Contact Information:
Email: [email protected]
Professional Development Sessions:
- WordBuilder Intervention: Helping Students Read & Spell Multisyllabic Words
- UFLI Foundations Teacher Training
- Providing Effective Intervention for Students with Dyslexia in Middle and High School
- Morphology Matters: Bringing the Orton-Gillingham Approach to Secondary Students
- Directed Reading and Thinking Activities (DRTA): An Engaging Way to Increase Time with Text
- The Six Steps of Robust Vocabulary Instruction
- Pass on the Popcorn and Goodbye Round Robin- Increasing Students' Opportunities to Read (OtR)
Please do not hesitate to request specific topics. All professional development can be tailored to meet the needs of your context, and PD can be offered virtually or in-person.
Professional Development Descriptions:
1. WordBuilder Intervention: Helping Students Read & Spell Multisyllabic Words
Description: WordBuilder Intervention is a free instructional tool that supports older striving readers in breaking down, building, and spelling multisyllabic words. Teachers can access this tool on iPads, or in a web-based format. This session demonstrates how to effectively use the tool with students to improve reading outcomes.
Length: This session can be presented in 2, 4, or 6-hours. The 6-hour option includes time for participants to work through the WordBuilder e-learning modules.
Objectives:
Target Audience: Upper Elementary & Secondary Teachers, Special Educators, Instructional Coaches, Reading Interventionists, & District Leaders
Materials: Handouts Provided & Access to WordBuilder Intervention
Description: WordBuilder Intervention is a free instructional tool that supports older striving readers in breaking down, building, and spelling multisyllabic words. Teachers can access this tool on iPads, or in a web-based format. This session demonstrates how to effectively use the tool with students to improve reading outcomes.
Length: This session can be presented in 2, 4, or 6-hours. The 6-hour option includes time for participants to work through the WordBuilder e-learning modules.
Objectives:
- Navigate through the screens of WordBuilder and know the functionality of each screen.
- Describe the progression of the WordBuilder Scope and Sequence.
- Teach the steps of the decoding strategy.
- Lead students from breaking down a word to mastering a word using WordBuilder.
- Effectively prompt when common student errors occur in WordBuilder.
Target Audience: Upper Elementary & Secondary Teachers, Special Educators, Instructional Coaches, Reading Interventionists, & District Leaders
Materials: Handouts Provided & Access to WordBuilder Intervention
2. UFLI Foundations Teacher Training
Description: UFLI Foundations is an explicit and systematic phonics program that was created for Tier 1 instruction in grades K-2. However, it is appropriate for use as an intervention program in K-12. This session leads teachers through how to place students into the program, the procedures for the eight steps of the program, and the curriculum embedded progress monitoring. This training has no affiliation with University of Florida.
Length: The UFLI Foundations training can be offered in two 1-hour sessions, four 2-hour sessions, or one 6-hour session.
Objectives:
Target Audience: Elementary Teachers, Special Educators, Instructional Coaches, Reading Interventionists, & District Leaders
Materials: Please purchase the UFLI Foundations manual for teachers before holding this training: https://www.ventrislearning.com/uflifoundations/
Description: UFLI Foundations is an explicit and systematic phonics program that was created for Tier 1 instruction in grades K-2. However, it is appropriate for use as an intervention program in K-12. This session leads teachers through how to place students into the program, the procedures for the eight steps of the program, and the curriculum embedded progress monitoring. This training has no affiliation with University of Florida.
Length: The UFLI Foundations training can be offered in two 1-hour sessions, four 2-hour sessions, or one 6-hour session.
Objectives:
- Become familiar with the UFLI Foundations manual
- Locate resources for lesson implementation
- Use diagnostic assessments to place students into the program
- Plan and practice implementing the eight steps of a UFLI Foundations Lesson
- Create a schedule for implementation
- Conduct curriculum embedded progress monitoring
Target Audience: Elementary Teachers, Special Educators, Instructional Coaches, Reading Interventionists, & District Leaders
Materials: Please purchase the UFLI Foundations manual for teachers before holding this training: https://www.ventrislearning.com/uflifoundations/
3. Providing Effective Intervention for Students with Dyslexia in Middle and High School
Description: In this session, we examine the adolescent striving reader through several prominent reading frameworks. What does it mean if a student is identified as having dyslexia vs. experience-based reading difficulties? A system of school-wide MTSS and effective classroom instructional practices will be discussed. This session is geared towards middle and high school.
Length: 2-3 hours
Objectives:
Target Audience: Secondary Teachers, Special Educators, Instructional Coaches, Reading Interventionists, & District Leaders
Materials: Handouts Provided & Access to IES Practice Guide: Providing Reading Interventions for Students in Grades 4-9.
Description: In this session, we examine the adolescent striving reader through several prominent reading frameworks. What does it mean if a student is identified as having dyslexia vs. experience-based reading difficulties? A system of school-wide MTSS and effective classroom instructional practices will be discussed. This session is geared towards middle and high school.
Length: 2-3 hours
Objectives:
- Understand the specific challenges of the adolescent striving reader
- Understand dyslexia vs. experience-based reading difficulties
- Examine effective school-wide MTSS for middle and high school
- Examine effective classroom instructional practices across Tier 1, Tier 2, & Tier 3
Target Audience: Secondary Teachers, Special Educators, Instructional Coaches, Reading Interventionists, & District Leaders
Materials: Handouts Provided & Access to IES Practice Guide: Providing Reading Interventions for Students in Grades 4-9.
