Speaker, Diocese emphasize data-driven resources to help kids read
November 8, 2024 at 7:00 a.m.
Imagine “what it feels like to be a first grader,” Gene Kerns told parents and educators. He presented the crowd at Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, with a word in an unfamiliar language that used letters they did not recognize.
Kerns, one of the authors of “Literacy Reframed,” was the guest speaker at Building Stronger Readers, the first of two sessions organized by the Department of Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Trenton. He offered data-driven insights on how families and schools can collaborate to create a more supportive environment for children’s academic success.
Dr. Kerns talks to his audience in Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, about teaching methods for reading skills. Angelica Chicaiza photo
After showing people the unknown word, Kerns said he, too, required reading support in first grade. He said he had difficulty distinguishing between lowercase “d” and lowercase “b.” It wasn’t until a family member helped him that he finally grasped the difference, he said, emphasizing the crucial roles families and teachers play in children’s education.
Bonnie Milecki, assistant superintendent of the Diocese’s School Development and Operations and one of the series coordinators, said it was important for parents to have the right resources based on real-world data: “We want all of our curricular decisions to be informed by science and data .... We need to be forward-thinking, constantly learning, and data-driven in the way that we teach and instruct our students.”
She also emphasized that schools must provide parents with communication “so that we can be the team that we need to be.”
Teaching Learning Skills
Kerns said certain teaching methods can significantly influence students’ ability to develop comprehensive skills.
“Often, the way that we teach a kid something may look widely different than the reality of what they will eventually do when they become an expert at it,” he added.
“How many of you remember driving by a football field during practice?” he asked. “Do you ever see tires being put down during a football game? No! Why would they use it during practice? Well, running through tires helps kids develop their footwork. They can transfer the skills learned during practice onto the football field and be successful.”
Nathalie Janvier of Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony Parish, Hamilton, attended the series with her son. She said she struggled to get her children, particularly her son, to read more, despite her efforts to engage them by taking them to the library and buying books.
“It’s hard, it’s challenging to get them to read,” she said. She also noted that many of the tips from Kerns were strategies she used to learn French.
Reading Enhances Learning
Kellyanne Stewart, an English teacher at Notre Dame, participated in this series, saying she was eager to discover new strategies to enhance her teaching. She agreed with Kerns’ message that the more a child reads, the more words they learn, the better skilled they become.
“The one thing my smartest students have in common is they’re avid readers. Not just read, read a lot,” she said, adding they are the most engaged, have the most insights, and can think critically.
Stewart said she wanted her students “to love language, not just memorize definitions.”
Kerns is the Chief Academic Officer at Renaissance Learning. He has more than 25 years of experience in staff development and speaking at national and international conferences.
The second part of this series is scheduled Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. at Red Bank Catholic High School, where bestselling author Jeffrey Selingo will discuss changes in the college admission process.
The Church needs quality Catholic journalism now more than ever. Please consider supporting this work by signing up for a SUBSCRIPTION (click HERE) or making a DONATION to The Monitor (click HERE). Thank you for your support.
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Imagine “what it feels like to be a first grader,” Gene Kerns told parents and educators. He presented the crowd at Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, with a word in an unfamiliar language that used letters they did not recognize.
Kerns, one of the authors of “Literacy Reframed,” was the guest speaker at Building Stronger Readers, the first of two sessions organized by the Department of Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Trenton. He offered data-driven insights on how families and schools can collaborate to create a more supportive environment for children’s academic success.
Dr. Kerns talks to his audience in Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, about teaching methods for reading skills. Angelica Chicaiza photo
After showing people the unknown word, Kerns said he, too, required reading support in first grade. He said he had difficulty distinguishing between lowercase “d” and lowercase “b.” It wasn’t until a family member helped him that he finally grasped the difference, he said, emphasizing the crucial roles families and teachers play in children’s education.
Bonnie Milecki, assistant superintendent of the Diocese’s School Development and Operations and one of the series coordinators, said it was important for parents to have the right resources based on real-world data: “We want all of our curricular decisions to be informed by science and data .... We need to be forward-thinking, constantly learning, and data-driven in the way that we teach and instruct our students.”
She also emphasized that schools must provide parents with communication “so that we can be the team that we need to be.”
Teaching Learning Skills
Kerns said certain teaching methods can significantly influence students’ ability to develop comprehensive skills.
“Often, the way that we teach a kid something may look widely different than the reality of what they will eventually do when they become an expert at it,” he added.
“How many of you remember driving by a football field during practice?” he asked. “Do you ever see tires being put down during a football game? No! Why would they use it during practice? Well, running through tires helps kids develop their footwork. They can transfer the skills learned during practice onto the football field and be successful.”
Nathalie Janvier of Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony Parish, Hamilton, attended the series with her son. She said she struggled to get her children, particularly her son, to read more, despite her efforts to engage them by taking them to the library and buying books.
“It’s hard, it’s challenging to get them to read,” she said. She also noted that many of the tips from Kerns were strategies she used to learn French.
Reading Enhances Learning
Kellyanne Stewart, an English teacher at Notre Dame, participated in this series, saying she was eager to discover new strategies to enhance her teaching. She agreed with Kerns’ message that the more a child reads, the more words they learn, the better skilled they become.
“The one thing my smartest students have in common is they’re avid readers. Not just read, read a lot,” she said, adding they are the most engaged, have the most insights, and can think critically.
Stewart said she wanted her students “to love language, not just memorize definitions.”
Kerns is the Chief Academic Officer at Renaissance Learning. He has more than 25 years of experience in staff development and speaking at national and international conferences.
The second part of this series is scheduled Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. at Red Bank Catholic High School, where bestselling author Jeffrey Selingo will discuss changes in the college admission process.
The Church needs quality Catholic journalism now more than ever. Please consider supporting this work by signing up for a SUBSCRIPTION (click HERE) or making a DONATION to The Monitor (click HERE). Thank you for your support.