Embracing Literacy 2025 Events: Full Schedule

We’re excited you’ll be joining us for these upcoming professional learning opportunities! June 9th sessions are available exclusively to registered participants of the Language and Literacy Symposium. From June 10th –12th, all registrants of the Embracing Literacy: Soaring with Language and Literacy Conference are welcome to attend a wide range of engaging sessions designed to elevate language and literacy practices across our communities.

We look forward to learning and growing together!

Add sessions to your personal schedule to register your attendance (Check-In).

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10:00am MDT

Partner Reading and Paragraph Shrinking: Simultaneous Strategies for Building Fluency and Comprehension

Wednesday June 11, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am MDT

Salon 2

Introduction:
Ready to take your students' reading skills to the next level while also building student independence? Fluency and comprehension are critical components of successful reading instruction, and in this session, we will explore two evidence-based strategies—partner reading and paragraph shrinking—that support both skills. Participants will leave with clear, actionable routines for implementing these strategies to foster student independence, increase fluency and improve comprehension. Applicable as a whole-class strategy in grades 1-5 and intervention technique in 6-12.

Objectives:
1. Discover the research behind partner reading and paragraph shrinking as effective strategies for building fluency and increasing comprehension
2. Learn actionable routines to implement partner reading and paragraph shrinking in the classroom
3. Practice using paragraph shrinking to teach students a metacognitive strategy for text summarization.

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?

Speakers

Carrie Cole

President, Side-by-Side Educational Consulting

Carrie Cole is president of Side-by-Side Educational Consulting, leading a team of professionals dedicated to working side-by-side with educators to increase literacy outcomes for all students. She is passionate about working with districts, schools, and teachers to successfully... Read More →

Wednesday June 11, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am MDT
Salon 2

11:15am MDT

Fostering Literacy Success for Teachers and Students: Key Strategies for Effective Coaching

Wednesday June 11, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm MDT

Salon 2

Introduction:
Literacy coaching plays a crucial role in driving student achievement, and effective coaching requires a thoughtful, relationship-driven approach. In this interactive session, participants will explore the essential elements of successful literacy coaching: setting clear goals, building strong partnerships, and implementing differentiated coaching cycles that lead to meaningful teacher growth and improved literacy outcomes for students. Participants will leave empowered with practical strategies to elevate their coaching in order to better support teachers and drive literacy success for all students.

Objectives:
1. Explore strategies to collaborate with teachers to set data-driven, actionable goals that guide coaching cycles
2. How to build trust and rapport to foster a collaborative coaching environment
3. Explore key elements of a coaching cycle including preconference goal setting, in-class coaching that is differentiated by need, and post-observation debriefing.

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?

Speakers

Carrie Cole

President, Side-by-Side Educational Consulting

Wednesday June 11, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm MDT
Salon 2

1:15pm MDT

Building Capacity for Early Literacy Leadership

Wednesday June 11, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm MDT

Salon 2

Introduction:
When it comes to early literacy, we focus a lot of our time, energy, and resources on professional learning and coaching teachers, and our teachers deserve it! However, we don't always consider the professional growth needs of our school leaders, who are key players in student literacy learning. In this session, participants will learn the key instructional leadership practices necessary for district leaders, principals/assistant principals, and coaches to effectively support teachers in delivering research-based early literacy instruction driven by high-quality instructional materials. Participants will hear video testimonials from school leaders who have participated in targeted early literacy leadership training, gain helpful tools & resources for literacy leadership (including free professional learning modules focused on the science of reading), and reflect on their literacy leadership practices. The session will be presented by SchoolKit, a national professional learning partner organization that has worked with 10+ states and over 80 districts to help them increase the quality of literacy instruction.

Objectives:
Understand and reflect on specific instructional leadership moves that leaders can make to strengthen early literacy instruction.

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?

Speakers

Ethan Mitnick

President and Founder, SchoolKit

Ethan is the President and founder of SchoolKit. He leads the 40-member SchoolKit team and provides strategic leadership and guidance for several of SchoolKit’s state and district partnerships. Ethan constantly works to ensure the close connection between SchoolKit's services and... Read More →

Wednesday June 11, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm MDT
Salon 2

2:30pm MDT

Building Teacher Content Knowledge to Generate Buy-In Before HQIM Adoption

Wednesday June 11, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm MDT

Salon 2

Introduction:
Districts nationwide are adopting new HQIM to support literacy outcomes. However, many educators are still growing their content knowledge of the reading science that provides the rationale for these changes. This session provides a case-study of a district that sought to enhance teacher literacy content knowledge prior to the curriculum adoption process. This session unpacks the resulting structures, professional learning experiences, and growth in teacher knowledge, skills, and dispositions in order to support Wyoming leaders as they consider their own context.

Objectives:
1. Understand the context, organizational structures, and professional learning experiences that were designed to support outcomes in teachers literacy knowledge and instructional practice.
2. Articulate the lessons learned from building teachers content knowledge prior to an HQIM adoption, including what worked and what might be adapted for continuous improvement.
3. Apply this learning to their own context in order to determine teacher content knowledge and readiness for this work.

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?

Speakers

Rebecca Ward

Associate Director, Partnership Development, Teaching & Learning Alliance

Wednesday June 11, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm MDT
Salon 2