UNA’s College of Education Highlights Literacy through Science of Reading

Feb. 14, 2024

Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@36837a.com, 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 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. 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: 36837a.com and 36837a.com/unaworks/.