Regarding “Leave literacy education to the experts,” Nov. 18, it is disappointing to read that a college professor, Sue Corbin, continues to doubt the “vast, interdisciplinary body of scientifically-based research about reading .… conducted over the last five decades,” as defined by The Reading League. The science from cognitive psychology, neuroscience, linguistics and many more disciplines is clear on how the human brain is rewired as it learns to read through orthographic mapping. This science has been around for decades but, sadly, still hasn’t made it from universities of research to many teacher colleges. Hence, the huge Facebook group, “Science of Reading: What I Should Have Learned in College.”
Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) is not a curriculum or “teacher-proof program.” It is the background and science behind how we know children (and adults) learn to read. It does just as Corbin suggests it doesn’t, by allowing teachers to teach how they see best – because they know how brain science works. The results teachers see are anything but boring!
All of Ohio’s children deserve that proven scientific research over several decades be turned into practice – something that Ohio’s new dyslexia law will hopefully do.
Jeremy Milam,
Willowick
Jeremy Milam is an Elementary Intervention Specialist with the Cleveland schools who is currently taking LETRS.
