OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla., Jan. 25, 2022 — Tools 4 Reading, which for more than a decade has helped educators gain the expertise to implement effective classroom reading instruction, today announced the acquisition of The Reading Teacher's Top Ten Tools, an acclaimed online reading course. The joint announcement was made by Dr. Mary Dahlgren, founder and president of Tools 4 Reading, and Dr. Deborah Glaser, founder of Top Ten Tools.
"The addition of Top Ten Tools perfectly aligns with Tools 4 Reading's commitment to offer solutions that empower educators with the knowledge and resources necessary to ground reading instruction in the science of reading," said Dr. Dahlgren, who has 25 years of experience in education. "Dr. Glaser's passion for teaching reading comes through abundantly clear in her course. This is the perfect fit for the Tools 4 Reading family."
Since its founding in 2010, Tools 4 Reading has focused on developing practical tools and training opportunities to bridge the gap between the science of reading and classroom practice. Its resources and professional learning experiences are grounded in research, easy to implement, and designed to improve literacy instruction. Tools 4 Reading products include Kid Lips, Kid Lips Instructional Guide, Sound Wall Solutions, and Phoneme/Grapheme Cards.
Top Ten Tools is an International Dyslexia Association (IDA)-accredited online comprehensive course designed to immerse educators in the science of reading. Moreover, it prepares them for the Knowledge and Practice Examination for Effective Reading Instruction (KPEERI), which measures an educator's knowledge of the principles and practices of Structured Literacy.
The hallmark of the course is its 10 self-paced easy-to-use tools: knowledge, oral language, phonemes, phonics and spelling, vocabulary, comprehension, fluency, writing, read alouds, and collaboration.
"Deb Glaser miraculously takes each component and presents the why (the research), the how (the classroom application) and the what (effective strategies that work) into a cohesive whole that will solidify your classroom literacy instruction," said Diana Weir, who was a reading specialist for 21 years for the Boise School District in Idaho. "This class gives you both a global and a birds-eye view of the reading process, clarifying the reading research and giving teachers the necessary tools to feel confident in the why, the how, and the what in their everyday classroom lives. Top Ten Tools is a gift to all educators!"
Over the past 20 years, Dr. Glaser – who has taught reading as an elementary school and special education teacher and dyslexia specialist – has traveled around the nation providing professional development for teachers, consulting with schools, districts, and policy groups.
"The Top Ten Tools course content is based upon a firm foundation of proven knowledge and pedagogy, research, and practice that truly informs the daily work teachers do to teach their students to read," Dr. Glaser said. "I have long admired Dr. Dahlgren and her team at Tools 4 Reading, and we share the same goals of helping educators embrace the science of reading. This is the perfect home for Top Ten Tools to live on and thrive."
For more information about Tools 4 Reading, and a video about the acquisition, visit www.tools4reading.com/top-10-tools.