Learning Opportunities

Target audience: K-3 educational assisstants, instructional leaders, pre-service teachers and teachers are encouraged to attend.

English is a complex language, and becoming a fluent reader requires cognitive flexibility. Students must learn to blend sounds, while also flexing between possibilities to find words that make sense. Early on, this flexibility develops in small ways—such as trying more than one sound for a letter—and is best supported through decodable texts that offer carefully controlled practice. As students progress, they need opportunities to move beyond highly controlled texts and apply flexible word-solving skills in more authentic reading. In this workshop, teachers will delve into how the English language works, learn practical strategies for building flexible decoding skills, and explore how to choose the right texts at different stages of instruction.