AGENDA

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Supporting All Readers in the Application of Phonics and MORPHOLOGY Instruction (P-5)
High-quality decoding and morphological instruction is systematic, explicit, and assessment informed. Importantly, it also provides learners with ample opportunities to decode, spell, and apply their knowledge as they read texts. Come to this session to learn how texts fit into effective phonics and morphological instruction. Learn specific techniques and strategies to prepare students to read texts.

Heidi Ann Mesmer (Just Right Reading)

MTSS – The Magic of Support (K-MS)
Students have the right to learn to read. Some students require additional support to succeed. A structured support system empowers teachers to provide the necessary support that makes all the difference!

Jessica Talada

Preventing Comprehension Breakdowns to Unlock Knowledge (K-6)
Discover methods to recognize and overcome comprehension breakdowns, enabling students to understand complex ideas, strengthen critical thinking skills, and retain information more effectively across content areas.

Korrye Gaskins

Teaching SMART Middle School Readers (MS-HS)
This session introduces the SMART Reading Curriculum, designed to enhance reading comprehension in struggling middle school readers through goal setting, monitoring understanding, annotations, text structure awareness, and retelling. Learn how to implement this yearlong, structured program, balancing instruction, practice, and assessment for reading mastery.

Michelle Skelton

Introducing…2025-2026 Virginia Readers’ Choice Titles! (P-HS)
Every year a team of children’s and young adult literature loving librarians and teachers read their hearts out to find the best of the best books to introduce to your students. This year is no exception! Join this session to learn about all of the wonderful books on the 2025-2026 Virginia Readers’ Choice lists. From Primary grades to High School, there is bound to be something for everyone to enjoy! This session will highlight all four of the lists (Primary, Elementary, Middle, High), so teachers can use the books at any grade level. Who knows - you might even find something you will enjoy!

Laurie Gingrich, Valerie Robnolt, Charles Richards, Katie Hilden & Teresa Johnson

Strengthening Syntax Across the School Day (K-5)
Understanding syntax is crucial for developing strong literacy skills in young learners. In this interactive session, educators will deepen their understanding of syntactic awareness and learn how to integrate grammar and syntax instruction into their daily teaching across language arts and content areas.

We’ll explore the role of syntax in supporting reading comprehension, fluency, and written composition, with a focus on effective strategies for grades K-5. Participants will engage with hands-on activities such as sentence scrambles, sentence combining, and deconstruction techniques, all designed to reinforce syntactic skills in meaningful contexts. Educators will also examine Virginia state standards to design grade-appropriate syntactic awareness exercises that support curriculum goals.

Janine Henley (Heggerty)

Getting Flexible About Small Groups (K-3)
In this session, we will learn the what, why, and how of using flexible grouping to target students' instructional needs. Through the lens of a classroom case study example, we will provide a process for shifting to a flexible model of targeted group instruction.

Amy Wolford

Reigniting Coaching Moves! (P-HS)
Participants will reignite their coaching moves by focusing on a framework that actively engages relationship building, listening, and dialogue to build a school-wide coaching culture.
Coaching Language Stems for VSLA

Julie Dauksys

Author Panel
Explore the diverse storytelling paths of four remarkable authors, who bring unique perspectives to children’s literature. Wendy Shang, whose work centers on Chinese-American characters, talks about the importance of cultural representation. Matt Tavares shares how he weaves compelling stories through his art in picture books. L.M. Elliott, an expert in historical fiction, reveals how she brings lesser-known moments in history to life for readers of all ages. Jen Malia, an advocate for neurodiversity, discusses her mission to give neurodivergent kids the opportunity to see themselves as the heroes of their stories. This panel offers an inspiring look at how these authors create inclusive, empowering narratives for young readers.

L.M. Elliott, Jen Malia, Matt Tavares, & Wendy Shang

Tailoring Content Instruction for Diverse Learners: Planning Differentiated Instruction Around Quad Text Sets (4-HS)
In this interactive session, educators will learn strategies to effectively use content area quad text sets to address the diverse needs of students, including ELLs, gifted learners, students with reading difficulties, and those with ADHD. After an introduction to the concept and benefits of quad text sets, participants will view hands-on activities to differentiate instruction for specific learners, followed by a group discussion and Q&A. Attendees will leave with practical insights and resources for classroom implementation.

Ottilie Austin & Susan Thacker-Gwaltney

Writing Wizards: Unlocking the Magic of Explicit Writing Instruction (P)
This session will provide an overview of explicit writing instruction in grades K-2. Participants will learn valuable information on how to effectively teach young students to write, as well as ways to incorporate writing activities within their own curriculum. A focus will be put on foundational skills such as letter formation, sentence building, and ways to connect writing with content-based read-alouds to support reading comprehension. Attendees will leave this session with practical tools and resources, including lesson plan templates.

Anne Bragg & Tabitha Carter

Rapport Revives Reading in Classrooms (MS-HS)
This presentation will examine strategies for cultivating rapport with students, optimizing reading engagement, facilitating peer collaboration, and employing narrative techniques to motivate students to produce and publish their own compositions.

Katherine Williams

Making the Most of Literacy Interventions in the Middle Grades (4-MS)
Middle school readers are expected to read increasingly complex texts silently and independently, which is challenging for striving readers. We will demonstrate evidence-based intervention lessons to meet their instructional needs.

