Breakout Presentations

Prolific children’s author Tony Abbott shares the top secret ways he finds and uses ideas, what fun things you can do to spur ideas in young writers, how there’s no such thing as “writer’s block,” and the care and maintenance of each student’s “imagination machine.” You’ll learn what to do with inspiration when you have it, how to elaborate, to color, to question, and to “twist” ideas, generating more than you and your students can possibly handle! (CA)

Open the door to sight word fun and exploration. In this session, Laureen will share simple, hands-on literacy, movement, and extension activities designed to build phonemic awareness, reading fluency, and confidence in young readers. You will explore the benefits of daily reading aloud and a variety of ideas for differentiating instruction while introducing and reviewing sight words. You’ll build fluency and confidence in your young readers while developing and strengthening their vocabulary. Plus, take advantage of countless literacy and extension activities that get children moving and talking while learning those valuable words! (CA, MO)

Is the mini-lesson a mystery to you? Do your writer’s workshops need some inspiration? Join Jenny and Debbie while they share some writing mini-lessons that will inspire you and your writers and make workshop time more enjoyable. Jenny and Debbie’s ready-to-teach lessons will help your students become more confident, strong writers. In addition, they will demonstrate how to turn your students’ writing needs into mini-lessons. Come to this session and watch the mysteries of the mini-lesson unravel before your very eyes. (CA)

Playing with language is fun and a great way to learn. In this session, Tracy and Gerry will discuss environmental print, rhyming and alliteration, and phonemic awareness, and their importance for emerging literacy. You will explore poems, songs, books, and activities that you can easily incorporate into your classroom as your children become readers and writers. (CA, PC)

Yes, you can move mountains—mountains of comprehension challenges, that is! In this session, Linda Joe will show you how you can clear up 75% of your students’ comprehension problems by front loading student knowledge of a text. Good book introductions push students to become actively involved in constructing meaning prior to reading, and you will walk away from this session knowing how to formulate essential questions for frontloading student thinking during a text, book intro, or picture walk. (CA, MRI)

During this interactive presentation, you will learn new ideas for planning family workshops and activities. Shelly will model a “Healthy Families” workshop and will share specific information on how to go about setting up a family night. You will also participate in several activities related to the workshop. Parent involvement is a proven method of increasing student achievement, and family workshops are a fun way to engage parents in supporting their children’s education. In addition, Shelly will discuss how proper nutrition, sleep, exercise, and television viewing habits affect a child’s success. You will leave the session prepared to lead a family night in your school! (HE, SHCP)

Come to this session and walk away with ideas for engaging your K-3 grade students in writing expository text. Ann and Marlene will share new ideas for implementing this nonfiction writing cycle. You will receive sample lesson plans and be given time to do brainstorming and small group work to develop some of your own lesson plans. Ann and Marlene have done this work with K-3 students and will have process and product examples to share, as well as a list of valuable and reader-friendly resources. All of the ideas shared will address K-3 Communication Arts GLEs related to expository reading and writing. (CA)