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Elementary Reading Academy

Levels: K–6
Length: 5 days (optional 6th day)
Audience: District and site administrators and teacher leader teams, with coaches as determined by the client

Description

The Reading Academy offers educators fundamental knowledge in effective reading practices for all learners, applying research-based reading practices to research-based basal textbook series. By taking all five topical sessions, participants gain a comprehensive understanding of the basic components of reading instruction.

NOTE: Sessions 3, 4, 5, and 6 may be taken separately. Sessions 1 and 2 must be taken together.

Participant Outcomes

• Understand the research on the particular essential components of reading instruction and link research to practice.
• Gain clear and explicit models of instructional routines.
• Practice using instructional routines specific to the particular topic.

Session Descriptions

Day 1: Overview, Linguistics, and Early Literacy

This session provides an overview of the scientific research on teaching reading, including basic linguistics, phonic elements, and print awareness and letter knowledge. (This session may not be taken separately; it must be combined with session 2.)

Day 2: Phonemic Awareness and Phonics

During this session, participants learn how to develop phonemic awareness as well as explicit, systematic phonics instruction, including effective corrective feedback and various forms of blending, and the application to decodable text. (This session may not be taken separately; it must be combined with session 1.)

Day 3: Multisyllabic Words and Fluency

This session addresses the techniques that help students transition from reading single-syllable words to reading multisyllabic words. In addition, participants learn effective techniques to foster reading fluency: accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression.

Day 4: Vocabulary

This session focuses on vocabulary development. Participants study word-learning strategies and specific word instruction, and experience active ways to promote “word consciousness.” The needs of English learners are addressed.

Day 5: Comprehension

This session focuses on the different ways to assist students to access both narrative and informational texts. Specific reading skills and strategies—including questioning, graphic organizers, and monitoring techniques—are presented using explicit instruction, with hands-on lesson models and practice.

Day 6: Reading Assessment for Effective Instruction (Optional)

This session guides participants through Assessing Reading: Multiple Measures and also lays out the basic principles and purposes of different types of assessments and what a comprehensive assessment blueprint looks like within the context of a three-tier system.

Sound Beginnings Workshop

Levels: PreK
Length: 3 days
Audience: Preschool educators and administrators, preschool education staff, and paraprofessionals

Description

The Sound Beginnings Workshop provides instruction for early childhood educators on critical early literacy topics. The workshop is intended to help educators understand current research and best practices, particularly the research and practices identified and articulated in the Report of the National Early Literacy Panel (NELP, 2008). The goal is for teachers to increase their skills and focus on the instruction that will make a significant difference in young children’s progress toward literacy. Topics include code-focused and explicit instruction, alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness, phonics, print awareness, handwriting, oral language, and shared reading, in addition to the more general topics of assessment, planning, and working with parentsThe workshop emphasizes active learning, and participants watch, learn, and practice techniques to ensure students are highly engaged, motivated, and able to demonstrate understanding of tasks. Video models of expert teachers demonstrate each method taught.

• Day 1 covers the early literacy topics of code-focused instruction, linguistics for code-focused instruction, phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, and phonics. Each topic includes research, instructional strategies, and participant practice of strategies. A number of video clips are used throughout the day. 
• Day 2 covers the early literacy topics of print awareness, handwriting, oral language, shared reading, and vocabulary. Each topic includes research, instructional strategies, and participant practice of strategies. A number of video clips are used throughout the day.
• Day 3 includes a planning process and two models of lesson design. In addition, this session includes family support ideas, assessment and information about preschool Response to Instruction.
  

Participant Outcomes

• Understand the critical components of early literacy instruction.
• Leave with lesson models.
• Understand an assessment resource.
• Learn ways to assist parents to provide home support.
• Plan the implementation of what has been learned.
  

Differentiated Instruction Workshop

Levels: K–6
Length: 1 day
Audience: K–6 classroom teachers, English learner and special education staff, site and district literacy administrators, and literacy coaches

Description

This one-day workshop is designed to facilitate the implementation of a three-tier approach within elementary schools. The session will present the three levels of student need (benchmark, strategic, and intensive) and the elements of instruction that can be differentiated (pace, complexity, and degree of explicitness). Participants will learn effective techniques to manage instruction and receive a 21-day planner. Techniques to support advanced learners will also be covered.

Participant Outcomes

• Become familiar with the three-tier approach to differentiation.
• Learn which instructional elements can be differentiated.
• Experience and practice techniques for managing differentiated instruction.

Vocabulary Development Workshop, K-6

Levels: K–6
Length: 1 day
Audience: Administrators, classroom teachers, English learner teachers, special education teachers, literacy coaches, and reading specialists

Description

This workshop provides educators with current research and effective practices to develop vocabulary knowledge in elementary school children. Participants learn and practice research-proven methods to directly teach important content vocabulary, teach students to figure out unknown words using simple word-learning techniques, and engage in fun and stimulating activities that foster “word consciousness.”

