Plain talk program 2011 by The Center for Development and Learning

New Orleans Lagniappe Definitions

Delectable Tidbits

Lagniappe (lan-yap):

Andouille ( ahn-DOO-ee):

A little something extra. A free coffee or dessert or a few extra ounces of boudin put the “bons” in “bons temps.”

Spicy Cajun sausage. Don’t ask what’s in it. Just savor the burn.

Secondline: The people who follow a brass band on the street while swinging a handkerchief in a circle over their heads. These second-liners also have a special shuffle step or dance they do when following the band. This is called “secondlining.”

Krewe: Members of a carnival organization, as in Krewe of Rex. A variation of “crew,” the word was invented by 19th-century New Orleanians, who privately bankrolled the balls and parades (as is still the case).

Jazz: Louis Armstrong said, “If you gotta ask, you’ll never know.” As for origin, some say it was a New Orleans barber named Buddy Bolden, who in 1891 blew a few hot notes with his cornet and invented a new form of music that’s been an American favorite since the Jazz Age of the ‘20s. Jazz mixes African and Creole rhythms with European styles. Surprisingly, the Irish, Germans, and Italians contributed the brass bands.

Cities of the Dead: New Orleans cemeteries. Because of the high water table, we spend the afterlife buried above ground instead of six feet under it. Elaborate monuments cluster together like small communities.

Cajun: Nickname for Acadians, the French-speaking people who migrated to Louisiana from Nova Scotia, starting in 1755.

Streetcar: New Orleans’ name for the world’s oldest continuously operating electric street railway. In 1835, a steam engine train ran from the Vieux Carré along St. Charles to the outlying town of Carrollton (now the Uptown Riverbend area). In the 1860s, the route became a horse- and mule-drawn line, and went electric in 1893. Today, over 20,000 people a day ride to work and play aboard 35 original electric cars all named to the National Register of Historic Places. You can get to a historic place riding in a historic place. Only in New Orleans.

Bananas Foster: Brennan’s first whipped up this flaming ambrosia of bananas and rum, spooned over vanilla ice cream.

Beignet ( BEN-yay): Creole pastries carrés, fried to crusty perfection and generously sprinkled with powdered sugar. Tip: wear light colors to camouflage the powdered sugar.

Blackened Redfish: Highly seasoned redfish filets sizzled in a hot skillet. When Chef Paul Prudhomme made the Cajun dish a national craze, it put a strain on redfish supplies.

Crawfish ( a.k.a. mudbugs or crawdads): Cooked with lots of crab boil, these succulent little second cousins to shrimp hold the flavor in the heads and the meat in the tails. So you suck the heads and peel the tails. Crawfish pies and Crawfish Monica, a creamy pasta dish, draw raves at Jazz Fest.

Dressed: A poboy with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayo (known locally as “MY-nez,” usually Blue Plate).

Gumbo: New Orleans’ and South Louisiana’s signature Creole dish. “Gumbo” began with okra, or nkombo in Bantu, a vegetable of African origin. Native American filé (ground sassafras leaves) is the essential spice. In Southern Louisiana, it’s made with a dark roux (gravy base made by browning flour in fat), shellfish, and sausage, served over rice.

King Cake: Originally a version of French brioche, they are typically decorated in purple, green, and gold sugar. By tradition, whoever gets the piece with the tiny plastic baby or bean baked inside throws the next party and serves the next cake.

Muffuletta: It’s not a sandwich; it’s a meal packed into a pizza-sized Italian bun. Go to the source: Central Grocery on Decatur Street, an Italian import store where the sandwich was invented about a century ago to satisfy hungry Sicilian stevedores on the nearby docks.

Table of Contents

Institute Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Agenda At-A-Glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Detailed Agenda

Wednesday, May 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Thursday, May 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Friday, May 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Saturday, May 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

About the Presenters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 About the Exhibitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 About The Center for Development and Learning . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Map of Meeting Rooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

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In New Orleans, sidewalk corners are adorned with delightful blue-and-white tiles, originally dating from the 1870s, telling you the name of the street you are crossing: As I stepped over some of these, it occurred to met that they told a story about city planning. Unlike the street signs in most cities (including New Orleans) that are attached to poles and displayed high, these can’t be seen by drivers. These are designed for pedestrians, and perhaps bikers, using sidewalks. They reflect a time when planners were designing the city for people on foot. - Lisa Wade, as quoted in Sociological Images, 2010

”

Institute Information

elcome to four days of learning with and from your colleagues, days that are sure to be energizing, inspiring, informative and packed with compelling information and practical application strategies!

Service Desk The CDL service desk is located across from the CDL Bookstore on the 3rd floor. Here, Institute staff will be available to assist you with any needs that may arise. Registration & Service hours Wednesday 11:00am – Thursday 7:15am – Friday 7:15am – Saturday 7:15am –

8:00pm 4:30pm 4:30pm 12:30pm

Maps Maps of the meeting rooms being used during the Institute can be found on the inside back cover of this program book and on the back of the Personal Institute Planner found in your registration packet. Meeting Room capacity Every effort has been made to anticipate audience size for each individual session. However, there may be times when there are more people who wish to attend a session than seating allows. Rooms are furnished to capacity in compliance with local fire codes and safety requirements which prohibit standing or sitting in the aisles or the addition of more chairs. Please note alternative choices for each time slot on your Personal Institute Planner. This will allow you to quickly locate an alternate session if your first choice is full. The temperature in hotel meeting rooms may often be on the cool side. Please bring a sweater or jacket. Room Monitors Throughout the Institute, you will notice individuals wearing ribbons that identify them as “staff.” They are available to answer your questions, provide directions, and serve as room monitors. Onsite Handouts Each presenter has provided supporting handout materials for his/her presentation, and an appropriate number of copies has been prepared for those attending each session.

PLAIN Talk About Reading 2011

Electronic copies All Institute handouts will be made available online approximately 5 days following the Institute for a short period of time. You will be provided a special code via email that will allow you to access the Institute handouts. Meals and Breaks Continental Breakfast Breakfast will be served Thursday and Friday beginning at 7:15am in the Grand Ballroom AB on the 1st floor. Coffee will also be available beginning at 7:15am on the 3rd floor near the exhibitors. Lunch Lunch will be served in the Grand Ballroom AB on the 1st floor at 12:15pm. In addition, beverages and afternoon snacks will be available throughout the 3rd floor from 2:55pm to 3:20pm. Saturday Jazz Brunch On Saturday, pastries will be available beginning at 7:15am on the 3rd floor near the exhibitors. A New Orleans Jazz Brunch will be served at 9:30am in the Grand Ballroom AB on the 1st floor. If you have special dietary needs, please advise the staff at the CDL service desk immediately. Evaluations Your feedback is important to the planning of future Institutes. Please take time to complete your evaluation forms, one for each session, which will be distributed and collected in evaluation boxes in each room. Certificates of Attendance A certificate of attendance will be emailed to those who requested it within two weeks after the Institute. A certificate will be available at the CDL service desk at the end of the Institute for those who requested onsite pickup. Be sure to retain your program book and handouts as they may be needed to secure the credit. It is the sole discretion of your school, school district, state education agency or professional organization whether the Institute’s sessions are acceptable for continuing education.

Institute Information phone Courtesy Please set your phones to “silent” or in the “off” position. If you prefer, place your phone on “vibrate” and place it in your pocket or another soft location where the vibration will not be distracting to others.

BOOkstore A bookstore featuring books authored by Institute speakers and other recommended books is located on the 3rd floor across from the CDL Service Desk.

A Word on Safety and Security Unfortunately, losses can occur whenever large numbers of people meet. Please exercise precautionary measures against injury, theft, and loss. Neither the Institute nor CDL is responsible for any injuries or losses that occur in conjunction with the Institute.

Exhibitors Be sure to allow yourself ample time to visit the exhibits located on the 3rd floor. Please review the Exhibitor section of this program book for a listing of exhibitors, their contact information, and brief descriptions of their products and services.

First Time Attendee SESSION On Thursday afternoon, first time Plain Talk attendees are invited to an informational session where they will meet some very special people. Join us at 5:00pm in the Belle Chasse Room.

An exhibitor’s participation does not represent the endorsement of any product or service by the Institute or by CDL.

Agenda At-A-Glance Wednesday, May 4, 2011 PRE-INSTITUTE SESSIONS 1:00pm – 5:00pm Explicit Instruction: An Investment with Guaranteed Returns Anita Archer ..........................................► Rosedown Effective School Leaders: Nurturing Motivating Environments for Staff and Students Robert Brooks ► Jasperwood Fluency Assessments AND Intervention: Looking Deeply at the Issues Jan Hasbrouck .....................► Magnolia The Geography of English Spelling: English Spelling is NOT Crazy! Louisa Moats .............................► Oak Alley

Want to get out and about?

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PLAIN Talk About Reading 2011

MISSISSIPPI RIVER

Agenda At-A-Glance Thursday, May 5, 2011 BREAKFAST 7:15am – 7:55am ► Grand Ballroom AB

WELCOME 8:00am – 8:10am Alice Thomas .........................................................................................................................................► Grand Ballroom AB

KEYNOTE 8:10am – 9:10am Creating Mindsets for School Success Robert Brooks ........................................................................ ► Grand Ballroom AB

DISTINGUISHED LECTURES 9:30am – 10:30am Differentiating Instruction: Guidelines for Implementation Vicki Gibson ...............................................► Jefferson Ballroom Fostering Resilience in Children with Learning Disabilities Sam Goldstein ..........................................► HEC-A RtI on Steroids: Why I Believe in the 9-Tier Model Tim Shanahan .......................................................► Grand Ballroom A Genes, Brains, and Environments in Reading Disabilities Jack Fletcher .............................................► Versailles Ballroom

CONCURRENT SESSIONS 10:50am – 12:15pm The Neuropsychology of Reading Sam Goldstein ................................................................................► Versailles Ballroom Enhancing Comprehension Instruction with Manipulatives Susan Hall .................................................► Jefferson Ballroom From Stressed Out to Stress Hardy: Strategies to Manage Pressure and Burnout Robert Brooks .....► Oak Alley Vocabulary Instruction that Works: Throw Out the Dictionary! Linda Farrell ........................................ ► Belle Chasse Strategies for Successful Spelling Suzanne Carreker .............................................................................. ► Rosedown Retention is NOT an Intervention: Strategies for Student Success Kerry Laster ................................. ► Elmwood The Predictive Utility of DIBELS for Reading Comprehension Among English Language Learners Debora Scheffel ..................................................................................................................................► Magnolia Teaching Phonological Awareness Systematically and Explicitly Michael Hunter ................................► Jasperwood 10 Things Every Teacher Should Know about Reading Comprehension Tim Shanahan .....................► HEC-A

LUNCH 12:15pm – 1:15pm

► Grand Ballroom AB

CONCURRENT SESSIONS II 1:30pm – 2:55pm Increasing Student Engagement Jo Robinson .....................................................................................► Versailles Ballroom Identifying Learning Disabilities: A Treatment Oriented Approach Jack Fletcher ................................ ► Rosedown The Savvy Juggler: Getting a Grip on Effective Small Group Instruction on Three Levels Adrienne Dowden ...............................................................................................................................► Oak Alley English Language Learners: Building a Successful Transition into English Literacy Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan ........................................................................................................................► Belle Chasse A Neuroscience Approach to Differentiating Instruction Alice Thomas .................................................► Jefferson Ballroom Writing-Itis: A Common but Often Overlooked Challenge for School-Aged Children Glenda Thorne ...► Elmwood Building a Strong Foundation to Become a Successful Reader: Keys to Improvement Ouida Forsyth ► Magnolia Adopting What Works from Around the World – An Intensive Reading Intervention in Singapore Janie Feinberg, Robert Harris ...........................................................................................................► Jasperwood The Talking Classroom: 50 Nifty Speaking and Listening Activities Judi Dodson ................................ ► HEC-A

CONCURRENT SESSIONS III 3:20pm – 4:45pm The Power of Reading Walk-Throughs Jo Robinson ........................................................................... ► Versailles Ballroom Using Chips to Teach Phonics Patterns Susan Hall ..............................................................................► Jefferson Ballroom From A to Z: What Teachers of Reading Need to Know Suzanne Carreker ........................................► Oak Alley Teaching High Frequency Words Using a Phonics Based Scope and Sequence Linda Farrell ...........► Belle Chasse English Language Learners: Building a Successful Transition into English Literacy (REPEAT) Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan ........................................................................................................................► Elmwood Action Notes for Students with Learning Difficulties Karen Collins .......................................................► Magnolia Lose the Rules: Multi-Syllable Words Made Easy Michael Hunter .......................................................► Jasperwood

FIRST TIME ATTENDEE SESSION 5:00pm – 5:45pm Growing Up Illiterate: The Stories of Two Lifelong Learners Who Persevered and Learned to Read as Adults David Clemons and Sandra Johnson ..............................................................................► Belle Chasse

Agenda At-A-Glance Friday, May 6, 2011 BREAKFAST 7:15am – 7:55am ► Grand Ballroom AB

OPENING 8:00am – 8:10am Alice Thomas ........................................................................................................................................ ► Grand Ballroom AB

KEYNOTE 8:10am – 9:10am Getting Them All Engaged: Inclusive Active Participation Anita Archer ...............................................► Grand Ballroom AB

DISTINGUISHED LECTURES 9:30am – 10:30am Reading FAST or Reading WELL? Re-examining the Role of Fluency Assessments Jan Hasbrouck ► Jefferson Ballroom Why Research Should Inform Education Policy and Practices – Nothing is Easy! Reid Lyon ............. ► Grand Ballroom A Executive Attention: Its Impact on Reading Martha Denckla ............................................................... ► Grand Ballroom B All Systems Go Michael Fullan ............................................................................................................ ► Versailles Ballroom Common Core Standards: Implications for Instruction Michael Kamil ................................................. ► Napoleon Ballroom

