Date Approved

9-9-2026

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

Traditional reading models, such as the Simple View of Reading and Scarborough’s Reading Rope, have historically isolated reading mechanics into word recognition and language comprehension silos. While foundational, these static frameworks overlook the vital cognitive role that active self-regulation and executive functions (EFs) play in text processing. As states like Michigan roll out statutory mandates under Public Act 146 requiring comprehensive educator training on dyslexia and its secondary behavioral impacts, a critical gap remains between higher-order cognitive science and daily classroom instruction. This project addresses this gap by translating contemporary developmental neuroscience and literacy frameworks into a practical, classroom-ready curriculum guide inspired by Duke and Cartwright’s (2021) Active View of Reading. Grounded in embodied cognition and fronto-cerebellar co-activation research, this guide demonstrates how domain-general EFs, specifically inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, can be intentionally developed alongside explicit literacy instruction. To support practitioners, this project introduces a non-clinical Informal Literacy-Based EF Observational Screener, "If/Then" Decision Pathways, and multi-sensory, motor-literacy activity blueprints (e.g., Cross-Bilateral Tap & Read, Tactile Sound-Chaining) designed for Tier 1 and Tier 2 MTSS implementation. By equipping teachers with structural diagnostic knowledge and embodied self-regulation routines, this project mitigates cognitive overload during reading, optimizes academic growth across diverse K-12 learners, and proactively addresses classroom-induced teacher burnout by reframing behavioral disruptions as malleable cognitive skills.

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