| Session Title | Presenter | Strand | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building Blocks and Building Words: Using Play to Foster Language Development | Jacquelyn Sernau | Pre-K Literacy | This session will cover the stages of language development and the importance of early language acquisition. Participants will learn how to use a play-based approach to help children develop the literacy skills necessary for success in school. You will find time to reflect, collaborate, and use your creativity. Walk away with easy-to-implement ideas that you can use with your early learners. |
| Constructing Early Literacy: Reading and Writing Reciprocity | Deb Duncan Owens, Ph.D. | Pre-K Literacy | The reciprocal relationship between reading and writing is multi-dimensional and teachers who understand and foster this relationship can create a dynamic and productive literacy learning environment. Early literacy learning is most effective when grounded in constructivist theory as young children are actively engaged in all aspects of literacy development from speaking and listening to reading and writing. Teachers who embrace reading and writing reciprocity nurture their students’ curiosity and exploration and ability to communicate ideas and experiences, facilitate emergent literacy development, and empower children as readers and writers with agency as they engage empathetically with the world. |
| Increasing Early Literacy Engagement Through the use of Provocations and Oral Language | Dustin Halterman | Pre-K Literacy | This session will model the provocations needed to support early literacy skills in the preK classroom. Within this session, participants will discover how early morning provocations activate prior knowledge, build conversation, and motivate students which leads to more engagement within meaningful literacy instruction. This roadmap of play-based learning enables a deeper understanding of literacy through child-centered interests and activities that lead to well-defined teacher read alouds, phonemic awareness activities, and letter-name recognition. Additionally, this session will discuss how each day builds on the next day ‘s literacy curriculum while spiraling back to previously learned concepts. |
| Move to Read: Boosting Literacy Through Active Play | Stefanie Hohl | Pre-K Literacy | Discover how intentional movement can enhance phonological awareness, letter recognition, and early reading skills in preschoolers. This session examines the research connecting kinesthetic learning to literacy development and offers fun, age-appropriate activities that integrate motion with learning. Attendees will gain a practical toolkit of movement-based games, songs, and routines designed to spark engagement and build reading readiness. Ideal for educators seeking multi-sensory strategies to reach diverse learners, this session empowers teachers to activate both body and brain—making literacy instruction more dynamic, inclusive, and developmentally effective. |
| The Third Teacher: Designing a Writing Environment with Purpose | Jordan Page | Pre-K Literacy | What does your classroom environment say about your beliefs as a writing teacher? In this session, participants will explore the difference between teacher-centered decor and intentional, student-centered design through the lens of Loris Malaguzzi’s concept of the “third teacher.” Rooted in the Reggio-Emilia philosophy, this session offers practical, low-cost strategies for creating responsive and evolving classroom spaces that support our youngest writers. Participants will leave with a clearer design philosophy and a personalized action plan to transform their classrooms into purposeful, student-centered writing environments. |
| Bridging Cultures Through Wordless Picture Books: A Global Perspective | Mary Napoli | Children’s Literature | Explore the pedagogical potential of international wordless picture books. Presenters will highlight the value of these books and share research-based strategies for integrating them into the curriculum. Educators will learn how to foster classroom community and develop comprehension skills through wordless picturebooks. The session introduces the Outstanding International Book (OIB) list and recent high-quality wordless books. Emphasis is placed on how these texts support Reading Recovery principles, such as honoring students’ backgrounds, developing oral language, and building narrative understanding. A QR code linking to additional resources will be provided. |
| Lisa’s List: 2025 Books for K-8 Readers | Lisa Pinkerton | Children’s Literature | Now more than ever, teachers need engaging literature to help foster meaningful reader/text relationships. This engaging session will showcase outstanding new books for cultivating reading joy in grade K-8 students. An extensive list of titles highlighting a variety of genres, formats, themes, and awards will be shared. |
| Windows, Mirrors, and Coffee: Reading KidLit as Adults to Build Community, Connect with Families, and Support Children’s Reading Lives | Rebecca Bellingham | Children’s Literature | Reading children’s literature as adults is one of the most effective ways to spark conversation and foster community among caregivers, educators, or humans who care about supporting children’s readings lives, at home and in the classroom. Books for young people can be just as layered, sophisticated, and wise as those written for adults, and they create a pathway for connecting across differences. Reading KidLit as adults also makes space for supporting belonging work in the classroom and modeling best practices in reading comprehension- including the power of reading aloud to build background knowledge, make meaning, and develop “book joy!” |
