Una Malcolm

Una is a doctoral student in Reading Science at Mount St. Joseph University. She is an Ontario Certified Teacher and the owner of Bright Light Learners, a private clinic offering structured literacy intervention. Una is trained in several evidence-based structured literacy intervention programs including Lindamood-Bell LiPS, Direct Instruction, and Phono-Graphix. Una is also an Acadience Reading Mentor, which means she is certified to train teachers on the administration and interpretation of Acadience (formerly DIBELS Next) reading assessments.

While Una is a skilled and experienced private interventionist, she is passionate about bridging the research-to-practice gap to allow for effective structured literacy instruction in classrooms. To this end, she has focused her energies on sharing her knowledge and skills through training educators on various aspects of structured literacy. Una is an advocate for Response to Intervention (RTI) or Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework; these models allow for evidence-based tiered instruction with data-based decision making with universal screening and progress monitoring. She is particularly interested in the role of assessment in reading instruction. Una prioritizes building collaborative communities of educators in order to improve student literacy outcomes.

ACHIEVEMENTS

• Director and Owner of Bright Light Learners, a private intervention clinic
• Co-author of Pratique phonémique, a French phonemic awareness curriculum resource
• Administrator of the Ontario Science of Reading Facebook group
• Leader of a mentorship and professional development network for Toronto teachers

• Doctor of Education – Reading Science | Mount St. Joseph University, Cincinnati, Ohio [in progress – expected graduation 2024]
• Master of Arts – Child Study and Education | Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto, Toronto [2013]
• Honours Bachelor of Science – Psychology | University of Western Ontario [2011]

• Acadience Reading K-6 Mentor | Acadience Learning Inc [2021]
• Reading Therapist | Phono-Graphix [2017]
• Primary/Junior Teaching Certification | Ontario College of Teachers [2013]

• Acadience Reading K-6 Essentials | Acadience Learning Inc [2021]
• Acadience Reading K-6 Data Interpretation | Acadience Learning Inc [2021]
• Acadience Preschool Early Literacy Indicators Essentials | Acadience Learning Inc [2021]
• Direct Instruction Certification | National Institute for Direct Instruction [2017]
• Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing Program | Lindamood-Bell [2017]

• International Dyslexia Association | Member [2017 - Present]
• Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario | Member [2017 - Present]
• The Reading League | Member [2017 - Present]
• Society for the Scientific Study of Reading | Member [2017 - Present]
• Association of Phono-Graphix Therapists | Member [2017 - Present]

Owner and Director | Bright Light Learners, Toronto [2017 – Present]

• Using research-based intervention to support struggling readers
• Assessing student skills and progress using both criterion and norm-referenced assessment tools
• Training staff in reading science as well as specific reading programs and instructional processes
• Providing parent education and counselling to support parents and guardians in their roles
• Consulting with teachers and schools to support implementation of reading instruction
• Training teachers outside the agency on reading science and implementation (sample topics: phonemic awareness in French as a Second Language, RTI/MTSS, four purposes for reading assessment, vocabulary instruction, etc.)

Student Success Strategist | The Clover School, Toronto [2018 - Present]

• Conducting skills assessment for students of concern and generating IEPs with relevant instructional strategies, goals, and accommodations
• Training teachers on various reading science content, including models of reading development, phonemic awareness instruction, reading comprehension, and explicit instruction
• Implemented a school-wide Tier 1 phonemic awareness program

Director | Appletree Learning, Toronto [2011 - 2017/Present]

• Managed a learning centre providing reading and math intervention for students with learning exceptionalities
• Trained staff members in Direct Instruction programming, and provided coaching to ensure optimal delivery and intervention
• Coordinated administrative duties including scheduling, staffing and billing

• Phonemic Awareness in FSL Workshop – presented at multiple school boards and conferences, including the Ontario Modern Languages Teachers Association
• Articles written for local resources, including the Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario’s resource site, LD@School

• Pratique phonémique, a French phonemic awareness resource for Kindergarten/Grade 1 French Immersion students (www.phonemique.ca)
• Pratique phonémique - Intensive, a French phonemic awareness intervention resource for struggling readers in a French Immersion placement (www.phonemique.ca)