Breakout Sessions

Students with dyslexia require instruction that is explicit, systematic, and intentionally designed to build language and literacy skills over time. This breakout session focuses on what effective explicit instruction looks like in practice and how to implement it consistently to improve reading and spelling outcomes for students with dyslexia.

Participants will explore the essential components of explicit instruction, including clear modeling, guided practice, scaffolded application, immediate corrective feedback, and cumulative review. Emphasis is placed on how these practices support student learning across settings and ensure instruction is responsive to student needs. A central focus of this session is the role of data-driven instruction in guiding teaching decisions. Participants will examine how assessment data and ongoing progress monitoring inform instructional next steps, allowing educators to adjust pacing, focus, and intensity to better meet the needs of students with dyslexia.

The session also examines how instructional impact is strengthened when Tier 1 instruction, intervention, and progress monitoring are intentionally aligned. Rather than operating in isolation, these systems must function together to provide students with dyslexia consistent, high-quality instruction throughout their learning experience. Educators, interventionists, and leaders will leave with evidence-based practices to strengthen explicit instruction, use data to guide instructional decisions, and build more connected systems that improve literacy outcomes for students with dyslexia.

New to the world of dyslexia? Join us as we cover the basics of what dyslexia is (and isn’t), the signs to look for, and the myths that still get in the way. We’ll also point you toward the Iowa Department of Education’s dyslexia guidelines, referencing their website and handbook so you know where to find additional resources. Our goal is to leave you feeling more confident in recognizing and talking about dyslexia—because understanding it is the first step in changing the path for struggling readers. Presenter TBD.

Get inside what it feels like to have dyslexia, the most common learning disability. Participants will experience a series of hands-on simulation activities designed to increase their understanding of and empathy for students with dyslexia.  Various presenters.

In the simple view of reading, students require word recognition and language comprehension skills. Once the word recognition skills are in place, students still need instruction to build language comprehension: They need content and vocabulary knowledge, both of which can be built systematically in a knowledge-focused classroom. In this session, Devin will describe how text features and student needs interact in reading comprehension and explain how language, content, and vocabulary knowledge can be taught. Participants will leave with knowledge of specific routines and learning strategies that maximize comprehension success before and during reading and resources to make this work in the classroom. Presented by Devin Kearns.