| 5 Hacks for Boosting Writing Skills | Patty McGee | Classroom Literacy 3-5 | Frustration does not need to be the norm for you OR your writers! Stop the struggle and experience wins with five tried and true hacks for writing instruction. Hear success stories from classrooms where writing times’ UGH changed to YAY after trying these easy-to-implement, practical techniques for writing. You will walk away ready to incorporate these strategies into your writing instruction. |
| AI in ELA: Leveraging Emerging Technologies to Advance Literacy | Jacie Maslyk | Classroom Literacy 3-5 | As educators navigate the responsible use of artificial intelligence in classrooms, AI tools can give students more opportunities to express themselves in English Language Arts. Expanding creative writing, deepening vocabulary knowledge, and fostering communication skills, we will explore ways that AI can help! In this session, we will explore Chap GPT and other generative AI tools to enhance student learning in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Participants will engage in AI tools, discuss classroom application, and review examples of student projects and work samples related to AI. |
| Beyond Balanced Literacy: Teaching Reading- A Nuanced View | Sam Bommarito | Classroom Literacy 3-5 | Dr. Bommarito has spent his entire 55-year career in education seeking ways to improve his instruction of the students and teachers he works with. This session traces that journey. He’s learned to teach decoding. He also learned how to teach students so that they can apply strategies that improve their comprehension skills. His demonstration of those recommended practices comes from both SOR and Balanced Literacy advocates. His weekly blog often challenges the Social Media Version of the Science of Reading. However, he still believes that there is a lot of common ground that can and should be explored. |
| Close Reading, AI, and Self-Perception: Maturing Readers at the Crossroads of Technology and Authenticity | Justin Stygles | Classroom Literacy 3-5 | Do you wonder what the point of teaching is as the AI era is ushered in? This session is devoted to looking at essential skills students need without AI and the integration of intelligence that supersedes the developmentally appropriate cognitive abilities of our students. We will also consider the role of self-perception and motivation in light of AI. Please bring your thoughts and opinions as we explore the future together. |
| Cultivating Thoughtful Readers | Maria Nichols | Classroom Literacy 3-5 | In Becoming Literate (1991), Marie Clay offers time honored advice for teaching: “Make haste slowly”. But, what exactly does this mean? And, what happens when we do? This session will focus on thoughtful use of instructional time, with an emphasis on processes for creating and/or reclaiming time and space for students to savor texts, delve into depth and breadth of understanding, and develop strategic meaning-making abilities. |
| Engaging Learners Through Poetry | Debra Crouch | Classroom Literacy 3-5 | Poetry awakens the heart and engages the mind of learners. In the words of poet Mary Oliver, could there be a sweeter arrangement? Yet poetry’s power to support readers and writers is often overlooked or underutilized. This session will explore not only how poetry creates a community of learners who read and write poetry with joy and ease but also how poetry opens students’ eyes to language use, thus strengthening all reading and writing. |
| Text Power: Choosing the Right Texts and Tasks to Fuel Deep Thinking | Karen Cangemi | Classroom Literacy 3-5 | Want to boost comprehension and make learning stick? It all starts with the right text and the right task. In this session, discover how to select rich, complex texts and pair them with standards-aligned tasks that spark engagement, deepen understanding, and drive learning transfer. We’ll unpack how to align instruction across grade levels, differentiate for diverse learners, and build lessons that go beyond surface thinking. Walk away with ready-to-use strategies and examples that truly elevate comprehension. |
| The Art of The Story – Using What Writers Know to Teach Writing | Tanya Roy | Classroom Literacy 3-5 | Teachers often see themselves as readers; but when asked to break apart a book into recognizable teachable moves, we can be as lost as our students. Why do we love well written books? There is a science behind it! We can make the teaching of reading comprehension easier by understanding why authors craft their books the way that they do. From great openings, to satisfying endings, and all the surprising parts in between, come learn how to take apart a book like an author and then how to use that information to teach generative comprehension to your students. |
