Embracing Literacy 2025 Events

Session Description:
Although human beings are born with the natural ability to learn to speak and communicate, they are not born with the natural ability to read. This session will explore the regions of the brain’s left hemisphere that are critical for reading development and why reading must be explicitly taught. Since decoding—mapping the sounds of the English language onto letters and letter combinations—is not an innate skill, high-quality, evidence-aligned instruction is essential. Participants will examine instructional strategies that support reading development and learn how these strategies align with the Wyoming Language and Literacy Plan (WLLP). The session will also provide guidance for integrating these practices into a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework to ensure that the diverse needs of learners are met across both elementary and secondary settings.
Outcomes:

• Describe the regions of the brain’s left hemisphere that are critical for reading development.
• Outline the evidence-based MTSS framework as described in the Wyoming Language and Literacy Plan (WLLP) to provide effective literacy instruction.
• Identify instructional strategies that align with the science of reading and support implementation within an MTSS structure.

Credit Reflection Questions: Applying Learning to Practice

• What new insights did you gain from the presentation, and how did they connect to your existing knowledge or experience?
• In what ways did the presentation deepen or enhance your understanding of the topic?
• How do you plan to apply what you learned in your work? Who will benefit from it, and what changes or improvements do you expect to see?

Introduction:

In the world of education, bold leaders can be found at all levels, from district and building administrators to instructional coaches to classroom teachers and paraprofessionals. They are leaders who understand deeply what children need to thrive in our complex, interconnected world. They understand that literacy is the gateway, not only to students’ academic success, but to their ability to thrive and flourish in school and beyond. They understand that literacy is a human right that can—and should-- be guaranteed to ALL our students. They lead with a relentless focus on literacy for all, and know that if we don’t get literacy right, we don’t get anything right.

These are transformational literacy leaders who are courageously blazing the path to help others understand how to bring the research into action, and to share a bold and common vision for the future: to ensure that all children have the opportunities to reach their full potential.

Objectives:
• What it means to be a transformational literacy leader by cultivating a vision and setting a culture for collective problem-solving;
• What the Implementation Science teaches us about key factors in an effective implementation;
• The phases of implementation from exploration through sustainability and the bold leader moves throughout those phases;
• The courageous conversations that leaders must have in order to lead through a literacy transformation.

Credit Reflection Questions: Applying Learning to Practice

• What new insights did you gain from the presentation, and how did they connect to your existing knowledge or experience?
• In what ways did the presentation deepen or enhance your understanding of the topic?
• How do you plan to apply what you learned in your work? Who will benefit from it, and what changes or improvements do you expect to see?

Cultivating Literacy Leaders: An Information Session on the Reading League National

Introduction
A Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework is a way to provide a continuum of evidence-based practices to effectively meet the needs of all learners. MTSS is not without its implementation challenges. This session will discuss two implementation do’s to prioritize to avoid implementation challenges and limited impact on student outcomes.

Learning Outcomes

1. Identify two MTSS implementation do’s and don’ts necessary for accelerating literacy outcomes.
2. Provide one effective and one ineffective reading instructional strategy.

Credit Reflection Questions: Applying Learning to Practice

• What new insights did you gain from the presentation, and how did they connect to your existing knowledge or experience?
• In what ways did the presentation deepen or enhance your understanding of the topic?
• How do you plan to apply what you learned in your work? Who will benefit from it, and what changes or improvements do you expect to see?

Introduction
In today's educational landscape, the ability to read and write proficiently continues to be a struggle for many. This session will explore ways to elevate and transformative systems with innovations designed to enhance building language and literacy, early.
Session Objectives

1. Identify system-level barriers and opportunities that impact early language and literacy development, particularly in underserved or struggling student populations.
2. Examine innovative strategies and models that strengthen foundational literacy through coordinated efforts across early learning settings, schools, and communities.
3. Develop actionable ideas for implementing or enhancing system-wide approaches to improve early literacy outcomes, grounded in evidence-based practices and cross-sector collaboration.

Credit Reflection Questions: Applying Learning to Practice

• What new insights did you gain from the presentation, and how did they connect to your existing knowledge or experience?
• In what ways did the presentation deepen or enhance your understanding of the topic?
• How do you plan to apply what you learned in your work? Who will benefit from it, and what changes or improvements do you expect to see?