LC23-89A Literacy in the Classroom How to teach dyslexics and struggling readers through Structured Literacy (SL) Series of Sessions

This is a series of evening face to face workshops with instructors Mary Moran and Paula Gilsenan which take place on September 21st/28th October 5th; November 9/16/23 in Mullingar Educate Together NS 7p.m.-9p.m.

Mary is a dyslexia specialist who was Orton-Gillingham trained in 1986 and has been teaching struggling readers and dyslexics ever since. She is a social entrepreneur and the creator of the Dcode Dyslexia SL programme, which is being used in over 600 schools in Ireland.

Paula is a primary teacher and assistant principal in Gilson NS, Oldcastle. She has twenty years teaching experience in both mainstream and special education. Paula has collaborated with the school principal in designing, planning and implementing a whole-school approach to teaching Structured Literacy. Her research interest is in special education, and specifically literacy development and practice, with the aim of improving literacy standards in primary schools. She completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Inclusive Education, Learning Support and Special Education at DCU in March of this year.

The course is designed to help you understand the need for structure in literacy instruction and to help you to implement a structured literacy programme for an individual, a group and a class.

The course covers phonological, and phonemic, awareness, decoding, reading comprehension, and vocabulary, and spelling. It adheres to the principles of the Science of Reading body of scientifically based research and it supports the Primary Language Curriculum learning outcomes(LO) for the reading (LO 3,4,5 & 6) and writing strands (LO 3,4 & 5). It will be interactive and collaborative with tips and strategies that will help you to fully understand how to bring about a structured programme whilst working with students in your own school.  Samples lessons will be planned, demonstrated and practiced.