Literacy for Young Learners
Description: What’s the best way to teach literacy to young learners? Join our guest experts as they discuss the science of reading and provide tips that families can immediately put into practice at home. We’ll also explore a multisensory approach to reading and what reading looks like at different ages.
Guests:
Rebecca Pitcher, Montgomery County Educational Service Center
Tricia Merenda, Ohio Department of Education
Guest Biographies:
Rebecca Pitcher serves as a Literacy Supervisor for Montgomery County Educational Service Center in Dayton, Ohio. She has her B.S. in Elementary Education (West Virginia University) and her M.A. in Educational Administration (University of Dayton). Rebecca is currently working on her Structured Literacy Certification through the Orton-Gillingham Academy and Wilson Reading System.
Throughout her 28 years of tenure, Rebecca has been an elementary classroom teacher in grades K-2, served as a Title 1 reading specialist and English Language Learner educator. She has worked with special needs students in an inclusion classroom for the majority of her educational career. Rebecca’s current job requires her to work in a variety of capacities. She coaches teachers in structured literacy best practices, implements literacy interventions, consults with districts on high quality literacy instructional materials, and works to facilitate districts’ compliance of the new dyslexia state mandate.
Tricia Merenda currently works as a Literacy and English Language Arts Specialist at the Ohio Department of Education. She has served 30+ years as an educator, including as a classroom teacher former district Literacy Administrator.
Relevant Links:
Supporting Your Child’s Literacy Development
Reading Rockets: Growing Readers
Reading Rockets: Reading SOS for Families
National Center On Improving Literacy: Parents and Families
National Center On Improving Literacy: Advocating for My Child’s Literacy Needs