Tennessee Department of Education encourages teachers to sign up for literacy training

The Tennessee Department of Education is encouraging teachers to sign up for literacy training this summer.The department is offering the training through the end of July to help implement new reading strategies within the classroom.Over the past two years, nearly 50 thousand educators and administrators have used this literacy training to improve their work including Bedford County Schools Instructional Coach Kristie Caldwell.“The training that I received changed everything I thought I knew about how to learn to read,” said Caldwell. “We have this one opportunity to make this difference in kids' lives, and it is so important.”Three trainings are currently offered to educators: Reading 360 literacy training, Early Reading Training and Secondary Literacy Training.Teachers can sign up for all trainings through their respective school district.“Summer literacy trainings for educators are an essential part of the department’s comprehensive Reading 360 strategy to increase literacy rates in Tennessee,” said Interim Department of Education Commissioner Sam Pearcy. “Building upon the past two years of summer trainings, I’m thrilled we are continuing to equip teachers across the state with rich professional development to provide phonics-based instruction for students in the classroom.”These courses have two parts. The first involves instruction online while the second will be collaborative in-person training.Participating teachers will learn how to use curriculum to identify the foundational skills needed to meet Tennessee academic standards, among other skills and knowledge-building applications.