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Transforming Literacy
Education

 

Julia Brennan, author of Code Emphasis Reading Instruction and a recognized expert in reading strategies, now offers a comprehensive video course. Empower your teaching with science-backed reading instruction designed specifically for educators.

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THE CHALLENGE

Equipping Schools to Tackle
the Reading Crisis

Across the nation, student reading outcomes are falling short, with many students struggling to meet grade-level expectations. This literacy crisis places students at risk of missing essential skills they need for future success. Factors driving these outcomes include inadequate early literacy screening, gaps in specialized teacher training, and inconsistent implementation of science-based reading instruction.

School Leaders have a unique opportunity to address these challenges, equipping teachers with the tools and training necessary to improve literacy outcomes across their districts.

 

Inadequate Early Screening

Hinders the provision of timely interventions, crucial for enabling students to flourish academically.

Lack of Teacher Training

Educators equipped with the right strategies and knowledge play a pivotal role in fostering student success.

Science Based Literacy

Adopting strategies that are supported by research evidence can lead to improved outcomes.

The Nation's Report Card: 4th Grade  Reading Scores

To fully grasp the scope of the problem, we turn to The Nation's Report Card, which offers hard data on how well students are mastering reading at a key developmental stage.

Where Does Your State Rank?

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has provided an essential overview of student performance across the U.S., acting as a key indicator of educational progress. The NAEP assesses student abilities across different subjects and demographic groups, offering critical insights into long-term trends.

Since 1992, NAEP data shows 4th-grade reading scores persistently below proficiency, with an average score of 217 in both 1992 and 2022—well below the proficiency benchmark of 240 and far from the advanced level of 280. This lack of progress is concerning, as 4th grade marks the transition from learning to read to reading to learn. The ongoing gap underscores the urgent need for science-based core instruction and interventions to help more students reach proficiency.

Where Does Your State Rank?

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has provided an essential overview of student performance across the U.S., acting as a key indicator of educational progress. The NAEP assesses student abilities across different subjects and demographic groups, offering critical insights into long-term trends.

 Since 1992, NAEP data shows 4th-grade reading scores persistently below proficiency, with an average score of 217 in both 1992 and 2022—well below the proficiency benchmark of 240 and far from the advanced level of 280. This lack of progress is concerning, as 4th grade marks the transition from learning to read to reading to learn. The ongoing gap underscores the urgent need for science-based core instruction and interventions to help more students reach proficiency.

Since 1992, NAEP data shows 4th-grade reading scores persistently below proficiency, with an average score of 217 in both 1992 and 2022—well below the proficiency benchmark of 240 and far from the advanced level of 280. This lack of progress is concerning, as 4th grade marks the transition from learning to read to reading to learn. The ongoing gap underscores the urgent need for science-based core instruction and interventions to help more students reach proficiency.

Map: How each state compares to this national benchmark.

Map: How each state compares to this national benchmark.

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A New Chapter Begins Now

For decades, reading curriculums have taught strategies that allow and encourage guessing, relying on pictures & skipping words. Our National Reading Report Card indicates there has been no significant change in our fourth and eighth grade scores from 1992 to 2022. This means that since 1992, only 30% of our students in fourth and eighth grade have been reading at the proficient level (NAEP 2022). Now we can do better. 

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School District Training Code Emphasis Reading Strategies

Code Emphasis Reading Strategies for School Districts

Empowering Schools

Designed to boost reading scores nationwide, this course complements existing reading programs and equips educators with research-based tools to support literacy success for all 

Educator Created

Crafted by an Educator with 30+ years of experience, these reading strategies have successfully helped hundreds of students.

Science of Reading

What works is explicit, systematic, and sequential instruction, with each skill reinforcing the previous for solid learning.

Workplace Training

Busy Educators will have the opportunity to master this training at their own pace through guided videos and course manual. 

