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.

Oct
15
Sun
Light it Red for Dyslexia Awareness, Sundial Bridge & Convention Center Fountain @ Sundial Bridge & Convention Center Fountain
Oct 15 @ 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Light it Red for Dyslexia Awareness, Sundial Bridge & Convention Center Fountain, Worldwide Dyslexia Day.  Join us at the south end of the Sundial Bridge wear Red or Gray to help raise awareness for the 1 in 5 with Dyslexia and release of California Department of Education’s Dyslexia Guidelines.  This event is brought to you by the generous support of Lisa Riggs, Educational Counselor, Christina Anderson, Dyslexia Specialist – Master Certified Barton Reading Tutor, Darcy Thompson of Thompson Reading Clinic, Kathy Estes, Barton Tutor, and Rowell Family Empowerment Center.

Sep
20
Thu
Structured Word Inquiry @ Marina Village Conference Center
Sep 20 @ 9:00 am – Sep 21 @ 3:30 pm

Both days will draw on classroom/tutoring lessons across the grades to help teachers/tutors make sense of English spelling and ways to bring that understanding in their own educational contexts. Both days will be driven by the participants questions and both will have investigations teachers will engage in, but there will be more time for digging into activities on Day 2 with the basics in place. The basic story will be something like this:

Day 1: 
– A general introduction to the big picture of English orthography and SWI
– Working with word morphological and etymological word families
– Making sense the interrelation of morphology, etymology and phonology by working with matrices, word sums (spelling-out-loud and writing-out-loud), grapheme-phoneme correspondents and synchronic and diachronic etymology
– How to draw on SWI in the process of reading instruction, and to deepen understanding of key concepts and terms in any subject area. 
– Brief description of the research

Day 2:
– A revisiting of the key concepts of Day 1, but now with much more time for activities. 
– More time for activities
– much more time for the details of “writing-out-loud” and “spelling-out-loud”, bigger investigations 
– more time learning how to work with Etymonline to inform SWI investigations
– more practice on grapheme-phoneme-correspondences and the interrelation with morphology and phonology
– a more detailed account of the research
The point is that people can get an introduction on Day 1 if they can only commit to one day. Day 2 is hugely valuable to have time to process the concepts and terms of Day 1 and to refine understanding.

Flyer

Sep
29
Sat
Structured Word Inquiry @ Athena Academy
Sep 29 @ 9:30 am – 3:30 pm

Register for the class directly through the instructor:  peterbowers1@mac.com

Full day workshop!  Who is this workshop for?

This workshop is appropriate for teachers and tutors new to SWI and those who have attended workshops and worked with SWI for some time.  Those who have attended Pete’s workshops multiple times know that revisiting these introductory sessions is particularly rich for deepening understanding and confidence in their instructional practice.  The content addresses instruction of children of all ages and abilities.

Download the Flyer for more information

Oct
20
Sat
Dyslexia Symposium @ Empire College
Oct 20 @ 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Please join co-founders Dr. Kelli Sandman-Hurley and Tracy Block-Zaretsky of Dyslexia Training Institute and Decoding Dyslexia CA for a one day Dyslexia Symposium.  Kelli and Tracy are the developers of the “Dyslexia for a Day” simulation kit.  Attendees will participate in a simulation followed by a discussion on AB 1369 and the new California Dyslexia Guidelines.  Kelli and Tracy will be discussing what dyslexia is, its neurobiological origin, structured literacy and appropriate accommodations for students with dyslexia.  Kelli was the key dyslexia expert  that testified in support of AB 1369.  In a powerful TEDEd video Dr. Kelli Sandman-Hurley urges us to think again about dyslexic brain function and to celebrate the neurodiversity of the human brain.

About our speakers:

Kelli Sandman-Hurley, Ed.D. is an author, TEDEd presenter and co-founder of the Dyslexia Training Institute. She received her doctorate in literacy with a specialization in reading and dyslexia from San Diego State University and the University of San Diego. She is also completing her TESOL certification. Dr. Kelli is a certified special education advocate assisting parents and children through the Individual Education Plan (IEP) and 504 Plan process. She has training in mediation and also serves as an expert witness in the area of dyslexia. Dr. Kelli is trained in Structured Word Inquiry, the Orton-Gillingham approach, Lindamood-Bell, RAVE-O and Read Naturally. Dr. Kelli is a Past-President of the San Diego Branch of the International Dyslexia Association. She is a dyslexia consultant working with schools to improve services offered to students with dyslexia and training teachers. She co-created and produced “Dyslexia for a Day: A Simulation of Dyslexia,” and she is a frequent speaker at conferences. She is the author of the well-received book, Dyslexia Advocate! How to Advocate for a Child with Dyslexia within the Public Education System.

