English-speaking countries are once again in the midst of another Reading War, and in the U.S., the “science of reading” (SOR) movement is taking center stage. This movement has led to intense media scrutiny of reading programs, teachers, and teacher education, as well as sweeping state-level legislation and mandates.

In our December 2024 webinar, P.L. Thomas explores the history of the Reading Wars, breaks down the key elements of the SOR movement, and highlights why these changes pose significant challenges for educators. From threats to teacher autonomy to the risk of overlooking individual student needs, this conversation is vital for all educators—not just those who teach beginning readers.

Watch the webinar below to better understand this pressing issue and its implications for the future of education.

About the Presenter

P.L. Thomas, Professor of Education (Furman University, Greenville SC), taught high school English in rural South Carolina before moving to teacher education. He is a former column editor for English Journal (National Council of Teachers of English) and author of How to End the Reading War and Serve the Literacy Needs of All Students (2nd ed.; IAP, 2022) and Teaching Writing as Journey, Not Destination: Essays Exploring What ‘Teaching Writing’ Means (IAP, 2019). NCTE named Thomas the 2013 George Orwell Award winner. He coedited (with Chris Goering) Critical Media Literacy and Fake News in Post-Truth America (Brill, 2018), receiving the 2019 Divergent Award for Excellence in 21st Century Literacies.

Follow his work @plthomasEdD and the becoming radical: https://radicalscholarship.wordpress.com/