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State Dyslexia Summer Institute

Break-Out Session Descriptions

Monday July 24, 2017

Session: MA/MG
Title: Tests of Automaticity and Fluency
Speaker: Dr. Melissa Farrall
The turn of the century brought new and unprecedented interest in questions related to reading fluency. In
1998 the National Research Council (Snow, Burns, & Griffin) recommended that reading fluency be monitored
in the classroom as an indicator of problems with reading comprehension. In 2000 the National Reading Panel
named reading fluency as one of the five major components of good reading instruction. Since that time,
stopwatches have become part of the arsenal in the fight for skilled reading.
The focus on fluency and automaticity has not been without controversy. First and foremost has been the
question of how to define reading fluency. There is general consensus that fluent readers execute lower-level
word recognition tasks without diverting higher-level skills that are required to process text content (Laberge
& Samuels, 1974; Logan, 1997). Within this umbrella, some researchers have adopted a minimalist bare
bones approach focusing on speed and accuracy (L. Fuchs etal., 2001; National Assessment Governing Board,
2002). Others have sought to capture fluency as the culmination of decoding skill and comprehension (Kuhn,
Schwanenflugel, & Meisinger,2010; Wolf, Katzir-Cohen, 2001) with an ear to pacing, phrasing, and intonation.
How we define reading fluency has important implications not only for instruction but also for test design and
assessment. A childs performance on a given test can only be understood in the context of what the test
actually measures.
The assessment marketplace is rife with different ways to measure reading fluency and automaticity, and
despite differences in theoretical foundations and test design, we often treat these tests as though they were
all the same. Participants in this workshop will learn how to evaluate tests of reading fluency and automaticity
and make better decisions regarding test selection and test interpretation. Standardized tests will be
compared and contrasted from the publishers perspective, the format used, criteria for errors, and potential
for peering into the mind of the reader. In the end, participants will learn how to make good decisions
regarding test selection and interpretation as a path to meaningful educational recommendations.

Session: MB/MH
Title: Considerations for ELLs When Assessing for Dyslexia
Speaker: Katharine Muller, M.Ed.

This session will provide an overview of some of the special considerations for evaluating ELLs for dyslexia
services. Topics reviewed will include: language acquisition, the impact of orthography on dyslexia
characteristics and interpreting data from a cross-linguistic perspective.

Session: MC/MI
Title: A Deeper Look at Dysgraphia: From Assessment to Instruction (Part 1 of 2)
Speakers: Katy Kloberdanz, M.Ed., CALT, LDT
Lisa Plemons, M.Ed.

Part 1 of a two-part session will briefly review the information shared in Dysgraphia: A School-wide Process.
We will explore the characteristic areas or underlying cognitive processes to incorporate in a dysgraphia
assessment battery, as well as exclusionary factors which must be considered. We will examine possible
assessment instruments which can be used and the various components measured by different test
instruments.
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Session: MD/MJ
Title: Assessing for Dyslexia: Special Education vs. Section 504
Speaker: Erika West, M.Ed., CALT, LDT

In Texas, a student suspected of having dyslexia may be referred for an evaluation through Section 504 or
IDEA, 2004. Regardless of whether the referral was initiated by the parent or teacher determining the most
appropriate evaluation process can be confusing. This session will aid participants in demystifying the
assessment process and provide guidance on whether a Section 504 or a Full Individual Evaluation is the most
appropriate. This session will provide guidance on developing a collaborative assessment in order to accurately
identify the student with dyslexia.

Session: ME/MK
Title: Assessing for Dyslexia: Lets Think Twice
Speaker: Marcy Eisinger, MS, M.Ed., LDT, CALT, CDT

Assessment and identification of twice-exceptional learners can be challenging and requires those
vested in the education of these learners to be knowledgeable of the unique characteristics and behaviors
demonstrated by these learners (Dyslexia Handbook, p. 38). This session will review the considerations when
conducting an evaluation for possible dyslexia for a student who may also exhibit characteristics of giftedness.

