Trainings

Especially Designed for Paraprofessionals:
The Five Essential Components of Reading... Working Together

Sally Grimes, M.Ed.
October 30, 2008
To download a brochure click here
This workshop is designed specifically for paraprofessionals in Grades K-4 who work with struggling readers. It will provide an overview of the five essential components of the reading process as defined by the National Reading Panel: Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary, and Comprehension with hands on ideas for each component. Issues to be addressed include determining which interventions and curriculum materials are needed, how intensely they are needed, and how to provide appropriate scaffolding for those who struggle with reading. The format will include practicing activities and working in small groups. This workshop will serve as an introduction to the most recent research-based information about the reading process and focus on the reasons readers struggle and helpful interventions based upon those reasons.

Especially Designed for Administrators:
A Roadmap for Reading Initiatives

Sally Grimes, M.Ed.
October 31, 2008
To download a brochure click here
Administrators, in their roles as educational leaders, are more and more involved in the details of reading instruction, but the learning curve involved can be daunting since it is difficult to stay current due to the great strides that have been made in understanding reading and “best practices”. In addition, it is very difficult to find professional development in reading that is specifically designed for educational leaders and allows them to focus on the aspects of reading instruction that will help them spearhead changes in literacy practices. This workshop will serve as a “primer” that will focus on the key components of successful, evidence-based literacy initiatives and some central issues involved in evaluating reading practices. It will provide a kind of “road map” to guide leaders and help them find the resources they seek in making change in terms of curriculum, infrastructure, professional development, and assessment. It will outline the “hot button” issues such as a formative assessment, and the key consideration for literacy teams. Importantly, participants will be able to pose questions in a comfortable atmosphere with their colleagues and hear about successful practices of other administrators. Some of the topics briefly addressed in this workshop:

• why fluency issues contribute widely to reading failure

• what are the barriers to reading comprehension?

• how recent brain research in reading influences decisions in differentiating instruction

• the five components of reading and how oral language plays a role

• how DIBELS and AIMSweb data can guide instruction

• the Three Tier Model of Reading and “Response to Intervention”

• the infrastructure needs of truly differentiated reading instruction
  

It is suggested that central office administrators attend this workshop along with their building principals, reading, special education, and Title 1 leaders so that the benefits from the group work will be maximized. This workshop will be geared to K-4, but others will benefit. Film clips of interviews with public school administrators and teachers involved in a reading initiative will be shown.

Presenter: Sally Grimes, M.Ed.
Sally Grimes, founding director of the Grimes Reading Institute, has provided consulting services and professional development to schoolsa nation-wide, as well as to federal, state, and private educational agencies in the area of reading instruction. Sally served as one of the three Lead Trainers in Massachusetts for the Reading First Grant under No Child Left Behind. The Grimes Reading Institute was one of three entities that contracted with the Massachusetts Department of Education to design and develop the professional development component of the Reading First Grant. In addition, Sally’s experience includes teaching (pre-K through graduate school), diagnostic work, policy development, public service, and administration. Sally received her Master’s Degree in Reading and Human Development from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Illinois.