Biography
KAREN GAZITH, PhD: THE Presenter
In addition to her work as a professor and author, Dr. Karen Gazith is a sought-after speaker at educational conferences and school engagements. Her dynamic presentations blend scholarly expertise with real-world experience, offering audiences valuable insights into evidence-based pedagogical approaches, differentiation, assessment for and of instruction, reading development and challenges, classroom management, behavioural interventions, Response to Intervention and much more. Dr. Gazith also works with individual schools to develop evidence-based practices. Dr. Gazith has also provided teachers and school systems with the Big 5 of reading development and how to transition your school to one that highlights evidence-based practices in reading. Through her work, she has catalyzed positive change within educational systems.
KAREN GAZITH, PHD: THE AUTHOR
Beyond the confines of the university, Dr. Karen Gazith’s impact extends to the broader educational community through her prolific contributions as an author with notable works, including “Teaching with Purpose: How to Thoughtfully Implement Evidence-Based Practices in the Classroom” and her latest publication, “The Power of Effective Reading Instruction: How Neuroscience Informs Instruction Across All Grades and Disciplines,” published by Solution Tree. Through her written work, she presents cutting-edge reading instruction approaches and strategies, equipping frontline educators with the tools they need to effectively support all students and enhance their success.
DR. KAREN GAZITH: THE EDUCATOR
Karen Gazith received her PhD in Education and Counselling Psychology from McGill University and has taught at McGill for over three decades. She also serves as the Graduate Program Director of the Certificate in Inclusive Education in the same department and as a liaison to the Office of First Nations and Inuit Education in the Department of Integrated Studies in Education at McGill. From 2018-2020, she served as Academic Project Leader at McGill University Faculty of Education: Determining Best Practice for Students with Learning Challenges in Quebec: Comprehensive Review and Knowledge Mobilization,
Throughout her career, Dr. Gazith has been a prominent figure in educational discourse, presenting on a wide array of topics aimed at addressing diverse classroom needs. She has taught courses on inclusive practices at the University of New Brunswick and Hebrew College of Boston. Additionally, she has presented worldwide on topics such as assessment for instruction, differentiation, grit and perseverance, literacy development and the Big 5, reading challenges and strategies to support struggling readers, evidence-based teaching practices, behaviour management, techniques to help students with challenging behaviours, strategic planning to create inclusive practices in schools, creating a brain friendly classroom, Response to Intervention and Positive Behaviour Intervention and Supports. She has recently been a guest on multiple podcasts and webinars, speaking about reading development and challenges.
Karen has worked in elementary and high school and adult education for 25+ years, supporting the inclusion of all students
Teaching with Purpose
How to Thoughtfully Implement Evidence-Based Practices in Your Classroom, and The Power of Effective Reading Instruction: How Neuroscience Informs Instruction across all Grades and Disciplines, published by Solution Tree.
The Power of Effective Reading Instruction
How Neuroscience Informs Instruction Across All Grades and Disciplines, published by Solution Tree.
Concepts covered in teaching with purpose
Phonemic Awareness
Breaking down reading to the most fundamental pho name sounds
Phonics
Mapping the letter or graphemes to the appropriate sound
Vocabulary
Teaching students vocabulary – especially Tier II to help kids develop the breadth of their vocabulary
Fluency
Developing the ability to read quickly, without error and prosody
Comprehension
Developing strategies to help in understanding what we read to be able to learn and derive pleasure from reading
Fundamental concepts
The Neuroscience of Reading
Understanding that reading is not natural and helping the brain become primed to support kids reading
Five Elements of Effective Literacy
Introduction of the five elements found by research in the field to identify the five essential elements to facilitate reading proficiency: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension