Differentiated Instruction Workshop
Levels: K–6
Length: 1 day
Audience: K–6 classroom teachers, English-language 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.
Multisyllabic Words and Fluency Workshop, K-6
Levels: K–6
Length: 1 day
Audience: Administrators, classroom teachers, English-language 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.
Functional Grammar and Writing for Elementary Workshop
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.
Functional Grammar and Writing for Adolescents Workshop
Levels: 6-12
Length: 2 days
Audience: Classroom teachers, resource teachers, and school administrators implementing writing instruction in grades 6–12.
Description
This workshop provides teachers with the knowledge and strategies for teaching writing to adolescents, from basic sentence construction to longer compositions.
Participant Outcomes
- Become familiar with best 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 older 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.
Decoding Instruction for Adolescents Workshop
Levels: 6-12
Length: 1 day
Audience: 6–12 intervention teachers, English-language learner teachers, special education teachers, reading teachers, and coaches
Description
This workshop explains the basic principles of teaching decoding to adolescent students and includes a brief review of linguistic concepts that are important to understand in order to teach phonics. Participants learn phonics concepts and practice key instructional techniques, including the introduction of sound/spellings and the use of blending and decodable text with older students. Several approaches and methods for teaching students to read multisyllabic words are presented, and reading assessment is addressed.
Participant Outcomes
- Understand the concept of phonemic awareness as the underpinning for learning to decode.
- Learn specific ways to teach phonics and why phonics instruction is vital for struggling readers.
- Learn strategies for teaching high-frequency words.
- Practice ways to teach students to recognize multisyllabic words.
Fluency Workshop, 6-12
Levels: 6-12
Length: 1 day
Audience: 6–12 intervention teachers, English-language learner teachers, special education teachers, reading teachers, and coaches.
Description
This workshop focuses on instructional methods for teaching students to become fluent readers and spotlights the relationship between fluency and comprehension. Highlights include specific techniques to increase time on text and promote rereading: Reader’s Theatre, active learning, and repeat reading.
Participant Outcomes
- Understand the concept of fluency and its importance to reading achievement.
- Learn methods and tools for fluency assessment.
- Learn strategies for building reading fluency.