CONCURRENT SESSIONS 10:50am – 12:15pm Increasing Student Engagement (REPEAT) Jo Robinson ...................................................................► Versailles Ballroom You Need to Know Things to Learn Things: Background Knowledge as a Key to Reading Comprehension Judi Dodson ........................................................................................................... ► Jefferson Ballroom Motion Leadership Michael Fullan ....................................................................................................... ► Oak Alley Increasing Comprehension with Higher Order Thinking Skills Alice Thomas .......................................► Belle Chasse wordPLAY: An Experimental Multidimensional Measure Created for Vocabulary Teachers Susan Ebbers .................................................................................................................................... ► Rosedown Increasing Literacy for All Across the Content Areas Debbie Hunsaker .............................................. ► Elmwood The Playful Importance of Early Literacy: Research to Practice Lucy Hart Paulson ........................... ► Magnolia Fluency is More that Rate: Giving Accuracy, Fluency, and Prosody the Right Emphasis Michael Hunter ...................................................................................................................................► Jasperwood There’s LD or RD along with that ADHD! Martha Denckla ................................................................... ► Napoleon Ballroom

LUNCH 12:15pm – 1:15pm

► Grand Ballroom AB

CONCURRENT SESSIONS II 1:30pm – 2:55pm The Power of Reading Walk-Throughs (REPEAT) Jo Robinson ......................................................... ► Versailles Ballroom The Talking Classroom: 50 Nifty Speaking and Listening Activities (REPEAT) Judi Dodson ...............► Jefferson Ballroom Leadership within the District and in each Building Reid Lyon ............................................................. ► Oak Alley Common Spelling Patterns and How to Teach Them Mary Dahlgren .................................................. ► Belle Chasse Adolescent Literacy: 16 Recommendations from Research Michael Kamil .........................................► Rosedown Building Academic Language in the Classroom for English Language Learners María Elena Argüelles ....................................................................................................................... ► Elmwood High-quality Pre-K Programs and Structured Literacy Initiatives: Proven Longitudinal Relationships Billy Stokes, Gary Asmus ................................................................................................................. ► Magnolia Demystifying Multisyllable Words Susan Hall .......................................................................................► Jasperwood Scaffolding Written Expression Instruction for Struggling Writers: From the Paragraph to the Essay Anita Archer ....................................................................................................................................... ► Napoleon Ballroom

CONCURRENT SESSIONS III 3:20pm – 4:45pm Educators as Physicians - Using Data for RtI Decisions Jan Hasbrouck .............................................► Versailles Ballroom Read Alouds and Beyond: Choosing Books to Address Language and Emergent Literacy Goals and Embedding Instructional Emphasis throughout the Day Christie Cavanaugh ...........................► Jefferson Ballroom Passing the Buck: Honing in on Teacher Questioning Debbie Hunsaker .............................................► Oak Alley Customizing Goals and Objectives Based on the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts Linda Farrell ..............................................................................................................► Belle Chasse Common Spelling Patterns and How to Teach Them (REPEAT) Mary Dahlgren ................................ ► Rosedown Building Academic Language in the Classroom for English Language Learners (REPEAT) María Elena Argüelles ........................................................................................................................► Elmwood The Playful Importance of Early Literacy: Research to Practice (REPEAT) Lucy Hart Paulson ..........► Magnolia Dyslexia: Myths and Realities Glenda Thorne ......................................................................................► Jasperwood

PLAIN Talk About Reading 2011

Agenda At-A-Glance Saturday, May 7, 2011 LIGHT BREAKFAST 7:15am – 7:55am

► Exhibit Area, 3rd floor

SUPER SESSIONS PART I 8:00am – 9:30am Dynamic Vocabulary Instruction Anita Archer ...................................................................................... ► Versailles Ballroom Bringing Literacy to Life: 50 Nifty Activities for Reading Instruction Judi Dodson ................................ ► Jefferson Ballroom Reading Between and Beyond the Lines: Teaching Inference Making Suzanne Carreker .................. ► Oak Alley Advanced Phonics for Teachers Linda Farrell ......................................................................................► Belle Chasse Modeling Meaningful, Memorable and Enjoyable Vocabulary Lessons Susan Ebbers ........................► Rosedown Meeting a Critical Need in Our Pre-Kindergarten Classrooms: Professional Development for Teachers to Promote Language and Literacy Christie Cavanaugh ..................................................► Elmwood Managing Behavior to Support Differentiating Instruction Vicki Gibson ...............................................► Napoleon Ballroom Sure Fire Multi-Sensory Techniques Michael Hunter ........................................................................... ► Jasperwood

NEW ORLEANS JAZZ BRUNCH 9:30am – 10:30am

► Grand Ballroom AB

SUPER SESSIONS PART II (CONTINUED) 11:00am – 12:30pm Dynamic Vocabulary Instruction Anita Archer ...................................................................................... ► Versailles Ballroom Bringing Literacy to Life: 50 Nifty Activities for Reading Instruction Judi Dodson .................................► Jefferson Ballroom Reading Between and Beyond the Lines: Teaching Inference Making Suzanne Carreker ...................► Oak Alley Advanced Phonics for Teachers Linda Farrell ......................................................................................► Belle Chasse Modeling Meaningful, Memorable and Enjoyable Vocabulary Lessons Susan Ebbers ........................► Rosedown Meeting a Critical Need in Our Pre-Kindergarten Classrooms: Professional Development for Teachers to Promote Language and Literacy Christie Cavanaugh .................................................. ► Elmwood Managing Behavior to Support Differentiating Instruction Vicki Gibson ............................................... ► Napoleon Ballroom Sure Fire Multi-Sensory Techniques Michael Hunter ............................................................................► Jasperwood

Detailed Agenda

Pre-Institute Sessions

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Explicit Instruction: An Investment with Guaranteed Returns

Effective School Leaders: Nurturing Motivating Environments for Staff and Students

Anita Archer In the recent past, we have focused on WHAT to teach - for example, the Big Five in reading (Phonemic Awareness, Decoding, Fluency, Vocabulary, and Comprehension). However, HOW we teach is equally important if student achievement is to be optimized. Anita will review the research on explicit instruction from the past 30 years and show how the major findings can be translated into daily practice. Critical practices will be modeled and demonstrated through videos with primary-level students. ► Rosedown Target Audience: PreK-12

Robert Brooks, Ph.D. School leaders have a major impact in determining the qualities of the emotional and learning climate that exist in a school. In this workshop Bob will describe the ways in which his experiences as a principal of a school in a locked door unit of a child and adolescent program in a psychiatric hospital, although frustrating and stressful at first, were to become the catalyst for developing a strengthbased approach when working with challenging youth. He will identify the “mindset” and proacctive practices and strategies of school leaders who are effective in touching both the minds and hearts of staff, faculty, and students, thereby creating “motivating enviornments” in which learning can thrive. ► Jasperwood Target Audience: PreK-12

Fluency Assessments AND Intervention: Looking Deeply at the Issues Jan Hasbrouck, Ph.D. The National Reading Panel report identified fluency as “a critical component of skilled reading... often neglected in classroom instruction.” Educators across the country took this notice to heart and as a result reading fluency is now a BIG part of teaching and assessing. There are some who feel that there is now perhaps too much emphasis on fluency. This session - presented by one of the nation’s experts on fluency - provides: (1) a summary of research on the role of fluency in reading, (2) detailed procedures to identify students who need fluency instruction, and (3) a description of a systematic, explicit and effective strategy to improve the reading fluency of all students. The role of fluencybased curriculum-based measures (CBM) to screen students and monitor their overall progress in reading will also be addressed. This session provides an opportunity to reflect on how fluency should fit into a comprehensive and effective reading program. ► Magnolia Target Audience: 2-12

PLAIN Talk About Reading 2011

The Geography of English Spelling: English Spelling is NOT Crazy! Louisa Moats, Ed.D. English spelling is not crazy! Almost any word can be explained in a way that will help students associate its spelling with its pronunciation and meaning. This session will explore the structure of English spelling from several angles: phoneme-grapheme correspondences, letter patterns within words, syllables, meaningful word parts (morphemes), and historical layers in the orthography. The session will address common letter constraints in syllable patterns, the relationships among vowel sounds and syllable patterns, the differences between syllables and morphemes and between “irregular” and “highfrequency” words. Participants will complete a number of exercises aimed at bolstering their confidence and enthusiasm for teaching the English “code” thoughtfully and meaningfully. ► Oak Alley Target Audience: 2-12

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Alice Thomas

8:00 am – 8:10 am

Welcome

► Grand Ballroom AB

8:10 am – 9:10 am

Keynote

Creating Mindsets for School Success Robert Brooks Mindsets are assumptions and expectations we possess about ourselves and others that guide our behavior. Bob will examine several of the key characteristics of the mindsets of educators who nurture motivation, learning, responsibility, hope, and resilience in students. He will highlight the importance of subscribing to a strengthbased approach in which each student’s “islands of competence” are identified, reinforced, and displayed. ► Grand Ballroom AB

9:30 am – 10:30 am

Differentiating Instruction: Guidelines for Implementation

Fostering Resilience in Children with Learning Disabilities

Vicki Gibson This session will provide step-by-step procedures to help you make differentiating instruction happen in classrooms. You will learn how to establish routines and procedures for managing whole class and small group teaching and collaborative and/or independent practice. These practical suggestions provide ways to differentiate what you do with students in small groups to improve instructional effectiveness and increase student achievement. This content and methodology applies to any grade level or content area. ► Jefferson Ballroom Target Audience: PreK-12

Sam Goldstein Happiness, success in school, satisfaction in their lives and solid friendships form an important foundation for all children, including those with learning disabilities. It is our educational and parental mission to help children realize these goals and develop the inner strength to deal competently and successfully day after day with the challenges and demands they encounter in life. In this Distinguished Lecture, Dr. Goldstein will provide a definition and overview of resilience and resilience processes and offer a set of strategies for parents, educators, medical and mental health professionals. The lecture will include children’s notes, drawings, letters and stories. ► HEC-A Target Audience: PreK-12

Distinguished Lectures

Detailed Agenda Distinguished Lectures continued

Concurrent Sessions

Thursday, May 5, 2011

9:30 am – 10:30 am

RtI on Steroids: Why I Believe in the 9-Tier Model

Genes, Brains, and Environments in Reading Disabilities

Tim Shanahan Response to Intervention (RtI) is widely touted as the best way to meet student learning needs, but in far too many school districts RtI has become bogged down in bureaucratic regulations and is more about systems, rules, and moving kids along to special education without raising reading achievement. It doesn’t have to be that way! This presentation explores the steps that the research indicates that should be taken to successfully raise the intensity and quality of reading instruction sufficiently to improve reading achievement for the strugglers and strivers. ► Grand Ballroom A Target Audience: PreK-12

Jack Fletcher Reading disabilities represent an interaction of genes, brain, and environments. Mapping the neural systems identifies specific circuits that mediate brain function in good and poor readers. These circuits are malleable and, in many people with reading problems, normalize with effective instruction in ways that parallel brain function in good readers. These findings are consistent with current understanding of genetic factors in reading disabilities, where genetic effects on reading represent multiple small effects and no major genes specific to poor reading. Such findings highlight the importance of strong instructional programs that focus on language and reading. ► Versailles Ballroom Target Audience: PreK-12

10:50 am – 12:15 pm

The Neuropsychology of Reading Sam Goldstein The acquisition of reading knowledge requires a number of critical neuropsychological abilities. These abilities are applied much like tools to facilitate children’s acquisition of reading skills and comprehension. In this presentation, Dr. Goldstein will offer an overview of A.R. Luria’s PASS (Planning, Attention, Simultaneous, Successive) processes, explaining the key abilities critical to learning, in particular those related to reading. The presentation will also include a number of ideas and strategies for educators to understand, evaluate and successfully facilitate the acquisition of phonemic abilities and related reading skills in children. ► Versailles Ballroom Target Audience: PreK-12 From Stressed Out to Stress Hardy: Strategies to Manage Pressure and Burnout Robert Brooks There are many demands placed on reading teachers and other educators. Stress and burnout in the field of education are not unusual. In this session Bob will describe a framework with specific strategies for reinforcing stress hardiness in ourselves. These strategies will help to lessen feelings of burnout and maximize our effectiveness as educators. ► Oak Alley Target Audience: PreK-12

PLAIN Talk About Reading 2011

Enhancing Comprehension Instruction with Manipulatives Susan Hall In this session, the presenter will model how to use manipulatives to make the abstract act of comprehending text more concrete. Multisensory techniques have been successful in teaching students’ phonological awareness and phonics, yet have been used less in teaching comprehension. The techniques that will be modeled are engaging and dynamic and use colored icons to make the abstract processes of inferring, connecting, and questioning more concrete. Designed for small-group intervention instruction, these simple techniques can be applied immediately in schools. The session will include videotapes of the instructional techniques in use with students. ► Jefferson Ballroom Target Audience: PreK-6

Thursday, May 5, 2011

10:50 am – 12:15 pm

Vocabulary Instruction that Works: Throw Out the Dictionary!

