U of W puts post-grad literacy-education program on hold amid debate over teaching methods

The University of Winnipeg is pausing the rollout of a new after-degree education program amid contentious debate over the best method to teach young students to read.

The Literacy Leadership Post-Baccalaureate, a 30 credit-hour diploma covering literacy theories and comprehensive reading and writing instruction and intervention techniques, was originally scheduled to launch in the fall.

Lesley Eblie Trudel, associate dean of U of W’s faculty of education, confirmed the program was recently put “on hold.”

“This pause will give us time to reflect on evolving research and policy developments in literacy education and consider how best to shape future literacy-focused professional learning opportunities.”–Lesley Eblie Trudel

“This pause will give us time to reflect on evolving research and policy developments in literacy education and consider how best to shape future literacy-focused professional learning opportunities,” Eblie Trudel said in an email Thursday.

The Winnipeg School Division, the largest of its kind in the province and one whose leadership team works closely with U of W, circulated information about it at the start of the summer.

The self-contained program — a type of post-baccalaureate diploma in education that includes all necessary courses and credit hours to graduate — was designed to be completed in two years.

The program was targeted at classroom teachers and literacy consultants, as well as colleagues with a special interest in kindergarten-to-Grade 8 reading instruction.

It was unveiled against the backdrop of the Manitoba Human Rights Commission’s ongoing “special project” into the rights of students with reading disabilities.

The commission launched the initiative in October 2022 in response to complaints that status-quo literacy instruction was failing current students and adults who never mastered reading or writing in school.

It was preceded by the release of Ontario’s influential Right to Read inquiry earlier that year. That report called on Ontario teachers to revert to using systematic and explicit phonics lessons to better serve students with dyslexia and their peers, citing research on cognitive psychology and neuroscience.

Simply put, there are two overarching philosophies — often regarded as rivals — on how to develop a competent reader.

Structured literacy focuses on mastering letter-sound relationships and blending words in a systematic manner.

Balanced literacy places importance on exposing students to interesting texts, building comprehension and encouraging children to guess unknown words via illustrations and other context clues.

Manitoba teachers have long deferred to the balanced approach, owing in part to the absence of training in the structured method.

“(Ties to) Reading Recovery — a program whose philosophies are not aligned with the best available research — has led me to conclude that this program is not the right fit for me.”–Teacher

Gimli-based Evergreen School Division has revamped its reading program in recent years to embrace phonics. In doing so, its elementary teachers have abandoned Reading Recovery and Fountas and Pinnell’s Leveled Literacy Intervention, two popular programs that have long propped up balanced literacy in Manitoba.

The Free Press has learned that at least one teacher withdrew their interest in the U of W program after learning a course would be delivered by a vocal Reading Recovery supporter.

“(Ties to) Reading Recovery — a program whose philosophies are not aligned with the best available research — has led me to conclude that this program is not the right fit for me,” the teacher wrote to U of W.

Allyson Matczuk is an experienced early literacy intervention teacher who holds a PhD in language and literacy from the University of Manitoba. She was also the 2024-25 board president of the Reading Recovery Council of North America.

Matczuk declined an interview, but she noted via email that the post-baccalaureate diploma program was not connected to Reading Recovery.

The U of W declined a request to provide data on applications and withdrawals.

University spokesman Caleb Zimmerman said the program “remains under development.”

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca