Grade Level Reading Workshops
Curbing Chronic Early Absenteeism: An Integral Component of Promoting Early School Success
Hedy Chang, Consultant , Annie E. Casey Foundation; Maryclaire Knight, Making Connections Providence; and Jael Lopes, YMCA of Greater Providence
It has long been recognized that chronic absenteeism (missing 10% or more of school) is a significant problem with highly visible negative consequences for children. The data are robust enough to sound a clear challenge to educators, policymakers, and researchers concerned with early childhood success. Learn from national research and hands-on experience in Providence, Rhode Island about how to partner with families to identify and address barriers to school attendance as an integral component of promoting early school success.
Exploring Children's Digital Media: Past, Present, and Future
Erica Branch-Ridley and Randell Bynum, Sesame Workshop
In this session, representatives from The Electric Company, one of the innovative arms of Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind Sesame Street, will introduce ways in which deliberate applications of digital media can impact children's literacy, health, and global citizenship. With a special focus on broadband resources for ages 6-9, participants will discover new games, activities, and educational materials available at the click of a mouse! Looking beyond school-age children to ‘tweens and teens,' this session will also explore the "new normalcy" of digital media use among adolescents and the role that video games, the Web, mobile devices, and other emerging technologies play in young children's out-of-school time learning.
Learning Exchange: Supports for Grade Level Reading
Cecil Brewton and Betty Wolfe, George Washington Carver Community School; Sarah Weir, White Center Community Development Association; and Zulema Inai, Mile High United Way
Grade level reading depends as much on children being healthy and prepared to succeed in school as on reading strategies during the literacy block. Find out from school-based educators and community leaders in the Making Connections national initiative how they help striving readers reach grade level benchmarks by using individualized reading success plans, by identifying and addressing health issues, and by engaging community residents and parents. Come ready to share your experience and ideas so we can learn from each other.
Making the Grade with English Learners After School
Claudia Weisburd, Foundations, Inc. Center for Afterschool Education
English language learners are the fastest growing segment of the school-age population, yet the achievement gap for ELs remains frighteningly and stubbornly persistent. Learn how afterschool can provide ELs with essential language learning opportunities that boost language and literacy skills - afterschool style. Identify key strategies that you can use in your own school-afterschool collaboration and program quality-building to help ELs succeed in and through school, to graduation, and beyond
Partnering with Traditionally Uninvolved Parents
Teneh Weller, High Expectations Parental Service
Do you find it difficult to partner with all of your parents? Does it seem like you have the most difficulty reaching out to the parents that you need to partner with the most? This workshop will provide specific strategies for partnering with traditionally uninvolved parents to promote student success in reading comprehension. Help parents understand how reading is taught in school and how they can support mastery at home. Bring your colleagues and develop a plan for your own school community that will bridge the gap between home and school.
Success for Boys: Engaging Striving Readers
Michele Rodgers and Phyllis Glassman, Foundations, Inc.
In this hands-on literacy workshop, the presenters and participants will explore current best practices for achieving grade level reading for boys. The workshop will address language and literacy skills using current research on teaching reading to striving male readers. Participants will learn about instructional strategies that will enhance the phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension skills of students in kindergarten through grade five.
The Electric Company: Media and Outreach Pathways to Programmatic Success
Randell Bynum and Victoria Crispin, Sesame Workshop
Join Sesame Workshop, the people behind Sesame Street, as they reintroduce The Electric Company. This session introduces innovative methods to utilize media as an integral asset of your program. Designed to meet the needs of children 6-9 years of age with research based, multimedia content, today's Electric Company is fun and engaging. In this session, participants will have a hands-on opportunity to discover ways to engage struggling readers and connect with their communities around literacy initiatives for the whole family.
Twenty First Century Practices for Teaching Beginning Reading and Writing: Preschool-Grade 2
Richard Gentry, Richard Gentry Consulting
Attend this dynamic workshop to understand how children learn to read, write, and acquire strategies to improve their performance and confidence. Recharge your teaching with new brain-based learning techniques for the twenty first century and gain confidence in guiding students' literacy development. This session includes techniques for writer's workshop, guided reading, spelling, and phonics. Learn to use hand spelling, finger spelling, adult underwriting, the powerful connection between writing and reading, and more.