Session: MF/ML
Title: Moving Beyond the Scores
Speaker: Paula Tilker, Educational Specialist, Region 9 ESC

Testing for dyslexia versus assessing for dyslexia? Arent we talking about the same thing? This session will help
participants understand the differences between testing, an activity for obtaining a score, and assessing, an
interpretive process that shows patterns of a student's strengths and weaknesses. The session will also review
how balancing qualitative and quantitative data is critical to the identification process.
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Tuesday July 25, 2017

Session: TA/TG
Title: AT to Go: Delicious Mobile Apps for Dyslexia
Speaker: Jamie Martin

With their built-in accessibility, touch-screen interface, and variety of AT-related apps, iPads and Android
tablets have become valuable mobile devices for students with dyslexia. Well-establish assistive technology
companies have made their tools available as apps, and smaller developers have joined them in creating new
AT that can make language-based activities easier for struggling students. In this session, Jamie Martin will
demonstrate a number of those apps while talking about take-out food.

Session: TB
Title: Instructional Strategies for ELLs with Dyslexia
Speaker: Katharine Muller, M.Ed.

Identification is just the beginning for ELLs with dyslexia and providing services involves additional
considerations to support both language and literacy development. This session will review instructional
recommendations for ELLs served in either ESL or bilingual classrooms.

Session: TC/TI
Title: A Deeper Look at Dysgraphia: From Assessment to Instruction (Part 2 of 2)
Speakers: Katy Kloberdanz, M.Ed., CALT, LDT
Lisa Plemons, M.Ed.

Part 2 of a two-part session will explore instructional and programming options to address the characteristic
areas of dysgraphia, along with the underlying cognitive processes impacted. Participants will leave with
practical, hands-on strategies to use with students impacted by dysgraphia.

Session: TD/TJ
Title: Teaching Latin and Greek Roots from Your Junk Drawer
Speaker: Perry D. Stokes, M.Ed., CALT, QI, LDT

Latin and Greek Root knowledge is a vital component necessary for heightened comprehension of content
area texts. While largely abstract and formal, these same word elements can actually be taught using props
right from ones junk drawer. By manipulating office supplies, toys and cooking utensils through structured,
teacher-led activities, students can effectively begin to master Greek and Latin word elements. Participants will
be provided with a source list of word elements and taught how to employ common found objects to teach
morphological roots via interactive experiences.

Session: TE/TK
Title: Moving Students From Accuracy to Proficiency with Complex Texts
Speaker: Judy Butler, Region 13 ESC Education Specialist

One of the greatest challenges as dyslexia teachers is to help our students apply their newfound decoding skills
to proficient reading of grade level or higher texts. In this session, participants will explore multiple strategies
and resources, based on the works of Dr. Elfrieda Hiebert and Barbara Wilson, that address how fluency,
vocabulary, comprehension, and knowledge can be fostered through appropriate texts.
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Session: TF
Title: Developing, Maintaining, or Revising Your School Districts Dyslexia Program, Part 1
Speakers: Panel Presentation

Whether large or small, rural or metro, each school district or charter school in the State of Texas faces unique
challenges implementing dyslexia intervention services. Representing four different school districts of varying
sizes, the panel in this session will discuss some of the issues they have navigated such as rapid growth,
sweeping curriculum change, and transient and diverse student populations while providing effective
intervention for students identified with dyslexia.

Session: TH
Title: Dyslexia at the Secondary Level: How Can I Support These Students?
Speaker: Jane Ann Brown

Participants of this session will learn how one Texas school district is supporting students with Dyslexia in
intermediate schools and high schools to create successful readers and writers. Sample schedules, classroom
strategies, and hands-on activities will be shared to help Secondary educators plan and implement a quality
Dyslexia program at the Secondary level in the coming school year.

Session: TL
Title: Developing, Maintaining, or Revising Your School Districts Dyslexia Program, Part 2
Speakers: Open Forum

The second session will provide a forum for representatives from school districts and charter schools to
continue the conversation with the panel from the previous session, as well as to ask questions from education
service center consultants about how to develop, maintain, or revise a dyslexia plan and/or services.