Retention is NOT an Intervention: Strategies for Student Success

Linda Farrell Virtually all vocabulary experts agree that using the dictionary to teach word meanings is ineffective. If that is the case, what does work? You will learn how to have students (1) create their own meaningful definitions, (2) get the word and meaning into long-term memory, and (3) spell the word. The instructional techniques are explicit and multi-sensory, and they connect speech, print, and meaning. Participants will leave with new techniques so that students hear the word, say the word, see the word, use the word, and define the word, all without a dictionary. The techniques are based on the research of many experts such as Linnea Erhi, Isabel Beck, Michael Graves, Andrew Biemiller, and Joanne Carlisle. ► Belle Chasse Target Audience: K-12

Kerry Laster This session is designed to provide information on why retention is not an intervention. Participants will gain an understanding of the consequences of retention, which are many, as well as strategies to improve student success. Louisiana’s plan for improving student learning while reducing retentions will be shared. ► Elmwood Target Audience: PreK-6

Strategies for Successful Spelling Suzanne Carreker Spelling is often seen as a rote memorization skill. However, spelling is a cognitive linguistic skill that supports reading. Knowledge of the sounds and letter patterns of the language for spelling helps students become confident spellers and reinforces information for successful decoding. This session for teachers in grades PreK-8 presents reliable spelling patterns and rules, and also how to use students’ spelling errors to assess what they need to know. ► Rosedown Target Audience: PreK-8

Concurrent Sessions continued

Teaching Phonological Awareness Systematically and Explicitly Michael Hunter Research tells us that 80% to 90% of all struggling readers, no matter their age, have difficulty with phonological awareness. In order to help struggling readers it is critical to have a clear understanding of this complex realm. This session will provide a quick introduction to the continuum of phonological skills and the role of phonological awareness in reading. Learn strategies for teaching phonological awareness to students of any age. The strategies use simple manipulatives and align with a checklist based on the phonological continuum. They work for one-on-one, small group, or whole group instruction. Participants will receive the phonological awareness skills checklist and sample word lists for use with the strategies presented. ► Jasperwood Target Audience: PreK-8 10 Things Every Teacher Should Know about Reading Comprehension

The Predictive Utility of DIBELS for Reading Comprehension Among English Language Learners Debora Scheffel This session addresses the extent to which subtests on the DIBELS Reading Assessment predict 3rd grade student success on a measure of reading comprehension. 2,649 elementary students were assessed on a reading comprehension measure, of which 29.7% were English Language Learners (ELL). DIBELS correctly classified children at risk better for ELL than non-ELL students in 3rd grade. This session discusses the meaning of these findings in terms of instructional interventions with ELL students. ► Magnolia Target Audience: 2-4

Tim Shanahan Let’s face it ... students in the United States aren’t comprehending well enough when they read, and major public efforts to improve reading comprehension have not been very effective. One of the reasons for this is that many educators possess misconceptions about the teaching of comprehension, so students get little comprehension instruction, and what they do get can be so poorly designed that it might actually lower comprehension rather than raising it. Are you misteaching reading comprehension? This session will explore 10 ideas about reading comprehension that teachers have to get right if kids are to improve in this critical aspect of reading. ► HEC-A Target Audience: PreK-12

Detailed Agenda Lunch

Thursday, May 5, 2011

12:15 pm – 1:15 pm

► Grand Ballroom AB

Concurrent Sessions II

1:30 pm – 2:55 pm

Increasing Student Engagement Jo Robinson Why does it matter that we get all students to respond every time? Students who are not responding in whole or small groups are missing valuable and sometimes necessary practice. Some students seem to have more years of practice avoiding teacher requests than teachers have teaching! Listening to someone else read, hearing others use a vocabulary word or hearing others answer a comprehension question are not as powerful as actually doing it yourself. Teachers who increase engagement will increase reading and writing achievement simultaneously. See and learn ways to engage all students in whole and small group settings with an emphasis on engagement in writing. ► Versailles Ballroom Target Audience: PreK-6

Identifying Learning Disabilities: A Treatment Oriented Approach Jack Fletcher This presentation addresses the reliability and validity of different approaches to the identification of children with learning disabilities, including approaches based on (a) aptitude-achievement discrepancy; (b) low achievement; (c) processing strengths and weaknesses (PSW); and (d) response to intervention (RtI). New research on PSW shows that these methods do not identify unique cognitive characteristics of inadequate responders. Simulations of the decision making of 3 PSW approaches shows that they are accurate when indicating no LD, but have high rates of inaccuracy in identifying the presence of LD. Identification of LD in approaches incorporating RtI is discussed, including best practices and limitations. ► Rosedown Target Audience: PreK-12

The Savvy Juggler: Getting a Grip on Effective Small Group Instruction on Three Levels Adrienne Dowden Most teachers agree that it is one thing to use data to identify groups, but quite another to effectively juggle lessons for three different levels of reading instruction. This session comes to the rescue with a user-friendly system for planning differentiated lessons for three levels of small group instruction. Participants will learn how to identify the lesson’s purpose and effective, engaging lessons that will support students’ learning of the targeted skill for each group. Come ready to work in groups to plan a lesson, and leave this session with a completed differentiated lesson plan designed for each of three levels of small group instruction. ► Oak Alley Target Audience: 2-8

PLAIN Talk About Reading 2011

English Language Learners: Building a Successful Transition into English Literacy Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan This session will address the necessary foundations for effective language and literacy instruction among English language learners. Participants will understand how to collect data across languages in order to better design and implement effective lessons. Participants will also understand first and second language and literacy development. The building blocks of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension will be discussed. Cross-linguistic exercises will also be demonstrated and practiced. ► Belle Chasse Target Audience: PreK-6

Thursday, May 5, 2011

1:30 pm – 2:55 pm

A Neuroscience Approach to Differentiating Instruction

Writing-Itis: A Common but Often Overlooked Challenge for School-Aged Children

Alice Thomas Every day, teachers are faced with how to differentiate instruction for the diverse learners in their classrooms. In this session, participants will learn how neuroscience can help teachers to more effectively reach and teach all students. Information about the neurodevelopmental processes that underlie learning – attention, memory, language, processing and ordering, graphomotor and higher order thinking – will be examined. Teachers will leave with a bevy of strategies and tactics that can be applied in the classroom. ► Jefferson Ballroom Target Audience: 1-12

Glenda Thorne Many students who struggle with reading also struggle with writing. This session will discuss the various neurological components of handwriting skills, and what students look like when they have a breakdown in handwriting. Intervention will generally address “bypass” strategies rather than remediation. The objectives of this session will be (1) to help educators and other professionals identify why students have handwriting challenges and (2) to explore what they can do to minimize the negative impact of these challenges in the educational setting. Participants will also have an opportunity to analyze each others’ handwriting, as well as their own. ► Elmwood Target Audience: K-12

Building a Strong Foundation to Become a Successful Reader: Keys to Improvement Ouida Forsyth Oral language competence is the essential component of the development of early literacy. Children cannot read and write about what they cannot talk about. Language and communication acquisition begin from birth, and these abilities serve as the foundation for future reading success. This session will focus on the key components necessary to become proficient in language and early literacy: interaction, responsiveness, comprehension, phonemic development, vocabulary development and print awareness. Educators and therapists will be offered strategies and interactive activities to become more effective mentors for our youngest and most venerable citizens and their parents. ► Magnolia Target Audience: PreK-3 The Talking Classroom: 50 Nifty Speaking and Listening Activities Judi Dodson Do your students have weak oral language skills and difficulty with reading comprehension? During this session, you will learn and practice simple, engaging and interactive activities designed to emphasize attention and engagement, active listening and speaking which can support the development of vocabulary, background knowledge and oral language development within the classroom setting. Come and have fun while we talk and discover together ways to help our children develop their abilities in the area of oral language. ► HEC-A Target Audience: PreK-8

Concurrent Sessions II continued

Adopting What Works from Around the World – An Intensive Reading Intervention in Singapore Janie Feinberg, Robert Harris For the last three years, the Special Education Branch of the Singapore Ministry of Education has been working with schools to implement intensive, phonics-based, English reading curricula for some of the nation’s most challenged students. This session will describe the careful planning steps taken by the Ministry’s leadership, provide details about the implementation and support systems put in place, and show the dramatic growth made by students with both mild and severe intellectual disabilities. Implications for applying this model to U.S. schools and districts will also be discussed. Participants will (1) learn the critical planning steps necessary for implementing a dramatic and intensive intervention model; (2) review and discuss student performance data, including the implications for students with limited English proficiency; and (3) discuss ways to adapt this highly successful intervention model in U.S. schools and districts. ► Jasperwood Target Audience: K-12

Detailed Agenda Concurrent Sessions III

Thursday, May 5, 2011

3:20 pm – 4:45 pm

The Power of Reading Walk-Throughs

Using Chips to Teach Phonics Patterns

Jo Robinson After a review of critical research-based “Look Fors” in reading lessons, principals and coaches are guided through simulated reading walk-throughs with video-taped teaching examples. Participants will hear ways to organize and plan for walkthroughs and see examples of effective feedback to teachers. ► Versailles Ballroom Target Audience: PreK-4

Susan Hall The technique of moving colored chips into Elkonin boxes maps the number of sounds in words. In this session, participants will learn how to take this instructional strategy one step further and show how to use it to teach phonics patterns. By using color-coded chips, the teacher can signal whether the sound is a consonant or vowel sound. After pulling colored chips into boxes, sound chips can be traded for spelling chips to focus students on the orthographic pattern of a phonics concept. Come see how explaining patterns such as long vowelsilent e, alternate spellings of the /k/ sound, and soft or hard c and g become more concrete with chips. As one teacher described it, “this is like phonemegrapheme mapping on steroids”. ► Jefferson Ballroom Target Audience: PreK-8

Teaching High Frequency Words Using a Phonics Based Scope and Sequence Linda Farrell High frequency words are traditionally taught separately from phonics. They are introduced to students in the order of their frequency, or sometimes grouped by subject (colors, numbers, etc…). While this approach may work for many students, struggling readers often have difficulty reading and spelling high frequency words such as saw, was, where and were. In this session, learn to organize and teach the words in the Dolch 220 list using a phonics-based instructional sequence. Also learn techniques for teaching students to read and spell the 50 or so words that do not fit into phonics instruction because of irregular spellings. ► Belle Chasse Target Audience: K-4 English Language Learners: Building a Successful Transition into English Literacy (REPEAT) Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan This session will address the necessary foundations for effective language and literacy instruction among English language learners. Participants will understand how to collect data across languages in order to better design and implement effective lessons. Participants will also understand first and second language and literacy development. The building blocks of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension will be discussed. Cross-linguistic exercises will also be demonstrated and practiced. ► Elmwood Target Audience: PreK-6

PLAIN Talk About Reading 2011

From A to Z: What Teachers of Reading Need to Know Suzanne Carreker This session will explore the knowledge and skills that are required to provide reading instruction that meets the needs of all students. Research underpinnings, informal assessment, and instructional strategies for critical areas of successful reading will be presented. The session will also highlight the International Dyslexia Association’s Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading. ► Oak Alley Target Audience: PreK-6

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Action Notes for Students with Learning Difficulties Karen Collins This session will focus on planning and implementing instruction that matches student needs in the classroom with emphasis on academic/behavior interventions, classroom accommodations and curriculum modifications for learning. Demonstrations and discussions will illustrate how technology can support teaching and learning. The presenter will also provide what to do when things go “haywire”. ► Magnolia Target Audience: K-12

3:20 pm – 4:45 pm

Lose the Rules: Multi-Syllable Words Made Easy

Concurrent Sessions III continued

Michael Hunter Learn how to teach students to easily and accurately read and spell long words. The secret is to focus on vowels, not on rules. Participants will learn to use manipulatives to teach students to break words into syllables for reading and spelling. The technique is explicit, systematic, and multisensory. It is also easy! See videos of real students using the strategies. This method can be used in kindergarten to help students read words such as batman, sunset, and picnic, and in upper grades to help students read citadel, tranquilize, and Madagascar. ► Jasperwood Target Audience: K-12

5:00 pm – 5:45 pm

Growing Up Illiterate: The Stories of Two Lifelong Learners Who Persevered and Learned to Read as Adults

First Time Attendee Session

David Clemons and Sandra Johnson David Clemons and Sandra Johnson are two remarkable people who learned to read as adults. David was 47 when he learned to read and Sandra was 28. These two inspiring people share their stories of going to school, coping in the workplace, hiding their secret from friends and family, and other difficulties that we who are readers can’t imagine. They also share how they learned to read as adults and what it was that opened the door to literacy for them. Teachers will be inspired anew to teach every student to read, no matter what the student’s age. ► Belle Chasse Target Audience: PreK-12

Friday, May 6, 2011

Alice Thomas

8:00 am – 8:10 am

Opening

► Grand Ballroom AB

8:10 am – 9:10 am

Keynote

Getting Them All Engaged: Inclusive Active Participation Anita Archer Do you have students who are not attending or participating during your lessons? Dr. Archer will present research validated procedures for actively involving ALL students in instruction including the use of verbal responses, written responses, and action responses. Procedures will be explained, demonstrated, and practiced. Examples will represent a variety of courses and age levels. Participants will also analyze the best practices demonstrated in videos. ► Grand Ballroom AB

9:30 am – 10:30 am

Reading FAST or Reading WELL? Re-examining the Role of Fluency Assessments

Why Research Should Inform Education Policy and Practices – Nothing Is Easy!

Jan Hasbrouck The reliability and validity of assessments using timed samples of students’ oral reading has been established in multiple studies over the past 25 years. These measures - often referred to as oral reading fluency or ORF assessments - are being widely used in schools to help professional educators (a) identify students who may need some additional academic assistance, and (b) monitor the progress of students once instruction has begun. There is a growing concern that these assessments are encouraging teachers to push students to simply read as fast as they can, thus divorcing reading fluency from comprehension. This session examines this issue and reflects on “best practice” in using and interpreting fluency-based assessments. ► Jefferson Ballroom Target Audience: PreK-10

Reid Lyon Why do many teachers and administrators frequently view research in education as trivial or irrelevant? And even when a scientific breakthrough has occurred (e.g., the discovery that phonemic awareness is essential to reading development), what is it about the field of education that makes translating, disseminating, and implementing the findings so difficult? Why are we as educators so resistant to implementing practices and policies before we know whether they work for our students? This presentation explores these questions with an eye toward establishing an evidence-base profession. ► Grand Ballroom A Target Audience: PreK-12

Distinguished Lectures

All Systems Go Michael Fullan This presentation will focus on how ‘whole systems’ can be improved--all schools in a district, all districts in a state. Named cases and examples will be presented to show how successful districts and states make improvements. The focus will be on specific strategies and interventions that are associated with success. Lessons learned will be spelled out. ► Versailles Ballroom Target Audience: PreK-12

Detailed Agenda Distinguished Lectures

Friday, May 6, 2011

9:30 am – 10:30 am

Executive Attention: Its Impact on Reading

continued Martha Denckla Ever since one of my first doctoral candidate students in Boston found that “20 questions” skill predicted reading achievement as well as did language skills, executive function has moved into a central position in my research agenda, not necessarily connected with ADHD, but often in the significant overlap zone between ADHD and LD. The “nuts and bolts” early components of executive function – inhibition, executive attention – have often been passed over too quickly to focus on more mature components like planning/ organization. This session will explore the major effects upon reading comprehension from two basic executive function components: working memory and processing speed. ► Grand Ballroom B Target Audience: 2-8

Concurrent Sessions

Common Core Standards: Implications for Instruction Michael Kamil This session will review the current status of the Common Standards Initiative and derive implications for curriculum and instruction. Specific recommendations for instruction in reading disciplinary materials will be presented. Where possible, empirical evidence about the research base for the Common Standards will be presented. Current recommendations for instruction across the grades will be matched to the requirements under the Common Standards initiative. In addition, elements missing from the Common Standards will be elaborated upon. ► Napoleon Ballroom Target Audience: 2-12

