UNA’s College of Education Highlights Literacy through Science of Reading
Feb. 14, 2024
Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@una.edu, 256.765.4392
FLORENCE, AL – The College of Education and Human Sciences at The University of North Alabama has prioritized literacy through a variety of initiatives, most recently through hosting the Science of Reading Symposium.This state-wide event brought together faculty from almost every institution in Alabama, along with representatives from the Alabama Reading Initiative, officials from the Alabama State Department of Education and Alabama legislators, to spotlight best practices for integrating science-based literacy instruction into pre-service teaching curricula.
“The Alabama Higher Education Science of Reading Symposium provides a platform to share best practices in the areas of literacy,” said Dr. Matt Green, Interim Dean of the College. “The symposium offered opportunities for faculty, administrators, and representatives from the Alabama State Department of Education to engage in discussions and collaborate on course content, innovative practices, and field experiences that support the integration of the science of reading.”
As higher education faculty and administrators, Dr. Green went on to say, “it is our responsibility to establish a solid foundation for our teacher candidates, so they are confident implementing the science of reading as they begin their teaching career. As a state, we are stronger together when we provide the time, space, and collaborative opportunities as we support teacher candidates and their impact on student learning.”
Bonnie Short, the Director of the Alabama Reading Initiative, provided a special program as part of the forum. She said she is delighted to have experienced such a unique higher education collaboration to improve literacy instruction in Alabama.
“We are so excited about the work coming from our institutions of higher education who are embracing the Science of Reading so that we can better support the children of Alabama,” she said. “There is so much power in this movement, from preservice to postsecondary education. The support from (Alabama) Gov. (Kay Ivey’s) office, the Alabama Legislature, and the community that it is a force when coupled with the educators. A growth mindset is loud and clear! Keep on growing, Alabama!”
About The University of North Alabama
The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering credential, certificate, baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs in the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. The first-choice University for more than 10,000 on-campus and online students, UNA is on a bucolic campus in Florence, Alabama, part of the historic and vibrant Shoals region. Lions Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of the NCAA Division I’s ASUN Conference. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: www.una.edu and www.una.edu/unaworks/