Demonstration of Theory of Mind in a Kindergarten Classroom
March 19, 2024
Understanding how others think and feel (a.k.a. Theory of Mind) is a developmental milestone that supports children’s academic and social success. Watch a kindergarten class participate in a read aloud and answer questions related to Theory of Mind.
Many thanks to the East Tennessee PBS for recording this project and the Early Learning Center at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville director, faculty, students, and families!
Professor Deborah Reed has spent most of her career teaching youngsters to read—and helping teachers improve reading education.
Her interest in the field stems from two very different experiences: studying Russian with dreams of becoming a foreign diplomat and teaching English at an adjudicated alternative school.
After a nationwide search, Reed was hired in July 2022 to direct the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences’ new Tennessee Reading Research Center: A Reading 360 Initiative. Developed in collaboration with the Tennessee Department of Education and the UT System, the center is a key component of Reading 360, an array of statewide initiatives to ensure that Tennessee school districts, teachers, and families have the resources needed to help students read on grade level by third grade. Reading 360 is a $100 million effort, funded with $60 million of one-time federal COVID-19 relief funding and $40 million in federal grants.
The center has received $5 million over three years through Reading 360 to evaluate Tennessee’s efforts to boost literacy rates by improving teacher training and teacher preparation statewide.
On September 19, 2023, from 4-6 p.m., at the Hodges Library (Lindsay Young Auditorium, Room 101), on the campus of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, the Tennessee Reading Research Center and the College of Education, Health, & Human Sciences’ Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion present a screening of the documentary, “The Right to Read.”
Open to members of the public and to those within UT System with an interest in literacy as a form of social justice. Registration is limited to 150 attendees.
Parking and Transportation: Parking for the event is: G17 Garage (1800 Lake Ave). A charter bus will run to the event from parking. Attendees will need to pick the charter bus up on Terrace Ave behind the G17-Lake Avenue/G11-Terrace Avenue garages. See image:
Schedule for bus:
Before event – From G17 to Hodges: 3:30 and 3:50 pm
After event – From Hodges to G17: 6:05 and 6:15
Agenda: After a welcome, the documentary will be screened (1 hour 20 minutes) and followed by a facilitated discussion (30 minutes) and closing. The film features the work of Oakland NAACP activist and former teacher Kareem Weaver, who believes literacy is our most important civil right. It also features schools and families in California, Virginia, Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee as they address children’s literacy.
The event is aligned with President Boyd’s and Chancellor Plowman’s charge for UT to be a leader in literacy, and it is aligned with the college’s DEI action plan.
From the directors: “The Right to Read shares the stories of an activist, a teacher, and two American families who fight toprovide our youngest generation with the most foundational indicator of life-long success: the ability toread.
That’s why Oakland-based NAACP activist Kareem Weaver believes literacy is one of the greatest civilrights issues of our time and is fighting for better reading instruction. “What good is winning the right tovote if we can’t even read the ballot?” Fed up with the bleak reading scores in his own community,Kareem files a petition with the Oakland Unified School District demanding change.“
CEHHS’s Tennessee Reading Research Center Establishes New Online Presence
April 11, 2023
By Macy Roberts, CEHHS Student News Reporter, Class of 2024
In March, the Tennessee Reading Research Center: A Reading 360 Initiative established its official social media presence. The TRRC was started by the UT System and the Tennessee Department of Education in 2022 and can be found under the username @TNReadResearch on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and soon YouTube.
Comprehension Instruction Recommendations from the New IES Practice Guide
March 17, 2023
Listen to the episode. In March 2022, the IES released a practice guide for teachers entitled “Providing Reading Interventions for Students in Grades 4-9” In this episode, four of the panelists who wrote this guide are interviewed, our own Dr. Deborah Reed, Dr. Jade Wexler, Dr. Kimberly St. Martin, and Dr. Joe Dimino. This episode is jam-packed with takeaways for your classroom and make sure to check out the guide, available in the show notes.
The Hallerin Hill Show Interview With Deborah Reed
February 16, 2023
Deborah Reed, director of the Tennessee Reading Research Center at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, was interviewed Nov. 4 on The Hallerin Hilton Hill Show on News Talk 98.7, WOKI-FM in Knoxville.
Department of Theory and Practice in Teacher Education Celebrates Community Inolvement
February 5, 2023
In a recent community celebration, the Department of Theory and Practice in Teacher Education (TPTE) celebrated five recipients for their contributions to education in East Tennessee.
Graduate Assistantships Open for 2023-2024 School Year
January 20, 2023
The Tennessee Reading Research Center has two Graduate Assistantships available for the 2023-24 academic year. One position requires being enrolled in Theory and Practice in Teacher Education’s Literacy Studies Concentration. The other requires enrollment in the Evaluation Statistics and Methodology Program.
