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.
  

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Analyze key factors that influence the successful scale-up of educational interventions across school and district contexts.
2. Examine lessons learned from statewide initiatives to identify common challenges and solutions in expanding effective practices.
3. Design actionable strategies to adapt, scale, and sustain high-impact interventions while preserving core components and fidelity of implementation.

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?