10:50 am – 12:15 pm

You Need to Know Things to Learn Things: Background Knowledge as a Key to Reading Comprehension Judi Dodson Background knowledge is an important key to reading comprehension – you need to know things in order to learn things. Teachers are told to have children activate their background knowledge, but many times there is nothing to activate. It is every teacher’s responsibility to build that background knowledge. Most teachers have only one or two approaches to building background knowledge. This session will explore multi-sensory and engaging approaches to building background knowledge with your students. When you create a classroom culture that is characterized by excitement about learning new things, you give students an important key that can help them open the door to reading comprehension. ► Jefferson Ballroom Target Audience: PreK-8

Increasing Student Engagement (REPEAT) Jo Robinson Why does it matter that we get all students to respond every time? Students who are not responding in whole or small groups are missing valuable and sometimes necessary practice. Some students seem to have more years of practice avoiding teacher requests than teachers have teaching! Listening to someone else read, hearing others use a vocabulary word or hearing others answer a comprehension question are not as powerful as actually doing it yourself. Teachers who increase engagement will increase reading and writing achievement simultaneously. See and learn ways to engage all students in whole and small group settings with an emphasis on engagement in writing. ► Versailles Ballroom Target Audience: PreK-6

Motion Leadership

PLAIN Talk About Reading 2011

Michael Fullan This session will identify specific leadership qualities that ‘move’ or cause improvements. Examples will be drawn from school, district, and state leadership. Video illustrations will be shown that exemplify these qualities in action. Strategies for developing leadership will also be examined. ► Oak Alley Target Audience: PreK-12

Friday, May 6, 2011

10:50 am – 12:15 pm

Increasing Comprehension with Higher Order Thinking Skills

wordPLAY: An Experimental Multidimensional Measure Created for Vocabulary Teachers

Alice Thomas Students with good phonemic awareness, decoding skills, fluency and vocabulary that lag in reading comprehension may benefit from explicit instruction in higher order thinking skills. In this session, higher order thinking concepts, strategies and tactics that can increase reading comprehension will be discussed. Participants will leave with explicit ways to teach higher order thinking skills and strategies that can be applied to unit and lesson design. ► Rosedown Target Audience: K-12

Susan Ebbers In this session we will examine several experimental measures designed through itemresponse theory and used with third-grade students. These interrelated measures tap into word-learning aptitude, measuring the probability that a student will independently infer word meaning from internal word clues and external context clues when reading independently. Teachers will learn how to adapt vocabulary instruction in response to the results of these measures. ► Rosedown Target Audience: 2-12

Increasing Literacy for All Across the Content Areas Debbie Hunsaker Low levels of literacy are the number one reason for remedial services and students dropping out of high school. Speaking, reading, writing, and listening need to occur every day for every student. Attend this session to learn specific routines that can be implemented across all content areas. Attendees will leave this session with routine cards to use in increasing literacy for all students. ► Elmwood Target Audience: 8-12

Fluency Is More than Rate: Giving Accuracy, Fluency, and Prosody the Right Emphasis Michael Hunter A common intervention for struggling readers is fluency instruction aimed at improving each student’s rate, measured as words correct per minute. This session examines the three parts of fluency - accuracy, rate, and prosody – and provides educators with a framework for determining which students will benefit from fluency instruction. Participants will learn ways to help beginning readers develop the habit of reading accurately. They will also learn how to help older students overcome their guessing habits by focusing on accurate reading instead of reading solely for rate. All participants will receive tracking charts to use with the fluency framework presented in this session. ► Jasperwood Target Audience: K-8

Concurrent Sessions continued

The Playful Importance of Early Literacy: Research to Practice Lucy Hart Paulson There is no question about the importance of young children’s early literacy development. What may be in question are the best ways of helping them develop these skills. This presentation will describe a summary of the most recent research looking at development expectations of early literacy skills, and an application to intentional and playful teaching strategies that are effective in helping preschool and kindergarten children develop the early literacy skills that lead to early reading. Early childhood educators will leave this session with a deeper sense of the early literacy process along with specific strategies for making their teaching playful, fun and engaging, as well as intentional and effective. ► Magnolia Target Audience: PreK-1

There’s LD or RD along with that ADHD! Martha Denckla Early diagnosis of ADHD and short term treatmentrelated improvement in academic skills may mask co-existing learning and/or reading disability. By middle school, the expectations for independent function may unmask processing deficits underlying learning disability or reading disability because the student with ADHD lacks the executive skills necessary to compensate for learning and/ or reading disabilities when external structures diminish. This session will explore this and other reasons why, when ADHD is diagnosed, a comprehensive evaluation is recommended. ► Napoleon Ballroom Target Audience: 5-12

Detailed Agenda

Lunch

Friday, May 6, 2011

12:15 pm – 1:15 pm

► Grand Ballroom AB

Concurrent Sessions II

1:30 pm – 2:55 pm

The Power of Reading Walk-Throughs (REPEAT) Jo Robinson After a review of critical research-based “Look Fors” in reading lessons, principals and coaches are guided through simulated reading walk-throughs with video-taped teaching examples. Participants will hear ways to organize and plan for walkthroughs and see examples of effective feedback to teachers. ► Versailles Ballroom Target Audience: PreK-4

Leadership within the District and in each Building Reid Lyon The quality of leadership at district and school levels can have a profound and lasting impact on student learning and achievement. A substantial amount of trustworthy evidence underscores this conclusion. Moreover, converging research has identified leadership characteristics that a principal and superintendent must possess to ensure that their impact on student learning and achievement is positive rather that nonproductive. Unfortunately, gaps remain in the extent to which many existing leadership programs use this current research. This presentation reviews innovative evidence-based leader preparation programs where measureable improvements in teacher knowledge, implementation practices and student achievement are primary goals. ► Oak Alley Target Audience: PreK-12

Adolescent Literacy: 16 Recommendations from Research Michael Kamil This session will present the results of several sets of recommendations for improving adolescent literacy. Results from large scale research studies that compared reading interventions for adolescents will be presented. Criteria for evaluating the results will also be presented. Ways to incorporate these recommendations with Common Standards will be elaborated upon. ► Rosedown Target Audience: 5-12

PLAIN Talk About Reading 2011

The Talking Classroom: 50 Nifty Speaking and Listening Activities (REPEAT) Judi Dodson Do your students have weak oral language skills and difficulty with reading comprehension? During this session, you will learn and practice simple, engaging and interactive activities designed to emphasize attention and engagement, active listening and speaking which can support the development of vocabulary, background knowledge and oral language development within the classroom setting. Come and have fun while we talk and discover together ways to help our children develop their abilities in the area of oral language. ► Jefferson Ballroom Target Audience: PreK-8

Common Spelling Patterns and How to Teach Them Mary Dahlgren Why do we spell words the way we spell them? Which letter combinations make up which sounds? Is this consistent? It all seems so random! If these are questions or thoughts you have had when teaching reading and spelling, then this session is for you. An awareness of the most common patterns of the English Language and how to teach them in a systematic way is especially important for teachers of beginning readers and spellers. Teachers will leave the session with a better understanding of the most common patterns in our language and how to teach them in an engaging manner. This will provide teachers with a weekly plan for introducing spelling words starting with phonology then moving to orthography with a little bit of morphology. ► Belle Chasse Target Audience: PreK-4

Friday, May 6, 2011

Building Academic Language in the Classroom for English Language Learners María Elena Argüelles The ability to use the language of school and the language of textbooks is the key that opens the doors to higher learning. For many English language learners, the achievement gap is a language gap, and to close it, we must focus on developing academic language skills. For ELLs, mastery of academic language is the most significant predictor of academic success. This session will focus on various aspects of language and how to best provide ELLs with explicit instruction in academic vocabulary and extended language skills. Several activities will be presented that will develop students’ academic English and create a language-rich environment. ► Elmwood Target Audience: PreK-8

Scaffolding Written Expression Instruction for Struggling Writers: From the Paragraph to the Essay Anita Archer Do your students have difficulty composing a coherent factual paragraph, a detailed descriptive paragraph, a convincing argument, or a wellorganized essay? Composing written products is a demanding skill for any individual, but is particularly difficult for low-performing students. This session will present a model that divides written expression instruction into two components: (1) teaching the attributes of the written product and illustrating it with an example (what), and (2) teaching the process of writing using writing frames, strategies, and think sheets (how). These instructional components will be demonstrated with a number of written products, including descriptive paragraphs, compare/contrast paragraphs, persuasive essays, and expository reports. Participants will also be introduced to a POWER strategy for writing: Prepare, Organize, Write, Examine, and Revise. ► Napoleon Ballroom Target Audience: 3-8

1:30 pm – 2:55 pm

High-quality Pre-K Programs and Structured Literacy Initiatives: Proven Longitudinal Relationships

Concurrent Sessions II continued

Billy Stokes, Gary Asmus The Picard Center for Child Development and Lifelong Learning has been evaluating the implementation of Louisiana’s high-quality prekindergarten (LA 4) program for the last 10 years, and the implementation of Louisiana’s literacy initiatives for the last seven years. The results of both evaluations indicate that each program has been achieving its respective goals. This report will present the results of the students who participated in neither, one, or both of the programs. Both LA 4 and Louisiana’s literacy initiatives are targeted at children from impoverished backgrounds, so the analysis is limited to students who qualify for free or reduced price meals. Policy implications of the findings will be discussed. ► Magnolia Target Audience: PreK-4 Demystifying Multisyllable Words Susan Hall Many students in grades three and above mispronounce longer words. Decoding multisyllabic words is an essential skill that has a direct impact on reading accuracy, fluency, and the comprehension of text. In this interactive session, participants will practice a four-step technique designed to help students solve the mystery of multisyllabic words by recognizing patterns, identifying sounds, and applying syllable division rules. The technique is designed for whole-class instruction, taking only five minutes a day, and can also be used for intervention groups. Participants will receive a sample routine for teaching closed syllables. ► Jasperwood Target Audience: 2-12

Detailed Agenda Concurrent Sessions III

Friday, May 6, 2011

3:20 pm – 4:45 pm

Educators as Physicians - Using Data for RtI Decisions Jan Hasbrouck Much like the work of physicians, Response to Intervention (RtI) requires professional educators to use data to guide decisions regarding students’ academic programs. Data must be collected and carefully analyzed to help direct decisions including which students might need some additional assistance and what specific academic support is needed by each student and, once instructions has begun, how a student’s progress - or lack of progress- can be determined. Appropriate for K-12 educators and specialists who support RtI, this session outlines the research-base for the essential academic assessments required for RtI. Participants will leave with specific strategies to help teams of educators use assessment data effectively and efficiently. ► Versailles Ballroom Target Audience: PreK-10

Read Alouds and Beyond: Choosing Books to Address Language and Emergent Literacy Goals and Embedding Instructional Emphasis throughout the Day Christie Cavanaugh Reading aloud to young children is regarded as a typical and valuable part of the day in prekindergarten. The books teachers choose to read can align closely with language and emergent literacy areas to maximize the instructional value of read alouds when they are chosen purposefully. Participants will learn a framework for choosing books to address important language and emergent literacy goals and will identify ways to extend the learning opportunities throughout the day, particularly for oral language and vocabulary value. This session will be interactive and include opportunities for practice related to book selection and read aloud planning that includes systematic ways to address language and emergent literacy development using research-based strategies. ► Jefferson Ballroom Target Audience: PreK-1

Passing the Buck: Honing in on Teacher Questioning Debbie Hunsaker Ask a first grade class a question and each and every student will raise his hand hoping to be called upon. Do the same thing in an eighth grade class and the number of hands that shoot up will be minimal. Students learn quickly which students give the teacher the answer they are looking for, and they eventually stop raising their hands and hope they will not be called upon. Attend this session and learn about initial and follow-up questions and the importance of asking guided and targeted followup questions when students do not give you the answer you are looking for. A specific plan (Passing the Buck) for conducting an effective and focused class discussion will be provided for attendees to implement in the fall. ► Oak Alley Target Audience: 6-12

PLAIN Talk About Reading 2011

Customizing Goals and Objectives Based on the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts Linda Farrell Almost all 50 states have adopted the Common Core State Standards. The Standards describe desired educational outcomes, but it is up to schools and districts to determine exactly what must be taught to achieve those outcomes. In this session, learn how to develop specific goals and objectives that support a content rich curriculum and are customized for a school’s or district’s student population. In addition, learn to match types of assessments with specific goals and objectives. Participants will leave with fresh ideas for developing an instructional map that ensures students have the essential and foundational skills, knowledge, and abilities upon which the Standards are based. ► Belle Chasse Target Audience: K-4

Friday, May 6, 2011

3:20 pm – 4:45 pm

Common Spelling Patterns and How to Teach Them (REPEAT)

Building Academic Language in the Classroom for English Language Learners (REPEAT)

Mary Dahlgren Why do we spell words the way we spell them? Which letter combinations make up which sounds? Is this consistent? It all seems so random! If these are questions or thoughts you have had when teaching reading and spelling, then this session is for you. An awareness of the most common patterns of the English Language and how to teach them in a systematic way is especially important for teachers of beginning readers and spellers. Teachers will leave the session with a better understanding of the most common patterns in our language and how to teach them in an engaging manner. This will provide teachers with a weekly plan for introducing spelling words starting with phonology then moving to orthography with a little bit of morphology. ► Rosedown Target Audience: PreK-4

María Elena Argüelles The ability to use the language of school and the language of textbooks is the key that opens the doors to higher learning. For many English language learners, the achievement gap is a language gap, and to close it, we must focus on developing academic language skills. For ELLs, mastery of academic language is the most significant predictor of academic success. This session will focus on various aspects of language and how to best provide ELLs with explicit instruction in academic vocabulary and extended language skills. Several activities will be presented that will develop students’ academic English and create a language-rich environment. ► Elmwood Target Audience: PreK-8

