April 1 & 8, 2023

Class Description

Can a teacher be a brain surgeon in the classroom? Our instructional choices can actually build neural pathways in a student’s brain. These pathways create a highway in the “reading brain” that will support the development of orthographic mapping. (Ehri, 2014) These critical connections are what is needed for words to be stored in memory and for reading to become effortless. The gift for reading teachers is their ability to make instructional choices that can make a difference. This professional development class will be centered around the book by Judi Dodson, 50 Nifty Activities for Reading Instruction. The book is required for this course and can purchased in our store. This interactive six-hour class will: • Focus on some of the most popular activities in the book • Explain WHY and HOW specific, engaging classroom activities can change the brains of young readers • Give participants come the confidence they need to implement the activities in their classrooms. • Demonstrate activities that are grounded in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension • Give three variations for each activity, including the universal level (whole class), small group level and individual or paired level for extra reinforcement and practice of concepts. The activities in this class will add fun and whimsy to teaching and learning for you and your students as they practice critical foundational skills, opening the door to a lifetime of reading enjoyment. Day 1: • The research base of the activities • Phonemic Awareness Activities • Basic Phonics Activities • Advanced Phonics Activities Day 2: • Extending our understanding of the research base of the activities • Vocabulary Activities • Comprehension Activities • Building Automaticity and Fluency