Oakland University
Friday, December 7, 2012

OU Reading Recovery Faculty and Teacher Leaders Build Skills for Helping Kids



Reading Recovery Teachers and Teacher Leaders from across the state of Michigan recently convened to share instructional best practices, explore new research findings and discuss ways to support struggling young readers.


Michigan's Reading Recovery Teacher Leaders met November 14, for Professional Development Day at Oakland University.  Presentations were delivered by Dr. Mary K. Lose, Associate Professor and Director, Reading Recovery Center of Michigan at Oakland University, and Dr. Peter Johnston, Professor and Chair of the Reading Department, SUNY Albany.  

Dr. Lose led the Teacher Leaders in a shared observation of Reading Recovery teaching and an exploration of the role of teacher language in support of children's strategic activity in literacy.

Dr. Johnston discussed his most recent book, Opening Minds: Using Language to Change Minds (Stenhouse, 2012), and shared his current research on the role of engagement, teacher language, and developing a sense of agency in support of literacy learning. He emphasized:  "Making meaning is good. Doing meaningful things is better."  And, "focusing on children's engagement changes everything."

(To hear Dr. Johnston discussing his book and the research, click here to listen to a podcast.)

Later, over 350 Reading Recovery Teacher Leaders, Teachers, and their School Administrators gathered for two days, November 15-16, for the 21st annual Reading Recovery Council of Michigan Institute at the Somerset Inn, Troy, Michigan.



About the Reading Recovery Center of Michigan:  Oakland University is one of only 20 universities in the United States to serve as a Reading Recovery university training center. Oakland University Reading Recovery faculty train and professionally develop Reading Recovery teacher leaders who affiliate with the center at Oakland University.

These Reading Recovery teacher leaders then train and professionally develop Reading Recovery teachers at one of 13 regional Reading Recovery training sites throughout Michigan. Since its establishment in 1991, the Reading Recovery Center of  Michigan has served almost 96,940 of the state’s first graders and has trained over 1,160 teachers.

To learn more about the Reading Recovery Center of Michigan, please visit: oakland.edu/ReadingRecovery


Created by Cathleen Spayde (spayde@oakland.edu) on Friday, December 7, 2012
Modified by Cathleen Spayde (spayde@oakland.edu) on Friday, December 7, 2012
Article Start Date: Friday, December 7, 2012