Date Approved

8-12-2026

Graduate Degree Type

Project

Degree Name

Education-Literacy Studies: Reading (M.Ed.)

Degree Program

Literacy, Educational Foundations, & Technology

First Advisor

Elizabeth Stolle

Academic Year

2025/2026

Abstract

Students with dyslexia need explicitly designed and implemented instruction in order to combat deficits in phonological, language, and executive functioning processes, yet teachers in Catholic Schools may not have the necessary training for successful reading intervention due to a lack of dyslexia policy in private schools. This project aims to fill this need by providing one Catholic School in an urban setting with a year-long professional development series which includes 5 professional development sessions to be implemented alongside individual coaching sessions. The purpose of the professional development sessions is twofold. They were created to increase teacher awareness of the etiology of dyslexia, secondary consequences, and implications for reading instruction, along with teaching evidence-based instructional practices proven to support students with dyslexia. The project includes the professional development slides, sample lesson plans, and various implementation resources and templates. These materials were created grounded in Cognitivism, the Active View of Reading Model, and the Cognitive Load Theory to intentionally support the phonological and executive functioning cognitive processes unique to students with dyslexia. This project was created with adult learners in mind and includes accountability and collaborative measures such as role play, modeling, co-planning, and coaching sessions.

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