April 27, 2024
Saturday, March 30, 2024
10:00 am-12:00 noon
2 Hours of approved training in Missouri
Free to Current NAEYC/MOAEYC members
Non-Members - $5.00
Format: Online -Zoom
Pre-registration is required
Registration closes Friday, March 29 at noon.
Register here
Zoom link provided after registration is confirmed.
Apply for a NAEYC Memebrship here
********************************************************
Susan Catapano, Ed.D.
Early Childhood
Development & Education,
School of Teacher Education
University of Central Florida
Why Are Some Children Struggling to Learn to Read?
After years of research into best practices for literacy development and reading instruction, why are so many children still struggling to learn to read? When the results of state standardized assessments are reported, schools in urban or rural districts that serve low-income children, many who are children of color, and many speaking first languages other than English, are more likely to report reading scores falling well below what is considered on grade level. What can we do to boost readiness and improve outcomes?
Dr. Catapano will highlight strategies that help all children learn to read. She’ll discuss specific ways to leverage children’s strengths to support learning and use curriculum and literature in which children see themselves and their life experiences depicted. Time for questions will be included after Dr. Catapano's presentation.
Susan has been an active member of the early childhood field as the owner and director of two nationally accredited early learning centers, executive director of an early childhood nonprofit organization, president of a local NAEYC affiliate, university faculty in early childhood education for over 25 years, and the media coordinator for a Title 1 elementary school in rural North Carolina. She was a Fulbright Scholar (2016) in Belize in Early Childhood Education and continues to work with the Ministry of Education in Belize on developing beginning teachers.
As the principal investigator on over $4 million in federal, state, local, and private grants, her research focuses on mentoring culturally responsive teachers to work with diverse learners and families. She has been the author of more than 40 publications, including two books on the selection and use of culturally relevant children’s literature for literacy development (More Mirrors in the Classroom: Using Urban Children’s Literature to Increase Literacy and The Classroom Library: A Catalyst for Literacy Instruction).