Emergent Literacy
Imagine kindergarten students learning to read and write from the start of the school year in a balanced literacy program. Using a multi-sensory alphabet with the unique Reading Folder and the dynamic Writing Journal, participants will learn methods that explicitly guide non-readers and writers from emergent to early levels of literacy. Additionally, engaging language development activities that scaffold comprehension of narrative and expository text will be modeled. Participants will leave with blackline masters of each tool for immediate use in the classroom.

Primary Reading
Learn explicit instructional strategies so all students read fluently with high levels of comprehension! The Nancy Fetzer’s Guided Reading format includes language development book introductions, word study activities, cueing questions, teaching points, and read-write connections for highly effective reading groups. Specific strategies for each discreet level of guided reading will be demonstrated, along with techniques to differentiate instruction within leveled reading groups. Additionally, lecture notes will be introduced as a best teaching practice for interactive comprehension strategies, higher-level questioning, responding to text, and text structure analysis. Participants will leave with blackline masters of each tool for immediate use in the classroom.

Primary Writing
Learn the unique Plan, Talk, and Write system for explicit instructional strategies so all students increase their academic oral language and become independent writers. Utilize the unique multi-sensory alphabet system that enables students to hear and feel letter sounds so they immediately begin to write. Participants learn how to use the writing strategies and instructional tools to build vocabulary, sentences and a paragraph with the Writing Program’s kid-friendly Who/What Chart, Sentence Builder Chart, and interactive organizers. Along with tools to scaffold writing, teachers will learn the Word Study Program which dove-tails into any spelling system. Program characters such as the Word Family and Wiggle Jiggle houses enable students to use fun and effective strategies to spell words. Participants will leave with instructional methods and tools that will increase students’ writing and spelling levels.

Intermediate Reading
Learn explicit comprehension instructional strategies through the standards-based Nancy Fetzer’s Reading Connections’ workshop. These engaging, interactive activities are formatted in a weekly lesson plan for comprehension instruction. Each component is packed with hands-on tools and best teaching practices to increase comprehension. The first element is frontloading and summarizing. Using Lecture Notes, this dynamic activity utilizes academic oral language and vocabulary building to organize concepts and structural information so all students can assess the core curriculum. The final three components include responding to text using the “Prove It” organizer; generating standardized test questions from the
“Build a Question” chart; and analyzing text structure and words and phrases from a variety of organizers. Teachers will practice these techniques, methods, and strategies using reading tools, charts, and organizers. The workshop will include classroom demonstrations with whole group, partner, and individual instruction. Participants will leave with instructional strategies and tools to increase reading achievement.

Intermediate Writing
From building sentences to five paragraph essays, teach all your students to write! This unique, standards-aligned Nancy Fetzer’s Writing Connections’ workshop outlines specific instructional strategies using the unique Plan, Talk, and Write System. Now every child can write at grade level, with various amounts of support, using dynamic graphic organizers that systematically bridge from sentences to paragraphs and finally the 5 paragraph essay. Participants will learn to guide academic oral language to written text using Buddy Talk procedures. Also, the audience will learn to build sophisticated written language sentences using Travelers, Double the Who, and Triple-Decker Power Blueprints.
Along with sentences, the Vocabulary Wall and Voice Boxes will be utilized for voice, flair, and sophistication to write descriptive, organized, and interesting text. This workshop will include demonstration lessons using whole group, partner, and individual activities. Participants will leave with instructional strategies and tools necessary for students to write descriptive, organized, and interesting text.