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.

Jun
26
Mon
Chartwell School Professional Development Institute Summer 2017 @ Chartwell School
Jun 26 @ 8:30 am – Jun 29 @ 12:00 pm

Educating Professionals in the Field of Learning Differences

The Summer Institute offers a professional development program for teachers, educational therapists, tutors and parents who would like to learn more about dyslexia and other learning differences. CUE credits are available through CSUMB.

Topics Include:

  • Understanding Dyslexia & the Reading Brain
  • Dyslexia Law (2015): AB 1369
  • Understanding ADHD & Executive Function Skills
  • Learning and the Brain: Stress, Memory & Growth Mindset
  • Keys to Literacy: Components of Effective Reading Programs
  • IDEA (2004) & Rehabilitation Act (1973): Section 504

About the Presenter:

Gretchen Giuffre, M.A. Ed., has been involved in independent and public sector education since 1999. Specializing in children with learning differences, she is the former Middle School Coordinator at Chartwell. Additional experience includes the following roles: Reading and Math Intervention Coach, Language Arts Educator and Advisor for a Language & Literacy School Reform Initiative.

Aug
4
Fri
Orton‐Gillingham Approach: A Teacher/Tutor/Parent Workshop for Dyslexia and Literacy Instruction
Aug 4 – Aug 5 all-day

Event: 15‐hour Workshop on the Orton‐Gillingham Approach

Instructor: Nancy Redding, M.Ed., FIT/AOGPE, CDT/IDA Location: 365 1st St., Los Altos, CA, 94022

Dates and Times: August 4 and 5, 2017; 8:30am to 5:00pm daily Registration Deadline: July 20, 2017

Cost and Registration Info: $285 per person, payable to Meyers Learning Center, P.O. Box 428, Redwood Estates, CA 95044

What’s Included: Materials, professional/engaging instruction, Certificate of Completion from Orton‐Gillingham Academy (“Subscriber” level), coffee/tea, refreshments

This introductory course will familiarize participants with the signs and symptoms of dyslexia, as well as the tenets of the Orton‐Gillingham approach to literacy instruction. It meets the requirements of the Subscriber Course of the Academy. Topics will include:

  • Neurological basis of dyslexia and reading disorders
  • Efficacy of structured, sequential, multisensory literacy instruction The foundations and history of the Orton‐Gillingham Approach
  • Phonological and phonemic awareness
  • Stages of Reading and Spelling Development
  • The design and rational of the OG lesson plan
  • Case studies and sample lessons
  • History and Structure of English Language

About Meyers Learning Center:

Meyers Learning Center offers private tutoring to a diverse student population, from elementary to adult‐age students. Our experienced, reliable, and caring educators individualize their teaching to each student’s needs. Tutoring occurs at our downtown Los Altos learning center, in students’ homes, at another convenient location (e.g., school or library), or online. In addition, we provide workshops, school programs, and presentations to community audiences.

Nancy Redding, M.Ed., is a Fellow‐in‐Training with AOGPE. She has 40 years of experience with OG, both in tutoring students of all ages, and in conducting teacher training. She has worked as a learning specialist at the elementary, high school, and college levels. Nancy is the co‐author along with Marcia Henry, of Patterns for Success, an OG based reading and spelling program designed as a supplement to OG instruction. She has presented at many workshops and conference and has been active in International Dyslexia Association, both on the local and national levels.

*This special workshop is open to the community!

Download flyer HERE

Jul
9
Mon
STRUCTURED LITERACY SERIES For Teaching Students with Specific Learning Disabilities/Dyslexia @ SRVUSD Professional Development Center @ Los Cerros Middle
Jul 9 @ 8:30 am – Jul 13 @ 3:30 pm

Literacy How

Dr. Margie Gillis

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.

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

Oct
24
Wed
International Dyslexia Association Annual Conference 2018 @ Foxwoods Resorts
Oct 24 @ 8:30 am – Oct 27 @ 5:00 pm

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!
Sep
14
Sat
Students with Dyslexia: Essentials of Assessment @ California State University, East Bay - Valley Business and Technology Center - 124
Sep 14 @ 8:00 am – 12:30 pm

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.