AGENDA

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From PALS to VALLSS: What Now? (K-3)
Now that you have all of this VALLSS data, what can you do with it? This session will focus on grouping students into skills-based groups that will maximize instructional time and student learning.

Christine Scarpinato

Building the Foundation: Understanding and Strengthening Phonological and Phonemic Awareness (K-3)
Explore the foundational role of phonological and phonemic awareness in reading and spelling development. This session covers essential skills, including syllable awareness, rhyming, and phoneme identification, to support student success in literacy.

Keegan Wilson (hand2mind)

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

Text Types: Unlocking What to Teach and When (K-5)
Unlocking how word recognition and language comprehension work together is key to helping students become strong readers. In this session, we’ll explore how different types of texts—like decodable texts for strengthening word reading skills and complex texts for building understanding—support reading growth. Learn how to choose the right texts at the right time to help all students succeed.

Amy Wolford

Supporting Flexible and Strategic Word Work (K-6)
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.

Lisa Aker, Katie Hilden & Leigh Leslie

Supporting Struggling Older Readers (4-HS)
What happens when a student leaves elementary school still struggling with reading? In this session, a multitude of ideas will be shared with teachers on methods to reach struggling students with reading and comprehending multisyllabic words.

Beth Estill

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.

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

Finding Story in Virginia’s "Hidden History" & "Unsung Heroes" (and helping students LOVE research!) (MS-HS)
Author L. M. Elliott has written 10 award-winning historical novels set in Virginia. During her talk, she'll share stunning, forgotten moments and heroes from BEA AND THE NEW DEAL HORSE (winner of the Scott O'Dell Medal 2024) and LOUISA JUNE AND THE NAZIS IN THE WAVES (recipient of VLA's 2023 Cardinal Cup) as well as suggested activities that help students experience the treasure hunt fun of research. (If time allows, she'll share a bit about her new 1973 docu-novel: TRUTH, LIES, AND THE QUESTIONS IN BETWEEN.)

L.M. Elliott

The Science of Decodable: How to Use Them (K-5) Sponsored by Curriculum Associates
This session will focus on how to use a decodable text. We will begin by identifying the purposes of decodables and the developmental juncture at which they may be most useful. It will focus on how to introduce students to decodable text, how to do a bookwalk—not a picturewalk—in a decodable, and how to follow up. It will also address the importance of using a phonics scope and sequence when choosing each other. Lastly, it will clarify how not to use decodables: with ineffective practices that don’t make use of the textual scaffolds.

Dr. Heidi Ann Mesmer

How the Science of Learning Should Undergird a Science of Reading Classroom (K-HS)
We'll discuss and demonstrate why and how principles from the science of learning (e.g., retrieval practice, engagement, a focus on transfer) are necessary to ensure success with the science of reading.

Kristin Conradi Smith, Gail Lovette & Tammy Williams

Engaging Families in Literacy (K-3)
Participants are invited to join us as we discuss our journey to foster a partnership for literacy with families and community stakeholders at the division and school levels.

Kayleigh Critzer, Courtney Croom, Rachel Floyd, April Small & Blaire Flowers

Improving Comprehension with ANY Text (Even if you have to use a basal!) (K-6)
In this presentation, Savannah will give six tips for improving comprehension, no matter the text you are using. She will also assist teachers in critical thinking about their basal program to ensure all students are successful.

Savannah Campbell

Empowering Students through Multicultural Literature that Celebrates Diversity (K-6)
This session will highlight the use of multicultural literature in a variety of genres to empower children to develop their sense of self and understand people from diverse backgrounds.

Valerie Robnolt & Lisa Cipolletti

Boosting Reading Fluency: Proven Strategies to Help Struggling Middle School Readers Thrive (MS)
This session offers practical, evidence-based strategies to improve reading fluency in struggling middle school students. Attendees will explore engaging activities and assessment tools to boost fluency and reading confidence.

Danielle Kreassig

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, Charles Richards, Katie Hilden & Teresa Johnson

Unwinding Chinese American History and Culture through Stories
Wendy Shang writes about many aspects of the Chinese American experience. In this session, she will describe how many of her books, including The Way Home Looks Now (an NEA Read Across American selection), The Secret Battle of Evan Pao (an ALA Notable book), and American Girl: Corinne, incorporate pivotal moments in Chinese American history and encourage readers to find their own place in the American tapestry.

Wendy Shang

Systematic Phonics Instruction is Key to Helping All Students Get on the Road to Reading
The science of reading validates that explicit and systematic instruction is the key to building strong foundational skills. Getting students on grade level right from the start is crucial but does not always happen, especially for students from low socioeconomic status, English Language Learners, and students with disabilities. This session will explore why students struggle and how embedded mnemonics and multisensory action tricks can speed up the process. Join this session to also learn about the three key areas in the brain involved in learning to read, and how we can retrain underused neurons to boost reading development. These simple but powerful additions may be what your core program is missing.

Cat Rutledge (Letterland)

Writing for Journal Publication
Joan Rhodes