Essays. Paragraphs. Any piece of writing. They all begin with the same foundation: the sentence. Sometimes, though, teachers are expected to cram sentence building lessons into a week or two, or there’s an assumption that if the students learned something the previous year, they don’t need to review the foundations. During the edLeader Panel “Enhancing Writing and Communication Through Sentence Building (Part 2): Teaching Complex Structures,” education experts discussed their recommended progression for creating more robust sentences, plus how their approach integrates social-emotional learning supports.
Presented by Peggy Price, Former Educator, Current Director of the Orton-Gillingham Institute, Stern Center for Language and Learning
Moderated by Leigh Buettler, Former Educator, Current Director of Professional Learning, Stern Center for Language and Learning
K–5 teachers are under constant pressure to cover every standard, often leaving social studies behind in favor of more time for literacy. But what if you don’t have to choose? In the edLeader Panel “Social Studies and Literacy: The Dynamic Duo for K–5 Success,” district leaders shared how making time for social studies can boost engagement, expand content coverage, and reinforce core reading and writing skills—all within your existing schedule.
Presented by Zisel Roth, M.S.Ed., Grammar & Writing Curriculum Design Specialist, Author of 20+ Instructional Texts for K-8; Mindy Reifer, MA, Elementary and Middle School Principal, ELA Specialist; and Shanita Francis, Social-Emotional Brain-Based Learning Consultant
Moderated by Jennah Schuh, M.Ed., SBL, SDL, Director of Education and Training, Rockland County-Based Non-Profit
Presented by Rachel Sorsel, Teacher and Certified Orton-Gillingham Classroom Educator
Moderated by Pam Austin, Professional Learning Facilitators Manager, Voyager Sopris Learning
Sure, if you think about all the elements of a house, you know what’s needed to make it sound. There’s the foundation, the frame, the plumbing and wiring, etc. But could you actually build it? That’s the idea behind applied grammar. Students are often told what a noun is and what a conjunction is, and they can certainly circle them on an assignment, but can they truly build a strong sentence?
Presented by Dr. Danielle Murray, Director of K-12 Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, Penn-Delco School District (PA); Marie Rodgers, K-5 Social Studies Supervisor, Hillsborough County Public Schools (FL); and Melanie Sutherland, Former Teacher, Customer Consultant, TCI
Adolescent literacy in grades 6–12 is a gateway to success across all subject areas. As texts, tasks, and disciplinary demands become more complex, students must integrate reading comprehension, writing, vocabulary, and knowledge building in intentional ways. If students don’t have a solid foundation in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and effective literacy instruction, it’s much harder for them to learn what they need.
Presented by Mindy Reifer, MA, Elementary and Middle School Principal, ELA Specialist; Shanita Francis, Social-Emotional Brain-Based Learning Consultant; Zisel Roth, M.S.Ed., Grammar & Writing Curriculum Design Specialist, Author of 20+ Instructional Texts for K-8; and Jennah Schuh, M.Ed., SBL, SDL, Director of Education and Training, Achieve