Rethink literacy instruction—and unlock deeper learning for every student.

In this research-driven course, you’ll explore Beyond the Science of Reading by Natalie Wexler and learn how literacy goes beyond foundational skills to include knowledge-building, writing, and cognitive science. Discover how background knowledge and vocabulary drive comprehension—and how to apply these insights across all subjects.

Through reflection and practical application, you’ll gain strategies to strengthen instruction, improve retention, and support all learners.

Because literacy isn’t just about reading—it’s about building thinkers.

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Critically analyze the key ideas presented in Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning and evaluate how the integration of reading research and cognitive science influences literacy development and student learning.

• Examine the relationship between foundational reading skills, background knowledge, vocabulary development, writing, and content-rich instruction in order to identify practices that strengthen comprehension and long-term retention.

• Apply research-based strategies from the text to improve literacy instruction through knowledge-building, explicit teaching, and writing practices that support deeper understanding across content areas.

• Design and implement instructional approaches that integrate reading, writing, and content knowledge to enhance student engagement, comprehension, and the ability to transfer learning across disciplines.

• Reflect on, assess, and refine personal instructional practices in order to align literacy instruction with the science of learning, promote equitable access to knowledge, and support sustained student growth and achievement.