Concurrent Sessions III continued

Dyslexia: Myths and Realities The Playful Importance of Early Literacy: Research to Practice (REPEAT) Lucy Hart Paulson There is no question about the importance of young children’s early literacy development. What may be in question are the best ways of helping them develop these skills. This presentation will describe a summary of the most recent research looking at development expectations of early literacy skills, and an application to intentional and playful teaching strategies that are effective in helping preschool and kindergarten children develop the early literacy skills that lead to early reading. Early childhood educators will leave this session with a deeper sense of the early literacy process along with specific strategies for making their teaching playful, fun and engaging, as well as intentional and effective. ► Magnolia Target Audience: PreK-1

Glenda Thorne This session will present common myths regarding the nature of dyslexia, the most current definition of dyslexia, and its characteristics in both children and adults. The importance of understanding both oral and written language will be emphasized. The concept of phonological processing, as well as common phonological processing weaknesses in individuals who have dyslexia, will be addressed. Although not the focus of this presentation, participants will be given information regarding diagnostic assessment instruments and researchbased instructional methods for teaching reading skills. ► Jasperwood Target Audience: K-12

Detailed Agenda

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Super Sessions 8:00 am – 9:30 am Part I Dynamic Vocabulary Instruction Anita Archer As students proceed through school, vocabulary becomes an increasingly important predictor of academic success and is directly related to reading comprehension. When elementary and secondary school students have vocabularies significantly lower than their peers, schools must emphasize vocabulary development. In this session, procedures for increasing vocabulary through read-alouds, explicit vocabulary instruction, and word learning strategies will be explored. Researchvalidated procedures will be demonstrated and practiced, with classroom videos illustrating the procedures. ► Versailles Ballroom Target Audience: PreK-12

Meeting a Critical Need in Our Pre-Kindergarten Classrooms: Professional Development for Teachers to Promote Language and Literacy Christie Cavanaugh The value of a rich, high quality instructional environment is uncontested among educators, parents, researchers, and policy makers yet a guarantee of one for ALL children is inconsistent. Ongoing professional development is critical for change! This interactive session addresses knowledge, skills, and a focus on targeted professional development for early childhood teachers, particularly for those who serve children in settings with limited resources and wide variation in prior teacher preparation. A framework, process, and professional development materials will be highlighted in the context of language and literacy development focusing on the teacher’s role in engineering the environment and serving as the most critical catalyst for growth in any domain. ► Elmwood Target Audience: PreK

PLAIN Talk About Reading 2011

Reading Between and Beyond the Lines: Teaching Inference Making Suzanne Carreker Comprehension is the reason for reading. Difficulties in reading can stem from many sources, such as inadequate oral language and vocabulary, limited world knowledge or poor working memory. The ability to make inferences best differentiates students with good comprehension from students with poor comprehension. In this session, the causes of poor comprehension will be discussed. Instructional strategies for improving comprehension, especially how to teach inferencemaking, will be presented. Participants will create lessons targeted at specific comprehension deficits. ► Oak Alley Target Audience: PreK-6

Bringing Literacy to Life: 50 Nifty Activities for Reading Instruction Judi Dodson Learn and practice active, engaging and multisensory classroom activities to reinforce skill development in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. These activities have been designed to connect reading research to classroom application. They can easily work as part of a thoughtful RtI program, providing focused practice in critical skill areas. This is an interactive session so come prepared to see and experience how we can bring joy to the process of reading. Participants will leave knowing how to infuse both heart and science into the process of learning to read, and how to make it fun and engaging. ► Jefferson Ballroom Target Audience: PreK-8

Modeling Meaningful, Memorable, and Enjoyable Vocabulary Lessons Susan Ebbers Together, we will explore three different models of vocabulary instruction that coordinate morphological awareness, phonological awareness, and orthographic awareness. Instructional models will help students make connections across the sounds, spellings, and meanings of words, so that words are more deeply embedded in the mental lexicon, and thus remembered. Participants will observe several lessons and will engage in modeling with a peer. A major aspect of each lesson is the high priority placed on critical thinking and oral language. ► Rosedown Target Audience: PreK-12

Saturday, May 7, 2011

8:00 am – 9:30 am

Advanced Phonics: What Teachers Need to Know and Do

Managing Behavior to Support Differentiating Instruction

Linda Farrell Many teachers have studied basic phonics and understand basic spelling patterns such as CVC, the silent e, and vowel teams. In this session, we will go beyond basic phonics and learn more about English spelling. Many topics are discussed in this session, such as why the suffix –ed has three sounds, and when each of the three sounds should be used. Almost every reading teacher has had the discussion about the correct pronunciation of the and a. Learn that both are correct, but in different situations. Trigraphs are understood by virtually all reading teachers. Learn why trigraphs are a logical spelling. Many words in English have a short u sound spelled with the letter o, such as son, love, and come. Learn the historical reason for these spellings. This session will help teachers make sense of spelling to themselves and, in turn, to their students. ► Belle Chasse Target Audience: PreK-12

Vicki Gibson Implementing differentiating instruction requires managing multiple activities happening simultaneously in the classroom: the teacher teaches a small group as other students work collaboratively in study groups or independently. Managing the classroom and student behaviors while providing explicit instruction to a small group can be challenging. Teachers must teach students how to manage the freedom of collaborative learning, communicating respectfully and cooperating with peers. This session presents a proactive communication system called Two Choice Discipline (TCD) that clearly identifies acceptable responses, choices and preset consequences. TCD helps adults and students to communicate respectfully and apply reasonable decision-making and self-regulation. ► Napoleon Ballroom Target Audience: PreK-12

Super Sessions Part I continued

Sure Fire Multi-Sensory Techniques to Help Struggling Readers Michael Hunter Learn how to use a single multi-sensory technique called “Touch & Say” along with basic manipulatives to boost your instruction and student engagement at all levels of decoding instruction, from phonological awareness to multi-syllable words. In this fast-paced, interactive session, you will learn about and practice this powerful way to focus students’ attention on the connections between sounds and symbols. For example, at the multi-syllable word level, Touch & Say insures that students read the entire word rather than leaving off the ending or guessing based on the first syllable. Touch & Say is also a powerful tool for use with positive error correction to allow students to discover the correct answer rather telling it to them. Participants will leave with a detailed scope and sequence for decoding instruction that starts with pre-reading skills, and will learn how to use Touch & Say in instruction throughout the scope and sequence. ► Jasperwood Target Audience: K-12

Detailed Agenda New Orleans Jazz Brunch

Saturday, May 7, 2011

9:30 am – 10:30 am

► Grand Ballroom AB

Super Sessions 11:00 am – 12:30 pm Part II Dynamic Vocabulary Instruction (CONTINUED) Anita Archer As students proceed through school, vocabulary becomes an increasingly important predictor of academic success and is directly related to reading comprehension. When elementary and secondary school students have vocabularies significantly lower than their peers, schools must emphasize vocabulary development. In this session, procedures for increasing vocabulary through read-alouds, explicit vocabulary instruction, and word learning strategies will be explored. Researchvalidated procedures will be demonstrated and practiced, with classroom videos illustrating the procedures. ► Versailles Ballroom Target Audience: PreK-12

Meeting a Critical Need in Our Pre-Kindergarten Classrooms: Professional Development for Teachers to Promote Language and Literacy (CONTINUED) Christie Cavanaugh The value of a rich, high quality instructional environment is uncontested among educators, parents, researchers, and policy makers yet a guarantee of one for ALL children is inconsistent. Ongoing professional development is critical for change! This interactive session addresses knowledge, skills, and a focus on targeted professional development for early childhood teachers, particularly for those who serve children in settings with limited resources and wide variation in prior teacher preparation. A framework, process, and professional development materials will be highlighted in the context of language and literacy development focusing on the teacher’s role in engineering the environment and serving as the most critical catalyst for growth in any domain. ► Elmwood Target Audience: PreK

PLAIN Talk About Reading 2011

Reading Between and Beyond the Lines: Teaching Inference Making (CONTINUED) Suzanne Carreker Comprehension is the reason for reading. Difficulties in reading can stem from many sources, such as inadequate oral language and vocabulary, limited world knowledge or poor working memory. The ability to make inferences best differentiates students with good comprehension from students with poor comprehension. In this session, the causes of poor comprehension will be discussed. Instructional strategies for improving comprehension, especially how to teach inferencemaking, will be presented. Participants will create lessons targeted at specific comprehension deficits. ► Oak Alley Target Audience: PreK-6

Bringing Literacy to Life: 50 Nifty Activities for Reading Instruction (CONTINUED) Judi Dodson Learn and practice active, engaging and multisensory classroom activities to reinforce skill development in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. These activities have been designed to connect reading research to classroom application. They can easily work as part of a thoughtful RtI program, providing focused practice in critical skill areas. This is an interactive session so come prepared to see and experience how we can bring joy to the process of reading. Participants will leave knowing how to infuse both heart and science into the process of learning to read, and how to make it fun and engaging. ► Jefferson Ballroom Target Audience: PreK-8

Saturday, May 7, 2011

11:00 am – 12:30 pm

Modeling Meaningful, Memorable, and Enjoyable Vocabulary Lessons (CONTINUED)

Advanced Phonics: What Teachers Need to Know and Do (CONTINUED)

Susan Ebbers Together, we will explore three different models of vocabulary instruction that coordinate morphological awareness, phonological awareness, and orthographic awareness. Instructional models will help students make connections across the sounds, spellings, and meanings of words, so that words are more deeply embedded in the mental lexicon, and thus remembered. Participants will observe several lessons and will engage in modeling with a peer. A major aspect of each lesson is the high priority placed on critical thinking and oral language. Target Audience: PreK-12 ► Rosedown

Managing Behavior to Support Differentiating Instruction (CONTINUED) Vicki Gibson Implementing differentiating instruction requires managing multiple activities happening simultaneously in the classroom: the teacher teaches a small group as other students work collaboratively in study groups or independently. Managing the classroom and student behaviors while providing explicit instruction to a small group can be challenging. Teachers must teach students how to manage the freedom of collaborative learning, communicating respectfully and cooperating with peers. This session presents a proactive communication system called Two Choice Discipline (TCD) that clearly identifies acceptable responses, choices and preset consequences. TCD helps adults and students to communicate respectfully and apply reasonable decision-making and self-regulation. ► Napoleon Ballroom Target Audience: PreK-12

Super Sessions Part II continued

Sure Fire Multi-Sensory Techniques to Help Struggling Readers (CONTINUED) Michael Hunter Learn how to use a single multi-sensory technique called “Touch & Say” along with basic manipulatives to boost your instruction and student engagement at all levels of decoding instruction, from phonological awareness to multi-syllable words. In this fast-paced, interactive session, you will learn about and practice this powerful way to focus students’ attention on the connections between sounds and symbols. For example, at the multi-syllable word level, Touch & Say insures that students read the entire word rather than leaving off the ending or guessing based on the first syllable. Touch & Say is also a powerful tool for use with positive error correction to allow students to discover the correct answer rather telling it to them. Participants will leave with a detailed scope and sequence for decoding instruction that starts with pre-reading skills, and will learn how to use Touch & Say in instruction throughout the scope and sequence. ► Jasperwood Target Audience: K-12

About the Presenters Anita Archer Anita Archer, Ph.D., recipient of ten Outstanding Educator awards, serves as an educational consultant to state departments, county agencies, and school districts on explicit instruction and literacy instruction. She has taught elementary and middle school students and has served on the faculties of San Diego State University, the University of Washington, and the University of Oregon. She is nationally known for her presentations and publications on instructional procedures and literacy instruction and has co-authored numerous curriculum materials with Mary Gleason including REWARDS PLUS, REWARDS Writing and Skills for School Success. Most recently, Anita wrote a textbook on explicit instruction with Charles Hughes entitled Explicit Instruction: Effective and Efficient Teaching (Guilford, 2011).

María Elena Argüelles María Elena Argüelles, Ph.D., is an educational consultant who provides support to states, districts, and schools in their implementation of effective reading instruction for young English language learners and struggling readers. María Elena was a member of the national expert review panel for Reading First. She is the co-author of several publications and a consultant to publishers developing programs for struggling readers and English language learners. In addition, she has teaching experience at the public school level as well as at the undergraduate and graduate level. Her primary areas of interest are vocabulary development, early reading instruction, students with reading difficulties, and instruction for English language learners.

Gary Asmus Gary Asmus, Ph.D., director of Management Information Systems for the Cecil J. Picard Center for Child Development, manages the Center’s education data repository. Dr. Asmus is responsible for all information technology at the center, administering, managing, and overseeing planning and implementation of all center research projects. Gary developed the data quality process for the Louisiana Reading First student achievement and outcome data. He created repository, process, and reports for assessing the data quality, remedying problems and verifying corrections to Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS). He has also integrated the data from the University of Oregon’s DIBELS Data system with the State of Louisiana’s Student Information System (SIS) to ensure longitudinal student record integrity. Gary received both his B.S. and Ph.D. in computer science from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

Robert Brooks Robert Brooks, Ph.D., a psychologist on the faculty of Harvard Medical School, has lectured nationally and internationally and written extensively on topics pertaining to motivation, school climate, resilience, family relationships, the qualities of effective leaders, and balancing our personal and professional lives. He is the author or coauthor of 14 books including The Self-Esteem Teacher, Raising Resilient Children, Handbook of Resilience in Children, Raising a Self-Disciplined Child, and The Power of Resilience: Achieving Balance, Confidence, and Personal Strength in Your Life. In addition, Bob completed a videotape and educational guide for PBS titled Look What You’ve Done! Stories of Hope and Resilience that focuses on children with learning problems. Bob has received numerous awards for his work on behalf of children and their families, including the “Hall of Fame” award from both CH.A.D.D. and the Connecticut Association for Children with Learning Disabilities, and the Outstanding Educator Award for Mental Health Education from the New England Educational Institute. In addition, he has served as a consultant to Sesame Street Parents Magazine. He is also a member of the Professional Advisory Board of the Center for Development and Learning.

About the Presenters Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan, Ph.D., is a Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist and a Certified Academic Language Therapist. She is the director of Valley Speech Language and Learning Center in Brownsville, Texas and works with Texas Institute for Measurement Evaluation and Statistics at the University of Houston. Elsa is the author of Esperanza (HOPE), a Spanish language program designed to assist students who struggle with learning to read. Her research interests include the development of early reading assessments for Spanish speaking students and the development of reading interventions for bilingual students. She was the co-principal investigator of a longitudinal study funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Institute for Education Science that examined the oracy and literacy development in English and Spanish of Spanish speaking children. She serves as a board member for the International Dyslexia Association and the Regional Educational Laboratory of the Southwest Region. She has authored curricular programs, book chapters, and journal articles related to oracy and literacy development for English language learners.