Participant Outcomes

• Know the current research on vocabulary development.
• Learn effective techniques for teaching specific words and effective strategies for teaching students to figure out unfamiliar words while reading.
• Have a repertoire of active strategies for promoting “word consciousness.”

Multisyllabic Words and Fluency Workshop, K-6

Levels: K–6
Length: 1 day
Audience: Administrators, classroom teachers, English learner teachers, special education teachers, literacy coaches, and reading specialists

Description

This session addresses the techniques that help students transition from reading single-syllable words to reading multisyllabic words. In addition, participants learn effective techniques to foster reading fluency: accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression.

Participant Outcomes

• Understand the research on fluency and link research to practice.
• Gain clear and explicit models of instructional routines.
• Practice using instructional routines specific to the multisyllabic words and fluency.

Comprehension Workshop, K-6

Levels: K–6
Length: 1 day
Audience: Administrators, classroom teachers, English learner teachers, special education teachers, literacy coaches, and reading specialists

Description

This session focuses on the different ways to assist students to access both narrative and informational texts. Specific reading skills and strategies—including questioning, graphic organizers, and monitoring techniques—are presented using explicit instruction, with hands-on lesson models and practice.

Participant Outcomes

• Understand the research on comprehension and link research to practice.
• Gain clear and explicit models of instructional routines.
• Practice using instructional routines specific to comprehension.

Preparing Proficient Elementary Writers Through Strong Language Foundations

Levels: K–6
Length: 2 days
Audience: Classroom teachers, resource teachers, and school administrators implementing writing instruction for elementary-level students

Description

This workshop provides teachers with the knowledge and strategies for teaching writing to both primary- and upper-grade elementary students, from basic sentence construction through longer compositions.

Participant Outcomes

• Become familiar with effective practices in writing instruction.
• Understand the differences between modern and traditional grammar.
• Understand the structure of English sentences and how to teach the sentence at a level of complexity appropriate for elementary students.
• Become familiar with expository text structures.
• Learn how to teach paragraph writing.
• Understand the structure and organization of longer compositions and selected essay types.

Reading Fundamentals

Levels: K–12
Length: 3 days
Audience: Administrators and teachers

Description

This three-session course covers the fundamentals of teaching reading. It is neither as extensive nor as deep as the Reading Academy; however, it can serve as a review or a short overview of five critical topics: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

Participant Outcomes

• Understand the basic principles of five critical reading foundational skills.
• See models of instructional lessons.
• Practice specific routines.

Selecting Research-Based Materials Workshop

Levels: K–6, 6–8, or 9–12 (intervention)
Length: 1 half-day per grade-level group
Audience: Curriculum and textbook adoption teams and/or school site staff

Description

This workshop provides guidance for any reading textbook and materials selection committee as they determine what materials will meet their needs and support the research on teaching reading. After using CORE’s “Consumer’s Guide” to making good material purchases, participants leave with criteria to consider and suggested resources. CORE does not recommend a specific program, but rather educates the decision makers so that they can make a truly informed decision based on their own needs.

Participant Outcomes

• Leave with criteria to consider and suggested resources.
• Efficiently narrow materials search.

Reading Assessment for Effective Instruction Workshop

Levels: K–12
Length: 1 day
Audience: K–6 classroom teachers, 6–12 intervention and reading teachers, English learner and special education staff, site and district literacy administrators, and literacy coaches

Description

This workshop explains basic principles and terminology of assessments used to plan classroom instruction and provides participants with the knowledge they need to select, administer, score, and interpret the results of assessment measures in each of the main areas of reading instruction. Participants practice administering key assessments and using assessment results to plan instruction. This workshop may be joined to the Reading Academy or taken separately.

Participant Outcomes

• Identify the four major types of assessment and their purposes.
• Become familiar with the content and administration of various assessments in phonemic awareness, decoding and word attack, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
• Understand how to use assessment as a basis for instructional decision making.
• Understand the role of assessment within a three-tier comprehensive literacy model.

Effective Instruction: Teachers Make the Difference

Levels: K–12
Length: 1 day
Audience: Administrators, all content-area teachers, coaches, and specialists

Description

This workshop is designed to improve teacher effectiveness in all subject areas and at all grade levels. Participants will broaden their understanding of factors and techniques that facilitate effective classroom instruction.

The workshop emphasizes active learning, and participants watch, learn, and practice techniques to ensure students are highly engaged, motivated, and able to demonstrate understanding of tasks. Video models of expert teachers demonstrate each method taught.

Participant Outcomes

• Learn attention-getting, monitoring, and partnering techniques to immediately use in the classroom.
• Acquire a set of specific techniques to foster active learning.
• Become skilled at ways to arrange the classroom for high-intensity instruction.
• Leave with a DVD containing 25 clips of outstanding teachers demonstrating the techniques.
  

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