| Timely Texts: Using Short Texts to Boost Comprehension | Julie Wright | Classroom Literacy 3-5 | Have you ever considered using a short video, an infographic, or even a single image to teach reading? We invite you to think outside the borders of traditional text types to teach a variety of reading skills and strategies. Together, we will explore short texts and ways to use them to boost comprehension. Join us to see some exciting and fun texts and ways to use them with your students tomorrow. |
| Unlocking Academic Literacy: Demystifying Task Verbs for Multilingual Learners | Lynn D’Agostino | Classroom Literacy 3-5 | Academic literacy is built not just on decoding text, but also on understanding the academic language that frames learning. Task verbs shape how students comprehend assignments and complex texts. For multilingual learners, these verbs often carry hidden cultural and cognitive demands that limit access to rigorous literacy tasks. This virtual session empowers educators to make academic expectations explicit and equitable. Participants will explore how task verbs influence comprehension, sort them by complexity, and learn strategies to use them. Attendees will leave with practical tools to integrate task-verb instruction into literacy lessons, enhancing student confidence and success. |
| Cold Starts and On Demand: Getting Students Writing Assessment Ready | Rebecca Harper | Classroom Literacy 6-8 | While writing warmups help students get ready for a writing task much like a warmup gets you ready for a tough workout, testing and assessment protocol don’t allow for this luxury. Instead, students are expected to jump right in to writing without the benefit of discussion, collaboration, or feedback. Thus, many students are unsure of how to address these types of writing engagements and often find them difficult to navigate. In this session, we will focus on effective strategies that not only get students prepared for writing assessments but also help build strong and skilled writers |
| Everyday Strategies for Extraordinary Learning | Kristen Allen | Classroom Literacy 6-8 | Discover five high-impact instructional strategies you can use daily to transform student engagement and achievement. Grounded in the research of John Hattie and Robert Marzano, this session explores Anticipation Guides, Question-Answer Relationships, Jigsaws, Reciprocal Teaching, and Response Notebooks. These strategies promote active learning, collaborative thinking, and meaningful reflection. Participants will gain practical tools to implement immediately, supporting diverse learners across subject areas. Whether you’re refining your instruction or looking for fresh ideas, this session will equip you with proven methods to make every day in the classroom more intentional, responsive, and effective. |
| Sprints and Marathons: From Quick Writes to Multi-Part Compositions in All Genres | Rebecca Harper | Classroom Literacy 6-8 | Part of becoming a skilled writer involves mastery of multiple genres and composition of writing products that vary in structure and content. For many, developing a specific strategy based on the demands of the writing task is difficult and some students attempt to attack multiple writing tasks in the same manner. However, depending on the topic, genre, and composition complexity and length, the way in which writers approach different writing tasks varies. In this session, we will focus on the use of quick writes (sprints) to build student confidence and experience before progressing to extended compositions (marathons) that require stamina. |
| The Multilingual ELA Classroom: Middle Grades | Mandy Stewart | Classroom Literacy 6-8 | Tap into the power of students’ bilingualism in your ESL classroom even if you don’t speak your students’ languages! Learn how middle school literacy educators are creating multilingual classrooms, engaging their students in reading, writing, listening, speaking, and creating in all their languages. Learn about their favorite strategies, lessons, and resources for creating a multilingual classroom. You’ll also learn about their challenges yet how they have overcome them by partnering with families, leveraging technology, and creating spaces for students’ home language literacy to thrive all while they acquire English. |
| The Power of Words: Embedding Vocabulary Learning into the Classroom | Emily Chandler | Classroom Literacy 6-8 | Vocabulary is essential for students to access the curriculum, engage deeply with the content, and become effective communicators and inquirers. This session will explore the vital role that vocabulary plays in enabling students to communicate confidently, both in writing and verbally, as well as to develop a deeper understanding of the subject material. The session will also provide attendees with simple, easy to implement strategies for teaching and embedding vocabulary into the classroom. |
| Unlocking Meaning with Tiered Vocabulary in 2025 Newberry Award Winner Erin Entrada Kelly’s The First State of Being | Christiana Pheiffer | Classroom Literacy 6-8 | This presentation examines tiered vocabulary’s role in boosting reading comprehension, using Erin Kelly’s The First State of Being. We’ll explore Tier 1 (basic), Tier 2 (academic), and Tier 3 (domain-specific) words, demonstrating strategies for identifying and teaching each within context. Participants will learn to select Tier 2 and 3 words from the novel for deep understanding. The session will showcase instructional techniques like direct instruction, contextual analysis, and interactive activities. Through examples from Kelly’s text, educators will gain actionable insights to integrate vocabulary instruction, empowering students to navigate complex narratives and develop sophisticated linguistic skills. |