Suzanne Carreker Suzanne Carreker, M.S. is a certified academic language therapist and qualified instructor, and is the vice president of program development at Neuhaus Education Center, a nonprofit organization in Houston that has offered professional development in scientifically based reading methods to more than 60,000 teachers since its inception in 1980. Suzanne is past president of the Houston Branch of the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) and current member of the national IDA board, is a frequent speaker at regional and national conferences and has authored a number of multisensory curricula. Suzanne consulted on and contributed to the Texas Teacher Reading Academies and was a State Master Trainer for the Kindergarten and First-Grade Texas Teacher Reading Academies, 1999-2001.

PLAIN Talk About Reading 2011

Christie Cavanaugh Christie Cavanaugh, Ph.D., has been an educator for more than 30 years, spending many of those years in early childhood settings, including early intervention, early childhood special education, child care, and special education in elementary grades. In addition to teaching young children, she has spent much of her career preparing future teachers and providing professional development to educators in the areas of language and literacy, with a particular focus on at-risk children and families as well as high need schools in various contexts. She continues this work currently as an investigator and project director for an early reading intervention research project at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has much experience as an educational consultant working with early childhood programs, schools, districts, and state departments to improve reading instruction, elevate student outcomes, and support schools in their efforts to implement research-based practice, which parallel her research interests.

David Clemons David Clemmons grew up in South Carolina during the 1950s. He did not learn to read in school and dropped out of school when he was 16. David wanted to learn to read more than anything, but was hesitant to share his secret with anyone. He developed a successful carpet-laying business, although he could not read the word carpet. At the age of 47, David hurt his knee and could no longer lay carpet. He needed to learn how to read in order to complete a job application, so he tried several literacy organizations before his career counselor recommended the Washington Literacy Council. The Council told him that they would teach him to read, and they did. He now reads so much that he occasionally misses his metro stop because he is immersed in a book. David works at the Washington Literacy Council in Washington, D.C., as the Student Support coordinator. He speaks nationally about literacy and the importance of teaching all students how to read so that they won’t drop out of school.

Karen Collins Karen Collins, Ed.D., is Associate Professor and Coordinator of American with Disabilities Act Student Accommodations at HarrisStowe State University as well as Adjunct Instructor in the Special Education Department at the University of Missouri. She is also CEO of Smith-Collins, LLC, a development and services company for the elderly and individuals with disabilities. Karen has taught adjunct at the University of Southern Mississippi, as well as worked as an educational consultant in Louisiana and Mississippi. She has an Ed.D. in Special Education, a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership, a M.Ed. in Special Education and a B.A. in Elementary Education and Special Education. Having served many years as an elementary and high school principal and several years as a special education administrator, Karen has the compassion and skill to provide opportunities for learners with difficulties.

Mary Dahlgren Mary Dahlgren, Ed.D., is president of MED Consulting and Tools 4 Reading. She has over 20 years of experience teaching children and training teachers. She has worked as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, professional development provider and consultant to numerous state departments of education and local education agencies. She is a National LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) trainer, and is now teaching programs nationally for Neuhaus Education Center. She is the former Executive Director of Payne Education Center, a non-profit teacher training center in Oklahoma, and a founding board member of a school for adjudicated youth, SeeWorth Academy. Mary’s passion is to help everyone involved in reading instruction to feel equipped and confident in providing the highest quality instruction possible.

Martha Denckla Martha Bridge Denckla, M.D., is a research scientist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and a Professor of Neurology, Pediatrics and Psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine where she trained with Dr. Norman Geschwind in Behavioral Neurology. She is currently Director of Developmental Cognitive Neurology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and is Principal Investigator of research funded by NICHD that focuses on reading in grades 4 – 8. Dr. Denckla graduated cum laude from Harvard Medical School. After positions in Neurology at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York and Harvard Medical School, she served as the Director of Learning Disabilities Clinic at Children’s Hospital. She served as Chief of the Section on Autism & Related Disorders at the Developmental Neurology Branch of the Neurological Disorders Program at the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke (NIH). She is past President of both the International Neuropsychology Society, and the Behavioral Neurology Society.

Judi Dodson Judi Dodson, M.A., consults with schools, state departments of education, and school districts on issues related to school change, teacher knowledge, and literacy achievement. She speaks at conferences and gives workshops on topics related to reading intervention and activities that support increasing student achievement, and is a National LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) trainer. Judi believes that working to empower teachers with knowledge about literacy can make a real difference in their work and help them change and enrich the lives of the children they teach. Judi worked for 20 years as a special education teacher, working primarily with children with reading problems and, as an educational consultant, conducting diagnostic assessment of learning disabilities. She is the author of Fifty Nifty Activities: Five Components and Three Tiers of Instruction, and is currently writing a curriculum of activities that will enhance oral language skills. Her second book has just been published by Sopris West titled 50 Nifty Activities for Speaking and Listening: for Oral Language and Comprehension. It is a book of active and engaging oral language activities designed for classroom teachers. Judi is on the board of the Rocky Mountain Branch of the International Dyslexia Association.

About the Presenters Adrienne Dowden Adrienne S. Dowden, M.Ed., is a reading specialist who has worked at both the national and local levels to help schools and districts increase their knowledge of effective reading instruction and practices that improve students’ reading ability. Previously, for over 24 years, Adrienne worked as a special education teacher and elementary teacher, and as a reading specialist for New Orleans Public Schools. As a reading coordinator for the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), she coordinated the AFT Reading Project in New Orleans Public Schools. She served as an Educational Program Consultant 3 for the Louisiana Department of Education. She was the project manager and senior reading specialist for the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) on the USDOE - Expanding The Reach project I. She is president of the ASD Educational Consulting Group and is currently an associate for GHA.

Susan Ebbers Susan Ebbers is an author and consultant who specializes in vocabulary development. Awarded outstanding middle school teacher and A+ Literacy Leader, Susan has been a K-8 principal and teacher in public and private schools in California and Alabama. She has taught reading to primary students and intensive reading intervention to middle school students and has served as a district secondary content literacy coach in California. She has coauthored the Washington State K-12 Reading Model and is author of Daily Oral Vocabulary Exercises: A Program to Expand Academic Language in Grades 4-12; Vocabulary Through Morphemes: Suffixes, Prefixes, and Roots for Intermediate Grades; and two sequential decodable series that promote vocabulary, morphology, and comprehension—Power Readers and Turbo Readers. At present, she is a doctoral student in cognition, development, and education, specializing in morphological awareness, vocabulary measurement, and interest theory.

PLAIN Talk About Reading 2011

Linda Farrell Linda Farrell is a founding partner at Readsters, where she is immersed in the world of beginning and struggling readers. Linda designs and presents workshops, writes books, and develops instructional materials for effective reading instruction. She has coauthored several publications, including Phonics Blitz, Phonics Boost, the Diagnostic Decoding Surveys, Teaching Reading Essentials Program Guide and Coach’s Guide (coauthored with Louisa Moats), and DIBELS: The Practical Manual. Linda was also a National LETRS Trainer for seven years. Linda has been presenting workshops and giving speeches on reading instruction throughout the country since 2000. She taught junior high English and was a high school and elementary school counselor. However, it was only when Linda volunteered to teach adults to read that she understood older struggling readers’ needs for explicit phonics and phonemic awareness instruction at the most basic levels. Linda keeps her skills fresh and innovative by working one-on-one with struggling readers of all ages whenever she has time.

Janie Feinberg Janie Feinberg, president of JP Associates, is a 40-year plus veteran in the battle for educating our children’s minds. Her strong personal belief and philosophy that all children can learn permeates all aspects of both her personal and professional life. Janie attended the Connecticut College for Women and graduated from Brooklyn College in 1968. She taught in the New York City Public School System, in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, and in Vermont. In 1972, following her work as a classroom teacher, Janie was trained in Direct Instruction by Siegfried Engelmann, the author of the Direct Instruction programs, and then served as a senior consultant for SRA from 1973 to 1988. In 1986 Janie founded the Centers for Direct Instruction. These centers served the Brooklyn, Long Island and Staten Island families of New York City. In 1989, drawing on her experience and expertise, she created and established a teacher/student friendly consulting company providing school improvement services internationally. She has spoken and trained on various topics of education and instruction across the country.

Jack Fletcher Jack M. Fletcher, Ph.D., is a distinguished professor of psychology at the University of Houston. For the past 30 years, Jack, a board-certified child neuropsychologist, has conducted research on children with learning and attention disorders and brain injury. He directs a Learning Disability Research Center grant and a program project involving neurobiological factors and learning in spina bifida, both funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). He served on the NICHD National Advisory Council, the Rand Reading Study Group, the National Research Council Committee on Scientific Principles in Education Research, and the President’s Commission on Excellence in Special Education. Dr. Fletcher was the recipient of the Samuel T. Orton award from the International Dyslexia Association in 2003 and a co-recipient of the Albert J. Harris award from the International Reading Association in 2006. He is the past president of the International Neuropsychological Society.

Ouida Forsyth Ouida Forsyth, Ed.S., is a veteran early childhood educator and is currently the Early Childhood, Birth to Five, project director at the Picard Center for Child Development and Lifelong Learning at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. At the Picard Center, she serves as an evaluator, researcher and professional development specialist. Ouida’s areas of interests are language, literacy, poverty and early childhood. With 34 years of experience in education, Ouida has served as an elementary school principal, a Head Start director and a supervisor of preschool programs for Lafayette Parish. Ouida is currently ABD in Applied Language and Speech Science.

Michael Fullan Michael Fullan is professor emeritus of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto. Recognized as a worldwide authority on educational reform, Michael is engaged in training, consulting, and evaluating change projects around the world and his books have been published in many languages. He is currently special advisor to the Premier and Minister of Education in Ontario. His book, Leading in a Culture of Change, was awarded the 2002 Book of the Year Award by the National Staff Development Council and Breakthrough (with Peter Hill and Carmel Crévola) won the 2006 Book of the Year Award from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. His most recent book is Motion Leadership: The Skinny on Becoming Change Savvy (2010).

Vicki Gibson Vicki Gibson, Ph.D., is an educational consultant, author, teacher trainer and speaker at state and national education conferences. Her areas of specialization include assessing learner’s needs, planning instruction, curriculum development, instructional methodology, and classroom management and discipline. Vicki was a kindergarten teacher and learning disability specialist in public schools for 10 years before opening four private schools for children ages 2–12 years. She was an adjunct professor at Texas A&M University for 10 years. She is the author of We Can!, I Can Draw, Letter, Sounds, and Strokes, a phonics program; and coauthor of Treasures, a reading program and Differentiated Instruction: Grouping for Success, a supplemental college textbook, and Differentiated Instruction: Guidelines for Implementation for presenters of professional development. Vicki is the Chairman/President of Gibson Hasbrouck & Associates, an educational consulting group.

About the Presenters Sam Goldstein Sam Goldstein, Ph.D., is a psychologist with areas of study in school psychology, child development and neuropsychology. He is an assistant clinical instructor in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, affiliate research professor of psychology at George Mason University and on staff at the University Neuropsychiatric Institute. Sam is the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Attention Disorders. He has authored, co-edited or co-authored numerous books including Raising A Self-Disciplined Child, Understanding and Managing Children’s Classroom Behavior, Learning Disabilities and Challenging Behaviors, and the Handbook of Intelligence and Achievement Testing, and he recently co-authored a new assessment for Autism Spectrum Disorders. He has also authored three dozen book chapters and nearly two dozen peer reviewed scientific studies. Sam has been executive producer for a number of film and training video projects, including the award winning documentary Tough Times/Resilient Kids. He holds Diplomate status in Medical Psychotherapy awarded by the American Board of Medical Psychotherapists, General Psychotherapy awarded by the American Psychotherapy Association, and Disability awarded by the American Board of Professional Disability Consultants. He holds both Fellow and Diplomate status in Forensics awarded by the American Board of Forensic Examiners. He is a Fellow in the National Academy of Neuropsychology. Sam also works in private practice as part of a multi-disciplinary team, providing evaluation, case management and treatment services for children and adults with histories of neurological disease and trauma, learning disability, adjustment difficulties and attention deficit disorder.

PLAIN Talk About Reading 2011

Susan Hall Susan Hall is president and founder of 95 Percent Group, a professional development company that specializes in assisting schools and districts in implementing Response to Intervention in reading. She is author of six books, including Parenting the Struggling Reader (with Louisa Moats), Implementing Response to Intervention: A Principal’s Guide, I’ve DIBEL’d, Now What? and her newest book, Jumpstart RTI. Susan’s company helps schools to implement RtI, and these schools have achieved major improvements in their reading scores including improving from 30% to over 90% of kindergarten students at benchmark on CBM data. She presents at many national conferences throughout the country. She earned her master’s degree from Harvard University and her doctorate at NationalLewis University.

Robert Harris Robert Harris, M.Ed., is the Executive Director of Programming for JP Associates, an international school improvement company. He provides planning and project development support to struggling districts in the United States and around the world. Most recently, he has been assisting the Singapore Ministry of Education, Special Education branch in providing intensive reading instruction to students in special education schools. Prior to joining JP Associates full time, Robert taught in a K-5 special education Regional Learning Center in Eugene, Oregon. In addition to teaching experience, Robert has taught and supervised undergraduate students in Special Education at the university level, worked as a regional consultant for a large publishing company and as an independent consultant contracting with publishers and individual schools across the country. He received his Masters of Education in Special Education at Eastern Washington University. His thesis, focusing on leveraging peer tutors to provide compensatory literacy instruction in the high school setting was published by the Journal of Behavioral Education. He has presented or participated in panel discussions at the Association for Applied Behavior Analysis International Conference, Council for Exceptional Children Conference and Exposition, Association for Direct Instruction National Conference and Institutes, and several other professional development venues around the United States.

