Yale Expert to Share Reading Strategies in Norwalk

Is your child a struggling reader?  Are you a teacher who wants to learn more about reading pedagogy? Reading expert Margie Gillis will discuss the latest in reading research Wednesday night. Gillis’ presentation, “From Brain Scan to Lesson Plan: Reading Research Informing Instruction,” is scheduled for 7:00 to 9:00 P.M. at City Hall.

“Our brains are hard wired to speak but they are not wired neurologically to read,” said Gillis, who is a researcher at Haskins Laboratory at Yale University, a language research institute.  “For many children reading does not happen easily.”

In Norwalk, for example, 51 percent of third grade students read at grade level or "at goal" based on the  results of last year's Connecticut Mastery Test.  Statewide that number is 57 percent.  “We should be very, very concerned,” Gillis said.

For years there has been a philosophical debate about reading referred to as the “reading wars”.  Experts continue to debate the importance of “phonics,” which focuses on breaking apart sounds, against “whole language,” which emphasizes context and comprehension.

But Gillis thinks reading instruction is not an “either or” exercise.  “One size teaching doesn’t fit all in reading.  The weight of the different components are different for each child,” she said. In particular, she said children who grow up in high poverty areas have limited language exposure during their early years, putting them at a disadvantage in the classroom.

Gillis sees her role as bridging theory with practice. In addition to her role as a researcher, she’s the president of Literacy How, Inc. a non-profit organization that focuses on professional development.

“Teachers need a deep level of understanding of what it takes to read,” she said.  “They are so desperate for information and activities.” Gillis worked with Kendall, Jefferson, Wolfpit and Tracey elementary schools from 2002-2006 as part of a statewide reading initiative. That program has since lost its funding.

This free event is co-sponsored by Norwalk Public Schools, SPED*NET Wilton, Smart Kids w/Learning Disabilities- www.smartkidswithld.org - and CACLD- www.cacld.org and takes place at Norwalk City Hall.  For more information please call (203) 854-4126.  Registration is highly recommended: rsvp@spednetwilton.org