Presenter: Dr. Susan Sardy (July 28-29; August 4-5)
Session Title: How does a Story Read? Students can have fun with text while they improve their comprehension.
Audience: General
In a hands on session that links thinking, reading and writing, we will explore activities that improve comprehension. We will examine the assumptions that underlie transformations of written text and play with sentences and paragraphs from fiction and nonfiction passages. We will model activities and develop materials that help learners have a good time reading and writing while they discover how wording and organization reflect an author's intent.
Materials and equipment needed: Overhead projector, transparencies, markers, flip chart paper.
Preferred room arrangement: Tables of 6-8 rather than audience seating.
Presenter: Dr. Milton Baxter (July 28-29; August 4-5)
Session Title: Write to Learn: the Structured Use of Journals
Audience: Grades 3-12
Abstract: This session focuses on ways to use the journal to support instruction.
Reader-response journals and learning logs are just two of the strategies discussed in this workshop--along with various ways to use these strategies during the reading and post-reading stages of the reading process.
Presenter: Ms. Augusta Mann (July 28-29; August 4-5; August 18-19)
Session Title: Accelerated and Intensified Word Analysis and Vocabulary Building
for Low Achieving Students
Audience: K-2
Participants will engage in fun and reflective activities that help them learn instructional approaches that lead to accelerated attainment of skills in word analysis and vocabulary building for students who are performing below grade level. The basic components of a popular and effective program Street Phonics will be introduced and practiced. Handouts with directions and descriptions will be distributed.
Presenter: Ms. Naaz Hosseini (July 28-29; August 4-5; August 18-19)
Session Title: Multiple Intelligences for Reading Comprehension
Audience: General
How can non-verbal modes of representation help build verbal comprehension? This session will highlight the use of visual and bodily-kinesthetic intelligence in building comprehension. Participants will learn specific strategies that employ multiple intelligences to teach students to predict, infer, identify main idea, recognize cause and effect, and summarize as natural parts of the reading process.
Howard Gardner has said, "Naaz Hosseini is a pioneer. If I were looking for a program that uses movement and the body to inculcate deeper understanding in students, I would begin with this work."
Presenter: Ms. Kathy Mehigan (July 28-29; August 4-5; August 18-19)
Session Title: What Reading Strategies are in Your Student’s Toolbox?
Audience: Grades 2-5
The critical task for all readers is finding the right tool for a given reading task. In teaching, we call our tools teaching strategies. Just as every teacher comes equipped with a basic set of tools, every student needs his or her own toolbox of learning strategies. Effective reading strategies are not mysteriously acquired, but are a result of knowledge, conscious effort, and practice. When provided with teacher-modeling, explicit instruction, and guided and independent practice, all students can acquire effective strategies for personal learning..
This objective of this session is to provide participants with a variety of tools for helping students become effective readers. The session will explore the differences between a teaching strategy and a learning. Specific reading strategies will be presented that students can use to bring meaning to text. Each strategy will include (1) an explanation of WHAT the strategy is, (2) WHY it is important for learning, (3) a demonstration of the strategy, and (4) an opportunity for individual and group reflection.
Presenter: Mr. Robert Price (July 28-29; August 4-5; August 18-19)
Session Title: The Reading / Writing Process – A Cooperative Effort
Audience: K-3
A hands-on session that will create many practical ideas for reading and writing to implement across the curriculum. The session will include examples of how to build upon oral language skills in developing confident and successful readers / writers in the classroom. This includes hands-on experiences with guided reading, spelling, building vocabulary, comprehension, art, and thinking skills.
The session will include:
- using poetry and predictable books to build confidence with reading/writing skills
- modeling of reading / writing strategies with students
- developing high level questions and thinking with students
- working language with word development and usage
- effective spelling strategies
Presenter: Dr. Stephen Bloom (July 28-29; August 18-19)
Session Title: Connecting Reading and Mathematics – Length and Children’s Literature
Audience: K-2
In this session the participants will actively engage in using children’s literature as ‘springboards’ to mathematical investigations. Concepts related to linear measurement and the skills of developing and using measurement tools will be explored along with the use of the following strategies for increasing literacy: Reader’s Theater, Think-Pair-Share and Key Words (List-Group-Label.)
Presenter: Ms. Sheila Fridovich (July 28-29)
Session Title: Developing Interested and Motivated Readers
Audience: General
Five pre-reading strategies will be modeled to create the motivation and desire to elicit a meaningful reading experience. Comprehension can occur when prior experiences have been shared and the students are "equalized."
Presenter: Dr. Joyce Baltas (July 28-29; August 4-5; August 18-19)
Session Title: Understanding Non-fiction
Audience: General
This hands-on session will focus on three areas that can increase students’ comprehension of non-fiction: Background Knowledge, Structure of non-fiction and Content Specific Vocabulary. Strategies for accessing and building student background knowledge will be introduced, including Concept Attainment and Concept Development. Participants will learn the most common elements of non-fiction and how knowledge of these elements can increase their student’ comprehension and writing abilities. In addition, engaging strategies for increasing content specific vocabulary will be introduced.
Presenter: Ms. Akimi Gibson (August 4-5; August 18-19)
Session Title: Children As Meaning Makers: Reading and Writing Development
in Young Children
Audience: K-2 Teachers
Changes in our understanding of language learning have occurred in the past few decades due to extensive research on language and thinking. As we make new discoveries about language reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing and how it is learned, ideas about how we can best teach children change as well. This 2-hour workshop will present participants with a working, practical overview of the developmental nature of learning to read and write as well as its implication to instruction and teaching.
This hands-on workshop will allow participants to review and reflect on the history of the pedagogy examine the pathways of language development for young children understand the different kinds of experiences that foster children's language learning delve into the nature of planning a balanced literacy program explore how to create the optimal learning environment.
Presenter: Dr. Deborah Corpus (August 18-19 )
Session Title: Desert Island Reading Strategies
Audience: General
What would be some essential instructional strategies you’d use if you were stranded on a desert island with few materials other than some books to read, pencils, markers, and some blank paper? In this session, participants will experience instructional strategies that bring the books alive for readers without needing special materials of hours of preparation.
Presenter: Ms. Betty Hussain (July 28-29)
Session Title: What Color Are Your Eyes?: Reading Strategies for ESL Students
Audience: General
Limited English Proficient children face many difficulties acquiring literacy skills especially when they are just beginning to develop their own language. This session will address the daily concerns that teachers face in their classrooms regarding meeting the needs of LEP students and some very workable strategies that they can start using the next day.
Leadership Academy
Boundary Sessions
Site Visits
Principal Seminars
Databases
Schedules