What do adolescent learners who aren’t meeting literacy benchmarks need? This research-based workshop will focus on how to assess and determine literacy needs for students in grades 4-12, including determining if they need foundational literacy skills instruction as well as how to support weak comprehension and vocabulary knowledge. Participants will learn how to develop instructional strategies to ensure success across ELA and content area classes. The presenter will share the latest research and trends in rethinking literacy interventions at the secondary level that will empower as well as support learners in their literacy growth. The presenter will take a strengths-based approach to evaluating and building on adolescents’ literacy skills. Participants will explore how to evaluate secondary learners’ current skills, and then focus on how to leverage their strengths to bolster their comprehension and vocabulary skills, thereby improving their literacy skills in an age-appropriate way.

Recertification points will be given at the end of the PD workshop after completion of an electronic exit survey.

Virtual Follow-Up Sessions Schedule

Review and Application: Assessment and Foundational Skills

Participants will be asked to assess a student or two and try a foundational skill (i.e., fluency) activity to improve a students’ foundational skills. This session will briefly review the topics of assessment and foundational skills and then have participants share out their assessments and reflect on the foundational skills activity they tried. The facilitator will answer questions and provide feedback.

Review and Application: Comprehension Supports

Participants will be asked to try 2-3 activities that support adolescents’ comprehension, for example, a vocabulary strategy or a write to learn technique. This session will briefly review the topic of comprehension and how to support it and then have participants reflect on the comprehension support activity they tried. The facilitator will answer questions and provide feedback.

Teachers Grades 3-12, Coaches, Curriculum Leaders, and Administrators

The registration deadline is August 31, 2022.

In the registration form below, required fields are indicated with a red asterisk. Once you have submitted the registration, the person or people whom you have registered will receive a confirmation email (with registration information included) within 24 hours.

If a participant is unable to attend the workshop please let Alison Dwier-Selden This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. know as soon as possible and also if you will provide a substitute to attend in your place. She will need to know the person’s name and an email address for confirmation.

The workshop fee is $149 for each participant who is a member of a school division that is a member of VaSCL. You can check here for member divisions.

The registration fee for participants from Non-Member school divisions is $199.

VaSCL has a no refund policy for workshop registrations. In the event that a workshop is canceled by VaSCL, refunds will be made in full.

If you would like to pay now by credit card or through a PayPal/credit account, you will be given an opportunity to do so below.

If payment is not made by credit card/PayPal account at registration, the person whom you identified as the Billing Contact will be sent an invoice for payment of your registration fee.