Explore the science of reading for children's books

About this event

This session will introduce key concepts from the science of reading, including the reading brain and orthographic mapping, and explore their implications for children’s books. Participants will learn about predictable, decodable, and leveled texts and consider how different text types support children as they learn to read. The session will connect reading research to the work of authors, illustrators, and other children’s book professionals through examples from children’s literature and a brief discussion of graphic novels.

Dr. Helen Behr is the Director of the DCPS Reading Clinic. Dr. Behr earned a Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Johns Hopkins University, and a Ph.D. in Education Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. In California, Maryland, Wisconsin, and Washington DC, Helen has worked as a teacher, instructional coach, and national literacy trainer before taking the helm at the DCPS Reading Clinic in June 2022. A division of DCPS, the Reading Clinic provides educators working in PreK-12th grade with professional development and embedded coaching so they can implement research-based structured literacy instruction to readers learning to decode. With the knowledge of research-based literacy development, teachers are empowered to implement instruction that ensures all students learn to read.