Message from Dr. Janet Nadine Mort
Owner of Joyful Literacy (JL) Interventions
Order of British Columbia, 2020
Like Dr Michael Heggerty, for the past 20 years I have been researching why over 35% of all children struggle with literacy and designing appropriate intervention solutions. In an effort to support teachers Joyful Literacy (JL) has also offered over 40 Summits and hosted over 15,000 teachers with top-notch North American authors and researchers.
At these Summits teachers told us that while they were embracing the research and attempting to implement it in their classrooms, they found there was a paucity of high quality, evidence-based published resources. Our JL Team decided to conduct an analysis of the major offerings in the literacy world based on the latest best research available. Consistently Heggerty rose to the top as cream would on milk. We are delighted to join Heggerty in this partnership to support all classroom teachers.
Dr. Tracy White-Weeden
President/CEO, Neuhas Education Center
Sustainable literacy transformation is made possible when systems are prepped for change by doing the right work. Learn to prepare your system for measurable growth in student achievement, teacher knowledge, and leadership capacity through the application of the science of reading. This presentation will also position you to ensure your vision includes a strategy to address the upstream issue of teacher and leader preparation programs.
Dr. Julie Washington
Speech Pathologist/Professor, UCI
Teaching any child to read requires attention to language use and development. For children who speak varieties of English, in this case, African American children, equitable teaching requires that we recognize, affirm and integrate the language variety that they bring to reading into both instruction and learning. Extending the language expertise that African American children bring to school with them to include the language of print is critical for developing strong, lifelong reading skills. This has not been our approach to date. This presentation will examine the potential of translanguaging approaches to strengthen and support the reading outcomes of African American children who use African American English.
Dr. Anne Cunningham
Professor, UCB
Dr. Anne Cunningham is the Director of the Joint Doctoral Program in Special Education with the Graduate School of Education at Berkeley and the Historian of the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading.
• The two most impactful early reading skills in detail
• Classroom strategies that develop successful, motivated readers
• Raising literate, book-happy kids
Chelsea Mytko and Nathan Reist
Kindergarten Teachers in BC, Canada
Play is the universal language of children. Regardless of home language, race, socio-economic status, or background knowledge...children play! Come dive into this exciting world, as we explore the following topics:
• How can we bring the science of reading and this universal language of children together?
• A match made in heaven! How do we combine Heggerty's powerful Bridge to Reading explicit phonics instruction with Joyful Literacy's playful practice approach to move children to foundational skill mastery?
• How can we add extra doses of phonological awareness practice during transitions?
Alongside explicit, systematic phonics instruction, teachers are able to energize and inspire even the youngest children to read aloud through daily fluency lessons. Join Nathan and Chelsea as they use poetry and songs to practice foundational skills, including explicitly taught fluency skills, in shared reading experiences that bring joy each day of the week. Strengthen classroom communities and develop personal growth throughout the year with this fun and effective approach!
Erica Suarez and Laura Castro
Literacy Specialists, Heggerty
Small group instruction has been a way for teachers to provide students with targeted learning for many years. As you think about your small group literacy instruction in K-2 classrooms, these questions may come to mind:
• How do I best teach foundational skills during small group time?
• What components should I have as a part of my small group literacy lesson?
• Do I teach and reinforce Tier 1 learning targets or meet students where they are?
Lisa Klein M.Ed.
National Trainer, Keys to Literacy
Lisa Klein is Vice President at Keys to Literacy, an organization that delivers literacy professional development nationwide. Lisa is co-editor of Keys to Early Writing and Keys to Content Writing, as well as a contributor to several other Keys to Literacy PD offerings.
• Focuses on the prevention of reading difficulties among young children who are at-risk, particularly those who are living in poverty
• Features how to strengthen children’s language and literacy skills that serve as precursors to both successful reading, spelling, writing and math
• Emphasizing innovative ways to accelerate language and literacy learning
Marjorie Bottari
Director of Content, Heggerty
Decodable texts are an essential part of early reading instruction, providing emerging readers with a valuable tool to develop their foundational reading skills. However, questions often arise about this resource, such as: What is a decodable text? When should I use decodable texts? Is reading just decodable texts enough for my emerging readers? When should I transition to other types of readers? During this workshop, participants will:
• Gain a deeper understanding of what decodable texts are and their benefits
• Learn how to identify suitable texts for instructional goals
• Discover when and how to use decodable texts
Dr. Tim Rasinski
Professor of Literacy Education, Kent State University
With the publication of the report of the National Reading Panel as well as the Common Core Standards, reading instruction has come to be viewed as a science. Teachers have been mandated to follow reading instruction protocols that are based on scientific research. While not denying the need for scientifically validated approaches to teaching reading, it is important to note that teaching reading is also an art. Yet, the emphasis on the science of teaching reading has diminished artful approaches to reading instruction. In his presentation, Dr. Rasinski will make the case that effective teaching reading is both art and science, and he will explore ways that reading can be taught as both an art and a science.
Literacy Equity for Every Student Summit: September 27, 2024
Chelsea Mytko & Nathan Reist
Dr. Tim Rasinski