There was a Buzz in the Bleachers

Posted November 27, 2024 - Steacy Pinney

 

 

There was a buzz in the bleachers on Saturday, October 26th as 200 education changemakers, from four universities and five school boards, gathered for netWORDing.

netWORDing was a professional learning opportunity to explore the science of reading, reflect upon their practice and feel less alone as they bravely question the status quo and commit to true educational transformation and equity.

The event was collaboratively planned, sponsored and delivered in partnership with the Calgary Board of Education, Calgary Regional Consortium, Mount Royal University and the Rotary Club of Calgary. Providing parents and educators with knowledge about the science of reading is a moral imperative and together these organizations are committed to evidence-aligned reading instruction being urgently scaled by multiple stakeholders.

We all gave our time on a weekend because literacy is a fundamental right that empowers individuals in a society and we know that grim life outcomes are connected to illiteracy. Low literacy starts in childhood and becomes a life-long struggle that is often lived in secrecy. We are resolved to prevent the damage that is incurred by our children and, our students, especially the most vulnerable among them, when adults have limited access to evidence about the science of reading.

 

Image: A group of hundreds of educators sits together in school bleachers. 

 

The science of reading is a vast, interdisciplinary body of scientifically-based research about reading that has been conducted over the last five decades across the world. There is a preponderance of evidence to inform how proficient reading and writing develop; why some have difficulty; and how we can most effectively assess and teach and, therefore, improve student outcomes through prevention of and intervention for reading difficulties.

Left Unread is a grassroots early literacy movement that also showed up on Saturday because the complexity of the reading problem requires community engagement and a network of solutions with a singular, powerful sentiment at the centre. All children have the right to systematically learn how to read by Grade 3, because children left unread is potential unrealized and lives left unlived.

 

Image: Steacy Pinney stands in a gym near a microphone, beside her is a banner that reads "Early Childhood Literacy"

 

The day began with my call to action for attendees to think about three words: learn, change, network. I reminisced about graduating with a BEd in the early 80s with a whole language pedagogy – terms that refer to the method of how teachers teach reading, in theory and practice. I went on to recommend a book written in 2000 called Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam in which he wrote about social change and the decline in civic engagement.

If lack of time is getting in the way of your reading opportunities you can currently watch on Netflix a documentary based on the book called Join or Die. The book and film speak to the value of social networks and social capital – the set of shared values, resources, favors or information from one’s personal connections, that allow individuals to work together in a group to effectively achieve a common purpose.

At netWORDing we also had the pleasure of listening to Natalie Meisner, a Mount Royal University professor and changemaker, playwright, poet and children’s book author, who shared a beautiful tribute to her Grade 3 teacher. Here is a small snippet from Natalie’s poem…

 

Did you know? 

Ms. Barkhouse how badly I needed that

fat stack of books on the corner of my desk,

That seemed to keep replacing themselves as fast I could devour them?

Did you know how sweet it was

To be able to fold myself between the pages of

to climb into the wardrobe, through a portal to another world

Did you know how badly I needed to climb on the back

Of a dragon, a lion, any mythical beasts, & get the heck out of town

at least for a little while?

I think you did

 

Dr Lesly Wade-Woolley from the University of Alberta shared nine myths and a truth about teaching kids to read. Her informative keynote was then followed by twelve practical workshops with ideas for classroom application and best instructional practices offered by nineteen local science of reading experts.

 

Image: Eight educators, including Steacy Pinney, stand together in a line posing for the camera.

 

 

Dr Lesly Wade-Woolley from the University of Alberta shared nine myths and a truth about teaching kids to read. Her informative keynote was then followed by twelve practical workshops with ideas for classroom application and best instructional practices offered by nineteen local science of reading experts.

It was an exciting day to be connected to changemakers that are united in our mindset, our passion for education, and our willingness to take action in service of change.

Some days it seems like everyone has too much going on and is maxed out. As a community changemaker it can at times feel like I’m competing for people’s attention but I know many care. If we are committed to opening up possibilities for all children, taking a stand and changing the systems that have looked the other way when they should have been better supporting young readers we must believe a brighter, more intentional, more literate future is possible.

netWORDing gave us in attendance new, and renewed, mutually supportive relationships, and some of the sustained energy it takes to give your time and be present, so meaningful community connections and impactful systems change can happen.