AGENDA
Here’s a preview of the developing agenda. Check back often for updates!
7:30 am - 11:30 am
Registration
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Continental Breakfast
8:15 am - 8:30 am
Announcements
Keynote Presentation: No More "Strategy of the Week": Considerations for Better Comprehension Instructions
How should we teach comprehension? This interactive session explores what it means to move beyond “strategy-of-the-week” comprehension instruction and return to practices that keep the text—and students’ thinking—at the center. Drawing both on our own missteps in the classrooms and on recent research, we will unpack why decontextualized comprehension work rarely transfers and how teachers can instead create the conditions in which comprehension can occur. We will summarize several recent studies that challenge traditional comprehension practices and highlight what more productive, text-anchored instruction looks like in real classrooms. We will also share concrete teacher language—quick routines, prompts, and sentence stems—that can help students build and clarify meaning before, during, and after reading. Attendees will leave with practical moves they can use immediately--regardless of grade level or core reading program.
Kristin Conradi Smith & Tamara Williams
8:30 am - 9:30 am
Break
9:30 am - 9:45 am
I'm Monitoring Progress, Now What? (K-8)
You are monitoring progress to ensure student success. How much growth is enough? In this session, you will learn how to make instructional decisions that accelerate learning and align with student needs.
Jennifer McSweeney
Naughty and Nice Words: Navigating Questions and Terminology Around the Science of Reading and Assessment
The presenters will share evidence-based, formative literacy assessments that have been used in classrooms, intervention settings and clinical settings to yield accelerated progress (Stahl, Flanigan, & Lupo, 2026). With the advent of the science of reading and rise of educational “cancel culture”, there has been confusion around the use of particular literacy terminology and acceptable assessment practices. However, the way the science of reading is presented is often narrow and simplistic and misses the complexity and nuance of the reading process. This session aims to address the larger body of reading research to explore challenged terminology and assessment practices, such as miscue/error analysis, running records, IRIs, and comprehension assessment. The presenters will share ideas for how to consider the whole science of reading, including traditional assessment practices, so we can align our practice fully with research, yet don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.
Sarah Lupo & Kevin Flanigan
What is "Grade-Level Complex" Text? Using Text Evaluation and Student Data to Design Learning that Grows all Learners (6-12)
Comprehension starts at the word level. Looking at the 2024 VA SOLs, an emphasis is placed on understanding the morphology and etymology of words to determine meaning. Since English is a morphophonemic language, we must have an understanding of how words work and why they are spelled the way they are. This session will focus on breaking words down and walking participants through how to make words more accessible for students grades K-12.
Ryan Holt
The Wonderful World of Words (All)
Comprehension starts at the word level. Looking at the 2024 VA SOLs, an emphasis is placed on understanding the morphology and etymology of words to determine meaning. Since English is a morphophonemic language, we must have an understanding of how words work and why they are spelled the way they are. This session will focus on breaking words down and walking participants through how to make words more accessible for students in grades K-12.
Johanna Bender
Motivation + Engagement = Reading Success: Supporting Struggling Readers with Evidence-Based Instruction (4-8)
With the work of the book Teaching Foundational Skills to Adolescent Readers and the implementation of scoped and sequenced materials using best practices, teachers can meet the unique challenges that come with supporting middle school struggling readers.
Ragan Collins
Strengthening Literacy Across Content Areas Through Vocabulary Instruction (4-8)
Participants will explore the critical role vocabulary plays in unlocking comprehension of complex material across all subject areas. The session will guide educators through a structured process for selecting impactful vocabulary, designing routines, and integrating vocabulary seamlessly into daily teaching practices.
Rebecca Scott
Understanding Research on the Role of Imagery in Comprehension, and How to Develop Concept Imagery (K-8)
This presentation will provide a summary of the historical and current research on the role of imagery in language comprehension and critical thinking. Educators will examine how weaknesses in Concept Imagery impact learners in the classroom and globally, and review data to make determinations of instructional needs and impacts. They will also discover and utilize pedagogical practices to develop Concept Imagery that are applicable in classrooms and small group settings. Educators will leave with knowledge of how these process-based instructional practices can be applied to Virginia standards.
Dave Kiyvyra
700 Breakout Series
9:45 am - 10:45 am
10:45 am - 11:00 am
Break
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Reading Motivation in Action: Practical Tools for Inclusive Classrooms (4-12)
This session will share current research findings on the role of motivation and engagement in reading achievement, with emphasis on upper elementary and middle school students. In today's tech-saturated classrooms, motivating students to engage deeply with reading, especially in content areas like science, history, and math, can be a significant challenge. Studies show motivation and engagement as significant predictors of reading achievement (Guthrie et al., 2022; Toste et al., 2020; Wang & Guthrie, 2023).
This session will explore evidence-based strategies to help upper elementary, middle and high school educators foster meaningful reading experiences that build comprehension, curiosity, and content knowledge without relying on digital tools.
Susan Thacker-Gwaltney & Ottilie Austin
Words Everywhere: Strengthening Vocabulary Inside and Beyond the ELA Classroom (4-8)
This session will present research on the link between vocabulary and comprehension, model an adaptable vocabulary routine, and share strategies for reinforcing word learning across content areas and beyond the classroom.
Danielle Kreassig
Intentional Classroom Libraries: Sparking Wonder, Curiosity, and Joyful Discovery (K-5)
This session draws on a broad base of educational research, including findings from the Science of Reading, demonstrating how classroom libraries and other non-instructional literacy supports strengthen reading development and student engagement. Research shows that while systematic skills instruction is essential, students also need abundant opportunities to practice with a variety of texts. Intentional classroom libraries provide this critical bridge, helping students apply decoding skills, build fluency, and develop comprehension in authentic reading experiences.
Richard Hasenyager
Tackling Tough Texts: A Strengths-based Approach to Improving Comprehension
This presentation will address how teachers can support readers in developing comprehension from PreK-high school. The presentation will first define what the science of reading says comprehension really is so teachers can understand what they are teaching. Then the presenter will help teachers understand the different challenges that texts present to their readers and how they can analyze a text to identify those challenges. Lastly, the presenter will share specific scaffolds that help readers of all ages (PreK-high school) overcome those texts challenges so they can truly tackle tough texts and improve their overall comprehension skill.
Sarah Lupo
From Theory to Practice: Leveraging Implementation Science to Strengthen Reading Outcomes (All)
This session will introduce key principles of Implementation Science and demonstrate how they apply to literacy efforts. Participants will examine frameworks such as the Active Implementation Frameworks and learn how to use tools like fidelity checklists, progress monitoring systems, and feedback loops to support sustainable reading improvement. Case examples from school settings will illustrate how these strategies enhance instructional consistency and student outcomes.
Ann Marie Seely & Jennifer Perry
The Power of Partnership: Aligning Special Education and Reading Services for Students with IEPs
Lauren Catherwood-Ginn, Leigh Bortz & Katie Ginn
Virginia Department of Education English Updates
Jill Nogueras
800 Breakout Series