PeachStar is pleased to present The Reading Excellence Act Best Practices Institute, a new 10-episode series developed by the Georgia Department of Education (GA DOE) and produced at the Georgia Public Broadcasting facility. This series was created to model best practices according to the Reading Excellence Act passed by the United States Congress in 1998; the Act allowed states to compete for grant funds to implement comprehensive reading programs based on the scientifically-based reading research contained in the following six essential dimensions of reading instruction:
* Phonemic Awareness
* Explicit Systematic Phonics
* Vocabulary
* Fluency
* Comprehension
* Motivation
In 2001, the Georgia Department of Education was granted substantial funds to implement comprehensive reading programs in Georgia schools. This series, developed as part of the GA DOE's effort to help schools build and implement such reading programs, features some of the nation's leading educators; researchers; and specialists in reading instruction, student achievement, and family literacy, including:
* Dr. Craig Jerald, Education Trust and Research Center
* Dr. Sharon Walpole, University of Virginia
* Dr. Peg Griffin, Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children
* Dr. Joseph Torgesen, Florida State University
* Dr. Patricia Edwards, Michigan State University
* Dr. Jay Samuels, University of Minnesota
* Dr. Steve Stahl, University of Georgia
* Dr. Michael Pressley, University of Notre Dame
* Sharon Darling, Center for Family Literacy
* Dr. Bonnie Lash-Freeman, Center for Family Literacy
Each episode offers viewers a detailed introduction and discussion of the particular dimension being discussed. The blending of these dimensions into a comprehensive reading program is also discussed along with the importance of family literacy and parental involvement.
