WHAT: Webinars for K-12 school and district leaders
WHEN: Tuesday, October 8 – Thursday, October 10; 12 PM – 1 PM ET
REGISTER: https://home.edweb.net/literacyleaderweek2024
Boston – Oct. 1, 2024 – Understanding the science of reading is a key factor in school and district leaders’ ability to help teachers support students from all language backgrounds, learning styles, and other reading challenges. Lexia’s “Literacy Leader Week,” a three-day series of EdWebinars, will provide school leaders with evidence-backed insights and actionable strategies for fostering a positive, inclusive, and equitable culture of literacy.
Literacy Leader Week will be hosted by Cassandra Wheeler, Lexia’s Director of LETRS State Success. Each edWebinar will take place at 12 p.m. ET.
Tuesday, October 8
Unlocking Literacy for All: School Administrators and the Neuroscience of Learning Difference
In this edWebinar, Kerri Larkin, Lexia’s Senior Education Advisor; Ashlee Ciccone, the principal of Pinehurst Elementary School in North Carolina; and Dr. Gigi Luk, a professor at McGill University’s Centre for Research on Brain, Language, and Music will discuss how various brains—across different language backgrounds, students with dyslexia, and other reading difficulties—acquire literacy.
As the three explore the latest research on brain activation during reading, they will provide school administrators with a blend of theory and practical strategies to inform building-level decision-making, teacher support, and instructional leadership. Attendees will gain actionable insights for fostering student achievement, supporting adult professional learning, and advancing educational equity.
Wednesday, October 9
Beyond the Labels: Unpacking the Diversity of Emergent Bilinguals for School Leaders
Dr. José Viana, Lexia’s Senior Education Advisor will moderate this edWebinar featuring panelists Rachel Hawthorne, an English Learner Senior Specialist at Really Great Reading; Andrea Bitner, a popular ELL educator, author, and speaker; Dr. Lynmara Colón, Director, Student Opportunity and Multilingual Services, Prince William County Schools in Virginia, and Dr. Jennifer Pendergrass-Bennefield, the ESOL/Title III Coordinator at Floyd County Schools in Georgia.
School administrators will gain practical implementation tips for strategies that support the diverse types of Emergent Bilingual students within their schools. The panelists will explore how the science of reading can serve as a foundation for differentiated, effective literacy instruction that empowers educators to meet each student where they are in their learning journey.
Thursday, October 10
Neurodiversity in the School Building: Intersecting Special Education with the Science of Reading
Larkin will speak with Jesse Sanchez, the Managing Director of Programs at The Neurodiversity Alliance; and Nancy Nelson, who serves as an assistant professor of special education at Boston University and deputy director of the National Center on Improving Literacy and the Lead for Literacy Center. The three, along with two student ambassadors, will explore how the science of reading can transform the educational experiences of neurodiverse students, including those with dyslexia and IEPs.
School administrators will gain insights into how evidence-based literacy instruction can reduce disproportionality in special education and foster a more equitable, inclusive environment. They will leave the session with actionable strategies for applying the science of reading to support neurodiverse learners and build a school culture that celebrates and leverages every student's unique strengths.
There is no cost to attend these edWebinars, but registration is required. For more information, please go to https://home.edweb.net/literacyleaderweek2024.
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