Below I will keep an updated listing of presentations and other public work for Fall 2023 through Spring 2024.
I am available for webinars, podcasts, presentations, white papers, blog posts, etc., on a number of education and literacy topics (browse my blog posts for topics):
- Censorship, CRT/Curriculum Bans
- Reading Legislation/Policy, “Science of Reading”
- Writing
- Education Reform
- Politics and Education
- NCTQ
New York State Reading Association
Leadership Workshop: Making Sense of the Science of Reading
August 5, 2023, 12:45 – 1:45
Furman University/ Cultural Life Program
Title: Censorship in the Palmetto State: A Panel Discussion
Date: October 5
Time: 6:30 PM
Location: McEachern Lecture Hall – Furman Hall 214
Description: For years, we have witnessed increased attacks on books centered around LGBTQIA, race, offensive language, and more. While public and school librarians have received much backlash from the complaints, librarians, politicians, and community advocates have partnered in solidarity to help remove access barriers. Join our panel to discuss the harm of banned books, learn how community members can support librarians in their fight for intellectual freedom, and discuss the importance of standing against censorship to promote literacy to everyone who seeks to expand their knowledge. We encourage you to bring any questions you may have.
Title: Libraries are Worthwhile: Why We Need Them and How We Will Keep Them
Date: October 10
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Hartness Pavilion
Description: Emily Drabinski, interim chief librarian at The Graduate Center, City University of New York and the 2023-2024 president of the American Library Association (ALA) will give a talk on the importance of libraries and librarians and how we can protect them in the face of ongoing censorship attempts.
NCTE Annual Conference
Conexiones 2023
Columbus, OH – November 16-19, 2023
Keep on Reading for a Free World: Reconnecting through Literacy and Literature (Roundtable) – 11/17/2023 12:30 – 1:45; Aminah Robinson Grand Ballroom B [Reading Wars and Censorship: A Long and Shared History click for PDF]
Connecting Teachers with their Professional Autonomy in the “Science of Reading” Era click for PDF (Presentation) – 11/18/2023 – 11:00 – 12:15; A-214/215
LitCon 2024
Columbus, OH – January 27-30, 2024
Where Are We Going, Where Have We Been?: Prioritizing Teacher Autonomy in the SOR Era
Download PP HERE
Over the last decade, states have passed new or revised reading legislation, often grounded in the “science of reading” (SOR) movement. The SOR movement has perpetuated many oversimplified and misleading stories that portray teachers negatively. This featured session will prioritize teacher autonomy by exploring the following topics: reading crisis, NAEP reading data, reading programs, teacher training and LETRS, dyslexia, and the complicated full body of reading research.
Sunday, January 28, 3:15 pm – 4:15 pm
Monday, January 29 4:15 – 5:45 pm
SCCTE 2024
West Beach Conference Center at Kiawah Island Resort, Kiawah, SC from Friday-Saturday, February 2-3, 2024
February 2, 2024, 9:30-10:30
Which Is Valid, SOR Story or Scholarly Criticism?: Checking for the “Science” in the “Science of Reading”
P.L. Thomas, Professor of Education, Furman University
Download PP HERE
The “science of reading” (SOR) movement has shifted from media stories to state legislation and instructional policy. This workshop invites teachers to critically examine media claims about reading, teachers of reading, and teacher educators against the full body of reading science. The topics will include history of reading crises, the simple view of reading, NAEP, the Mississippi “miracle,” balanced literacy and reading programs, dyslexia, three cueing, brain science, and an overview of reading science.
2024 COE Winter Education Forum
6:30 – 8:00 EST
Buyer Beware: Avoiding the Unintended (But Predictable) Consequences of SOR Legislation [access PDF here]
2024 Illinois Reading Council Conference
March 14-15, 2024 – Springfield, Illinois
Everything You Know Is Wrong: SOR Edition
[Access PDF HERE]
Friday March 15 8:30-9:30
The “science of reading” movement has perpetuated several compelling and highly influential stories about reading; however, much of those claims are misleading or even completely false. This session will examine some of those stories and claims in the context of the full body of evidence. Topics include NAEP reading data, grade retention, the Mississippi “miracle,” phonics research, dyslexia, teacher education (NCTQ), multiple cueing, and reading programs and theories (balanced literacy).
Reclaiming Teacher Authority and Autonomy in the SOR Era: When Structured Literacy Becomes a Script
[Access PDF HERE]
Friday March 15 9:45-10:45; 2:15-3:15
Increasingly since 2013, states have adopted reading legislation identified as the “science of reading.” Since curriculum and instruction should be driven by classroom teachers, not media narratives, parental advocacy, or political mandate, this session examines key reading topics framed with current research to support teacher authority and autonomy.
BustED Pencils LIVE – Monday, March 25th, 2024
USOS: The Politics and Reality of the “Science” of Reading
dr. p.l. (paul) thomas 