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Gardner–Edgerton district details 'science of reading' rollout and teacher training
Summary
District literacy leaders described the district’s implementation of the ‘‘science of reading,’’ including LETRS training for teachers, curriculum alignment, universal screening and multi-tiered supports; administrators outlined next steps and resources for staff and families.
District literacy leaders presented an overview of the district’s implementation of the science of reading and how it is embedded in the curriculum across grades.
Dr. Jennifer Holt, assistant principal at Madison Elementary, explained that the science of reading represents decades of research and requires instructional shifts such as using decodable text and systematic teaching of word parts. ‘‘We used to explicitly teach children to guess a word from a picture,’’ Holt said. ‘‘Now we know…good readers attend to every letter in a word.’’
Britney Robinson, reading specialist at Gardner Elementary, summarized the district’s professional-development work: district staff have trained teachers in LETRS and other approved pathways that count toward Kansas’ seal of literacy. Robinson said the district currently has 87 teachers who have completed LETRS, 32 in their second year, and additional administrators enrolled in letters-for-administrators cohorts. The district also uses universal reading screening (FastBridge) and multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) to identify and intervene with struggling readers.
Mandy Hodo, an elementary reading specialist, reviewed instructional models used locally (the Simple View of Reading and Scarborough’s Reading Rope) and described curriculum artifacts — scope-and-sequence documents and grade-level templates — that show foundational skills, phonics scope, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. The presenters said videos and classroom examples were prepared but did not run during the meeting due to technical difficulties.
Board members asked about supports for students with trauma or behavioral challenges. Dr. Holt and district staff responded that the district integrates trauma-informed practices and psychological-safety strategies, gives examples such as exit slips and discreet in-class monitoring, and plans to connect the literacy work to broader MTSS discussions at a future meeting.
Presenters emphasized the district’s goal to raise reading outcomes through explicit instruction, teacher training and targeted intervention rather than relying on high-interest but non-decodable texts alone.
