TNTP's Science of Teaching Reading Course for PK-3 Educators

The Challenge

A strong literacy foundation is crucial for student success in school and life, as early literacy skills are needed to access information in math, science, social studies, the arts, and every other subject. We each entered this sacred profession to provide the best possible learning experience for all students, and we know that you all work incredibly hard to achieve that goal every day. But the reality is that far too few of our students are currently reading proficiently—for every ten students in Massachusetts, five of them are struggling to read. That is a lot of students.

The repercussions for students who don’t learn to crack the code of reading in their early experience are far-reaching:

Students who are not proficient in 3rd grade are 4 times less likely to graduate on time (Hernandez, 2010)
3rd grade scores predictive of 8th grade scores, high school & college enrollment (Lesnick et al, 2010)
74% of 3rd graders who read poorly will still be struggling in 9th grade (Fletcher and Lyon 1998)

The good news is—due to advancements in cognitive and neuro-science research—we know more about students learning to read than ever before. This body of research is often referred to as the science of reading! By understanding the science behind how students learn to read, we can ensure more students have a strong start—research suggests that with strong foundational literacy instruction, 95% of students should learn to read proficiently without intensive intervention. This research-based approach also allows us to more quickly identify why a student may be struggling and what interventions will best support them.

TNTP’s Science of Teaching Reading Course

TNTP has developed a 25-hour asynchronous course for PK-3 educators. This course, designed by teachers for teachers, offers an equity lens when looking at the science of teaching reading. In addition to making complex research around reading acquisition immediately applicable for early literacy educators, the course also includes instructional tips educators can use within early literacy instruction to ensure the success of ALL students.

TNTP launched its Science of Teaching Reading course in the summer of 2021 in Tennessee as a part of a state-wide literacy initiative. Over 12,000 teachers across 130 districts participated in the course, with stunning results:

97%

of teachers agreed or strongly agreed that “The early reading training has prepared me to better support my students in developing phonics-based reading skills.”

96%

of teachers agreed or strongly agreed that “I feel equipped to implement the skills I learned in the early reading training in my classroom.”

Details of the Course Scope and Sequence

Modules	Module Title	Suggested Timeline
1	Literacy as Equity	January – February
2	What is Excellent Foundational Skills Instruction?	January – February
3	Phonological and Phonemic Awareness	January – February
4	Phonics and Word Recognition	January – February
5	Fluency and Connected Text	January – February
6	Putting It All Together: The Foundational Skills Block	March – April
7	Making Sense of Complex Text	March – April
8	Building Knowledge and Vocabulary Through Text	March – April
9	Evidence-Based Discussion and Writing	March – April
10	Course Synthesis: Goal-Setting and Action Planning	March – April
Summative Assessment	Post-Test	By April 28, 2023

Eligibility Requirements and How to Register

Eligibility Requirements

Only eligible PK-3 teachers employed in a MA district/LEA or faculty in MA higher education institutions who are in roles that support PK-3 early literacy may enroll in the course. Employees of Commonwealth charters, Horace Mann charters, or state higher ed faculty must also complete an ethics disclosure and provide a copy of their W9 before enrolling. For more details about eligibility for enrollment, visit the Mass Literacy: Open Access Professional Learning website.

Course Completion Requirements

Participants must complete the course and the post-course assessment by April 28, 2023, to receive the $375 stipend. A W9 must also be received by March 17th in order to receive the stipend. Completion of the course includes both a pre- and post-assessment and approximately 25 hours of asynchronous course activities across ten content modules. For more details about course completion and stipend awards, visit the Mass Literacy: Open Access Professional Learning website.

Registration Information

Please complete the course interest form here. Please be aware that there is limited availability and a high volume of interest so please complete the interest form at your earliest convenience. After participants are selected, they will be required to submit a W9 form. Participants can upload the linked W9 form once they are officially enrolled in the course and received an email from the Qualtrics platform.

If you have already taken TNTP’s Science of Teaching Reading course, you’re not eligible to take it again.

Employees of Commonwealth charters, Horace Mann charters, and state higher education institutions are required by state regulation to complete an ethics disclosure since they are technically state employees. The 7(b) disclosure form can be found here and instructions for completing the form can be found here. Educators with questions can contact the Massachusetts Ethics Commission at request [email protected] or call the State Ethics Attorney of the Day hotline at (617) 371-9500. Please see the FAQ section of the Mass Literacy: Open Access Professional Learning website for more details.

For more information, please reach out to our team at [email protected]