Events

Events sponsored by Decoding Dyslexia CA (DDCA) are indicated on the events calendar.  Local events held by other organizations may also be listed that may be of interest to our members. DDCA does not endorse any specific program or company.

Jan
29
Wed
Free Webinar: Casualties of War: Reading Science Denial and Racism’s Impact on African American Children @ Online Webinar
Jan 29 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Strong reading skills are the foundation of all academic success, yet African American students as a group score lower on most standardized tests than white students. In spite of the 2000 National Reading Panel’s conclusions that students need direct, explicit instruction that teaches phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, educational institutions are failing to implement the Reading Panel’s findings. University training has been inadequate, forcing K-12 systems to fill classrooms with under-prepared teachers who then receive little support, training, or aligned materials.

African American students suffer disproportionately when not taught to read using evidence-based practices that leverage research. During this provocative hour-long webinar, Kareem Weaver, Member of the NAACP Oakland Branch’s Education Committee, will discuss how:

  • The debate over reading philosophy has left key pillars of reading acquisition, especially critical for African-Americans, untaught
  • Expectations of African American students impact the timing and tenor of interventions that could prevent reading problems
  • Perceptions of intellectual capacity create a lens through which learning differences are interpreted by educator
  • Racism and bias within school systems influence policy and practices and create a tolerance for failure

It is critical that schools provide African American children the same opportunities to achieve academic success as other children. This webinar will provide insights into how to address the persistent issues that create the achievement gap, particularly the lack of quality, evidence-based reading instruction.

Can’t make the live webinar? No problem! Go ahead and register and we’ll send you an email the day after the webinar with a link to the recording.

Feb
28
Fri
Structured Word Inquiry @ Presidio Knolls School
Feb 28 @ 8:30 am – Feb 29 @ 3:30 pm
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Learn how educators around the world use inquiry into English spelling as a means of enriching vocabulary, reading and spelling — and to leverage learning in any subject area. Bowers brought SWI to the Bay Area and the world. He was a visiting scholar at the Nueva School (2015-2016). His research has been published in prestigious journals and his

workshops are highly sought after around the world.

What is Structured Word Inquiry (SWI)?

“Structured word inquiry” Bowers and Kirby (2010) is word- level literacy instruction that engages learners of all ages and abilities by making sense of our surprisingly logical spelling system through scientific word investigation.

See an interview with Dr. Bowers on SWI HERE.

Workshop Information

Options:

  1. Full day workshop Sat. Feb. 29 ($200) 9:30 am – 3:30 pm
  2. Full day workshop Feb. 29 plus the Fri. Feb 28 in-school workshop (8:30 am – 3:30 pm).
    The Friday session includes 3 model lessons in classrooms followed by debriefing sessions with teachers.

    (Total for 2 days $375)

Limited space for In-school sessions

• Feb 28 in-school session only open to those who also attend the Feb 29 full day workshop.

• Feb 29 Saturday workshop open to all.

Location: Presidio Knolls School
• 250 10th St, San Francisco, CA 94103 (Map HERE) • Tel: (415) 202-0770

Downloadable Flyer

Mar
28
Sat
Making Math Real: The Clinically Prescriptive Methodology for Students with Math LD @ North Bridge Academy
Mar 28 @ 8:30 am – 4:00 pm

PRESENTS

Making Math Real: The Clinically Prescriptive Methodology for Students with Math LD — A Workshop for Educators & Parents

Research over the last 40 years has repeatedly indicated all students benefit most from direct and explicit instruction, especially those with math LD. Now, more than ever before, with the profusion of discovery methods in public and private school math classrooms, students with math-LD need and deserve direct and explicit simultaneous multisensory structured teaching to provide them with the math development they require now and into their futures. This 1-day seminar will provide the research basis from neurobiology and cognitive science and the foundational developmental structures, content, and methods that empower educators to be clinically prescriptive for all students with math LD.

 

Presentation by David Berg, E.T.
Creator of the Making Math Real Simultaneous Multisensory Structured Methods; Founder & Director of the Making Math Real Institute

 

Sponsored by the Northern California Branch of the International Dyslexia Association (NCBIDA)

Hosted by North Bridge Academy

 

 

 

 

 

Workshop:  8:30am – 4:00pm
Q&A:  4:00pm – 4:30pm

 

Oct
3
Sat
From Words to Works: “Developing Writing Skills in Students Who Struggle” @ Online
Oct 3 @ 9:00 am – 12:15 pm
Two-day workshop on October 3rd & October 10th.
9:00am – 12:15pm (Login begins at 8:45am PDT)
Register today! Limited to 50 attendees.