 

Tracy Block-Zaretsky is the co-founder of the Dyslexia Training Institute. She has provided remediation for children and adults with dyslexia for the past 20 years and has developed and taught workplace and family literacy program. She is a certified Special Education advocate assisting parents and children through the Individual Education Plan (IEP) and 504Plan process. She is a past President of the San Diego Branch of the International Dyslexia Association.Tracy has training in Structured Word Inquiry, the Orton-Gillingham approach, Lindamood-Bell programs, Read Naturally and a variety of reading and writing assessments. She co-created and produced, “Dyslexia for a Day: A Simulation of Dyslexia,” and has provided professional development for educators and training for parents at numerous conferences, private on-site trainings and online courses and webinars. Tracy is also a parent of a child with dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADD and Executive Function Disorder.

 

Downloadable Flyer

Dyslexia and AB 1369 @ Ed Roberts Campus
Oct 20 @ 10:00 am – 3:30 pm

Register now as this event will sell out! Please join IDA NorCal and our co-sponsors Decoding Dyslexia CA and Learning Ally for an interactive and engaging panel discussion with dyslexia experts, former members of the CDE Dyslexia Guidelines workgroup, teachers and school administrators as we discuss how to implement AB 1369 best practices in improving outcomes for our students with dyslexia. Learn about real examples of how school districts are making a difference and discuss the challenges ahead as we join together to address this important topic. Event will include an opportunity to participate in an Experience Dyslexia® simulation. In addition, the event will feature booths and exhibitors with information on assistive technology and local dyslexia resources.

This event is intended for school administrators, educators, parents/guardians and other interested community members.

Please click here for the event schedule.
Please click here for the event flyer.
Please click here to register for the event.

The panelists for the event are as follows:

  • Wendi Aghily, Ed.D., Director of Special Education, Mt. Diablo USD/SELPA
  • Kathy Futterman, Ed.D., Adjunct Faculty CSU East Bay, Educational Specialist Mt. Diablo USD, CDE Dyslexia Guidelines Work Group Member, Dyslexia Consultant Decoding Dyslexia CA
  • Tobie Meyer, State Director Decoding Dyslexia CA, CDE Dyslexia Guidelines Work Group Member
  • Monina Salazar, Assistant Principal Parkside Intermediate School, San Bruno Park School District, Former District Teacher on Special Assignment – Literacy Intervention Instructional Coach San Ramon Valley USD
  • John Santonastaso, Brier Elementary First Grade Teacher, Fremont USD,International Dyslexia Association NorCal Vice President
  • Amy Bull, Vintage Hills Elementary School Kindergarten Teacher, Pleasanton USD, AppRISE Pilot Program Participant (dyslexia screener app)

Sponsored By:

Co-Sponsors:

Oct
17
Thu
The Third Annual Conference of The Reading League @ THE ONCENTER CONVENTION CENTER
Oct 17 @ 7:00 am – Oct 18 @ 4:00 pm
Each year, The Reading League gathers experts from around the globe to share their research, knowledge, and experiences in an effort to further our mission of advancing the awareness, understanding, and use of the scientific evidence base in practice. Teachers, administrators, and educators of all kinds join together to elevate their learning about reading, writing, and related topics.

$499 EARLY BIRD ($599 BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 1)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: EMILY HANFORD

Emily Hanford is a senior producer and correspondent for American Public Media. Ms. Hanford sent shockwaves across the US and around the globe when her September 2018 documentary, Hard Words: Why Aren’t Kids Being Taught to Read, brought much needed mainstream attention to the importance of teacher knowledge of the science of reading. Ms. Hanford has been working in public media for more than two decades as a reporter, producer, editor, news director and program host. Her work has won numerous honors including a duPont-Columbia Award, a Casey Medal and awards from the Education Writers Association and the Associated Press. In 2017, she won the Excellence in Media Reporting on Education Research Award from the American Educational Research Association. Emily is based in the Washington, D.C., area.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: DR. MARYANNE WOLF

Dr. Maryanne Wolf is a scholar, a teacher, and an advocate for children and literacy around the world. She is the Director of the newly created Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. Previously she was the John DiBiaggio Professor of Citizenship and Public Service and Director of the Center for Reading and Language Research in the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development at Tufts University. She is the author of Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain (2007), Dyslexia, Fluency, and the Brain (2001), Tales of Literacy for the 21st Century (2016), and Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World (2018).

If you need further information about The Annual Conference of The Reading League, please contact:
Dr. Michelle Storie, Treasurer and Conference Chair
mstorie@gmail.com