The Literacy Retreat Pre-Conference

Teaching Literacy:
Understanding How Reading & Writing are Reciprocal

(JUNE 18 or SEPTEMBER 27)

9 a.m. — 3:30 p.m. • Continental breakfast & boxed lunch included

The 2012 Pre-Conference is designed to target one of the most common challenges language arts teachers face— how to effectively and efficiently connect reading and writing instruction. However, tying reading and writing together on a daily basis takes careful planning. This one-day session will equip K-12 language arts teachers with the tools they need to begin planning and delivering instruction that marries reading and writing all year long.

Key objectives include:
Recognize the reciprocity between reading and writing instruction.

Demonstrate the connection between the five components of reading research and the six researched ingredients of writing.
Study the specific connections between particular reading and writing skills outlined in the Common Core State Standards.
Compare the steps in the reading process to those in the writing process.

Immerse students in reciprocal reading and writing skills to layer their understanding.

Receive a list of specific comprehension strategies with their reciprocal writing skills identified.
Dissect grade-level texts for the inherent reading and writing skills they possess—including grammar/convention skills.
Learn to plan your writing instruction based on the skills utilized within your reading passages.
Receive sample unit plans with the reading and writing genres aligned and the reciprocal skills outlined.

Grade-Level Lesson Swap

Work with teachers from your own grade-range to share favorite reading or writing lessons and then brainstorm reciprocal skills to teach simultaneously.

The Literacy Retreat:

New strategies for teaching reading & writing

The Literacy Retreat has become known as the "shot in the arm" teachers crave to strengthen their own instruction in reading and writing. Over the course of one and a half days, attendees collect brand new strategies for teaching reading and writing during six distinct sessions. Outlined below are the six sessions for 2012 and the corresponding objectives for each.

DAY 1 (JUNE 19 or SEPT. 28)

9 a.m. — 3:30 p.m. • Continental breakfast & lunch buffet included

Unlocking the meaning behind figurative language
Teach students to use figurative language to improve their comprehension in reading and description in writing.

Reveal figurative language techniques in a variety of mentor texts.
Interpret an author’s intended meaning through inferencing.
Acquire new strategies for targeting figurative language in various writing genres and grade levels.

Increasing vocabulary & spelling = prefix + root + suffix
Learn how to target 50 or less specific “parts” of words to increase your students’ vocabulary and spelling by almost 1000 more words this school year.

Identify grade-level appropriate word parts including roots, prefixes, and suffixes according to the Common Core State Standards.
Learn hands-on activities for working with words at any grade level.
Incorporate word knowledge lessons to increase content area knowledge.

Filling the fluency gap
Engage K-12 students with fluency strategies that provide meaningful practice and culminate in performances that leave the students wanting more.

Target reading rate, phrasing, and prosody skills for narrative and informational text.
Obtain strategies for practicing fluency independently and in small groups.
Learn of authentic performances and easy assessments for fluency instruction.

Adding argumentative writing to your curriculum
Immerse in an entire session devoted to one of the four “major shifts” in the Common Core State Standards.

Define the subtle, but significant differences between persuasive & argumentative writing.
Learn how to scaffold mini-lesson instruction so that it builds on students’ foundation of persuasion K-12.
Incorporate short, effective argumentative activities into your literacy classroom.

DAY 2 (JUNE 20 or SEPTEMBER 29)

9 a.m. — 12 p.m. • Continental breakfast included

Writing about your reading
Teach students to go beyond simply retelling and summarizing as they write in response to their reading.

Target the analysis skills necessary for both informational and literary reading.
Acquire strategies for stronger constructed responses, literature responses, and non-traditional book reports.
Help students document their thinking while reading.

Redefining how we read chapter books
It’s not about the book! It’s about the thinking skills and comprehension strategies we teach while reading the book.

Focus on grade-level specific comprehension skills regardless of the text title.
Learn ways to balance long, multi-day texts with short, one-sitting text experiences.
Engage more students with differentiated chapter-book options and effective read alouds.

Professional Growth Credits

Certified educators in Indiana can earn a total of 12 PGP points for attending the Literacy Retreat. (Five for the Pre-Conference and seven for the Retreat.)

Smekens Education is an approved provider of Illinois Continuing Professional Development Units (CPDUs). Participants earn 12 CPDUs for attending this workshop. (Five for the Pre-Conference and seven for the Retreat.)

Graduate Credit

For an additional fee, participants in this workshop are eligible to earn up to three hours of graduate credit from Purdue University-Calumet. (One hour for the Pre-Conference and two hours for the Retreat)

Look for additional information to be posted here regarding the course assignment and due dates.