Each year, the ILA conference kicks off with a slate of preconference institutes. Available for one-day standalone registration or as an addition to Core Conference, Institute Day provides the perfect option for educators who want to take a deep dive into a specific topic of interest. With 10 unique offerings geared toward varying experience, roles, and levels, there’s truly something for everyone.

Here are five things you’ll miss if you skip Institute Day at ILA 2018:

• Tailored take-home materials: At Institute 04: Changing Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction: Implementing Word Study in Classrooms, Schools, and Districts, presenters and group leaders will work with you to develop a tailored word study implementation plan. All participants will leave with word study activities, guides, and other actionable resources.
• Next generation reading strategies: Learn how to hook an audience and maximize student comprehension at Institute 09: Reframing the Gradual Release of Responsibility: Connecting Read Aloud, Shared, Guided, and Independent Reading for Deeper Comprehension. Presenters will demonstrate "next generation" instruction and translate relevant research into classroom practice.
• Diverse book lists: It’s no news that #WeNeedDiverseBooks, but did you know that culturally relevant texts can help accelerate reading and writing development? In this interactive course, Institute 08: More Mirrors in the Classroom: Increasing the Effectiveness of Literacy Instruction With Culturally Relevant Texts, attendees will explore how to use diverse literature as a tool to increase the effectiveness of literacy instruction.
• Leadership secrets: Designed for elementary school principals, Institute 02: Principals’ Leadership for Literacy Instruction: It Matters will deliver tried-and-true knowledge and skills for building a schoolwide culture of literacy and raising student achievement. Participants will hear from literacy leaders from around the United States, learn what’s successful in other schools, and take those findings back to their own districts.
• Face-to-face connections: The all-keynote Institute 01: ILA 2018 Research Institute: Best Practices in the Teaching of Reading is an opportunity to discuss contemporary topics, research, theory, and practice with research experts in the field.

Read more about available institutes in the iPlanner, and register here.

Alina O’Donnell is the communications strategist at ILA and the editor of Literacy Daily.