25TRA546 Getting Started with the Science of Reading Webinar Series

Dates:    Monday 29th September, 6th, 13th & 20th October 2025
Time:      7 - 8.30 pm
Venue:   Online via Zoom
Cost:      €5.00 for series (includes webinar recordings)

Target Audience: Primary School Teachers & SETs who work with students aged 5-12 years

Join us for this four-part webinar series designed to deepen your understanding of the Science of Reading (SOR) and how its principles can be applied in the Primary School Classroom to support literacy development. Each session builds on key research-based components, offering practical guidance on assessment and instruction that enhances student outcomes in both reading and writing.

Ideal for primary school teachers , this series offers a practical and research-driven pathway to improving literacy outcomes across all classrooms.

Session 1: Introduction & Assessment Types

• What are the big lessons from SOR?
• What are the differences and similarities in assessment types?
• How is oral reading fluency related to reading comprehension?
• How can I assess oral reading fluency?

Session 2: Word Recognition

• What is orthographic mapping?
• What are the roles of phonemic awareness and phonics in this process?
• How can I assess and teach phonemic awareness and phonics skills?

Session 3: Language Comprehension

• How does oral language support reading comprehension and written expression?
• What are some ways to develop language comprehension through vocabulary and morphology instruction?

Session 4: Writing

• What are the features and benefits of explicit handwriting instruction?
• How can I teach to boost the quality of student composition at the sentence and paragraph levels?

Bio of Presenter: Heidi Beverine-Curry, PhD

Dr. Heidi Beverine-Curry is a thought and implementation leader for evidence-aligned literacy transformation, with a special interest in RTI/MTSS. She is currently the owner of HBC Literacy Consulting, LLC. Prior to returning to independent consultancy, she was a founding board member and Chief Academic Officer at The Reading League, where she built and oversaw the Professional Development department, and designed, supervised, and delivered educator learning opportunities for over 80 partnering school districts. Heidi is frequently invited to speak about the science of reading and has presented widely at conferences and events across the US and internationally. She spent 21 years working in public schools where she made use of her certifications in Elementary Education, K-12 Special Education, and K-12 Reading Education. When Heidi began her doctoral coursework in Reading Education in 2006, she became a champion for evidence-aligned literacy instruction, and has led numerous successful reform efforts. Heidi was an adjunct professor at Syracuse University and SUNY Oswego, where she specialized in teaching clinical reading intervention coursework.