ILA Next: Registration Is Open

Primary Pathway (Ages 5–8)

The foundational years of literacy instruction are critical to ensuring student success. Important topics covered include comprehension, fluency, the value of oral traditions, and the importance of inclusive literature.

WEEK 1 — Tuesday, October 6

6:30 PM–8:00 PM ET

What Is Reading Fluency and Why Does It Matter?

Timothy Rasinski

Fluency in reading has been found, through scientific research, to be a critical competency for successful reading. Despite its importance, many teachers do not feel completely comfortable in their knowledge and instruction of fluency, and many students fail to achieve proficiency in this skill. In this workshop, Timothy Rasinski will provide theoretical and research background and definition to fluency. He will share effective and engaging strategies for teaching this essential reading component that will move students toward better comprehension and greater proficiency in reading.

WEEK 2 — Tuesday, October 13

6:30 PM–8:00 PM ET

Embracing Oral Traditions and Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Literature in the Early Literacy Classroom

Kia Brown-Dudley and Kenneth Kunz

Aligned with research-based best practices are artful ways early childhood/elementary teachers can use storytelling to enhance students' literacy development while sharing lived experiences from diverse cultures. These oral traditions have ties to quality literature and reading materials that are interdisciplinary and inclusive. Come develop a love for language, stories, and literacy.

WEEK 3 — Tuesday, October 20

6:30 PM–8:00 PM ET

Examining Tools and Practices for Teaching Phonological Awareness and Phonics Through an Equity Lens

Christina Cassano, Leigh Rohde, and Katie Paciga

Phonological awareness and phonics are two skills at the foundation of successful literacy achievement. The instructional practices and tools used for engaging children in exploring phonological awareness and phonics, as well as those used for assessing these early literacy skills, present a range of demands for children. In addition, they carry with them a need for critical consumption if they are to be used equitably with the diverse children we serve. In this workshop, attendees will explore a range of practices and tools with an emphasis on approaching their use with a critical mind-set.

WEEK 4 — Tuesday, October 27

6:30 PM–8:00 PM ET

Teaching Comprehension From the Earliest Years: All Eyes on Students

Diane Lapp, Kelly Johnson, and Hilda Martinez

Reading is comprehension. Being able to comprehend many types of texts including cartoons, plays, poems, mysteries, fiction, and nonfiction means the reader is able to make sense of the language, ideas, information, and features shared in the text. Readers who are proficient at comprehending know how to self-monitor and what to do to support their reading independence. Lapp, Johnson, and Martinez will provide research-supported instructional practices that can be shared with young children either in brick-and-mortar or distance learning environments.

Pathway Workshops will broadcast live 6:30 PM–8:00 PM ET each Tuesday of the four-week event. A closed-captioned recording of each week's Pathway Workshop can be accessed on demand within five (5) business days.