What the Science of Reading REALLY Is

The term, Science of Reading is everywhere today – but it’s not a new idea. How do we bridge the gap between state and district policy and our classrooms?  And even more importantly, what key instructional practices build better readers, writers and thinkers?

Gain insights from Dr. Katie McKnight and Dr. Jennifer French. Finally, REALLY understand the term Science of Reading - what it is, and what it is not - so you can go beyond K-5 with foundational literacy for all students, even the “big kids” in middle school and high school.

• Explore the basics of Scarborough’s Reading Rope

• Examine the levels of reading comprehension

• Discover which strategies best support student reading at the Inferential and Evaluative levels

• Learn to empower students to monitor their own comprehension

Katie and Jenny bring the latest evidence-based research and years of experience to support classroom teachers, literacy coaches, curriculum directors, and administrators at the school- and district-level.

Format: 60-90-120 minute presentation, Half Day session, or Full Day session

What Created the Knowledge Gap (and what we can do about it)

You know the reality. Over 65% of our students are not reading on level. This is a staggering statistic, and things are especially bleak as we emerge from the pandemic and its baseline “learning loss.” What practices can educators leverage to close the gap? What does the research really indicate about grade-level text and differentiated reading? In this session, Dr. Katie McKnight burrows into these questions, and participants emerge with concrete answers and vision to create engaged and proficient readers in all disciplines.

Format: Keynote, 60-90 minute session

A Plan for Success: Merging Literacy and Self-Regulation to Increase Achievement (grades K-12)

Dr. Katie McKnight and Dr. Richard Cash join forces in this popular presentation about the need to incorporate student self-regulation into literacy development initiatives. Our students’ personal abilities to appropriately manage their affect, behaviors, and cognition (ABCs) are critical for college and career readiness. Self-regulation for learning is the ability to effectively balance the ABCs to pursue worthy academic goals. Join this session to learn a holistic approach to assisting all students (from special education to gifted education) in gaining greater social/emotional well-being, developing scholarly behaviors, and acquiring valuable thinking tools to be successful in school and beyond.

Featured on the Teaching Channel.

Format: 60-90-120 minute presentation, Half Day session, or Full Day session

Suggested Companion Book: Cash, R. M. (2016). Self-regulation in the classroom: Helping students learn how to learn. Free Spirit Publishing.

Do What Matters Most for Educators

In our research of more than 1,260 leaders, we found that 68% feel their biggest challenge is how to prioritize their time, yet 80% of those same people do not have a process to do what matters most. Consequently, teachers and administrators are reporting excessive stress and burnout at unprecedented levels. In this session, Dr. Katie McKnight reveals three high-performance habits you can use to prioritize time and focus and do what matters most for yourself AND your students.

Formats: Keynote, Keynote with follow up breakout session, or Full Day session

Suggested Companion Book: Shallenberger, R and Shallenberger, S. (2021). Do What Matters Most

Literacy & Learning Centers: The Intersection of Content Knowledge and Literacy Skills

Dr. Katie McKnight has a 100% success rate in achieving academic gains with her unique, centers-based approach. Elementary schools have long used learning centers, stations and rotations, but middle and high school teachers have unique challenges. So Katie worked with teachers all over the country to develop collaborative learning centers designed specifically for grade 4-12 learners. In this session readers can explore the research that prompted the creation of the LLC model for big kids and learn how to start using it in their own classrooms.

Learn about the four foundational centers that are integral to the model. Find out how to set up additional centers in order to customize the LLC model for any content-area classroom. Learn to create developmentally appropriate tasks that automatically align instruction to standards/skills-based assessment, increase student engagement, and allow you to cover more content and skill-development in less time. Avoid discipline problems with self-directed activities that provide the independence students crave with the guidance they need.

Resources, teacher tips, and sample book lists are included.

Format: Half Day session or Full Day session

Suggested Companion Books: Literacy & Learning Centers for the Big Kids, and Literacy & Learning Centers: Content Area and Disciplinary Literacy Tools for Grades 4-12.

Words, Words, Words: Making Academic Vocabulary Stick

Words matter. Our students must be skilled in the ability to determine and clarify word meanings and phrases that they encounter within the disciplines. When we take a systematic approach to the teaching of vocabulary, student achievement rises. Join Dr. Katie McKnight to learn about engaging lessons and strategies to strengthen students’ vocabulary muscles!

Format: 60-90-120 minute presentation, Half Day session, or Full Day session

Building a Middle School Reading Intervention Program that Works

In this engaging and informative session, administrators will gain invaluable insights into the key components of building a successful reading intervention program tailored to the unique needs of middle school students. Dr. Jennifer French will guide attendees through practical tools for identifying struggling readers, designing targeted interventions, and monitoring progress over time. Whether you're a seasoned administrator looking to enhance your existing program or a newcomer seeking guidance on where to begin, this workshop offers a wealth of resources and strategies to help you make a lasting impact on student literacy outcomes.