| Building Comprehension: Small-Group Instruction that Sticks | Michele Dufresne and Jan Richardson | Classroom Literacy K-2 | How can we build strong comprehension skills in our youngest readers? In this session, we’ll explore how to teach comprehension strategies effectively in K–2 using the gradual release of responsibility model—I do, we do, you do—within small-group instruction. Discover how to choose and use high-quality books that support deep thinking and discussion, even for early readers. We’ll share practical routines, lesson structures, and scaffolding tools that support students as they make meaning from text and grow as independent, confident readers. |
| From Sounds to Sense: Designing Phonics Instruction That Transforms Practice into Purpose | Karen Cangemi | Classroom Literacy K-2 | At the heart of effective literacy instruction lies the seamless transfer of phonemic awareness and phonics from isolated practice to meaningful, continuous text. In this session, we’ll explore how to design strategically aligned activities that make this transition purposeful and powerful. Together, we’ll examine the impact of using engaging, decodable texts that not only reinforce foundational skills but also spark joy in reading and writing. The ultimate goal: to nurture confident decoders and encoders who see themselves as capable, curious learners—readers and writers who approach the world with wonder, enthusiasm, and a lifelong love of literacy. |
| Strengthening Reading Fluency: Examining the What, Why, and How of Fluent Reading | Tracee Farmer | Classroom Literacy K-2 | What does it mean to be a fluent reader, and how can we help students achieve this goal? This interactive session will explore the essential components of fluency: accuracy, rate, and prosody. Through video examples, practical strategies, and opportunities for discussion, participants will deepen their understanding of fluency and its impact on comprehension. |
| Empowering Multilingual Learners in the Classroom by Integrating Literacy and English Language Development | Susan Blanco | Classroom Literacy K-2 | Learn how to enhance curriculum to meet the needs of multilingual learners as they build their literacy skills. Through functional structures and core reading strategies, students can build academic comprehension and writing skills. |
| Readers Matter: How to Nurture Confident Reading Identities | Jennifer Scoggin | Classroom Literacy K-2 | Growth in reading and growth as a reader are interdependent.Yet, teachers may feel uncertain about how to support the affective components of reading – how students feel about reading, how they see themselves as readers, how they understand the connection between effort and outcomes, and the emotions they associate with literacy experiences. In this session, we explore student reading identity, a framework for getting to know readers that encompasses both the cognitive and affective aspects of reading. We’ll share strategies for getting to know students’ reading identities and for planning responsive instruction that maximizes growth and Success. |
| Supporting Early Literacy for All: Differentiation through Family Engagement Strategies | Keo Chea-Young | Classroom Literacy K-2 | This session presents actionable, research-backed strategies for fostering early literacy development from Pre-K to elementary school. Focused on supporting struggling readers and diverse learners, we will explore how teachers can differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all students, guided by the latest literacy research. Special emphasis will be placed on effective family engagement techniques that empower families to support literacy at home. By combining both classroom instruction and home-based strategies, participants will learn how to create a seamless literacy development continuum, where teachers and families collaborate to drive student success. |
| Supporting Multilingual Students: Translanguaging in English and Bilingual Classrooms | Allison Briceno | Classroom Literacy K-2 | This session will address how teachers can incorporate translangauging in both English-only and bilingual classrooms to support multilingual students. We will review the purposes for translanguaging and learn strategies for using it intentionally to develop students’ comprehension and strengthen written and oral language production. Participants will explore how the WIDA standards and reading and writing standards can be integrated to support multilingual students’ language and literacy development; translanguaging is a pedagogical tool to support that integration. |
| Working Together to Support Student Needs in Small Group Instruction | Lynn Newmyer | Classroom Literacy K-2 | When intervention teachers and classroom teachers provide differentiated instruction to small needs- based groups, communication and common goals are critical for student growth. Teaching foundational literacy skills and adding executive functioning skills can enhance the instruction and facilitate students to more effectively take on this needed learning. This session will explore how to include intentional teaching for goal setting, making plans for learning and how teaching for cognitive flexibility accelerated student growth. |
