This comprehensive training meets all focus areas required to be in compliance with Oregon and Arizona Dyslexia Legislation.
The three modules are:
Although most educators complete this course to be in compliance with a state mandate, this course is open to educators from ALL 50 states.
I am a teacher. My years in public education have provided me with perspective on the daily challenges (and successes!) of teaching.
This is not a training for one. The legislation requires that at least one kindergarten through third-grade teacher in each school receives training related to dyslexia. I will position this person to be a conduit, bringing knowledge and learning back to his/her staff. That being said, if you’re able to send additional educators to the training, please do!
Knowledge that transcends curriculum. A curriculum does not teach a child. A trained teacher does. This training provides foundational knowledge about teaching reading that transcends all curriculum.
Founder and CEO
Walking into Barbara’s office, a framed quote sits on the bookshelf:
“This isn’t what I do. It’s who I am.”
The quote sums up Barbara’s passion and dedication for helping students who learn differently. An elementary teacher for more than ten years, Barbara witnessed so many smart, capable, hard working students struggle with basic reading skills. Feeling ill prepared to help these students, Barbara searched for answers as to why so many students were struggling and what she could do about it.
Her search led her to graduate school, where Barbara studied language based reading disabilities. When Barbara learned that dyslexia is the most common reason smart, capable students struggle with reading, she knew she needed to do something about it.
In 2010, Barbara left the classroom and founded PDX Reading Specialist. From the beginning, her mission was clear: INSPIRE Individuals to Become CONFIDENT & CAPABLE Learners.
Barbara and her team at PDX Reading Specialist are educators, advocates, and innovators. They are reshaping the narrative of what it means to learn differently. They are helping students overcome dyslexia, training educators on how to deliver evidence based instruction, equipping individuals with tools to educate and advocate, and empowering everyone to recognize that most reading challenges are preventable.
Barbara is a nationally recognized speaker, delivering keynote speeches for Learning Ally, EdWeb and Decoding Dyslexia. Whether you’re a parent, educator, caregiver or community member, we are ready to help you learn how to INSPIRE students to become CONFIDENT and CAPABLE learners.
If you teach beginning reading (K-2), this course contains everything you should have been taught in your teacher preparation coursework, but most likely weren’t! There is a body of knowledge about teaching reading that transcends curriculum, socio-economic status, geography, class size, or any of the other challenges to teaching children. As Maya Angelou says, “When we know better, we do better.” Whether you’ve been teaching for two years or twenty, we guarantee this course will equip you with the knowledge, strategies and tools you need to help your students become CONFIDENT and CAPABLE readers.
We realize not every educator has the ability to attend a six-day comprehensive training. And yet, the knowledge, tools and strategies gained during these six days will BLOW. YOUR. MIND. And you’ll want to share it all with your colleagues. PLEASE DO!
We believe when we know better, we do better. So we want you to share! You’ll be given access to a digital platform that contains the PowerPoint presentations and all the free resources shared during training. Want to do a presentation for your staff? Go for it! All we ask is that you don’t remove our logo from any training materials.
While this technically is not a “training of trainer” series*, we are 100% committed to training you to be a literacy leader…and hope you’ll share the wealth!
*PDU’s and/or University credit through PDX Reading are not available unless an attendee completes training with PDX Reading Specialist. This training will only be recognized by the state as meeting the requirements of SB 1003 for the attendee.
The cost of live, virtual (synchronous) training is $1100. This cost includes all consumable materials, including a 300-page training manual (sent via USPS prior to the first day of training).
Each day of training is seven (7) hours long. Because the majority of attendees reside in Arizona, the start and end time will be 8am MST. To avoid any confusion, we will email you your specific start and end time (based on where you’re located).
This training lasts 6 days. The dates vary each year. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!
There are benefits to both live, in-person, and live, virtual (synchronous) training. Two times a year (Winter, Summer), this training is offered virtually. The benefit of live, virtual training is:
Regardless of whether you attend training in-person or virtually, you will be engaged!
Absolutely! We will work to schedule training according to your calendar and customize content to reflect the assessments and curriculum your school/district uses. For a custom cohort, your school or district must have 40+ educators. Email info@pdxreading.com for more information and to schedule a phone call/Zoom with Barbara.
PDX Reading is an approved provider of training for the Arizona K-5 Literacy Endorsement. Even better– you can “double dip”–and by that we mean you can become the Dyslexia Trained Designee and get 45 hours of credit toward your Literacy Endorsement! Amazing, right?