 

This interactive workshop examines the cognitive demands of the writing process to frame a discussion about writing instruction.

Focusing on parts of speech and sentence parts as they apply to the act of writing, participants learn about the components of a good lesson and strategies for developing sentence sense in student writers. They examine parts of speech as a method of understanding the way words interact with each other and sentence parts as building blocks for creating different kinds of sentences. Participants in this workshop then learn a structured, sequential approach to teaching the basic and expanded paragraph, including idea generation, categorization, and composing. They discuss and practice with the editing process. Participants leave this workshop with hands-on strategies they can implement with their students the very next day.

William Van Cleave, M.A. is an internationally recognized author and speaker, whose specialities include morphology and written expression. William has presented on effective teaching practices both in the United States and abroad since 1995.

 

 

Who should attend this workshop:

  • Parents / Caregivers
  • General Education / Special Education Teachers
  • Dyslexia Practitioners, Therapists and CALTs
  • Administrators
  • Higer Education
  • Teacher Credentialing Candidates

After you register for this October 3rd & 10th workshop, the webinar link and the handouts will be emailed to you on September 30th. Registered participants will receive a Certificate of Attendance from IDA NorCal after attending the 2-day workshop.

Oct
6
Tue
Supporting Students with LD Under a 504 Plan @ Online
Oct 6 @ 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Supporting Students under a Section 504 plan:

Learn about Section 504 and the 504 plan. A 504 plan is a blueprint for how the school will support a student with a disability and remove barriers to learning.

The goal is to give the student equal access at school.

 

 

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Oct
7
Wed
The Path to College – Keys to College Readiness @ Online
Oct 7 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm

Speaker: Marci Schwartz, LCSW, Ph.D.

Explore the necessary skills for college readiness: Self Advocacy, Social, Independent living skills, Self Determination… and what parents can do to foster the development of these skills. You will understand the important differences between High School and College structure and support.

High school students welcomed.

Dr. Marci Schwartz is the founder of Thrive College Counseling in Los Gatos where she works with students with unique learning profiles. Students have the opportunity to learn the skills necessary for independence and provide support in locating the best college fit to meet their educational and social/emotional needs. She is also an Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine. 

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Oct
10
Sat
Assistive Technology for Students with Learning Disabilities @ Online
Oct 10 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am

Speaker: Susana Navarro

Learn about the process to consider Assistive Technology for your child and discover tools that may benefit students with learning disabilities.

Susana Navarro has over 12 years of experience in the disability community and is a certified assistive technology specialist. She is a bilingual English/Spanish education specialist and has worked training and advocating for special education rights at Parents Helping Parents for 10 years. She is also a parent of a teen with Autism.

 

 

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Oct
12
Mon
Conceptos Básicos de Educación Especial @ Online
Oct 12 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Conceptos Básicos de Educación Especial

¿Le gustaría mejorar sus habilidades y conocimientos para convertirse en socios activos en el desarrollo del programa educativo de su hijo? Esta capacitación en línea de 1.5 hr. le ayudará a entender el proceso de educación especial; es una visión general de los entres y salidas del IEP. El objetivo es ayudarle a entender sus derechos, reconocer el valor de su experiencia en la crianza de los hijos y mejorar sus habilidades de comunicación y resolución de problemas. Ya sea que el equipo del IEP se reúna virtualmente o en persona, ¡su participación es esencial!

¡Acompáñanos para aprender más!

 

 

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Oct
13
Tue
Special Education Basics @ Online
Oct 13 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Special Education Basics

Would you like to improve your skills and knowledge to become active partners in developing your child’s educational program?  This 1.5 hr. online training will help you understand the special education process; it is an overview of the ins and outs of the IEP. The goal is to help you understand your rights, recognize the value of your parenting expertise, and improve your communication and problem-solving skills. Whether the IEP team is meeting virtually or in-person, your participation is essential!

 

 

 

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Oct
14
Wed
The Journey of Learning Differently – A Family Interview @ Online
Oct 14 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Speaker – Jan Tuber

Learn from a family’s journey. Listen to how they navigated each new hurdle.

  • Typical and not-so-typical signs of LD
  • What would we do differently next time?
  • Advocacy successes and pitfalls
  • Accommodations – What is worthwhile/worthless
  • Bring your questions and get answers

 

 

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