Jan Hasbrouck Jan Hasbrouck, Ph.D., is an educational consultant, trainer and researcher. She served as the executive consultant to the Washington State Reading Initiative and as an advisor to the Texas Reading Initiative. Jan worked as a reading specialist and literacy coach for 15 years before becoming a professor at the University of Oregon and later Texas A&M University. She has provided educational consulting to individual schools across the United States as well as in Mexico, Peru, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, and Germany, helping teachers and administrators design and implement effective assessment and instructional programs targeted to help low-performing readers. Her research in areas of reading fluency, reading assessment, coaching, and second language learners has been published in numerous professional books and journals. She is the author and coauthor of several books including The Reading Coach: A How-to Manual for Success, The Reading Coach 2: More Tools and Strategies for Student-Focused Coaches, and Educators as Physicians: Using RtI Data for Effective Decision-Making as well as several assessment tools. In 2008, she and her colleague, Vicki Gibson, partnered to form Gibson Hasbrouck & Associates, with the mission to provide high quality professional development to educators nationally and internationally.

Debbie Hunsaker Debbie Hunsaker, M.Ed., is the Instructional Innovations Unit Director for the Montana Office of Public Instruction, which is responsible for implementing Reading First, Early Reading First, and School Improvement. Before being employed by the state of Montana, Debbie taught first, third, fourth, and fifth grades. She received her undergraduate degree from Southern Utah University where she minored in reading and language arts. She also has a master’s degree in literacy and curriculum with an emphasis in diversity. Debbie also provides consulting services across the nation in the areas of reading, assessment, leadership, and coaching.

Michael Hunter Michael Hunter is a founding partner of Readsters. Michael found his passion for teaching struggling readers by volunteering to teach adults to read in Washington DC. Methods traditionally used in adult education did not work, so he looked for other programs. He was fortunate to meet Dr. Louisa Moats, who steered him toward explicit, structured, systematic instruction that was immediately effective. In 2001, Michael left his job as president of a concrete construction company to pursue a career helping students learn to read using the most effective methods available. Michael is co-author of Phonics Blitz and Phonics Boost lessons and the Diagnostic Decoding Surveys. Michael presents professional development workshops nationally and advises schools and districts on implementation of effective reading instruction. He also continues to create assessments, lessons and other materials to help beginning and struggling readers. He enjoys working with struggling readers of all ages whenever he finds time.

Sandra Johnson Sandra grew up in Washington, DC and attended public schools until she dropped out of school at age 16. Sandra could memorize words quite successfully, but could not read any unfamiliar words. For example, she could easily read the word “job”, but had no idea what the word “jab” was or how to read it. She was in her early 30’s when she learned that letters match sounds, which was the key to Sandra’s learning to read. Sandra hid her reading disability from everyone, including her large family and friends. But her secret was out when Laura Bush asked to meet her because she had learned to read as an adult, and pictures of Sandra and the president and first lady were on the front page of the Washington Times! Sandra was a volunteer coach for children with D.C. Recreation Centers for 24 years. She worked as a housekeeper at a hospital for 21 years, afraid to apply for the job she wanted at the recreation centers because of her reading difficulties. She recently left the hospital to take a job at the Dean Wood Recreation Center where she now gets paid to do what she loves. Sandra speaks nationally about literacy, inspiring many teachers with her story.

About the Presenters Michael Kamil Michael Kamil, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus in the School of Education at Stanford University. He is the consultant for evaluations for the Early Childhood Educator Professional Development in the U.S. Department of Education. He recently served on the Steering Committee for the United States 2009 administration the Program in International Student Assessment (PISA). Michael was a member of the Feedback Group and the Writing Team for the Common Standards. He was a member of the National Reading Panel, chairing the subgroups on comprehension, technology, and teacher education and synthesizing reading research on language minority students. He chaired the Planning Committee for the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress Reading Framework. He chaired the panel that produced the IES Practice Guide Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices. In addition, he is a member of the Adolescent Literacy Advisory Board for the Alliance for Excellent Education. Michael has written or edited well over 100 books, chapters, and articles on reading and reading research. He serves as chair of the research panel for the New York State English Language Arts Standards Revision. He is also research advisor for the Louisiana Department of Education Adolescent Literacy Plan and has worked in similar capacities with state departments of education in Oregon and New Jersey. He is a member of the Professional Advisory Board of the Center for Development and Learning.

Kerry Laster Kerry Laster, Ph.D., is the Chief of Literacy for PreK-12 at the Louisiana Department of Education. Dr. Laster has worked as a teacher (PreK through adult), curriculum coordinator, principal, and superintendent. She has received numerous awards both personally and for her school/district. Kerry was selected as the Louisiana Principal of the Year, the LA Reading Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Principal of the Year, a Fulbright Scholar, the Louisiana PTA Educator of Distinction, the Delta Kappa Gamma Hall of Fame Award, and the Paul H. Fouquier Educational Leadership Award given by the Louisiana Association of School Executives. Under her leadership, Shreve Island Elementary became the first Year Round School in Louisiana and received the National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award. Kerry is the author of several articles and has spoken at the district, state, national, and international level.

PLAIN Talk About Reading 2011

Reid Lyon Reid Lyon, Ph.D., is a distinguished professor of education policy and leadership at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He holds a joint appointment in the School of Brain and Behavior Sciences at the University of Texas, Dallas. From 1992 until 2005, Reid served as Chief of the Child Development and Behavior Branch within the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) where he was responsible for the direction, development and management of research programs in developmental and cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology, behavioral pediatrics, reading development and disabilities, learning disabilities, early childhood development and school readiness. In 2006, Reid was named one of the most influential people in American education during the last decade by the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center (Education Week) for his work in ensuring that scientific research occupies a central role in educational practices and policy. He has authored over 130 books and peer reviewed journal articles addressing learning disabilities, reading development and disorders, the preparation of teachers and education leaders, and the neurobiology of learning differences in children. He currently serves as the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Annals of Dyslexia, and is a member of the professional advisory board of the Center for Development and Learning.

Louisa Moats Louisa Moats, Ed.D., is currently a consultant advisor to Sopris West Educational Services for literacy research and professional development. Louisa has been a teacher, psychologist, researcher and graduate school faculty member. She is the author of many influential scientific journal articles, books, and policy papers on the topics of reading, spelling, language, and teacher preparation. Louisa began her professional career as a neuropsychology technician and teacher of students with learning disabilities. She earned her masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree at Peabody College of Vanderbilt and her doctorate in Reading and Human Development from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. In addition to the professional development program LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling), her books include Basic Facts About Dyslexia and Other Reading Problems; Speech to Print: Language Essentials for Teachers; Spelling: Development, Disability, and Instruction; and Straight Talk About Reading (with Susan Hall). Louisa is a vice president of the National Board of the International Dyslexia Association. Louisa is a member of the professional advisory board of the Center for Development and Learning.

Lucy Hart Paulson Lucy Hart Paulson, Ed.D., CCCSLP, is a speech and language pathologist and literacy specialist with years of experience working with young children and their families in public school, Head Start, private, and university settings. Currently, she is on the faculty of the Communicative Sciences and Disorders Department at the University of Montana, sharing responsibilities for teaching, supervising, research, and outreach. Lucy presents a unique and broadbased perspective, blending areas of language and literacy together, resulting in effective and engaging language-based literacy interventions for children. She has provided professional development for a variety of audiences across the United States and internationally. Lucy is the lead author of the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling for Early Childhood Educators (LETRS ECE), Building Early Literacy and Language Skills and Good Talking Words, a social communication skills program for preschool and kindergarten.

Jo Robinson Jo Robinson has worked for 32 years in the public school systems in two states. Twenty-nine of those years were in elementary schools, first as a teacher and then as a principal of three schools. Under her direction, the last elementary school of which she was a principal won a Chase Manhattan/Fordham University School Change Award for dramatic increases in reading achievement in 2000. Jo has taught adjunct graduate courses for four universities, and was the director of both the Reading Excellence Act and Reading First for the state of Washington Department of Education. She worked with the U.S. Department of Education and nine states to help implement Reading First.

Debora Scheffel Debora Scheffel is currently the dean of the School of Education at Jones International University, a proprietary, online university with 18 M.Ed. and Ed.D./Ed.S. programs serving over 6,000 students. Debora has been an educator for over twenty years as a special education teacher, a university professor, a higher education administrator and an administrator of state and federal grants. She most recently served as special assistant to the Colorado Commissioner of Education. Debora has worked in six states in a variety of university, clinical, and research contexts on projects related to literacy and language development. She is a published author in literacy and education, as well as accountability in higher education.

About the Presenters Tim Shanahan Timothy Shanahan, Ph.D., is Professor of Urban Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago where he is Director of the UIC Center for Literacy. He was director of reading for the Chicago Public Schools, serving 437,000 children, and has authored or edited about 200 publications including the book Developing Literacy in Second-Language Learners. His research emphasizes reading-writing relationships, reading assessment and improving reading achievement, and he is frequently quoted in media outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post, and Newsweek, and has appeared on the Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Reilly Factor. Tim is past president of the International Reading Association. In 2006, he received a presidential appointment to serve on the Advisory Board of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the request of Congress to evaluate research on successful methods of teaching reading. His research and development projects have attracted approximately $5 million in funding from government agencies and the philanthropic community. Tim was inducted to the Reading Hall of Fame in 2007. He is a former first-grade teacher.

Billy Stokes Billy R. Stokes, Ed.D., MBA, is the executive director and Cecil J. Picard Endowed Fellow in Child Development for the Picard Center for Child Development and Lifelong Learning at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He coordinates the Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research and development efforts with local districts, state agencies and public policy entities across the Southeast. He has more than 40 years of experience in special education management and administration and has held various positions across several states. His early career includes serving as special education instructor, assistant principal, principal and superintendent in several districts in Louisiana and Alabama. Billy has developed a unique talent for using his program background and his MBA training to conduct realistic analyses and planning around public policy and research issues. His career includes the attainment of more than 55 grants and contracts for high-quality research and evaluations in the areas of education, health care, quality of life and workforce.

PLAIN Talk About Reading 2011

Alice Thomas Alice Thomas, M.Ed., is the founder, president and CEO of the Center for Development and Learning. A career educator for 30+ years, Alice has been a teacher (grades 7-12), a counselor, and an intervention specialist in inner city, suburban and rural public schools; and has served as a co-instructor for graduate level courses. She has delivered hundreds of seminars on learning and teaching to public, parochial and private school administrators, teachers and parents, both nationally and internationally, and has presented at national and international conferences. She is the coauthor of the Learning Profiles: Differentiated Instruction for Diverse Learners professional development program and Right from Birth parent training curriculum, and author or coauthor of numerous articles on teaching and learning. Alice recently studied change leadership at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto.

Glenda Thorne Glenda Thorne, Ph.D., is the vice president of Student Services of the Center for Development and Learning. She is a licensed psychologist in the State of Louisiana and has conducted psychological, psychoeducational and neurodevelopmental evaluations of children and young adults for over 20 years. Glenda specializes in learning and attention disorders, and their associated social, emotional and behavioral problems. A national workshop presenter, she has conducted continuing education seminars on neurodevelopment, attention-deficit disorders, and dyslexia and other reading disorders. She has presented at state and national conferences. Glenda has taught undergraduate and graduate courses and has worked as a member of a multi-disciplinary team for the public school system. She is the lead author of the Behavioral, Academic and Neurodevelopmental Survey (BANDS), and is the coauthor of Learning Profiles: Differentiated Instruction for Diverse Learners professional development program and the Right from Birth parent training curriculum, and author of many articles on learning and teaching.

About the Exhibitors

95 Percent Group 95 Percent Group Inc. is a team of highly qualified professionals dedicated to assisting districts and schools improve reading achievement through implementation of Response to Intervention (RtI) practices. Founded by Susan L. Hall, Ed.D., the firm provides consulting and teacher training in how to use literacy screening data to inform differentiated instruction delivered in small groups to address specific skill deficits. The company serves clients nationwide with projects ranging from singleday professional development workshops to multi-year implementations. With a full range of intervention products, as well as online course offerings, 95 Percent Group Inc. has helped hundreds of schools improve student outcomes. 95 Percent Group Inc. P.O. Box 465 Lincolnshire, IL 60069 Phone: 847.499.8200 Email: info@95percentgroup.com Web: www.95percentgroup.com

Cambium Learning Group, Inc. For over 35 years, Sopris has focused exclusively on serving the needs of at-risk and special student populations. With a firm commitment to bridging the gap between research and practice, Sopris supplemental products focus on the full spectrum of academic supportincluding assessment, supplemental intervention, positive behavior supports, and professional development. Whether implemented in a single classroom or school-/ district-wide, Sopris supplements have been proven to strengthen core instruction and to quickly and positively impact the academic achievement of students in literacy, math, and the spoken language. Cambium Learning Sopris 4093 Specialty Place Longmont, CO 80504 Phone: 800.547.6747 Web: www.soprislearning.com

PLAIN Talk About Reading 2011

Frog Publications Experience the thrill of watching your students love to learn! Frog Publications is a publisher of educational materials, primarily used at the elementary level, with products that include: systematic reinforcement programs, individualized educational plans, response to intervention, differentiated instruction, terrific, ready-to-use learning centers, take-home parental involvement program, daily review, critical thinking and dual language! All Frog games use the same easy-to-learn rules. Students needing different levels or skills can practice together! Frog Publications, Inc. 11820 Uradco Place, Suite 105 San Antonio, FL 33576 Phone: 800.777.FROG Web: www.frog.com

Headsproutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission is to be a major force in helping to eliminate illiteracy in young children. Headsprout Early Reading can take non-readers up to a mid-2nd-grade reading level in just 30 hours of online instruction. Our new Headsprout Reading Comprehension teaches students the fundamental strategies they need to comprehend what they read, and to demonstrate those skills on high-stakes standardized tests! Headsprout 127 Broadway Ave E. Suite 200 Seattle, WA 98102 Contact: Ann Crawley Phone: 800.401.5062 ext. 1709 E-mail: ann@headsprout.com Web: www.headsprout.com

