From Science to Story with Middle and Upper School Readers

Independent school teachers today face a complicated tension: how do we honor the Science of Reading and deeply engage students in the rich, authentic texts that shape inquiry, reflection, and community? Too often, these priorities are framed as competing forces—and sometimes are mandated to live as such in our daily schedules—leaving teachers disoriented, stretched, or unsure of what to hold onto.

The Science to Story Literacy Institute is designed to cut through that polarization with clarity, confidence, and renewed purpose. Through a partnership with Facing History and Ourselves and hosted by the experts at Currey Ingram Academy, this institute brings K–12 humanities educators together to explore a research-aligned, student-centered vision for teaching reading that strengthens skills and deepens student connection.

Across a day of shared learning, rich discussion, and developmentally targeted strategy sessions, participants will learn how structured literacy serves as a foundation for helping students access real texts with independence, confidence, and deep, personal connection. Whether working with emergent readers, adolescent readers, or students with learning differences, teachers will gain concrete tools for integrating phonics instruction, background knowledge, and meaning-making across content areas.Throughout the day, Facing History’s approach to reflective, text-based inquiry will frame the learning, including a closing workshop centered on Rolling Warrior and Being Heumann as a model community reading experiences.

Teachers will walk away with:
A science-backed vision for teaching reading across the humanities in grades K–12
Phonics-based and multi-sensory strategies for developing our youngest readers
Approaches for supporting elementary students with learning differences within text-centered instruction
Tools for designing a middle and upper grades structured literacy approach to authentic texts in ELA and social studies
Strategies for using text sets to launch more developed readers into complex stories with confidence
Experience with reflective reading structures grounded in the Facing History approach
Inspiration for designing community-wide shared reading experiences