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Literacy Skills Workshop Descriptions

Foundational Literacy Skills Instruction

For Students Who Are Performing Below Grade-Level Expectations

Appropriate for Title 1 & General Education

  • Learn Why Students Struggle to Read, Write & Spell
  • Simulate the Three Common Types of Reading Problems
  • Identify the Ten Critical Elements for Literacy Skills Assessment & Instruction Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary & Comprehension Syllable Type, Grammar, Morphology, Syntax & Semantics
  • Practice Assessment & Intervention Strategies
  • Construct Assessment & Intervention Tools
  • Link the Common Core Standards and NRP Report to Instructional Planning
  • Review Effective, Evidence-Based Methods & Materials for Intervention

Understanding Dyslexia

An Introduction to Effective Intervention

Appropriate for Intervention Specialists, Title 1 & General Education

  • Learn the Neurological Basis for Dyslexia
  • Simulate Dyslexia & Dysgraphia
  • Identify the Six Syllable Types of English that De-Mystify Phonics
  • Practice Syllable Division Rules for Multi-Syllable Word Attack & Morphology
  • Construct Phoneme Cards for Assessment & Instructional Activities
  • Review the Instructional Principles & Activities of the Orton-Gillingham Method
  • Build a Sample Lesson Plan Following the Orton-Gillingham Format

Survey of Structured Programs for Dyslexia Grades K-3

Recommended Prerequisite Workshop: Understanding Dyslexia

Appropriate for Intervention Specialists & Title 1 Tutors

  • Review the Critical Structures of English That Must Be Addressed
  • Review the Principles of Multi-Sensory Instruction
  • Review Evidence-Based, Structured, Multi-Sensory Programs for Grades K-3
  • Compare the Scope & Sequence of Various Structured Programs (Tiers 1-3)
  • Learn How to Integrate Strategies from Various Structured Programs
  • Identify Effective Strategies for Progress Monitoring

Programs Reviewed - Phonics for Reading, SPIRE, Phonics First, Wilson Fundations, Process Phonics, Stevenson Language Skills & more

Survey of Structured Programs for Dyslexia Grades 4-12

Recommended Prerequisite Workshop: Understanding Dyslexia

Appropriate for Intervention Specialists & Adult Literacy Tutors

  • Review the Critical Structures of English That Must Be Addressed

  • Review the Principles of Multi-Sensory Instruction
  • Review a Variety of Structured, Multi-Sensory Programs for Grades 4-12
  • Compare the Scope & Sequence of Various Structured Programs (Tiers 1-3)
  • Learn How to Integrate Strategies from Various Structured Programs
  • Identify Effective Strategies for Progress Monitoring

Programs Reviewed - Patterns for Success, REWARDS, Language!, Corrective Reading, Wilson Reading System, Words, Stevenson Overlapping & more

Literacy Skills Instruction for Students with Language or Cognitive Deficits

Appropriate for Intervention Specialists (including hearing impairments & autism)

Also Appropriate for ELL Tutors

  • Learn the Perceptual Model of Literacy Skills Development

  • Simulate Vision-Based, Decoding-Based & Language-Based Reading Problems
  • Review the 6 Syllable Types of English
  • Review the 10 Basic Sentence Patterns & Transformations of English
  • Compare the Scope & Sequence of Various Structured Programs (Tiers 1-3)

Programs Reviewed - Edmark, PCI, Reading Milestones, Apple Tree, Fokes Sentence Builder, Fitzgerald Key, Phelps Sentence Guide, Stevenson's Essential Grammar, more

Assessments for Identifying & Remediating Reading Skill Deficits

Formal & Informal Assessment Tools

Appropriate for Title 1, General Education, Intervention Specialists & Psychologists

  • Review the 5 Big Ideas from the National Reading Panel Report

  • Review the Structures of English Critical to Instruction & Assessment
  • Learn How to Administer, Score & Interpret Formal & Informal Assessment Tools
  • Match Instructional Strategies & Programs to Student Assessment Profiles

Tools Reviewed - CTOPP, DARTTS, Gallistel-Ellis, Gray Oral & more...plus informal assessments of phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary & comprehension