| Writing: The Secret Sauce of Literacy Instruction | Debra Rich | Classroom Literacy K-2 | Writing contributes to the building of almost every kind of inner control of literacy learning that is needed by the successful reader and yet it is often overlooked in many K-2 classrooms. In this session, we will unpack how writing not only improves a student’s writing ability, it simultaneously improves their reading ability. It’s a two-for-one bargain! |
| Broadening Conversations: Critical Questions for Literacy Leadership | Joseph Stouffer | Leadership in Literacy | Within a resurging Science of Reading movement, this session will help inform and elicit critical and informed discussion among policy makers and instructional leadership. Drawing on recent research and acknowledging the foundational importance of code-focused instruction to reading development, the presenters offer questions for leadership to ask their teachers and school teams which interrogate the current debate and invocations of “science” to narrow or broaden approaches to literacy instruction and calls to teach all students to read in a one-size-fits all manner using approaches designed for students experiencing reading difficulties. |
| Creating Conditions for Sustained Reading in an Age of Distraction | Shari Daniels | Leadership in Literacy | Many pre-service teachers in my classes confess they’ve not read a whole book in years. Most have experienced the bliss of being home in a book, yet factors within and beyond their control have reconditioned neural pathways for snack-sized bits of information, and distraction is the norm. Beyond SOR skills, how can teachers model and teach strategies for an engaged and sustaining reading life? Join me as I share the impact of a society of distracted readers and how we can create conditions to cultivate stamina and focus for the sustained attention that reading requires. |
| Narratives of Resistance: What Middle and High School Teachers and Librarians Reveal About Censorship | Jennifer L. Gallman, Ph.D. | Leadership in Literacy | This session presents narrative findings from middle and high school English teachers and librarians navigating book and curriculum challenges, based on my dissertation research (2025). Seventeen educator voices headline this presentation through interviews, focus groups, and personal narratives. Participants will hear stories of resistance and advocacy to keep diverse texts while also recognizing the fear of speaking out from many teachers and librarians across South Carolina (Upstate, Midlands, Lowcountry). |
| Orton-Gillingham: Behind the Pretty Words | Andrew Johnson | Leadership in Literacy | Strawman arguments, buzzwords, and ill-defined terms have long been used by Science of Reading advocates to make the case for a limited range of strategies and scripted reading products. But what’s behind the pretty words? This presentation will define science, research, and the Science of Reading. It will also use the context of Orton-Gillingham and the International Dyslexia Association to (a) unpack commonly used buzzwords, terms, and jargon; (b) demonstrate how these words are used to create strawman arguments, and (c) clarify what is meant by research-based practice and evidence-based instruction. |
| What is Evidence and Research? | Andrew Johnson | Leadership in Literacy | resources are provided to enable teachers to understand exactly what these terms mean. Worse, it is assumed that teachers must allow the “experts” to read and explain “the research” for them. This patronizing paradigm serves to further chip away at teachers’ autonomy in favor of dependence and subservience. This presentation will use the context of a study by Linnea Ehri (2007) to demonstrate how to read and evaluate a research article. It also demonstrates common tactics used to misinterpret and misrepresent research. This in turn enhances participants ability to be responsible consumers of educational research and research-based claims. |
| AI-Synergy: Uniting Educators to Elevate Literacy | Katie Dart | Literacy Coaching | Unlock the power of collective expertise amplified by AI. This session highlights how collaboration among educators, support staff, administrators, and coaches—when paired with purposeful AI use—can transform literacy instruction. Through real-world case studies and practical strategies, this session demonstrates how AI can act as a clerk, colleague, and coach to streamline planning, personalize learning, and inform instruction. Rooted in ILA/NCTE coaching standards, viewers will gain an actionable framework for leveraging human-AI partnerships to enhance student performance and promote coherence across school-wide literacy efforts. |
| Coaching Beyond the Classroom- Supporting School Leadership and Instructional Coaches | Sara Hunton | Literacy Coaching | Professional growth and development are always at the forefront of the continual learner’s mind. Therefore, we need to consider how we support our school leadership and instructional coaches utilizing a coaching framework. In this session, we will review opportunities to coach school leadership and instructional coaches utilizing a reciprocal coaching model to develop leaders and coaches utilizing observation feedback cycles and a data-driven professional development implementation plan. |
