Reading in the Rockies 2010 - Schedule

Friday, October 15, 2010

• Registration & Continental Breakfast - 7:15 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.
• Sessions Begin at 8:15 a.m.

Friday Morning Sessions - 8:15 – 11:45

Joe Torgesen

Teaching ALL Students to Read: Is it really possible?

The last 25 years of research have identified some widely accepted principles of effective reading instruction and intervention for students with reading difficulties. In this presentation, Dr. Torgesen will describe what is known about effective instruction in each tier of instruction and intervention for both younger and older students. He will provide examples of effective instruction and interventions from both research and from successful applications in schools. As the former lead researcher at the Florida Center for Reading Research, Dr. Torgesen will provide data and resources to insure the outcomes we desire for all students.

Stuart Greenberg

Implementation and Empowerment Strategies that Produce Success

As we learn what we can and must do to impact successful teaching and interventions for students in reading, what must we do next as administrators and faculty to ensure consistent growth and gains? We will look at design, data and outcomes to see what successful RtI can accomplish. Further, we will address the issues of creating empowered teams, including parental participation in the overall outcomes, which can result in accelerated student achievement.

Lunch – Noon – 1:00 p.m.

Friday Afternoon Sessions – 1:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Session F101 - Joe Torgesen and Stuart Greenberg

RTI Think Tank - Administrators, Team Leaders, SPED Directors

This RTI 'think tank' opportunity has been created to allow educators the opportunity to spend time assessing current practice: challenges and successes and to provide a forum and facilitated conversation to address issues related to reading. This session will be a productive and inspiring opportunity for collaboration, problem solving and vision for leaders from around our state. Dr. Torgesen and Dr. Greenberg will bring a research and outcome perspective based on the results that they have experienced first hand in their roles with the Florida Center for Reading Research and The Florida Department of Education. We have also included teams from Colorado who are currently producing successful outcomes for students to share their plans and data. (This session will end at 4:30.)

Session F102 - Ron Yoshimoto

Powerful Outcomes for All Students: Teaching Reading, Spelling and Writing

The presenter, a master trainer, practitioner and Orton Gillingham fellow, will discuss and demonstrate the use of multisensory structured language (MSL) strategies for teaching decoding, spelling and writing. MSL techniques enrich the process of teaching and learning and provide students with multiple avenues for understanding and practicing materials that need to be mastered for success. Multisensory procedures for small groups and classrooms will be described and demonstrated in this hands-on workshop. A large quantity of curriculum materials related to MSL will be provided to the participants on a CD.

Session F103 - Elizabeth Moore

What Is It So Important About Teaching Handwriting? Everything!

Handwriting is the kinesthetic avenue to the brain. It has the potential to become a powerful support system to the acquisition of skills in reading and spelling. This presentation will include a brief history of writing, the importance of its instruction, the neurological underpinnings of handwriting, the developmental stages of writing in childhood and in those children with writing difficulties, strategies for remediation at the gross and fine motor levels for writing, including ways to strengthen hand function and improve pencil grip, and the case for cursive. Attendees will learn the basic principles of handwriting instruction, how to make it automatic and enjoyable for students so that their working memory is not cluttered with letter formation issues, and how to connect it to the sound/symbol system of reading instruction and the writing of words and sentences. Attendees will also have the opportunity to practice many of the techniques presented, as this session will be interactive.

Session F104 - Denise Ensslin

Executive Functions – Keys to Understanding: Part 1 - Teens

As the name implies, executive function refers to high-level abilities that influence more basic abilities like attention, memory and motor skills. Executive function is necessary for goal-directed behavior, including the ability to initiate and stop actions, to monitor and change behavior as needed, and to plan future behavior when faced with novel tasks and situations. Executive function allows us to anticipate outcomes and adapt to changing situations. The ability to form concepts and think abstractly are often considered components of executive function. We will look deeply into these issues and attempt to broaden participants' understanding by providing resources and skills to support students with these challenges in successfully navigating school and life.

Session F105 - Katie Cashette

Twice Exceptional Students, Twice Exceptional Teaching

Students who are gifted and dyslexic bring their own special gifts and challenges to educators. The question we must answer is, how do we meet their educational needs while teaching them how to read? Master educator, Katie Cashette, will demonstrate how she works with her students at the Liberty School in Durango, Colorado where the educational model is specifically designed to meet the particular needs of academically gifted, dyslexic and twice exceptional students. These students are motivated and inspired to learn and excel in all areas of their education. This model inspires success in all students as it addresses their individual strengths and builds positive outcomes in their areas of weakness.

Open Annual Meeting, Silent Auction - 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Please join us for The International Dyslexia Association - Rocky Mtn Branch's Annual Meeting and Speaker Reception and Silent Auction. Everyone is welcome! Network, snack and join like minded folks who know what a great time we have!

Appetizers and 1 complimentary drink for members.

$20.00 for non-members. Join IDA at https://www.interdys.org/olssecure/JoinorRenew.aspx for reduced conference fee's, a complementary drink, appetizers and year round events free or at reduced cost. In addition you will receive Perspectives and Annals of Dyslexia.

