• Four-Day Seminar Series
• Two-Day Seminar Series

Scholastic Early Literacy Seminar Series:
Description of Half-Day Seminars

The Scholastic Early Literacy Seminars is a series of eight, interactive half-day seminars. Any two seminars can make up a full day.

Download a printable version of our Description of Half-Day Seminars. (PDF)

Managing Your Classroom & Small Group Instruction
Developing Oral Language
Building Letter Knowledge and Phonological Awareness
Supporting English Language Learners
Building Content Area Knowledge
Connecting School and Home
Developing Print-Awareness and Writing
Teaching Each Child

Managing Your Classroom and Small Group Instruction
In this half-day seminar, participants learn techniques to refine their classroom set-up and daily routines to ensure that children can easily move around the classroom and through the day, including a focus on small-group learning. The seminar includes a segment on how to modify routines for children with special needs. Teachers receive coaching on how to manage disruptive behavior and how to use ‘teachable moments’ to develop social/emotional skills.

Developing Oral Language
In this half-day seminar, participants focus on the three core aspects of oral language: listening comprehension, verbal expression and vocabulary development. Because reading aloud is considered the best way to develop oral language, there is an emphasis on reading and re-reading books aloud in both whole-class and small-group settings.

Building Letter Knowledge and Phonological Awareness
In this half-day seminar, participants learn how to build children’s phonological awareness, letter recognition and letter/sound correspondence. Includes scientific research basis, scope and sequence, and teaching methods. Focus is on helping children ‘own’ the foundational literacy skills needed to become a successful reader.

Supporting English Language Learners
In early childhood classrooms, every child is a language-learner, but those children learning English as a second language face particular challenges. This half-day seminar provides in-depth support and techniques for teachers who are working with children learning English as a second language. Focus is on celebrating children’s diverse language backgrounds and providing support for learning English language and literacy skills. Workshop is appropriate for bilingual and English classrooms.

Building Content Area Knowledge
In this half-day seminar, participants deepen their knowledge of content area learning objectives in early childhood classrooms, with a particular focus on the use of non-fiction books. This course helps teachers quench children’s desire for learning more about the world around them while building vocabulary, standards-based science, math, and social studies knowledge, and critical thinking skills.

Connecting School and Home
In this half-day seminar, participants learn specific techniques to strengthen the relationships among the teacher, child and family that are key to learning success. The session supports teachers in communicating and involving parents and family members in important classroom learning, and helps teachers support families in reinforcing learning at home. Focus is on making the classroom a literacy-rich and family-friendly environment, and opening the classroom door to parents and family members.

Developing Print-Awareness and Writing
In this half-day seminar, participants learn practical methods of helping children understand print and how it is used to carry a message. Techniques for developing young children’s ability to communicate through writing, including shared writing and scribbling, will be explored. Focus is on the reading-writing connection and building awareness of print concepts through books and beginning writing.

Teaching Each Child
Each child brings a unique family and cultural background as well as different strengths and interests. This session addresses how early childhood professionals can “teach each child” and create an inclusive environment so that every child achieves and experiences a positive learning experience. Special focus is on working within a diverse multi-cultural and multi-ethnic classroom and adapting or modifying instruction for individual needs.

Download a printable version of our Description of Half-Day Seminars. (PDF)

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