| Crafting Genius: The Literacy Coach’s Edge for Impact | Kimberly Jones | Literacy Coaching | In this engaging and informative session, participants will dive into the instinctive and primary role of an instructional coach. While the role of the instructional coach is vital to the success of teachers, there are explicit practices every instructional coach should employ to ensure teachers reach their optimal zone of genius. This session will provide instructional literacy coaches with the necessary tools to build capacity, collective efficacy, and the most important ingredient of all, the ability to lead with the transformative lens that empowers students to increase literacy achievement. |
| From Resistance to Trust: Coaching That Connects | Genevieve Arcovio | Literacy Coaching | In today’s schools, coaching isn’t just for coaches—teachers, administrators, and literacy leaders all engage in coaching conversations. This session explores how to build trust through small but powerful habits that foster collaboration, reduce resistance, and strengthen literacy outcomes. Drawing from the 100 Positive Experiences blog series, you’ll examine realistic examples of coaching language, reflective questions, and relationship-centered moves that help shift mindsets and open doors. Participants will leave with practical tools they can use right away—whether they’re in classrooms, with coaching cycles, or in leadership meetings. |
| “Leveraging Data Meetings to Coach with Purpose: Assessment-Driven Literacy Instruction” | Tenishia Whren | Literacy Coaching | This session will explore how literacy coaches can partner with teachers within the MTSS framework to use assessment data more purposefully and lift instruction in K–5 classrooms. Participants will gain actionable strategies for coaching around formative assessments, facilitating data meetings, and supporting responsive instruction. Emphasis will be placed on how coaches can strengthen Tier 1 and Tier 2 practices through collaborative data review, small-group planning, and progress monitoring, all while sustaining teacher agency and student growth. |
| Why is Everyone Avoiding Me? Problem-Solving for Coaches | Cindy Downend | Literacy Coaching | Examine why teachers may be reluctant to engage in literacy coaching and learn practical ways to overcome these barriers. In today’s busy schools, coaching can feel like “one more thing” to do. By reflecting on the root causes of resistance and adopting a problem-solving stance, literacy coaches can build trust, foster collaboration, and create a supportive environment where teachers are eager to participate. You’ll leave with actionable ideas for making coaching a valued part of every teacher’s practice. |
| Classroom Collaboration to Support Acceleration | Denise Rowe | Reading Recovery | Clay (2016) reminds us to consult with the classroom teacher about four weeks before discontinuing the lesson series to discuss the child’s progress. “The two teachers talk about how the child currently performs in reading and writing, in both settings, and plan what needs to be done over the next few weeks to ensure that the transition works smoothly for the child” (187). But why wait? How can we harness the power of this collaboration sooner in the lesson series to support acceleration? This session will explore how to harness the power of this collaboration for acceleration. |
| Cultivating Community & Inquiry During the Circle Discussion | Braedan Schantz | Reading Recovery | Marie Clay designated demonstration lessons and circle discussions as essential to Reading Recovery professional learning. This session explores how shared inquiry and reflection can transform circle discussions into inclusive, generative spaces for teacher learning and agency. Shifting the focus from individual performance to collective meaning-making rooted in Literacy Processing Theory fosters more responsive, collaborative, and theory-informed professional conversations. Reading Recovery teachers will learn how to reframe circle discussions—from fixing to thinking, procedures to processing, and performance to problem-solving—so that everyone leaves with a lift! |
| Emergent Multilingual to Emergent Multiliterate: Leveraging Oracy for Literacy | Esther Berndt | Reading Recovery | Some emergent multilingual students may struggle to acquire literacy because they are in between languages. Even in our multilingual programs, our teaching, curriculum, and assessments may not match actual student oral language. How can multilingual teachers of reading use formative oral language assessment to become better observers of student oracy? How can teachers leverage student language resources to support emergent literacy? Learn practical strategies for language observation and consider ways to modify instruction. Examples are provided in English and Spanish, but applications can be made to any language. |
