Hanson Initiative: Who We Are

The Hanson Initiative for Language & Literacy (HILL) is working to to address the gap that exists in thousands of schools: the enormous challenge teachers face teaching the literacy skills children need to read and write. The HILL has worked to address this gap by developing a school reform model based on the science of reading research.

The HILL works with schools and educators in districts to develop sustainable literacy programs for all students. Literacy improvement begins with the classroom teacher. And literacy instruction improvement is the first critical step in achieving school-wide literacy improvement.

The Hanson Initiative for Language & Literacy was founded in 2000 by the Communication Sciences & Disorders graduate program of the MGH Institute of Health Professions, an academic affiliate of Massachusetts General Hospital. Our faculty is made up of nationally recognized experts on oral and written language.

What We Do

Each year, children in the U.S. fail to master the literacy skills they need to perform in school and in life. The HILL works with teachers, literacy coaches, and educational leaders to improve classroom literacy instruction, and to advance the literacy skills of students.

We give teachers ongoing professional development in the science of reading. We coach them. We model classroom techniques so that teachers can gain the skills they need to teach reading and writing. Our "gradual release model" means that a school's dependence on the HILL diminishes over time.

To succeed, your school must develop effective leadership. With guidance from the HILL, you will establish literacy leadership teams with representatives from all grade levels and from special education. These teams meet regularly to assess progress within your school, to plan, and to set goals for future improvement.

Through this process of systematic change, HILL partner schools shift their focus from compliance to delivering results. Their decisions and instruction become driven by meaningful data. Schools end up with a coherent literacy strategy and approach that translates into sound classroom practice and reading improvement.

Our Progress

In five years, the HILL has experienced incredible growth. It began with five Massachusetts schools, and is now working with more than 130 schools across Massachusetts and the U.S. The HILL has served as the Massachusetts Department of Education's Reading First professional development provider since 2002, and was selected to train 90 districts in literacy leadership skills in the fall of 2004. For its efforts and success with this training, the HILL was recognized nationally by the Florida Center for Reading Research, a regional technical assistance center for Reading First at the national level. The HILL was recently chosen to make a presentation on leadership in literacy at the 2005 national Reading First conference.

Find out how you can bring the HILL's expertise and methods to your school or school district. Just fill out the questionnaire and we'll get back to you.