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.
Dr. Margie Gillis
Decoding Dyslexia CA is pleased to announce that dyslexia expert, Dr. Margie Gillis of Literacy How, will be coming to the San Francisco Bay Area this summer to provide a weeklong (30-hour) Structured Literacy training for sixty teachers. DDCA is co-sponsoring this training with San Ramon Valley USD. More information on how teachers can register for this training can be found here. This training will sell out so register early.
Watch the video to learn more about Dr. Gillis’ impressive background and the innovative way she is reinvesting her company’s profits into training teachers in Structured Literacy. Structured Literacy is a research-based approach to providing instruction that benefits, not only students with dyslexia, but all students.
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-correspon
– 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.
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.
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.
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:
IDA’s Annual International Conference is the premier professional development conference dedicated to dyslexia. The conference brings in experts from all over the world to educate attendees on the latest research, remediation, and more.
The Reading, Literacy & Learning Conference is held for both professionals and families and is attended by some 2,500 teachers, educators, and administrators, reading specialists, researchers, university faculty, psychologists, physicians, tutors, and parents.
The four-day conference includes the following:
- Four general sessions with keynote speakers
- Full- and half-day pre-conference symposia
- Over 100 sessions
- Exhibit Hall
- Networking opportunities
- Social events
- Visits to local schools
- And much more!
This half-day workshop will focus on the assessment of dyslexia. Dr. Mather will address the definition of dyslexia; the importance of assessing cognitive and linguistic processes, including phonological awareness, orthographic coding, processing speed, and rapid automatized naming. In addition, she will discuss several challenges inherent in the assessment of dyslexia, including: early identification, twice exceptional students, and co-occurring disorders, such as ADHD and language impairment.
This event is intended for school psychologists, speech and language professionals, resource specialists, special education and general education teachers, school administrators, educational therapists, and all credentialing candidates in these fields as well as professional advocates. This event is open to the general public, however, it should be noted that it will be somewhat technical in nature.
California State University East Bay and Decoding Dyslexia CA support best practices with respect to dyslexia as outlined by the California Dyslexia Guidelines. Net proceeds from this event will be used to host future CSUEB events to increase dyslexia awareness.
Registration opens at 8:00 a.m. Workshop is 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Dr. Mather’s Bio:
Nancy Mather is a Professor Emerita at the University of Arizona in the Department of Disability and Psychoeducational Studies. She is a coauthor of the WJ IV and has coauthored two books on the interpretation and application of the WJ IV: Essentials of WJ IV Tests of Achievement and Woodcock-Johnson IV: Reports, Recommendations, and Strategies. She has published numerous articles, conducts workshops on assessment and instruction both nationally and internationally, and has coauthored several books linking assessment and intervention, including Learning Disabilities and Challenging Behaviors (3rd ed.), Essentials of Assessment Report Writing (2nd. ed.), and Essentials of Dyslexia: Assessment and Intervention.