “English is the most difficult of all the alphabetic writing systems…we have more irregularities than other languages.”
The workshop provided educators in attendance with a deeper understanding of the cognitive processes involved in reading and offered practical strategies for enhancing instruction. Dr. Kilpatrick stressed the importance of moving beyond traditional approaches and embracing a comprehensive understanding of how reading works.
“Knowing about how reading works … gives us more accuracy in judgment about picking a strategy,” he noted. “It can help us choose things to craft instruction and make better on-the-fly decisions when kids get stuck.”
This professional development opportunity, made possible through the RECOVS Literacy Learning Loss grant, was part of E2CCB’s ongoing commitment to the Science of Reading, a statewide initiative. This initiative also includes the creation of two Instructional Coaching positions and yearlong Science of Reading Teacher Liaison meetings, offering a collaborative forum for educators across districts to share insights, learn from experts, and discuss best practices.
According to Jennifer L. Clark-Saboda, Ph.D., E2CCB Director of Professional Learning & Curriculum Development, “The Science of Reading represents a fundamental shift in how we approach literacy instruction. Through these meetings, we’re equipping teachers with tools that not only improve student outcomes but also build a strong foundation for lifelong learning.”
