Events

We all want students who write clearly and powerfully. We can teach this through daily practice with passages from books and a close look the decisions authors make to craft those texts. We lead students to see a book as a treasure chest of writing craft moves—the moves that skilled writers use. Students will learn and practice a wide range of writing skills from grammar in context, varied sentence patterns—both the art and feel of cohesion and style—as well as all the ways a writer is an artist of words. We have the power to fundamentally change the way students understand writing. Come to study and write together.

Penny Kittle teaches first year writers at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire. She was a teacher and literacy coach in public schools for 34 years. She is the author of nine books including Book Love, Write Beside Them, and two books co-authored with Kelly Gallagher: 4 Essential Studies and 180 Days. She is the founder and president of the Book Love Foundation, which annually grants classroom libraries to teachers throughout North America. Penny works beside teachers and leaders across the world to empower young readers and writers. Penny Kittle was a teacher and literacy coach in public schools for 34 years, 21 of those spent at Kennett High School in North Conway. She is the co-author of 180 Days with Kelly Gallagher, and is the author of Book Love, and Write Beside Them, which won the James Britton award. She also co-authored two books with her mentor, Don Graves, and co-edited (with Tom Newkirk) a collection of Graves’ work, Children Want to Write. She is the president of the Book Love Foundation and was given the Exemplary Leader Award from NCTE’s Conference on English Leadership. In the summer Penny teaches graduate students at the University of New Hampshire Literacy Institutes.  Throughout the year, she travels across the U.S. and Canada (and once in awhile quite a bit farther) speaking to teachers about empowering students through independence in literacy. She believes in curiosity, engagement, and deep thinking in schools for both students and their teachers. Penny stands on the shoulders of her mentors, the Dons (Murray & Graves), and the Toms (Newkirk & Romano), in her belief that intentional teaching in a reading and writing workshop brings the greatest student investment and learning in a classroom. https://pennykittle.net/   Registration closes 4-5 days prior to the event unless tickets are sold out.

Note - this workshop will be held at BASSC - Belleville Area Special Services Cooperative 2411 Pathways Crossing Belleville 62221 (in the board room). BASSC Occupational Therapist Amanda Terstriep and Speech Language Pathologist Victoria Corporon will facilitate an introductory level workshop that will focus on the what, why, and how of sensory processing and its impact on learners in the classroom. Attendees will learn what sensory processing is, why it is relevant to learning, and how to implement sensory support strategies for neuro-diverse learners in the classroom. In addition, how to support communication with a proactive approach and when a student is experiencing dysregulation. Educators will receive practical strategies and resources they can embed in their current classroom routine. Participants will participate in both a whole group informational and breakout sessions within this training.  Suggested Participants: teachers, paraprofessionals, administrators, school social workers, and other school support staff.   Registration closes 4-5 days prior to the event date unless tickets are sold out.  

In this engaging and interactive workshop, educators will explore the significance of productive struggle as a catalyst for cognitive growth and mathematical proficiency. By investigating the latest research and pedagogical insights, participants will gain a profound understanding of how well-designed struggles can enhance problem-solving skills, resilience, and critical thinking in their students. Educators will leave equipped with a repertoire of strategies to intentionally design and implement activities that promote productive struggle in their elementary math classrooms. Join us on this journey to transform challenges into opportunities for mathematical growth and empower your students to embrace the joy of learning through the art of productive struggle. Registration will close 4-5 days prior to the event unless tickets are sold out.  

Unlock the potential of your instructional time in this dynamic session tailored for educators seeking practical strategies to optimize their time during core content blocks. This will help ensure that every instructional minute contributes significantly to student learning in both mathematics and English language arts (ELA). Participants will leave with time management strategies and engaging activities and routines that maximize their efforts and impact student learning. Registration closes 4-5 days prior to the event date.

This virtual book study will provide all teachers with a clear understanding of how the brain learns to read, and how to address the needs of struggling readers of all ages.  In addition, provided within this book are “One Minute Activities” for phonological awareness, which can immediately be put to use in all K-8 classrooms. Author David A. Kilpatrick shares, "In recent years, scientists have made great strides in understanding how children learn to read, as well as how to prevent and correct most reading difficulties. However, the American Federation for Teachers, the Journal of Learning Disabilities, and School Psychology Review have all highlighted the fact that these findings have not become widely known or used in our schools. The book Equipped for Reading Success is designed to summarize these research results in a clear and easy-to-read manner, bringing K-8 teachers up to date on these exciting findings."

 Through 5 weekly virtual meetings, we will read and discuss the research shared in the first half of this book through the use of guiding questions.  During the last week we will work on how to assess for, and utilize, the one-minute phonological awareness activities included.

5 Zoom meetings from 9:30am-10:30am on 7/2, 7/9, 7/16, 7/23, and 7/30 with assigned weekly readings. IMPORTANT: For each zoom - you will need manipulatives to use such as tokens, Unifix cubes, small erasers, etc. on hand to use for activities. Chapters 1 and 2 will need to be read prior to our first meeting on 7/2. Note - please do not sign up for this virtual book study if you are enrolled in any other summer pd that would conflict with these dates/times. There will not be any make-up sessions, registered participants are expected to attend all sessions and complete the work as outlined to earn the full 15 pd hours (partial pd hours will not be issued). Missing a session will result in a $35.00 invoice.

As stated by The Reading League, Equipped for Reading Success provides “appropriate phonological awareness assessment for ages 5 to 105.” While there is a strong emphasis on grades K-5, strategies for students in grades 6-8 and all K-12 struggling readers can be applied within this book.  For teachers of students in grades 6 and up, Equipped for Reading Success will help you uncover and address holes in the reading foundations of your middle school students, which will positively impact their reading comprehension. Spots are limited, registration closes 7 days prior to the event.  Participants will have to purchase the book on their own. The link will be sent by Erin Connolly prior to July 2, 2024.

The purpose of this session is to provide educators with a practical overview of dyslexia. To begin, we will cover relevant background information, exploring brain research related to dyslexia, dyslexia myths, and practices not aligned with research. Next, we will discuss the role of screening and practice using the PAST. We will conclude with a quick review of effective teaching practices and a dive into the Illinois Dyslexia Handbook.

Registration closes 4-5 days prior to the event unless tickets are sold out.

This session aims to provide upper elementary educators in grades 3-6 with a practical overview of the science of reading. We'll begin by delving into relevant background information, exploring the brain processes involved in reading and essential conceptual frameworks like the Reading Rope. Transitioning from theory to practice, we'll briefly cover phonics basics such as the alphabetic principle, blends, digraphs, syllable types, and multi-syllabic word decoding. Moving beyond fundamentals, we'll delve into vocabulary and morphology instruction, alongside strategies for promoting fluency. Finally, we'll conclude by focusing on facilitating student text engagement and support strategies to maximize reading instruction. Registration will close 4-5 days prior to the event unless tickets are sold out.