My Journey into the Science of Reading
My journey into the Science of Reading began in 2018.
On Wednesday, July 16, 2025 I received the news I had been waiting for. I received an email from the Academic Language Therapy Association (ALTA) congratulating me on passing the national therapist exam and welcoming me officially as a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT). I officially began my dyslexia therapy program in August of 2023.
I started teaching in the Fall of 1998. I had recently graduated with a bachelor's degree in Communicative Disorders. I taught a Speech Language Disorders Special Day Class. My plan at the time was to teach while earning a master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology. It turned out I loved the classroom so much, I decided to earn a multiple subject teaching credential.
After earning my teaching credential, I pursued a master’s in education with an emphasis in Reading/Language Arts. I also earned a specialist credential in reading. I felt certain at the time that I had everything I needed to help children learn to read and write. I helped a lot of children for sure, however there were students who did not make as much progress as I would have liked. I used every trick in the book and every tool in my reading specialist toolbelt.
Fast forward to the Fall of 2018. My school district paid for the best professional development ever: Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS). LETRS was created by Dr. Louisa Moats and Dr. Carol Tolman.
At the start of the training, I completed an online exam. I struggled through the exam and scored 60%! I was shocked. At that moment I did not feel confident in my reading specialist training. LETRS is a two-year professional development training that teaches teachers everything they did not learn in their teacher credentialing program.
It was during this learning that I first learned about Gough and Tunmer’s Simple View of Reading(1986). I was incensed! Why didn’t I know about the Science of Reading before? Why wasn’t the Science of Reading taught in my teacher credentialing and reading specialist programs?
LETRS Training
I learned more in the first year of LETRS than I did in my entire two-year Master’s degree program for reading specialists. It wasn’t my struggling readers who had a problem. My whole language, balanced literacy teaching was the culprit.
After completing my LETRS training, I applied for a new reading specialist position in my K-12 school district. The new position included dyslexia interventionist training from Neuhaus Education Center.
I passed the KPEERI!
I completed the two year program and studied for the Knowledge and Practice Examination for Effective Reading Instruction (KPEERI) exam. I passed the exam and became a certified structured literacy dyslexia interventionist (C-SLDI). I started the program at the beginning of 2020. The COVID pandemic forced me to work with students virtually to complete my certification. Once in-person learning resumed I felt well prepared to address learning loss caused by the pandemic.
Dyslexia Therapist Training
Two years after completing my C-SLDI, I thought about taking my training to the next level. I had a few students who were not making adequate progress. The following year I entered Neuhaus Education Center’s Dyslexia Specialist Preparation Program. Throughout the program, I worked with the very students who had inspired me to deepen my knowledge of effectively teaching students with reading disorders. My students made excellent progress. I get emotional when I think of how far my students have come. Becoming a CALT is an extraordinary investment of time and money. Some specialists are fortunate enough to receive training courtesy of their school district.
I charged my first two weeks training on my personal credit card. I saved up for the second two-week training. I had to forgo summer vacation trips to pay for the training. I was fortunate that a few classes from my interventionist training, which was paid for by my school district, transferred to my therapist certification. In total I paid $5600 out-of-pocket to become a CALT. There were additional application fees for national exams.
IDA Conference in Dallas, Texas.
Last October I attended the International Dyslexia Association’s (IDA) Conference in Dallas, Texas. I ran into my LETRS trainer, Dr. Antonio Fierro. I excitedly shared all that I had done since my initial training. I have always wanted to thank Dr. Moats for creating LETRS. I packed one of her many books in my suitcase in the hopes of having her sign it at the conference.
On the second day of the conference, I received an opportunity of a lifetime. I met Dr. Moats and shared just how much my LETRS training meant to me. My literacy hero signed my book!
My only regret about my SOR journey is that it happened so late in my career. This is my 28th year in education. It is hard to think about all the children I could have helped at the start of my career had I known better. It really is a bitter pill to swallow. I am hopeful that the newly signed California Assembly Bill 1454 will help prevent the mistakes of the past. Our children are counting on it.
I would love to hear about your journey into the Science of Reading. Email me at: bandersonllc@teech2reed.com
