4201 Schools Association Director Dr. Jodi Falk, who serves as executive director of St. Francis de Sales School for the Deaf (SFSD) in Brooklyn, recently co-authored a literacy brief on differentiating the Literacy Initiative, which the NYS Education Department has recognized and featured online.
“Our goal was to create a resource that helps educators implement the new Literacy Initiative practices in ways that are both evidence-based and responsive to the unique strengths and needs of students who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, and Deaf Disabled,” said 4201 Schools Association Director and SFSD Executive Director Dr. Jodi Falk. “Literacy instruction is most effective when it is accessible, individualized, and grounded in each student’s language and communication experiences. We are honored that the New York State Education Department has adopted this brief and hope it serves as a valuable resource for educators across the state as they work to ensure every student has meaningful opportunities to become a successful reader and writer.”
The brief highlights research-backed recommendations on how the New York State Literacy Initiative can be differentiated to support Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, and Deaf Disabled students (DHHDBDD) through a multimodal, multilingual approach. The brief highlights how DHHDBDD students can be supported through the Literacy Initiative by using the six pillars of the Science of Reading, which can be modified to ensure success among all students.
The brief written by Dr. Falk, Dr. Amanda Howerton-Fox, and Dr. Michelle Veyvoda can be found here, while more information on the NYS Literacy Initiative can be found here.
The 4201 Schools Association represents 11 schools located in Erie, Monroe, Westchester, Bronx, Kings, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk counties. The schools support nearly 1,400 students who are blind, deaf, and severely physically disabled from across New York State, and are nationally recognized for their expertise and achievement. Learn more at www.4201schools.org, and @4201Schools on X (Twitter) and Facebook.