The Evolving Science of Reading: Building a K-12 Continuum from Foundations to Fluent Thinking

Session Description: For far too long, the "Science of Reading" has been framed as an early literacy initiative focused primarily on phonics and decoding. In this session, Dr. Anthony Fitzpatrick dismantles the false binary between "learning to read" and "reading to learn," replacing it with a master framework for a coherent, developmental K-12 continuum.

Drawing from his new book, Dr. Fitzpatrick will guide educators and leaders through the "POSSUM" acronym—addressing the often-missing links of Semantics, Syntax, and Morphology. We will explore how to repair the "Third Grade Cliff" by ensuring foundational gains transition seamlessly into linguistic complexity and rhetorical reasoning. Attendees will leave with a clear vision of how to move beyond "Mastery" as a ceiling, instead building a literacy architecture that cultivates independent thought, empathy, and agency across all grade levels.

Key Takeaways:

The Myth of Mastery: Understand why treating early fluency as the "finish line" stalls student progress.

The 12 Pillars of Literacy: A bird’s-eye view of how skills evolve from K-2 foundations to 9-12 rhetorical power.

Designing for Transfer: How to ensure students can apply literacy skills across disciplines—from the ELA classroom to civic life.

*Copies of the professional text, The Evolving Science of Reading by, Dr. Anthony Fitzpatrick will be raffled off at the event. Be sure to attend to see if you are a lucky winner!