Saturday October 16, 2010

• Registration & Continental Breakfast - 7:15 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.

Saturday Morning Sessions - 8:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

Session S106 - Stuart Greenberg

Recharging Comprehension

Comprehension is the desired outcome of all reading instruction. This workshop focuses on ways to prepare a student for increased comprehension as they read. Evidence-based practices for scaffolding comprehension will be discussed. This interactive session provides practical suggestions for teachers to deepen their teacher modeling and tools for powerful comprehension instruction. Participants will learn options to the read/follow-up-question approach to reading comprehension. A simple lesson-planning tool will be introduced, and participants can analyze materials they currently use and consider how they might be energized and updated.

Session S107 - Ron Yoshimoto

Multisensory Teaching Across Subject Areas – Research Proven Tools to Enrich Teaching and Improve Student Success

Ron Yoshimoto will show how to integrate multisensory structured language with thinking skills, math, science, vocabulary, grammar, and social studies. The workshop is hands-on and participants will be asked to bring some materials for the science integration.

Session S108 - Anne Webb

Developing Passionate, Successful Writers

What are the common difficulties with written expression among students who struggle to express their thoughts in a written format? Often students have difficulty organizing and sequencing what they want to say. They get stuck in the big picture and struggle with putting all of the pieces together. Anne Webb has blended tools from various programs, including Project Read and Step Up to Writing, to develop a color paragraph and a manipulative approach to grammar and writing that moves easily from oral language to sentence level to a paragraph. This stress reducing approach allows students to produce quality writing with ease. Using this approach in any classroom setting can improve the quality of written expression for every student.

Session S109 - Elizabeth Moore

What Is It So Important About Teaching Handwriting? Everything!

Handwriting is the kinesthetic avenue to the brain. It has the potential to become a powerful support system to the acquisition of skills in reading and spelling. This presentation will include a brief history of writing, the importance of its instruction, the neurological underpinnings of handwriting, the developmental stages of writing in childhood and in those children with writing difficulties, strategies for remediation at the gross and fine motor levels for writing, including ways to strengthen hand function and improve pencil grip, and the case for cursive. Attendees will learn the basic principles of handwriting instruction, how to make it automatic and enjoyable for students so that their working memory is not cluttered with letter formation issues, and how to connect it to the sound/symbol system of reading instruction and the writing of words and sentences. Attendees will also have the opportunity to practice many of the techniques presented, as this session will be interactive.

Lunch – Noon – 1:00 p.m.

Saturday Afternoon Session – 1:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Session S110 - Brittany Morris, Anthony True, Jacob Murphy and Mary V Benoit

Dyslexia 101 - What Students With Dyslexia want Educators (and parents) to Know

Who understands dyslexia better than the students who deal with the challenge daily? These bright kids will share the facts, the research, the impact and implications of dyslexia. They will also share their personal journeys and challenges. This presentation will help participants to empower students and address their needs at school and at home.

Session S111 - Ron Yoshimoto

It is All Greek to Me

The presenter will discuss the importance of morphology for developing vocabulary as well as enhancing decoding and encoding skills. Procedures for introducing prefixes, roots, and suffixes and for providing card drills will be demonstrated. Additionally, the presenter will demonstrate how to integrate morphology with math, science, and social studies.

Session S112 - Lori McCauley

The ABCs of Teaching Writing Systematically

The challenge of getting words onto paper can be daunting for some students. The HillWrite program is a structured, systematic writing program created to meet the needs of our most impacted students. It will also provide a structure for teaching writing to all students. Designed to be implemented 4:1 within a 45-60 minute class period, the focus in on teaching spelling, handwriting, copying/dictation, and the writing process. It is especially effective as a Tier 2 or Tier 3 intervention. This practical presentation includes instructional segments with real students!

Session F104 - Denise Ensslin

Executive Functions – Keys to Understanding: Part 2 - Elementary School Students

As the name implies, executive function refers to high-level abilities that influence more basic abilities like attention, memory and motor skills. Executive function is necessary for goal-directed behavior, including the ability to initiate and stop actions, to monitor and change behavior as needed, and to plan future behavior when faced with novel tasks and situations. Executive function allows us to anticipate outcomes and adapt to changing situations. The ability to form concepts and think abstractly are often considered components of executive function. We will look deeply into these issues and attempt to broaden participants' understanding by providing resources and skills to support students with these challenges in successfully navigating school and life.

Session S114 - Melody Ilk and Pati Montgomery

The Alameda Project – Guiding a Successful RTI Literacy Initiative

This session will discuss a 5-year roadmap of one group of Colorado schools who are successfully closing the achievement gap in reading and writing. Presenters will discuss the critical components that need to be put in place in order to be successful in making dramatic school change. These components include, examining the data to understand the instructional strengths and weaknesses of your students; the necessary resources to use or purchase to ensure proper curriculum is taught; what professional development to put into place that aligns with the school-wide change; how instruction progresses to ensure consistent and systematic implementation; what school structures need to be in place to support the plan and how to deal with the expected challenges that will arise with this school-wide change.