INTRODUCING

Code Emphasis Reading Strategies 

This comprehensive training, featuring a 150-page book and video lessons, brings over 30 years of literacy expertise to educators. It provides essential insights into Science of Reading research from experts like Dr. David Kilpatrick on Phonological Awareness and Dr. Linnea Ehri's Phases of Reading. The second half focuses on proven, research-based strategies to support struggling readers, offering practical tools that deliver measurable results.

Emphasizing targeted drills and explicit instructional techniques, the training strengthens decoding and spelling skills, building a strong foundation for reading proficiency.

 Beyond the strategies, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the Science of Reading, exploring research-based approaches that are practical, effective, and classroom-ready.

Julia's passion for enhancing teacher pedagogy shines through every lesson, ensuring educators leave with a well-stocked toolbox of effective methods. With this program, students not only build critical reading skills—they embark on a path toward lasting academic success!

Julia Brennan 

Educator • Author  • Consultant

With over 30 years of experience as a reading literacy educator in Michigan, Julia has devoted her career to helping students become skilled readers. Her approach is shaped by personal classroom experience and insights from pioneers in literacy education. Julia is LETRS trained and holds a B.A. from John Carroll University, a B.A. in Education from Madonna University, and a Master’s Degree in Learning Disabilities from Wayne State University. 

Her life's work is now captured in her course, Code Emphasis Reading Strategies:  Teacher Toolkit for Explicit Word Decoding Instruction.

This is an opportunity to be part of a movement that empowers Educators to unlock the full potential of their students.

My Journey

Julia Brennan 

Educator • Author  • Consultant

With over 30 years of experience as a reading literacy educator in Michigan, Julia has devoted her career to helping students become skilled readers. Her approach is shaped by personal classroom experience and insights from pioneers in literacy education. Julia is LETRS trained and holds a B.A. from John Carroll University, a B.A. in Education from Madonna University, and a Master’s Degree in Learning Disabilities from Wayne State University. 

Her life's work is now captured in her course, Code Emphasis Reading Strategies:  Teacher Toolkit for Explicit Word Decoding Instruction.

This is an opportunity to be part of a movement that empowers Educators to unlock the full potential of their students.

My Journey
Endorsed by Educators

Trusted by School Districts

 

Code Emphasis Reading Strategies has received strong endorsements from educators, principals, and administrators for its practical and effective approach.

Schools value the clear research-based strategies that empower teachers to enhance student reading outcomes and effectively address the challenges faced by struggling readers.

 

"In Code Emphasis Reading Strategies, Julia distills her wealth of knowledge, expertise, and practical experience into an invaluable resource that offers an accessible and easy-to-digest guide, tailored for both parents and teachers."

-Michele Biggerstaff, M.A., CCC-SLP

 

"Julia provided a 4 day training to teachers who were hearing about the science of reading for the first time. She did a phenomenal job. The teachers were inspired and are seeing results!"

- Christine Kress, Former Special Education Director, Lakeview Public Schools

 
Endorsed by Educators

Trusted by School Districts

Code Emphasis Reading Strategies has received strong endorsements from educators, principals, and administrators for its practical and effective approach.

Schools value the clear research-based strategies that empower teachers to enhance student reading outcomes and effectively address the challenges faced by struggling readers.

 

"In Code Emphasis Reading Strategies, Julia distills her wealth of knowledge, expertise, and practical experience into an invaluable resource that offers an accessible and easy-to-digest guide, tailored for both parents and teachers."

-Michele Biggerstaff, M.A., CCC-SLP

 

"Julie provided a 4 day training to teachers who were hearing about the science of reading for the first time. She did a phenomenal job. The teachers were inspired and are seeing results!"

- Christine Kress, Former Special Education Director, Lakeview Public Schools

 

Inside the Lesson Plan:

A Sample from Code Emphasis Reading Strategies

Code Emphasis Reading Strategies:  Teacher Toolkit for Explicit Word decoding Instruction  simplifies the science of reading into easy-to-implement lessons for educators. Below is a video sample from a lesson plan, which follows a five-step, explicit, systematic multisensory approach based on Orton-Gillingham research and top researchers in the field.