| From Assets to Action: Leveraging Student Strengths for Accelerated Learning | Elizabeth Kaye | Reading Recovery | Children have opportunities for accelerated learning when they independently problem-solve new challenges in reading and writing. Teachers’ contingent support plays a key role in facilitating this strategic activity. Discover how to support students’ effective and efficient processing through carefully crafted teaching-learning interactions that leverage what students already know and can do. |
| From Ideas to Spoken Words: When composing is challenging | Julie Kugler, Adria Klein and Nancy Rogers-Zegarra | Reading Recovery | This session will overview ways that teachers can support the composing conversation when a child struggles to get from an idea to a printed message. Additionally there will be a focus on encouraging increased language support and production. We will explore ways that teachers and children engage during conversation, how teachers can hone observation skills, and provide appropriate scaffolds during composing. Participants will gain ideas to strengthen teacher and student engagement as well as students’ oral language during the composing conversation in order to move students toward independence in composing. |
| Growing Students’ Writing Complexity Over a Series of Lessons | Donita Shaw | Reading Recovery | Come to this Reading Recovery session to learn about an assessment tool you can use to gather data on your students’ writing and support your teaching decisions. Evaluating Reading Recovery student writing samples is part of this presentation, followed by practical teaching ideas for your lessons. Your session take-away will be how you can grow your students’ writing complexity. |
| Letter & Word Work in the Reading Recovery Lesson – Procedures & Possibilities | Denise Rowe | Reading Recovery | Clay (2016) reminds us that students have “to learn the letters, and the words, and their relationships to sound sequences, but he also has to build and expand the intricate interacting networks in the brain that must work together at great speed as he reads (and writes) text” (127). Come explore the procedures and other possibilities for expanding letter, word and sound knowledge explicitly during those 1-2 minutes of the lesson while also digging deeper into integrating and embedding that learning into continuous texts. |
| Say Less: The Power of Precision in Reading Recovery | Wendy Vaulton | Reading Recovery | In the 30-minute of a Reading Recovery lesson, every word, gesture, and pause matters. This session focuses on how teachers can be more intentional in their oral language and body language to foster greater student agency, independence, and strategic problem-solving. Research confirms that using an economy of language supports stronger outcomes, yet it is easy to fall into patterns of over-talking during lessons. Using teaching videos and transcripts we will carefully examine what economy of language looks like, what it sounds like, and why it makes such a powerful difference in accelerating learning. |
| Teaching Moves to Expand Language with Multilingual Learners | Julie Kugler, Adria Klein and Nancy Rogers-Zegarra | Reading Recovery | This session will overview language theory as it relates to literacy learning. We will explore lesson records from the perspective of change over time to demonstrate methods for expanding multilingual students’ literacy. The focus will be using observation, oral language, complex language structures and vocabulary in reading and writing to enhance learning. Explicit teaching moves will be shared to enhance individual lessons. |
| The Last 4 Weeks: Intentional Planning for Discontinue | Sara Hunton | Reading Recovery | Clay reminds us that, “the decision to end individual support requires advance preparation” (LLDI, p. 187). Let’s take some time to explore a variety of ways we can prepare to “adapt” lesson activities and record observations to check in on independence and an individual child’s self extending processing system in order to guarantee a successful transition from two literacy teachers to one. |
| The Whole 30 and Nothing but the 30: Making focused and deliberate decisions to ensure fast and fluent processing throughout the 30 minute lesson | Jaime Gilman | Reading Recovery | Do your lessons ever stretch past 30 minutes? Mine do, too! In this session, we will explore how intentional planning and reflection can keep lessons fast, fluent, and within the 30-minute framework. See how honoring the 30-minute model benefits more than just the child in front of you. Through video clips and practical strategies, we’ll examine each component of the lesson and discover how efficiency and effectiveness go hand in hand. |
| Transfers and Transitions: Student Support to Arrange for Success | Allyson Matczuk | Reading Recovery | Transfer of knowledge from one context to another and the transition from the security of the Reading Recovery room to and from the classroom are critical elements to ensure vulnerable learners develop a sense of security. It is not something that can be left to chance. It needs the support of a cohesive team, all working toward the same goal. Here we explore how to build a bridge across the gap in order have the student travel safely. |
| Read, Write, Roam! | Jamie Lipp | Reading Recovery | Roaming Around the Known should be an intentional time with each student to build relationships and capitalize on all that is already known. Explore roaming as a purposeful practice to set the stage for successful lessons. |