4. Morphology Matters: Bringing the Orton-Gillingham Approach to Secondary Students
Description: In this session participants will take a deeper dive into the morphology aspect of the Orton-Gillingham Approach. Many teachers understand that morphology is an important aspect of structured literacy instruction, but they may not be familiar with how to implement this instruction in their classrooms. In this training, teachers will learn the basics of morphology, how to teach students to conduct morphological problem solving, and also receive a wide variety of activities that they can immediately use with students.
Length: 2-3 hours
Objectives:
Target Audience: Secondary Teachers, Special Educators, Instructional Coaches, Reading Interventionists, & District Leaders
Materials: Handouts Provided & Access to the CALIReads Morphology Module
Description: In this session participants will take a deeper dive into the morphology aspect of the Orton-Gillingham Approach. Many teachers understand that morphology is an important aspect of structured literacy instruction, but they may not be familiar with how to implement this instruction in their classrooms. In this training, teachers will learn the basics of morphology, how to teach students to conduct morphological problem solving, and also receive a wide variety of activities that they can immediately use with students.
Length: 2-3 hours
Objectives:
- Understand the specific challenges of the adolescent striving reader
- Examine the Orton-Gillingham Instructional Approach
- Apply the Orton-Gillingham Approach to morphology instruction
- Learn basic morphology terminology and concepts
- See demonstrations of effective morphology instruction
- Take away a wide variety of morphology activities for use in the classroom
Target Audience: Secondary Teachers, Special Educators, Instructional Coaches, Reading Interventionists, & District Leaders
Materials: Handouts Provided & Access to the CALIReads Morphology Module
5. Directed Reading and Thinking Activities (DRTA): An Engaging Way to Increase Time with Text
Description: Directed Reading and Thinking Activities (DRTA) embed a multitude of comprehension strategies during the silent reading of one text. This use of strategies supports students in reading challenging texts in a whole class setting. In this session teachers will learn how to use this activity with students, receive a wide variety of pre-made activities to get started, and learn how to create their own DRTA.
Length: 2-3 hour session or 6-hour session
Objectives:
Target Audience: Upper Elementary Teachers, Secondary Teachers, Special Educators, Instructional Coaches, Reading Interventionists, & District Leaders
Materials: Participants will receive a copy of the DRTA Activity Book with more than 20 ready to use activities!
Description: Directed Reading and Thinking Activities (DRTA) embed a multitude of comprehension strategies during the silent reading of one text. This use of strategies supports students in reading challenging texts in a whole class setting. In this session teachers will learn how to use this activity with students, receive a wide variety of pre-made activities to get started, and learn how to create their own DRTA.
Length: 2-3 hour session or 6-hour session
Objectives:
- Learn the rationale behind DRTA
- Demonstrate use of DRTA with a script
- Create a DRTA with an article specific to their content area
Target Audience: Upper Elementary Teachers, Secondary Teachers, Special Educators, Instructional Coaches, Reading Interventionists, & District Leaders
Materials: Participants will receive a copy of the DRTA Activity Book with more than 20 ready to use activities!
6. The Six Steps of Robust Vocabulary Instruction
Description: In this session teachers will learn how to select Tier 2 and 3 words from their content area text and implement a streamlined vocabulary routine that follows six steps.
Length: 2-3 hour session
Objectives:
Target Audience: Elementary Teachers, Secondary Teachers, Special Educators, Instructional Coaches, Reading Interventionists, & District Leaders
Materials: Participants will receive activities that they can take back to the classroom for immediate use- including Plays on Words Reader's Theater scripts. Additionally, Bringing Words to Life is the recommended text for this PD: https://www.amazon.com/Bringing-Words-Life-Second-Instruction/dp/1462508162
Description: In this session teachers will learn how to select Tier 2 and 3 words from their content area text and implement a streamlined vocabulary routine that follows six steps.
Length: 2-3 hour session
Objectives:
- Explain the difference between Tier 1, Tier 2, & Tier 3 words
- Select words to teach from a content area text
- Plan and practice six steps of a vocabulary routine
- Learn and implement engaging follow up activities that can be used to solidify and review word meanings
Target Audience: Elementary Teachers, Secondary Teachers, Special Educators, Instructional Coaches, Reading Interventionists, & District Leaders
Materials: Participants will receive activities that they can take back to the classroom for immediate use- including Plays on Words Reader's Theater scripts. Additionally, Bringing Words to Life is the recommended text for this PD: https://www.amazon.com/Bringing-Words-Life-Second-Instruction/dp/1462508162
7. Pass on the Popcorn and Goodbye Round Robin- Increasing Students' Opportunities to Read (OtR)
Description: Participants will understand the importance of providing students with Opportunities to Read (OtR) text orally and how to establish classroom routines that promote OtRs: partner reading, choral reading techniques, and scaffolds for striving readers.
Length: 1-2 hour session
Objectives:
Target Audience: Elementary Teachers, Special Educators, Instructional Coaches, Reading Interventionists, & District Leaders
Materials: Participants will receive handouts of a variety of ways to read text and when those strategies are best applied.
Description: Participants will understand the importance of providing students with Opportunities to Read (OtR) text orally and how to establish classroom routines that promote OtRs: partner reading, choral reading techniques, and scaffolds for striving readers.
Length: 1-2 hour session
Objectives:
- Learn the rationale behind providing ample opportunities to read text in each phase of reading development
- Become familiar with a variety of techniques that promote text reading
- Plan for implementation of techniques within the classroom
Target Audience: Elementary Teachers, Special Educators, Instructional Coaches, Reading Interventionists, & District Leaders
Materials: Participants will receive handouts of a variety of ways to read text and when those strategies are best applied.