Grades 4-12
Increase Reading Achievement with Engaged Reading
John Guthrie reminds us that too many students are disengaged from literacy, leading to poor reading comprehension and content knowledge. Participants will explore the research on reading engagement and its link to reading achievement. Along the way, they’ll discover best practices for increasing reading comprehension through sustained, engaged reading in all content areas.
Grades 6-12
The Nuts and Bolts of a Classroom Library
Developing a quality classroom library requires careful planning and organization. This workshop introduces participants to the research on the importance of classroom libraries and reading volume. Participants will learn what characteristics influence whether or not classroom libraries are effective and how they may be used to improve student reading performance. If you want to learn how to get a classroom library started then this workshop is for you.
Taking the Classroom Library to New Heights
Take an in-depth look at specific strategies for encouraging students to use the classroom library for independent reading. This workshop addresses how to better understand students’ classroom library habits, then how to put that information to its best use. Participants will also learn how to develop an effective management system for assessing students’ use of the classroom library and tracking their independent reading practice.
When They Aren’t Reading During SSR
Do you find that students aren’t focused during SSR (sustained silent reading) time? Or that your students have a hard time transferring their oral reading skills to independent reading? This workshop will look at the research of several independent reading experts and explore ways to scaffold silent reading.Teachers will discover specific strategies to structure daily independent reading time and scaffold independent reading success.
Meeting Students’ Needs with Differentiated Reading Instruction
Learn how to “shake-up” instruction to meet the individual needs of all students. Beginning with guidelines on how to assess prior knowledge to set the stage, participants will learn how to better differentiate for content, process, and product and utilize tiered assignments for nurturing higher order thinking skills.
(Re)Connecting Adolescent Males to Reading
This workshop will explore the alarming trends regarding the literacy learning of adolescent males and how teachers can create a classroom climate to reconnect them to reading. Participants will learn how to build students’ textual lineages with high-interest fiction and nonfiction, and re-engage older boys with text through independent reading, book clubs, and inquiry circles.
Strengthening Adolescent Writers with Mentor Texts
Learn how to use mentor texts to strengthen adolescent writers. This session will explore how to use mentor texts for writing craft mini-lessons that inspire revision rather than recopying. Experience how students can evaluate writing for voice, vision, craft, and the 6 + 1 Traits of Writing, then apply those standards to their own writing.
Building a Classroom Community of Readers and Writers
How can secondary teachers build a classroom of engaged, thoughtful readers and writers? This workshop will share best practices for creating a reading and writing workshop for older students. Participants will explore how to build a classroom community with culturally responsive teaching that utilizes literacy collaboratives to engage students in meaningful reading and writing experiences
Building Powerful Readers with Powerful Vocabulary
Learn research-based vocabulary strategies, using high-interest fiction and nonfiction. Find out how to engage students with motivating read-alouds centered on word learning. Discover how to assess students’ word knowledge and ability to apply vocabulary strategies with authentic text in all content areas.
Creating Strategic Readers in the Content Areas
Participants will explore the principles of comprehension and learn how to scaffold content-area instruction in whole-group, small-group, and independent practice. They’ll also learn hands-on activities and examine lessons that help students get the most out of content-area reading.
Fostering Inquiry and 21st Century Critical-Thinking Skills in the Classroom
Learn how to create an inquiry-based classroom that fosters critical-thinking skills in all content areas. Participants will learn how to frame curriculum around essential questions, take students through the various levels of higher-order thinking skills, and build students’ ability to analyze textual evidence.
Digging Deeper with Differentiation
Want to learn how to effectively differentiate instruction using student data? This workshop will address how to tailor differentiated instruction within small groups. Participants will explore characteristics of the specific reading stages and create differentiated small group lesson plans to meet the needs of emergent, early, transitional, and fluent readers.
Managing the Differentiated Classroom
This workshop will focus on strategies to organize and manage the differentiated classroom. Participants will explore how to set up the classroom, plan for differentiation, and set student goals. They’ll also learn how to form and manage meaningful centers, utilize the right resources, and create an action plan to implement the differentiated classroom successfully.
Using the 6 + 1 Traits to Create Powerful Writers
Wouldn’t it be great if there were a single strategy to make all students powerful writers? This workshop will focus on the use of 6 + 1 Traits of Writing based on the research of Ruth Culham. Participants will learn new ways to use picture books to plan in-depth writing lessons, create a community of writers, and help students to assess, revise, and improve their own writing.
Increasing Reading Achievement with the Common Core State Standards(For Administrators)
In this workshop, administrators will explore the latest research on the CCSS and better understand what the standards should look like in the classroom. They’ll learn how schools can increase reading achievement with strategies and resources that improve students’ ability to comprehend literary and information texts of increasing complexity.
Increasing Reading Achievement with the Common Core State Standards (For Teachers)
Designed specifically for teachers, this workshop explores the latest research on the CCSS and text complexity, and ways to help students comprehend literary and informational texts of increasing complexity. Along the way, teachers will learn more about strategies that foster evidence-based readers and thinkers in all content areas.
Understanding Text Complexity
Many educators are challenged each day with the task of selecting appropriate text for students. This workshop will explore the three factors of text complexity defined by the CCSS. Utilizing engaging literary and informational text, educators will learn about qualitative and quantitative evaluations of text, and how matching readers to text and tasks can build literacy.
Unlock the Secrets of Informational Text
With the rise of the CCSS, it’s incumbent on us all to help students better understand informational text. This workshop will examine the common features of informational text and the demands this text places on readers. Participants will learn strategies to help students navigate informational text, improve reading comprehension, build motivation, and increase content-area knowledge.
