Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) launched its very own podcast in 2020 for the purpose of engaging in literacy conversations that both inspire and instruct. In the first eleven episodes, experts from the field of reading and dyslexia, including Maryanne Wolf, Louisa Moats, Elizabeth Jimenez Salinas, Emily Hanford, and others joined co-hosts Leslie Zoroya, Coordinator of Reading Language Arts, and Mara Shinn Smith, Senior Program Specialist for LACOE.
DDCA Co-Directors Lori DePole and Megan Potente and Assistant Director Rachel Hurd recently met with Leslie Zoroya to talk about the podcasts and the exciting professional development her team is offering to Los Angeles County school districts on the topic of evidence-based instruction, which benefits all and is crucial for students with dyslexia. Included in their offerings is a “Getting Reading Right” consortium that provides ongoing training to teachers on how to bring the science of reading into their classrooms. LACOE hopes to be able to expand this consortium to all interested County Offices of Education in the near future.
Listen in to Leading Literacy, a learning community dedicated to advancing literacy in Los Angeles and the world!
“The research is very clear on what reading teachers should be addressing and we know that teaching explicit, systematic, and direct instruction in early foundational reading skills is crucial. It’s really an equity issue-when a student can’t read or read well, we know this can hinder a child’s success for a lifetime. Our goal is to build teacher knowledge in the science of reading so every teacher is equipped to provide this kind of instruction and can ensure that reading difficulties are diagnosed early and appropriate interventions enacted. We really do believe that it is possible to get reading right and are committed to doing all we can to support teachers in this effort.”
-Leslie Zoroya, RLA Coordinator, Los Angeles County Office of Education
