Another round of FREE literacy training opens

At the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, the Department of Education (DOE) launched its literacy campaign, Moving Literacy Forward in South Dakota. The effort is aimed at ensuring teachers have the most effective techniques for teaching literacy available to them. The Science of Reading, a time- and research-tested blueprint of how to teach reading, reflects the best-known methods for literacy instruction. It is the framework around which AIM Pathways, an online, interactive teacher training tool, was built.

As part of its literacy initiative, the DOE is providing AIM Pathways training, free of charge, to educators across the state. So far, 775 educators have taken advantage of the training. Most of those taking courses are teachers; however, some are school administrators, paraprofessionals, higher education-connected individuals, and DOE staff.

Brianne Bolstad, a kindergarten teacher at Dakota Prairie Elementary in Brookings, has been taking the AIM Pathways reading course. In a video describing her experience, Bolstad said, “I feel that, as early learning teachers, kids are coming to us with a variety of strengths and weaknesses in their reading skills. That piece of being able to have more tools in our belt to help meet their needs – this course has really done that.”

Patti Lager, an education program specialist at the DOE, is spearheading the literacy initiative. She indicated that feedback on the AIM Pathways training so far has been largely positive.

Educators who would like to participate in a self-paced training are able to register for coursework until Dec. 1, when the final registration window closes. Anyone with questions should contact Patti Lager.