Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Instructional Support Services recently hosted administrators and reading curriculum leaders from across Herkimer County to participate in a statewide literacy initiative.
The hybrid in-person/video conference webinar on Wednesday, Jan. 10, included video connections with state Commissioner of Education Betty Rosa, Deputy Commissioner Angelique Johnson-Dingle, Assistant Commissioner Santosha Oliver, Erik Sweet from the Office of Early Learning, and Dr. Nonie Lesaux from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Literacy leaders from schools across the state joined the webinar via their BOCES host sites.
This conference focused on strengthening knowledge on the Science of Reading initiative with seven newly released literacy briefs from the New York State Education Department. The event had three goals: to read and understand the literacy briefs, to reflect on leadership for literacy and to commit to one leadership move to enhance literacy in the school, district or region.
The Herkimer BOCES portion of the meeting was hosted at the Herkimer BOCES Gateway Center at 420 E. German St. in Herkimer with curriculum leaders from Herkimer BOCES and schools in the BOCES region.
Literacy leaders from each district analyzed high impact practices on literacy, school classroom structures and processes that ensure that all students have access to quality literacy instruction and the “big six” skills and competencies necessary for literacy: oral language, phonics, phonological awareness, comprehension, vocabulary and fluency. Those six skills are the targets of effective literacy instruction, from prekindergarten through secondary years.