 

Each lesson is designed to explicitly teach: 

  • The 44 phonemes with real and nonsense words
  • Phonics concepts with clear, sequential progression
  • Spelling practice with explicit instruction in spelling single and multisyllabic words
  • Reading from decodable text based on The Research of Ehri's 5 Phases of Reading to reinforce the new skill and provide practice with previously taught skills

These engaging lessons are not only motivating for students but also ready for immediate classroom use. Participants receive a 150-page manual and access to The Soundboard tool, equipping them to implement strategies with confidence. For those seeking additional support, an optional personal introduction with Julie—either online or on-site—is available, offering deeper insights into the program and personalized guidance. 

Explicit

The teaching method is not exploratory. It is direct, non-ambiguous and clearly defined.

Systematic

Lessons are organized into five steps, establishing a routine that incorporates repetition and practice of previously taught skills, making it easy for students to follow and build on their learning.

Sequential

Instruction builds cumulatively from simple to complex patterns, helping students develop new skills from mastered concepts.

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Michele Biggerstaff, M.A., CCC-SLP

"In Code Emphasis Reading Strategies, Julia distills her wealth of knowledge, expertise, and practical experience into an invaluable resource that offers an accessible and easy-to-digest guide, tailored for both parents and teachers."

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Provide your Educators the Course they need to succeed in teaching literacy.

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 •  Easy Payment by credit card or class wallet 

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The Resources

This evidence-based course equips educators with scientifically grounded resources to deepen their understanding of effective reading instruction. Rooted in research from leaders in the field, it offers a structured sequence of lessons essential for building foundational literacy skills.

Key research models, like 'Scarborough's Reading Rope',  'Ehri’s Phases of Reading', Gough and Tumner's Simple View of Reading', Seidenberg and McClelland's Four-Part Processor, Dr. Carol Tolman's Hourglass provide a roadmap for understanding reading development stages.

With hands-on tools—including hand signals for syllables and The Soundboard—this course supports visualization and engagement, empowering teachers trained in this method to teach reading with confidence and measurable success.

Scarborough's Reading Rope  

The iconic rope model, developed in 2001 by Dr. Hollis Scarborough, illustrates the complexity of the brain’s processes required for fluent reading.

EHRI'S Phases of Word Reading Development

Instruction is based on Linnea Ehri’s 1996 research, with her Phases aligning with the Rope’s lower strands of Phonemic Awareness and Orthographic Mapping: the mapping of phonemes (sounds) to graphemes (letters).

EHRI'S Phases of Word Reading Development

Instruction is based on Linnea Ehri’s 1996 research, with her Phases aligning with the Rope’s lower strands of Phonemic Awareness and Orthographic Mapping: the mapping of phonemes (sounds) to graphemes (letters).

Phonological Awareness 

Dr. Carol Tolman’s Hourglass, co-author of LETRS, illustrates the instructional progression in both Phonological Awareness (speech sounds) and Orthography, demonstrating how sounds are systematically connected to print.

Word Recognition 

The Four-Part Processing Model, based on Seidenberg and McClelland’s 1989 research, presents reading as a complex mental activity that relies on the coordinated function of four cognitive processors

Hand Signals

Hand signals for syllables assist the student in visualizing the rules for types of vowel sounds

The Soundboard 

44 Phonemes (sounds) 26 letters in the English Language.

Sounds are color-coded, providing a system that helps students map phonemes (sounds) to grapheme (letter) combinations.

The Soundboard

Reading Comprehension 

Gough and Tunmer's (1986) Simple View of Reading model shows that Reading Comprehension is the product of Decoding and Language Comprehension. Word recognition is linked to phonemic awareness and decoding skills; students who struggle in this area may be dyslexic while still possessing strong Language Comprehension

Hyperlexic readers are students with high decoding skills, but may have poor Language Comprehension.

Some students have a weakness in both areas. 

Hand Signals

Hand signals for syllables assist the student in visualizing the rules for types of vowel sounds

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