Development, Assessment, and Instruction of Writing Skills in Children with and without Learning Disabilities
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Identification: W1
This full-day symposium will provide attendees with information to guide their instruction and assessment of written expression at varied levels of language to address the needs of students with poor language and literacy skills, from emergent to established writers.
Speaker(s):Identification: W2
The Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR) is a multidisciplinary research center at Florida State University. FCRR explores all aspects of reading research, including basic research into literacy-related skills for typically developing readers and those who struggle, studies of prevention, and development of effective interventions. In this all-day symposium FCRR researchers will present new results informing the treatment, diagnosis, and etiology of reading, writing, and language disabilities.
Speaker(s):The Geschwind Lecturer Trio: Then, Now and the Future of the Neuroscience of Dyslexia
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Identification: W3
This half-day session will be a tour de force on the neuroscience of dyslexia. Each past Norman Geschwind Memorial Lecturer (Galaburda: 1989/2004, Pugh: 2011, Hoeft: 2014) will give an overview of the state of the art of neuroscience science at the time of their lecture, and an update on their work since. The presenters will also provide a futuristic view of the new directions in the neuroscience research of dyslexia.
Speaker(s):Explore Evidence-Based Practices for English Learners’ Literacy Assessments, Interventions and Implementation
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Identification: W4
This half-day symposium will examine research for the complex process of identifying, English learners with specific learning disabilities. Understanding the roe of language proficiency, second language and literacy acquisition and the differences between what is typical or atypical is essential for the reliability and validity of the assessment process. Once English learners are correctly identified, then it is important to learn the evidence based practices for literacy interventions. This session will therefore address the research for effective interventions for reading. In addition, participants will learn the writing and spelling patterns of English learners and the bilingual strategies they utilize. A discussion of multi-tiered systems of support with culturally responsive teaching practices for this population of students will also be included since it is essential for their success.
Speaker(s):Orthographic Processing: Progress in Understanding a Critical Dimension of Reading Development and Reading Disability
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Identification: W6
Phonological processing in reading development and dyslexia has received far more attention to date than orthographic processing, even though reading and spelling require specialized visual-orthographic learning, memory, and recall. In this symposium, presenters will discuss clinical and experimental research findings regarding the nature and role of orthographic learning in both normal and dyslexic students, with the goal of helping educators, diagnosticians, and policy makers improve assessment practices, guidelines for identification of students, and instruction.
Speaker(s):Conference Kickoff ~ IDA Excellence in Leadership
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Identification: WGS10262016
The Samuel Torrey and June Orton Memorial Lecture: Developmental Dyslexia: 35 Years of Fascination and Discovery
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Identification: THGS10272016
Biological research on dyslexia began in Dr. Galaburda’s laboratory a little more than thirty-five years ago with a finding of changes in the cerebral cortex of a young man who, in life, had been diagnosed with developmental dyslexia. The following several years were focused on trying to collect additional brains with the help from the then Orton Dyslexia Society. Having gathered enough information to recommend modeling brain changes, if not the dyslexia itself, in laboratory rodents, the researchers began a research enterprise that took them to the middle of 2015 and produced many discoveries pointing to likely causes of developmental dyslexia. Whereas discoveries by colleagues working in the field and using imaging of the functioning human brain addressed possible mechanisms by which the brain worked differently in dyslexics, Dr. Galaburda’s laboratory aimed at finding the fundamental cause(s)—how did the brain get to be different in the first place? Initially, the animal models were based on induced early brain injury, but these gave way gradually to more naturalistic models that took advantage of the genetic discoveries of the past 15 years. At the end of the research enterprise, the researchers could report that the fundamental cause of dyslexia has to do with hyper-excitable brain cells (neurons) that get in the way of proper sound processing, which, the researchers postulate, interferes with the development of strong phonological skills, the immediate proximate cause of dyslexia in the majority of dyslexic individuals. During this lecture, which will be dedicated to the memory of neurologist Norman Geschwind and educator Margaret Rawson, Dr. Galaburda will acquaint the listeners with the progress in dyslexia research and include a look to the future.
Speaker(s):Words With Spelling Connections Have Meaning Connections | Phonology + Phonics + Morphology + Etymology = Orthography
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Identification: T1
The analysis of word structure - including morphology - supports learning how to read, spell, and comprehend. Words with spelling connections often have meaning connections. Related words are activated in memory when they have meaningful connections and share structural elements at the morpheme level, especially when spelling reveals the connections (define-definition; science-conscience). Explicit instruction in orthography (spelling) that integrates phonology, phonics, morphology, and etymology is also effective for teaching word identification, vocabulary, content knowledge, and reading comprehension.
Speaker(s):What Do You Mean by a Comprehensive Reading Assessment System?
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Identification: T2
Assessment in education is commonly defined as the process of collecting data for the purpose of making decisions. This session will cover the different types of assessments (screening, diagnostic, progress monitoring, formative, and summative) and look at how the data drives our instructional decisions to improve reading instruction.
Speaker(s):Academic Conversations: An Instructional Tool to Develop an Oral-Language Base for Reading Comprehension and Writing
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Identification: T3
Academic conversations - structured and purposeful conversations about school topics - develop an oral-language base for reading comprehension and writing. This session focuses on the logistics of establishing student partnerships for academic conversations, a preparation process for teachers to use to maximize academic conversations in their instructional plans, and ways to incorporate academic conversations - focused on reading comprehension and writing - into content-area instruction. Participants will learn and practice strategies for using academic conversations during this session.
Speaker(s):