These courses have been developed to meet requirements for awareness of the knowledge and practices of the Science of Reading and Structured Literacy as outlined in the Rhode Island Right to Read Act. This is a five-part series intended to be taken in sequential order, beginning with Course 1: Building a Statewide Awareness of The Science of Reading and Structured Literacy. If you have a specific question regarding the requirements of the Rhode Island Right to Read Act, please email  literacy@ride.ri.gov.

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Important Reminders 

You will need a unique enrollment key to enroll in Courses 2-5. Enrollment keys can be found in the Wrap Up section of each prerequisite course after all activities have been completed and the course certificate has been unlocked. For instance, once Course 1 has been completed, the enrollment key will appear at the end of that course to enable you to enroll in Course 2. 
Please enroll in a course before the date you plan to participate to ensure you can access it. This will provide time if you've forgotten your username or password, or need to submit a HelpDesk ticket to resolve an issue. Our HelpDesk is monitored during typical school day hours.
 
In order to enroll in each course, you will need to be logged into your BRIDGE-RI account. Don't have an account? Create one now!
 
At the end of each course, after you complete all activities, you will earn your certificate of completion for that course. At the end of the final course, Course 5, you will also receive an additional certificate for completing the entire series of courses. Check with the individual in your district to determine if they would like you to forward each course completion certificate or the final certificate for completing the entire series.

Students across grades and content areas struggle to comprehend grade-level text for a variety of reasons, including a language-based learning difference, a weakness in one or more reading or writing sub-skills, or insufficient explicit, systematic instruction. This course will provide an overview of the decades of research articulating how proficient reading develops and the instructional approaches necessary to support this process. Participants will deepen their understanding of reading theoretical frameworks, break down reading sub-skills related to decoding and language comprehension, and learn about a variety of student learning profiles that affect literacy development.

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to: 
  • deepen your understanding of the theoretical frameworks of reading.
  • understand how to break down the sub-skills of reading, including decoding and language comprehension.
  • learn about a variety of student learning profiles that affect literacy development.
Intended Audiences
View the work assignments required to exhibit awareness as they appear on the RIDE website.
 
Course Type
  • Self-Paced
Recommended # of PLUs
  • 2 PLUs

Course 2 of the Science of Reading and Structured Literacy Awareness courses will explain the subskills of word recognition that must be explicitly taught and practiced to develop the neural processes needed for skilled reading. Participants will learn more about phonemic awareness and phonics, the strong correlation between spelling and reading, and develop knowledge of morphology and its role in understanding the spelling and meaning of words in English. This course will also provide guidance and resources to support educators across grade levels and content areas. 

This course requires an enrollment key, which is provided upon successful completion of Course 1: Building a Statewide Awareness of The Science of Reading and Structured Literacy in the "Wrap Up" section

Prerequisite

  • Course 1: Building a Statewide Awareness of The Science of Reading and Structured Literacy

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to: 

  • delineate the subskills of word recognition, including phonemic awareness and phonics 
  • understand the connection between decoding and encoding 
  • advance your knowledge in morphology and its role in spelling

Intended Audiences

View the work assignments required to exhibit awareness as they appear on the RIDE website.

Course Type

  • Self-Paced

Recommended # of PLUs

  • 2 PLUs

Understanding the meaning of complex texts is an intricate process that many students find challenging. This third course in the The Science of Reading and Structured Literacy series will provide an overview of the complexity of comprehension and will detail how reading research can inform our instructional decisions to support language comprehension. Participants will learn of the integral role that background knowledge and vocabulary play in comprehension. Useful resources will be shared to support building knowledge across grade levels and content areas as well as guidance and materials to increase the depth and breadth of student vocabulary through explicit instruction, teacher talk, and morphological awareness.  

This course requires an enrollment key, which is provided upon successful completion of Course 2: Decoding and Encoding: Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, and Morphology in the "Wrap Up" section

Prerequisites

  • Course 1: Building a Statewide Awareness of The Science of Reading and Structured Literacy
  • Course 2: Decoding and Encoding: Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, and Morphology
At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to:
  • deepen knowledge of the complexities of comprehension
  • understand the pivotal role of background knowledge in reading comprehension
  • learn a variety of strategies to apply in your setting to increase the breadth and depth of your students’ vocabulary
intended Audiences

Course Type

  • Self-Paced

Recommended # of PLUs

  • 2 PLUs

It is the goal for all students to graduate proficient in reading and writing, yet many still write in simple sentences and struggle to comprehend grade-level text.  Teaching students how to develop literacy skills in your setting may feel overwhelming, considering how much new content needs to be taught each year.  However, even a small amount of explicit instruction in sentence structure, syntax, and text structures, embedded in a variety of settings, has the potential to improve literacy outcomes that support the acquisition of content knowledge. This course will provide an overview of the reciprocal relationship between the ability to understand and write using increasingly complex words, phrases, clauses, sentences, and texts, and the student's ability to comprehend complex texts. Participants will deepen their understanding of grammar, sentence structure, and text structure, and learn methods for using writing to improve reading comprehension. Additionally, participants will be given tools to support all students, including those who struggle with these elements, across all grades and settings. 

This course requires an enrollment key, which is provided upon successful completion of Course 3: Supporting Language Comprehension: Vocabulary, Morphology, and Background Knowledge in the "Wrap Up" section

Prerequisites

  • Course 1: Building a Statewide Awareness of The Science of Reading and Structured Literacy
  • Course 2: Decoding and Encoding: Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, and Morphology
  • Course 3: Supporting Language Comprehension: Vocabulary, Morphology, and Background Knowledge

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to: 

  • consider the interrelated nature between written expression and reading comprehension
  • develop a deeper understanding of sentence structure
  • Understand how to support student literacy needs from the phrase and sentence levels to the paragraph and text levels
  • learn the various types of text structures and corresponding signal words
  • receive tools, practices, and resources to support accurate writing and further reading comprehension in your setting

Intended Audiences

View the work assignments required to exhibit awareness as they appear on the RIDE website.

Course Type

  • Self-Paced

Recommended # of PLUs

  • 2 PLUs

In the final course of the Science of Reading and Structured Literacy Awareness series, participants will both zoom out to develop an understanding of how to implement Structured Literacy practices within Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), as well as zoom in to see how explicit and systematic instruction can support students and teachers when encountering challenging classroom scenarios. Participants will also engage in an interactive review of essential components from prior courses. Course 5 also provides an overview of the role of fluency in reading comprehension and offers helpful resources for integrating assistive and instructional technologies to ensure that all learners can access grade-level content.

This course requires an enrollment key, which is provided upon successful completion of Course 4: The Reading and Writing Connection: Syntax and Text Structures in the "Wrap Up" section. 

Prerequisites:

  • Course 1: Building a Statewide Awareness of The Science of Reading and Structured Literacy
  • Course 2: Decoding and Encoding: Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, and Morphology
  • Course 3: Supporting Language Comprehension: Vocabulary, Morphology, and Background Knowledge
  • Course 4: The Reading and Writing Connection: Syntax and Text Structures

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to: 

  • articulate considerations for Structured Literacy Instruction within an MTSS Framework
  • review the main takeaways of prior courses in word recognition and language comprehension
  • understand the role of fluency in reading comprehension
  • determine the role of assistive technology in supporting students as they achieve positive literacy outcomes

Intended Audiences

View the work assignments required to exhibit awareness as they appear on the RIDE website.

Course Type

  • Self-Paced

Recommended # of PLUs

  • 2 PLUs