9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Have you ever wondered about Improvement Science and weren’t sure how to get started? Do you have a problem in your classroom, school, or district that seems too big to tackle? Improvement Science is all about testing small changes to make a big impact. Join us for an interactive opportunity to unpack and test out Improvement Science tools and processes. You will leave with a process and tools to integrate Improvement Science into your work. We encourage joining with a colleague or a team, however, all are welcome to join.

9:00 am – 12:00 pm

9:00 am – 12:00 pm

The Importance of Reading Aloud with Lisa Pinkerton: Reading aloud to children is a powerfully creative act. Reading aloud fosters children’s social, emotional, and cognitive development. Sharing books together develops the adult/child bond through a love of reading. Attendees will participate in read alouds, learning how to engage listeners and build thoughtful conversations. They will also receive an extensive list of favorite picture books to read aloud to young children.

A Comprehensive Literacy Framework in the Pre-School Classroom with Jamie Lipp: Pre-school is an integral part of a child’s overall learning journey. Balancing social-emotional learning, oral language development, and developmentally appropriate academic beginnings is a delicate balance. Play-based learning does not have to take a backseat to literacy teaching and learning opportunities. Explore how to carefully intertwine these important learning components within the pre-school curriculum and classroom setting.

1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Successful Start with Journey Swafford: In this session, participants will learn about the promising new kindergarten initiative, Successful Start. A classroom program based on Marie Clay’s literacy processing theory, Successful Start includes four instructional components: Instructional reading, instructional writing, read to and word work, with handwriting and letter formation explicitly and responsively taught during both the instructional reading and writing components. Participants will make connections to preschool practices by watching and discussing lesson videos and records.

Growing Readers and Writers in a Play-Based Environment: Integrating Literacy with Purposeful Play with Allyson Matczuk: “Play is the work of childhood” according to Maria Montessori. It is serious business where important learning takes place. Within a play-based context, literacy concepts and practices can be purposefully embedded to enrich rather than replace play for young children. Through photo and video samples we will see what this can look like in 2025.

1:00 – 4:00 pm

Many children enter Reading Recovery lessons with high item knowledge. Often this high item knowledge does not specifically translate into higher text reading and writing abilities. Together we will evaluate how to build on this strength to support the strong integration skills needed for success.

1:00 – 4:00 pm

Writing is a critical component of literacy instruction; its reciprocal power to support reading growth is unparalleled. This session is devoted to helping teachers foster vibrant writing communities. Education’s current focus on test prep, isolated skills, and scripted curriculum leaves little room for student agency in writing. We will focus on how to empower students’ writerly identity and nurture both voice and choice. This hands-on session will explore a variety of nonfiction and creative writing genres and examine how to naturally embed standards in any writing curriculum. Our work will be grounded in sensitive observation and responsive instructional decision-making.