Yes! Upon completion of this course, you can receive 3 university credits through Southern Oregon University. Further information on how to receive these credits will be given during training, or feel free to contact us with any additional questions.
“Your training was truly life altering! I didn’t know what I didn’t know, and now I just want to learn more. You have changed the way I teach and I know with confidence I can help more teachers do that as well. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for sharing your wisdom. It is making a difference… one teacher at a time!”
“When I first called the PDX Reading Specialist offices, I was so scared. But everyone took the time to answer my questions, listen to my story and help me find help for my daughter. Our tutor has been amazing… she is like part of our family.”
“Barbara’s training provided so many ‘aha’ moments! I was in shock at how much I didn’t know.”
“This is the most impactful training I have taken… EVER”
“The most important thing I walked away with was hope. Hope that I can now help students who have left hopeless.”
“I’m so thankful to have attended this training. It is by far the best professional development I have ever received in reading instruction. Barbara is so knowledgeable and easy to listen to. She makes learning enjoyable and it’s so easy to apply what she teaches you right away.”
“This was the best virtual professional development that have ever received as both a teacher and a coach and had a tremendous impact on my career. The quality of both the digital and consumable resource provided was excellent… as a result, I am better prepared to serve as a resource to administrators, teachers, and students in my district.”
“This course gave me practical, highly applicable resources and strategies that I can bring back to my students and school, and start using today. Many of the things I learned have already been put into practice.
This course provided me with multiple assessment tools that will change teaching practices in the schools I work in, as well as the knowledge I need to utilize them. I am better able to support teachers and meet the learning needs of students and truly make an impact on student progress in reading and writing.”
“When I started taking reading classes to help improve my skills, it was so much information to take in. I remember feeling terrible after my first class when I realized how little I knew and how little I was helping my students. The instructors recognized my discouragement and told me not to worry. She said, ‘When we know better, we do better.’ I’ve never forgotten that statement and it’s helped me to not beat myself up and to instead move forward. Now I can take my knowledge of dyslexia, its signs, and strategies to help and move forward in my classroom. Thank you!”
“The impact that the foundations in reading comprehension training has made on me is two fold. First it helped me understand the struggles that I had as a reader. Second and most importantly I am fully equipped to provide my students and other teachers with interventions that will make a difference!”
“…this course was full of information on how students learn to read. It gave a thorough background about the science of reading and continued with an explanation of each area of focus. I am left with endless resources and a solid foundation of good reading instruction. I will continue to use this course work in my teaching as well as a resource for continued learning.”
“Your training filled my brain with such amazing information that I haven’t been able to process it all yet. I am planning to put it into practice bit by bit. I have already got a really good start on that. Thank you so much for your enthusiasm and knowledge and passion to share it!”
“A curriculum does not teach a child. A trained teacher does. You cannot teach what you do not know. So very true that is. I feel so much more adequate at teaching reading and the fundamentals now that I have attended Barbara’s dyslexia training.
Thank you for providing me with the materials and knowledge to become a more effective teacher!”
“The delivery of this training was like nothing I have ever had. Barbara has a very clear and concise way of explaining the best way to deliver reading instruction to not only students with Dyslexia, but to all students. This was my first training where the instructor went over the Science of Reading in that much depth… I believe all new teachers and seasoned teachers need this training. We have a weakness for not having time to give educators the “why” on the expected curriculum. Knowing the science behind the instructions will help us with our instructional practices.”
“I’m ordering more magnets for the schools we partner with in our reading literacy programs. I’ll be placing several orders as we receive them and then fulfill requests from our teachers. We’re estimating our class sizes for next year.
I needed to pass on the results and feedback from our teachers who used your products. We’ve never before had results like these — enormous gains!
The teachers are SO thrilled, and they pass this on to other teachers and schools. The district won’t let me publicly report the data, but the classes in one school using your products had 93% proficiency in reading versus 42% proficiency district-wide! That’s not an aberration! And this is a Title 1 low-income school with a very high percentage of non-English speakers. In fact, with English speakers only, it’s 100% at grade level.
Unheard of results. But the school district has told all the schools to cut their budgets by 25% for the upcoming school year. So continuing and expanding these programs is only through funding by our nonprofit and probably will for the near future. I don’t need to share my thoughts on that!
Thank you again for the great service we’ve received, and I’ll promote you wherever I can.”
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