You may have heard about the Science of Reading. What exactly does that mean? And how does it connect- or compare or contrast- with Balanced Literacy? We are curious and learning, too! Join us for an introduction to what we consider a helpful resource, Shifting the Balance by Jan Burkins and Kari Yates. “Embracing science and balance”; the authors ask us to consider six shifts to early literacy instruction that can make a difference for our learners. These shifts relate to comprehension, phonemic awareness, phonics, high-frequency words, cueing systems, and texts for beginning readers. Interested teachers will have an opportunity to delve deeper into the shifts through a book club that will follow in May.

Tricia Persad and Pamela Thomson are District Coordinators at the H.G.E.C., and Stacey Kaczur teaches Grade 3 at Aberdeen.