JP Associates, Inc. JP Associates, Inc. partners with schools and districts across the country and internationally to provide intensive professional development for scientifically based instructional programs incorporating the Responsive Professional™: Leadership, Positive School Culture, Curriculum, Instructional Management, and Responsive Coaching™. For over 20 years, JP’s staff of highlyexperienced and expertly trained School Improvement Specialists has worked with a wide range of schools to produce dramatic school and district turnarounds and develop internal capacity for ongoing, site-based professional development that directly impacts student learning. JP Associates Corporate Office 284 East Chester Street Valley Stream, NY 11580 Phone: 888.570.8833 Email: info@jponline.com Web: www.jponline.com

Office of Programming & School Improvement Planning 65 W-1 Division Avenue, Suite 117 Eugene, OR 97404

Lakeshore Learning Lakeshore Learning Materials is the premier supplier of education products for every classroom for over 50 years. Our Lakeshore Early Childhood catalog features ageappropriate materials for infants, early learning, special education, and kindergarten. The Lakeshore Elementary catalog features innovative educational materials that promote active, hands-on learning for elementary grade students. We keep all items in stock, which means your order will be on its way to you within seven to ten working days from the day we receive it. Whether you need to design an early childhood program or enhance learning activities in you elementary classroom, Lakeshore Learning Materials has the right solution for you. Lakeshore Learning Materials 2695 E. Dominguez Street Carson, CA 90895 Phone: 800.421.5354 Web: www.lakeshorelearning.com Contact: Darryl Thomas

McGraw-Hill School Education Group McGraw-Hill Education, a leading educational publisher of programs for Pre-K to 12, specializes in research-proven instructional materials, professional development, and technology that equip educators to help all students thrive. Our flagship programs, Imagine It!, Reading Mastery, SRA© Early Interventions in Reading, Jamestown Reading Navigator, and Corrective Reading, are highly explicit, systematic, and supportive to teach all children effectively. Our high-quality professional development and customized implementation services support you in making a difference. Check us out. You will find innovative programs and resources that form an integrated, effective institutional framework that meets the needs of your students and educational professionals. McGraw-Hill School Education Group 8787 Orion Place Columbus, OH 43240 Phone: 614.430.4400 Web: www.mhsegsolutions.com

Neuhaus Education Center Neuhaus Education Center promotes increased teacher knowledge and skills through professional development in evidence-based literacy instruction. Come find out about classes and manuals developed by Suzanne Carreker, Ph.D. and about our free teacher resource website, www. ReadingTeachersNetwork.org. Professional development options include classes online and in person, at Neuhaus, your location or using video conferencing. Neuhaus Education Center 4433 Bissonnet Bellaire, TX 77063 Phone: 713-664-7676 Email: info@neuhaus.org Web: www.neuhaus.org www.readingteachersnetwork.org

About the Exhibitors

Read Naturally, Inc.: Reading Solutions for Struggling Readers Read Naturally’s innovative, research-proven reading programs provide high quality interventions and differentiated instruction for struggling readers with a wide range of abilities, from first grade through adults. Our fluency development, phonics development, home support, and assessment and progress monitoring programs have helped thousands of students become better readers. Read Naturally, Inc. 2945 Lone Oak Drive, Suite 190 St. Paul, MN 55121 Phone: 800.788.4085 Email: info@readnaturally.com Web: www.readnaturally.com

Really Great Reading Company, LLC Really Great Reading is committed to explicit, systematic, and structured reading instruction based on sound scientific research. Our Diagnostic Decoding Surveys are an effective way to identify weaknesses in a student’s decoding abilities. Our Phonics Blitz and Phonics Boost lessons for grades 2-12 have improved reading scores in schools across the country. Teachers and students in grades K – 12 love our manipulative materials. Our magnetic letter tiles help students specifically understand letter-sound relationships, and our SyllaBoards™ make it very clear how students can read any long word, whether they know the word or not. DIBELS users rave about our Fluency Timer with a count-down silent alarm that allows them to devote all their attention to scoring. Really Great Reading Company 8001 MacArthur Boulevard Cabin John, MD 20818 Phone: 866.401.7323 Email: info@reallygreatreading.com Web: www.reallygreatreading.com

PLAIN Talk About Reading 2011

Rowland Reading Foundation Rowland Reading Foundation publishes the Superkids Reading Program, a core reading program designed just for kindergarten through second grade that teaches all aspects of reading seamlessly integrated with the language arts. Happily Ever After is the Foundation’s motivating, literature-based reading readiness program. Rowland Reading Foundation 6120 University Ave. Middleton, WI 53718 Phone: 877.496.6188 Email: Joye.sanchez@rowlingreading.org Web: www.rowlandreading.org Contact: Joye Sanchez

Voyager Expanded Learning Voyager is a member of Cambium Learning® Group, the leading educational company focused primarily on serving the needs of at-risk and special student populations. Dedicated to the success of every student, Voyager provides strategic and intensive comprehensive interventions that are adaptive to the needs of diverse populations. Voyager’s instructional materials, support services, and educational technology help accelerate struggling students to grade-level proficiency, preventing unnecessary referrals to special education. Cambium Learning Voyager 1800 Valley View Lane, Suite 400 Dallas, TX 75243 Phone: 800.547.6747 Web: www.voyagerlearning.com

Wilson Language Training The WILSON Reading System®, WILSON Just Words®, WILSON Fundations®, and WILSON Fluency® are multisensory, structured reading and spelling curricula to address prevention, intervention and intensive instructional needs. Wilson Language Training 47 Old Webster Road Oxford, MA 01540 Phone: 508.368.2399 E-mail: info@WilsonLanguage.com Web: www.wilsonlanguage.com

Zaner-Bloser Zaner-Bloser is a premier publisher of research-based handwriting, reading, spelling, writing, and vocabulary programs for PreKindergarten through eighth grade. The company strives to create high-quality, dynamic, and appealing educational programs and services that inspire all students to become engaged, literate citizens. Zaner-Bloser Handwriting has been a national institution for several generations. The company’s other programs include Spelling Connections; Voices Reading, a core reading program; Reaching All Readers; Read for Real; Word Wisdom; and the award-winning Strategies for Writers. Ever able to adapt to the changing educational landscape, the company continues to grow through the addition of technology products. Zaner-Bloser 1201 Dublin Road Columbus, OH 43215-1026 Phone: 800.421.3018 Web: www.zaner-bloser.com

About the Center for Development and Learning

CDL About the CDL

Founded in 1992, the Center for Development and Learning (CDL) is a grassroots, results-driven 501(c)(3) organization. CDL’s mission is to improve the life chances of all children, especially those at high risk, by increasing school success. Our goal is to help all children learn to higher levels and apply their knowledge and skills toward good ends. All children, regardless of how they look, where they come from, or how they learn, can and will achieve school success when provided with highly effective teachers and positive, supportive learning environments. Our work will be complete when 100% of public school students graduate from high school ready for college and career success. CDL has special expertise in the areas of learning differences, innovative teaching approaches for children, and building the capacity of educators. We tackle real-time issues such as drilling down into the data, remediating struggling readers, differentiating instruction for the diverse learners in our classrooms, and building and sustaining collective capacity.

Call us – We are ready to serve you For over 19 years, CDL has been a trusted source of specialized professional learning services for educators – teachers, principals, teacher leaders, related specialists, paraprofessionals, and parents. CDL promotes professional learning that is guided by the Standards for Staff Development set forth by Learning Forward (formerly National Staff Development Council). CDL will customize professional learning services to meet the specific needs of your school or school district. We will examine your disaggregated student and teacher data with you, and build professional development around student and teacher performance. We will continuously evaluate progress and adjust accordingly. CDL professionals provide coaching in the classroom as well as interactive learning sessions and study groups. The combination of group and individual professional learning increases collective internal accountability. Knowledge, strategies and tactics can be introduced through interactive sessions, seminars and institutes. Continuous instructional improvement can be guided by observations with constructive feedback, coaching and mentoring, study groups and lesson modeling in classrooms. Summer institutes with follow-up sessions and on-site coaching make an ideal combination for deepening knowledge and ensuring that new skills are applied effectively. Selected topics include adolescent literacy, differentiating instruction, Response to Intervention, developing early childhood literacy skills, writing in the content areas, understanding individual student profiles to guide instruction, Cooperative Learning, dealing with dyslexia, developing higher order thinking, increasing attention and memory, adolescent literacy strategies across the curriculum, classroom climate and management, and parental involvement.

www.cdl.org  (504) 840-9786  learn@cdl.org

improving teaching increasing learning

About the Center for Development and Learning Professional Advisory Board

Robert B. Brooks, Ph.D. Clinical Psychologist Assistant Clinical Professor, Harvard Medical School Needham, MA

Louisa C. Moats, Ph.D. Literacy Research and Professional Development Advisor, Sopris West Educational Services Longmont, CO

Katharine Butler, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus Center for Educational Research on Dyslexia San Jose State University, CA

Joanne Quinn, M.B.A. Senior Advisor for International Projects Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto Ontario, Canada

G. Emerson Dickman, III, J.D. Attorney at Law Immediate Past President International Dyslexia Association Maywood, NJ

Craig T. Ramey, Ph.D. Professor and Distinguished Scholar Virginia Tech Clarilion School of Medicine Roanoke, VA

Michael Fullan, Ph.D. Dean Emeritus Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto Ontario, Canada

Mel Riddile, Ed.D. Associate Director for High School Services, National Association of Secondary School Principals Reston, VA

Sam Goldstein, Ph.D. Clinical Instructor Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine Salt Lake City, UT

Carol Rolheiser, Ph.D. Director Centre for Teaching Support and Innovation, University of Toronto Ontario, Canada

Edward M. Hallowell, M.D. Child & Adult Psychiatrist Senior Lecturer, Harvard Medical School; Director, Hallowell Center for Cognitive and Emotional Health Arlington, MA

Dennis Sparks, Ph.D. Executive Director, Emeritus National Staff Development Council Ann Arbor, MI

Michael Kamil, Ph.D. Emeritus Professor School of Education Stanford University Stanford, CA

Robert Sternberg, Ph.D. Provost and Senior Vice President Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK

G. Reid Lyon, Ph.D. Distinguished Professor, Southern Methodist University; Distinguished Scientist, Center for Brain Health, University of Texas - Dallas Dallas, TX

PLAIN Talk About Reading 2011

Vaughan Fitzpatrick Community Activist New Orleans, LA Charles LaCoste Certified Public Accountant New Orleans, LA Cynthia Hedge Morrell Chair, Education Committee New Orleans City Council New Orleans, LA Gregory N. Rattler, Sr. Vice President JPMorgan Chase New Orleans, LA Robert D. Reily Chairman The Standard Companies New Orleans, LA Francoise Richardson Emeritus Community Activist New Orleans, LA

Herschel L. Abbott, Jr. Special Counsel Jones Walker Law Firm New Orleans, LA Kelvin Adams, Ph.D. Superintendent St. Louis Public Schools St. Louis, MO Marian Arrowsmith Supervisor, Elementary Education (Ret.) St. Tammany Parish Schools Mandeville, LA Gerard Ballanco, M.D., FAAP Pediatrician (Ret.) Mandeville, LA

Alice P. Thomas Founder, President and CEO

Board of Trustees 2010â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2011

Kathleen Riedlinger Chief Executive Officer Lusher Charter Schools New Orleans, LA Elizabeth McIlhenny Rodriguez Community Activist Metairie, LA Eugenie Huger Sloss Community Activist New Orleans, LA Sidney Eshleman Thornton Community Activist New Orleans, LA Billy Vehnekamp Public Affairs Manager (Ret.) Shell Offshore Inc. New Orleans, LA Frank Williams Executive Director Greater New Orleans Education Foundation New Orleans, LA

Gordon Blundell, Jr., M.D. Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Covington, LA Jack Donahue Louisiana State Senator President, DonahueFavret Contractors Covington, LA

Ruby Bridges Hall President Ruby Bridges Foundation New Orleans, LA

Community Advisory Council

Mary Lou Ochsner Community Activist New Orleans, LA

Honorable John W. Greene Judge, 22nd Judicial District (Ret.) Covington, LA Stephen Hales, M.D. Hales Pediatrics New Orleans, LA

Glenda C. Thorne Vice-President Student Services

Executive Staff

Index Anita Archer . . . . . . . . 4, 6, 7, 8, 17, 21, 24, 26, 29 María Elena Argüelles . . . . . . . . . . 6, 21, 23, 29 Gary Asmus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 21, 29 Robert Brooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 29, 46 Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 12, 14, 30 Suzanne Carreker . . . . . . 5, 7, 11, 14, 24, 26, 30, 41 Christi Cavanaugh . . . . . . . . . 6, 7, 22, 24, 26, 30 David Clemons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 15, 30 Karen Collins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 15, 31 Mary Dahlgren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 20, 23, 31 Martha Denckla . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 18, 19, 31 Judi Dodson . . . . . . . . 5, 6, 7, 13, 18, 20, 24, 31, 36 Adrienne Dowden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 12, 32 Susan Ebbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 7, 19, 24, 27, 32 Linda Farrell . . . . . . 5, 6, 7, 11, 14, 22, 25, 27, 32 Janie Feinberg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 13, 32 Jack Fletcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 10, 12, 33 Ouida Forsyth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 13, 33 Michael Fullan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 17, 18, 33, 46

PLAIN Talk About Reading 2011

Vicki Gibson . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 7, 9, 25, 27, 33 Sam Goldstein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 9, 10, 34, 46 Susan Hall . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 6, 10, 14, 21, 34, 40 Robert Harris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 13, 34 Jan Hasbrouck . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 6, 8, 17, 22, 35 Debbie Hunsaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 19, 22, 35 Michael Hunter . . . . . 5, 6, 7, 11, 15, 19, 25, 27, 35 Sandra Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 15, 35 Michael Kamil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 18, 20, 36 Kerry Laster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 11, 36 Reid Lyon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 17, 20, 36, 46 Louisa Moats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 8, 37, 46 Lucy Hart Paulson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 19, 23, 37 Jo Robinson . . . . . . . . . . 5, 6, 12, 14, 18, 20, 37 Debora Scheffel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 11, 37 Tim Shanahan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 10, 11, 38 Billy Stokes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 21, 38 Alice Thomas . . . . . . . . 5, 6, 9, 13, 17, 19, 38, 47 Glenda Thorne . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 6, 13, 23, 38, 47

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Center for Development & Learning One Galleria Blvd., Suite 903 Metairie, LA 70001 (504) 840-9786 learn@cdl.org â&#x20AC;˘ www.cdl.org