Katie Hilden, Lisa Aker, Crystal Ramos-McCall, & Susanna Taylor

Vocabulary Matters: A Dozen Dynamic Ideas for Providing Students with Vocabulary Products (K-5)
Creating a world rich with words is important for not only developing reading skills but also ensuring comprehension isn’t disrupted. Come learn a dozen ideas for sharing vocabulary with your students to build language, comprehension and fluency.

Cathy Collier

Erasing the Misery of Reading and Spelling Multisyllable Words (K-12)
Navigating through lengthy, complex words can be a challenge for adolescent learners. When faced with multisyllabic words, many students resort to guessing or skipping, hindering their reading fluency and comprehension. This session is designed to equip educators with practical and engaging strategies tailored to adolescent learners, enabling them to confidently read and spell longer words.
Participants will explore effective teaching methods that empower students to tackle multisyllabic words using straightforward techniques. Through explicit instruction and hands-on activities, educators will learn how to incorporate multi-sensory approaches and engaging manipulatives that resonate with learners of varying abilities and grades.
This session embraces a "Lose the Rules" approach, teaching students to break down complex words into manageable syllables using uncomplicated questioning techniques. These strategies promote fluency and efficiency in decoding words of all types, empowering learners to overcome reading barriers.

Joan Macenat Charles

Flexible Grouping within Core Instruction (K-3)
Learn how to get flexible with grouping students! Hear from division-level literacy support and school-based reading specialists who have implemented this model.

Kayleigh Critzer, Blaire Flowers, Rachel Floyd, Michki Belcher & Samantha Smusz

Heavy Hitters - Multisyllabic, Decoding, and Morphology (4-M)
As students move into the upper elementary grades, there is a notable difference in the type of words they are being asked to read and understand. Not only do students need to be adept at decoding multisyllabic words, they must also have strategies for unlocking the meanings of unfamiliar words. To equip our students with the rigorous demands of complex text in these grades, we need to bring out the “heavy hitters” of Intermediate Word Work: Multi-syllabic Decoding Routines and Morphology. This session will showcase efficient instruction to get the job done: replicable, reliable routines to teach our students to fearlessly attack big words while building morphological understandings to accelerate vocabulary growth.

Diana Betts

Supporting Teachers to Implement Core Instructional Programs (K-6)
With implementation of the Virginia Literacy Act, teachers across Virginia are working diligently to use a new core reading program. This session will share strategies to support teachers as they teach their students.

Valerie Robnolt, Lisa Cipolletti, Allison Yandle, Joan Rhodes & Candace Bechtold

The Wow Factor: Motivational and Literacy Strategies to Enhance Reading Comprehension for Diverse Learners (MS-HS)
This session explores evidence-based motivational and comprehension strategies that enhance literacy achievement for diverse learners, focusing on practical applications in reading and writing across content areas.

Janelle Cambridge, Lakell Johnson & Rasjinique Smith

Neurodiversity and Children's Literature (Pre-K-8)
Professor of English and autistic author Jen Malia will talk about using literature that features neurodivergent protagonists so children with brain differences can see themselves in books and neurotypical children can become more aware and accepting of neurodivergence. Literacy has the potential to unlock the minds of kids with differently-wired brains, which can lead to more understanding and inclusion in a world where at least 1 in 5 kids are neurodivergent. These are the children diagnosed with ASD, ADHD, OCD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, and other brain differences. Jen will focus on the authentic voices of neurodivergent authors and feature a wide range of picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, and graphic novels, including her own picture book, Too Sticky! Sensory Issues with Autism, and her chapter book series, The Infinity Rainbow Club.

Jen Malia

Engagement in Literacy: Building Reading Motivation for All Learners (K-MS)
This session examines the critical role of motivation in student literacy success, offering practical strategies such as providing choice, supporting stamina, promoting collaboration, and encouraging ownership to engage all readers.

Lori Keister

Write in the Middle (MS)
Middle grades writers can flourish when offered the opportunity to complete engaging and authentic writing tasks. By capitalizing on student interest and their unique strengths (think social media and video games y’all!), teachers can plan and implement writing lessons that are standards-based AND fun! Using rap music, social media, video games, digital media, and more, come see how writing with middle grades students can be effective and engaging!

Rebecca Harper

Reading Difficulties with EL Students- Is it Language? Or Something More? (P-3)
In this presentation, we will discuss best reading practices for EL students and how to discern if difficulties encountered are due to language learning or a possible learning issue.

Karen Affholter

Tips, Tools, and Techniques for Teaching Early Readers (K-2)
Learn how to open the wonder of reading for our youngest learners by using tools and techniques that will enhance early literacy development. We will explore phonological awareness, including segmenting and blending, along with phonics and fluency all while using a multisensory approach to teach readers the love of reading!

Keegan Wilson (hand2mind)

Word Wizards: Unlocking the Magic of Foundational Literacy Skills (K-3)
This session provides teachers and reading specialists with phonics activities to enhance K-2 literacy instruction, including syllable types, multisyllabic words, and morphology. Rules, charts, and multisensory activities will be shared.

Tabitha Carter & Anne Bragg

Your Approach Reimagined: Managing VALLSS Data and Individualized Reading Plans (K-M)
As the Virginia Literacy Act expands through 8th grade, the process for navigating VALLSS data, identifying students, communicating with parents, developing individualized reading plans, and monitoring progress can be daunting. Without an effective system and the right tools, it gets messy fast, and kids may fall through the cracks. Join us to hear how Salem City Schools reimagined their approach through a partnership with Renaissance. 

Leigh Leslie & Jon Signorelli