Stevenson Language Skills Program for Grades K-3

Recommended Prerequisite Workshop: Understanding Dyslexia

Appropriate for Interventions Specialists & Title 1

  • Review the Critical Structures of English for Literacy Instruction

  • Simulate Language-Based & Decoding-Based Reading Problems (dyslexia)
  • Identify the Principles of Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities
  • Analyze the Unique Sequence & Mnemonic Strategies of the Stevenson Approach
  • Learn Why the Stevenson Program Works for High or Low Cognitive Level Students
  • Practice Implementing Comprehensive Stevenson Lessons that Focus on Phonemic 

Awareness, Phonics, Decoding, Encoding, Vocabulary, Grammar, Syntax. Semantics & Penmanship

Stevenson Overlapping Strategy for Grades 4-12

Recommended Prerequisite Workshop: Understanding Dyslexia

Appropriate for Intervention Specialists

  • Compare the Streamlined Overlapping Strategy to the Regular Stevenson Program

  • Identify the Critical Structures of English for Literacy Instruction
  • Simulate Language-Based & Decoding-Based Reading Problems (dyslexia)
  • Review the Principles of Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities
  • Analyze the Unique Sequence & Mnemonic Strategies of the Stevenson Approach
  • Learn Why the Stevenson Program Works for High or Low Cognitive Level Students
  • Practice Implementing Comprehensive Stevenson Overlapping Lessons that Focus 

on Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Decoding, Encoding, Vocabulary, Grammar, Syntax. Semantics & Penmanship

Phonics for Reading

A Structured, Tier 1-2 Program for General Education & At-Risk Students, Grades 3-12

Appropriate for Title 1, General Education & Intervention Specialists

  • Review the Critical Structures of English for Literacy Instruction

  • Simulate Decoding-Based Reading Problems (dyslexia)
  • Review the Principles of Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities
  • Review the Scope & Sequence of Phonics for Reading
  • Practice Implementing Phonics for Reading Lessons
  • Learn to Integrate Strategies from Other Structured Programs

Teaching Written Expression

Multi-Sensory Strategies for Spelling, Penmanship & Composition 

Appropriate for General Education, Title 1 & Intervention Specialists

  • Identify the 6 Syllable Types & 10 Basic Sentence Patterns of English

  • Learn Strategies for Teaching Encoding, Penmanship, Vocabulary, Grammar & Syntax
  • Practice Writing Declarative, Imperative, Interrogative & Exclamatory Sentences
  • Compare the Organizational Structure of 5 Basic Types of Paragraphs

Programs & Materials Reviewed - Stevenson's Letters, Handwriting Without Tears, Big Strokes for Little Folks, Loops & Other Groups, Stevenson's Essential Grammar, REWARDS Writing, Framing Your Thoughts, Apple Tree Writing Curriculum - Plus related software applications including Write OutLoud, CoWriter, DraftBuilder, Kurzweil 3000, What You Need Now, Franklin Speaking Dictionaries, more

Subject-Area Accommodations for Students with Literacy Skill Deficits

Strategies & Technology for Students Who Struggle

Appropriate for General Education & Inclusion

  • Learn a Perceptual Model of Language & Literacy Skills (input-process-output)

  • Simulate Difficulties with Listening, Speaking, Reading, Spelling & Writing
  • Review Universal Design for Learning Principles
  • Identify High & Low Tech Interventions to Help Students Complete Assignments
  • Practice Determining Text Readability
  • Develop a Set of Structured Guided Notes for Lecture & Study
  • Review the 24 "Learning How to Learn" Skills for Direct Instruction

REWARDS - Multisyllabic Word Reading Strategies

Decoding Strategies for Intermediate & Secondary Students

Appropriate for Intervention Specialists & General Education

  • Learn Systematic Strategies for Decoding Words Containing 2-8 Syllables

  • Review the Six Basic Syllable Types of English
  • Review the Morphological Structures of English
  • Practice Teaching Structured REWARDS Lessons
  • Integrate Multi-Sensory Techniques into REWARDS Activities
  • Read Content Area Passages Accurately & Fluently
  • Link REWARDS to Other Structured Programs
  • Apply REWARDS Multisyllabic Word Reading Strategies to Content-Area Texts
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