Format: Half Day session, Full Day session, or two Full Day sessions with coaching and practical application

What Does the Science of Reading Mean for Content Area Teachers? (grades 4-12)

Dr. Katie McKnight and Dr. Jennifer French distill the term Science of Reading and identify how it relates to every classroom. Explore research-based strategies that will help teachers and students identify breakdowns in understanding and address them quickly. Learn how to use essential questions and strategic inquiry-based questioning techniques as helpful tools that ultimately lead to improved comprehension. Offer your “big kids” the reading strategies they need now so they can avail themselves of all the learning opportunities available to them through deep subject study.

Format: Keynote, 60-90 minute session

Hands-on Grammar and Vocabulary

Draw your students into the power of language and help them make the connection between abstract grammatical concepts, academic vocabulary, and concrete writing experiences. Dr. Katie McKnight, renowned author, speaker, and adolescent literacy specialist, shares classroom lessons that actively involve multiple intelligences and help students internalize concepts far more readily than traditional worksheets.

Format: 60-90-120 minute presentation, Half Day session, or Full Day session

Suggested Companion Book: Hands on Grammar (Second Edition)

Evidence-Based Writing

Short, Short, BIG! the all-in-one toolkit for teaching evidence-based or persuasive writing, was designed to take the ambiguity out of writing instruction. This session with Dr. Katie McKnight provides teachers the opportunity to hone their instructional knowledge and skillset to create more effective writers, readers, and critical thinkers.

Format: Half Day session or Full Day session

Companion Materials: Short, Short, BIG! toolkit

Do This, Not That to Develop Reading Comprehension (grades 4-12)

For educators of 4th-12thgrade students, there’s no denying the importance of reading in student success. As a result, it’s only right to make sure that education programs are based on the most up-to-date science of reading principles. What works for an elementary student won’t necessarily work for those slightly older – and specific adjustments may be necessary. This session aims to look at the “do’s and don'ts” when teaching reading to grades 4-12 within the context of scientific research by reviewing what we should do. Dr. Katie McKnight and Dr. Jennifer French go through key considerations for classroom instruction to improve reading comprehension in adolescent students.

Resources and teacher tips are included.

Format: 60-90-120 minute presentation, Half Day session, or Full Day session

Grading and Assessment for E-Learning and the Modern Classroom

The A, B, C, D, F grading system is as obsolete as a typewriter. The inherent issue isn’t that grading exists; it’s how we’re grading. Deep down we know there are better ways to evaluate student learning than assigning a percentage, a number, or a letter grade. Informed educators are aware of the substantial evidence indicating that the new paradigm of Skills/Standards-Based Grading (SBG) contributes greatly to meaningful learning. In this wession, Dr. Katie McKnight will explain how to develop Skills/Standards-Based Grading, even if you are required to use traditional letters and numbers as grades. You will also receive great resources to get started on your journey toward grading and assessment strategies that grow student student learning.

Format: Half Day session or Full Day session (Full Day session is preferred)

Disciplinary Literacy for Every Content Area, grades 5-12

Teachers will join Dr. Katie McKnight to explore research-based, classroom-tested strategies for engaging students in rigorous texts that are relevant to a discipline or content area and learn how to develop a classroom environment that supports reading, writing and language development for learning.

Format: Half Day session, Full Day session, or two Full Day sessions with coaching and practical application

The Inclusive Literacy Classroom: What is it Exactly, and How to Build It

Our classrooms are filled with dynamic students with diverse learning needs.  In this session you will join literacy expert Dr. Katie McKnight to learn the fundamentals of the inclusive classrooms for developing literacy skills including effective teaching strategies and differentiating instruction.

Format: 60-90-120 minute presentation, Half Day session, or Full Day session

Yes, Differentiating Text CAN Be a Good Practice

We teach diverse readers. In this session, Dr. Katie McKnight will focus on how to differentiate reading (in all subjects) for grades K-12 How do you select texts based on choice and complexity to motivate and engage students? Example differentiated book lists will be shared with participants.

Format: 60-120 minute session

Promoting Equity and Social Justice in the Literacy Classroom

Our classrooms are filled with dynamic students with diverse learning needs. In this session, Dr. Katie McKnight will explain how to promote equity and social justice in classrooms while developing literacy skills.

Format: 60-120 minute session

Using Assessment to Motivate, Support and Nurture ALL Learners

In this session, participants will join Dr. Katie McKnight to learn how to use assessments and explicit feedback as powerful tools for nurturing a growth mindset. Additionally, participants will discover various assessment techniques: pre-assessments to determine needs for support prior to instruction or compacting; formative assessments to check for depth of learning; and summative assessment to encourage further study.

Format: Half Day session or Full Day session

Kids Love to Argue, We Need to Let Them (grades 4-12)

Teachers will find out how to prepare students in all content areas to write arguments and support claims with reasoned evidence and gain confidence in teaching a challenging skill that is important for students’ career and college readiness. Presented by Dr. Katie McKnight.

Format: Half Day session or Full Day session