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.
Learning While Black in SFUSD – On March 21st, 5:30 – 8pm join the community in an educational panel round-table discussion and resource fair featuring Darryl Lester, the main plaintiff in the landmark special education case, Larry P. vs. California.
Mr. Lester was never taught how to read and was labeled “educable mentally retarded” in the 1970’s. KALW, a local public radio station, produced a recent story of interest addressing a legacy of mistreatment of San Francisco’s black special education students. The reporter stated the following about Mr. Lester, “it turns out, he did have a learning difficulty, a really specific one. He struggled with reading. He never got the help he needed.”
DDCA is concerned that SFUSD’s recent dyslexia pilot and implementation does not meet California dyslexia guidelines best practices. Join us in discussing how SFUSD is meeting the needs of its current African American students with reading disabilities.
The Workshop:
Who knew there were spelling rules? Our students are given worksheets and lists of words, but no explicit instruction. This interactive, multisensory seminar will guide teachers through the normal spelling development, the importance of phonological awareness, the alphabetic principles, and the rules that govern how we can confidently spell 85% of English words. Teachers will leave with materials to guide their instruction and strategies to improve the spelling skills of their students.
Speaker: Nancy M. Coffman, MS, CALT, QI, Director, Shelton Academic Reading Approach (SARA), Shelton School.
A nationally known speaker in the field of multisensory structured language education, Nancy Coffman currently directs SARA, a comprehensive IMSLEC- and IDA- accredited training program in Structured Literacy. She began teaching children with dyslexia and related disorders in 1991 and training teachers in 1998.
Who Should Attend:
General education teachers: This seminar will raise your knowledge base in the areas of multisensory instruction in spelling to better serve all students.
Dyslexia practitioners, therapists and CALTs: This seminar will enhance your practice with current research and multifaceted practice activities and materials.