Professional Development
From Assessments to Intervention:
Using current research to guide best practices for literacy intervention and instruction.
We're back with another Research to Practice Conference brought to you live and in person by Reach Learning Centres.
With recent mandates from provincial governments to implement screeners for literacy development, many educators are working to understand the different kinds of assessments, what they mean, and how that data can inform scientifically sound instruction. Join Reach and our visiting experts live and in person for a day of learning, growth, and collaboration at the beautiful Pinnacle at the Pier ballroom at the Shipyards in North Vancouver. A delicious catered lunch is included.
Our R2P Conference was a great success!
Please visit us next year!
Event Date and Time
October 25th, 9am to 3:30pm PST
Full day session, including lunch: $279
Dr. Andrea Fraser is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Education at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, NS. Her research interests include reading acquisition and development, reader identity, pre-service and in-service teacher knowledge and beliefs, and literacy pedagogy. These interests stem from over 20 years of experience in K-12 education as a classroom teacher and reading interventionist and from her support of system changes as a literacy consultant and coordinator.
Andrea holds both a PhD and MEd in Curriculum and Instruction, a post-degree certificate in Special Education, and a Bachelor of Education. She has completed her classroom educator Orton-Gillingham training and is a certified Structured Literacy Classroom Teacher through the International Dyslexia Association's Center for Effective Reading Instruction.
Session 1
Making Sense of Assessments to Guide Instruction with Dr. Andrea Fraser
The effective use of assessment data should inform instructional decisions at the classroom level and provide insight into the health of a system. Prompted by recommendations from the OHRC’s Right to Read Inquiry Report, schools and school boards across Canada are beginning to implement universal screening measures, including recent mandates in BC. For this data to be useful, teachers and leaders need an understanding of how the various assessments fit into an outcomes-based model within a Multi-Tiered System of Supports framework to inform evidence-based reading instruction. This session will answer questions about which assessments to use, when, and with whom to guide instructional and system-level decision-making. Practical exercises will ensure all attendees are ready to implement assessments in their educational settings right away.
Dr. Pam Kastner serves as the State Lead for Literacy in Pennsylvania. Dr. Kastner and the PaTTAN Literacy team provided the literacy training, technical assistance, coaching, and consultation to Pennsylvania's Dyslexia pilot, extension, and expansion school research sites.
Along with the PaTTAN literacy team, Dr. Kastner leads state-wide literacy initiatives which include professional learning in the science of reading and structured literacy; onsite training, coaching, and consultation; a virtual literacy resource hub; and an international literacy conference. She is honoured to serve as an adjunct professor at Mount St. Joseph University in the Reading Science Program where she teachers in the Masters' and Doctoral Program and was honoured as Adjunct Professor of the Year in 2023. Dr. Kastner also has the honour of serving as the President of The Reading League Pennsylvania, The Reading League Journal's Practitioner Editorial Board, and is a member of The Science of Reading: A Defining Movement coalition.
Session 2
Spelling - Visible Language to Inform Instruction and Intervention with Dr. Pam Kastner
This session highlights the importance of spelling to literacy development and how student spelling can be analyzed to inform instruction and intervention. The language lenses of phonology, orthography, and morphology will be used to analyze student spelling inventory results. Participants will evaluate students’ spelling, determine the types of errors made, and engage with a tool that school teams can use to drive analysis and target instruction and intervention. Classroom and individual results from a spelling inventory will guide participants in drawing conclusions for core, and tiered instruction and intervention to accelerate learning. This very practical session will prepare educators for targeted, informed instruction on Monday.
Session 3
Collaboration & Connections
Seizing the opportunity for live professional engagement, this round table session will provide an opportunity for networking and collaborating with other colleagues to discuss implementation and overcoming roadblocks in your educational setting. Attendees will benefit from shared and new perspectives within a collaborative group, extending professional learning and ultimately benefiting all our students.