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Hello,
Here we are- finishing up 2025---amid holidays and in anticipation of the new year! I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving break. It is crazy how quickly days pass during this time of year! Our newsletter will be a bit brief this month, as I know you have many things to do...and read, as you prepare for the holidays!
Please share this newsletter widely and let me know if you have questions or need additional support. If you know of someone who would like to receive this newsletter each month, please let them know they can do that by emailing a request to ELitDyslexia@ksde.gov.
Yours in education
Laurie
Dr. Laurie Curtis
KSDE Early Literacy/ Dyslexia Program Manager
Important Updates from KSDE
The Updated Definition for Dyslexia: The International Dyslexia Association
As mentioned last month, I will share the new, updated dyslexia definition that was voted upon at the recent IDA conference at the December 9th Kansas State Board of Education meeting. The final version is in the link above and additional information will be put forth by IDA in the future and I will include it in a future newsletter.
Literacy Day at the Capitol is January 20th! 9:30 - 1:00 pm
There will be a concerted effort to provide information and honor the work that is being done across the state to move literacy efforts forward. I hope you can follow the event or participate in it if your location and/ or schedule allows. Literacy Day will be a day for helping those who represent us recognize the work that is being done to help all children in Kansas have access to high quality literacy instruction. If you are interested in joining the efforts or learning more, please register by visiting this link that is provided by the International Dyslexia Association of Kansas/ Missouri.
UPDATE on changes to Lexia® LETRS® assessments:
KSDE continues to meet with Lexia on the behalf of Kansas educators to navigate concerns regarding assessment changes within the LETRS unit and summative assessments. Leadership from both Lexia and KSDE will be meeting on this concern soon, so please stay tuned for additional information as it becomes available. Any additional information will be provided through KSDE Weekly and listservs.
It takes a TEAM...or a ZOOM?
KSDE has been making changes regarding virtual meetings, and I apologize for any confusion as we shift between using Microsoft TEAMS and ZOOM meeting platforms. As we learn more about final decisions on what platform we are able to use beyond the 40-minute BASIC accounts, I will do my best to keep all participants in our PLCs, Text-Based Studies, consultant meetings and the KSDE Literacy Cadre informed and will send you updated calendar invitations as things change. If you see meetings being cancelled or others being added, I will try to explain in the body of the invitation the reason for the change! I appreciate your patience as we navigate these changes.
We are here to assist!
Complete this form to request KSDE Program Manager assistance when you have a need for professional learning provided by KSDE. In addition to the assistance from our team (Early Literacy/ Dyslexia Team). To make a request, you can use the form below- while we need to have some time for advanced planning, we look forward to providing support through our collaborative service center work, virtual consulting or when schedules allow- in person presentations and support!
Professional Learning Opportunities
The Learning Continues- please join us!
In October, we launched a statewide professional learning series focused on helping instructional leaders strengthen literacy instruction through high-quality materials. Together, we’ve been examining key practices from the science of reading, exploring how these practices come to life in district-selected materials, and building a shared vision for supporting teachers in daily classroom implementation.
We are excited to continue this work in 2026 with three additional virtual sessions on January 20, February 3, and February 17. These sessions will deepen our focus on high-quality questions and tasks in literacy instruction, as well as foundational skills, all grounded in the materials you use every day. We look forward to continuing the series and further developing a strong statewide community of instructional leaders.
All sessions occur from 4:00 - 5:15 CST via ZOOM and are free for participants. For those who attend, there is a certificate of participation to verify your time spent at the sessions.
Here is the registration link. Please indicate which sessions you plan to attend, and a calendar invitation will be sent to all registered participants.
Early Literacy/ Dyslexia Team
Don't Miss Out...sessions are coming to an end!
KSDE and our Educational Service Center Partners are providing professional learning sessions that are free to participants.
Did you know that DLD, Developmental Language Disorder, affects approximately 7 % of students...possibly 2-3 students in each classroom? Learn more from this fact sheet and come to a day of professional learning to see how to best identify and help the students in YOUR classroom who may have DLD, something that affects more students than autism, is on a continuum like dyslexia...and like dyslexia, is lifelong.
Other sessions are available to help educators and administrators learn about differentiated phonics instruction, fluency building activities...and engaging school wide vocabulary strategies to make a diffierence for ALL students?
Each session of this FREE PD includes a day of professional learning for educators and provides a free half-unit of graduate credit (and lunch)- but please only register if you know you can attend! We want as many people as possible to be there! There needs to be a minimum of ten participants for the sessions to be held- so bring your friends and colleagues for a great day of professional learning. Below you will see the offerings specific to structured literacy- but many of the ELA sessions are also based on the principles and elements of structured literacy. For ALL offerings, including the ELA options. see THIS LINK.
Empowering Educators: Effective Strategies for Differentiated Phonics Instruction
In this interactive professional learning session, educators will explore proven strategies to differentiate phonics instruction effectively, meeting students at their individual levels and fostering a supportive learning environment. Through examples, hands-on activities, and collaborative discussions, attendees will leave with a toolkit of adaptable strategies, designed to support diverse learning needs. Join us to transform your approach to phonics and make small group instruction more impactful and manageable.
Dates, Location and Registration:
December 17, 2025 Greenbush (Lawrence) Register HERE
Fluency Matters: Enhancing Educator Expertise in Instruction and Assessment
Join us for an engaging workshop focused on enhancing your expertise in fluency instruction and assessment! Participants will explore evidence-based practices for assessing fluency, share successful teaching methods, and collaborate with peers to develop actionable plans for the classroom. Whether you’re a seasoned educator or new to the field, this workshop will deepen your understanding and empower you to support your students’ fluency development. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your instructional skills and make a lasting impact on your students’ literacy journeys!
Dates, Location and Registration:
December 9, 2025 Smoky Hill (Salina) Register HERE
December 10, 2025 Greenbush (Girard) Register HERE
January 6, 2026 Greenbush (Lawrence) Register HERE
Word Power: Proven Routines to Strengthen Vocabulary Schoolwide
Unlock the secrets to building a robust vocabulary across your entire school! In this hands-on session, educators will explore evidence-based routines designed to expand students’ word knowledge for students in grades K-5. From daily practices to schoolwide strategies, you'll walk away with practical tools to integrate vocabulary-building activities into your classroom culture—empowering students with the words they need to succeed!
Dates, Location and Registration:
January 9, 2025 Greenbush (Girard) Register HERE
January 13, 2026 Greenbush (Lawrence) Register HERE
January 27, 2026 Smoky Hill (Salina) Register HERE
Understanding and Addressing Developmental Language Disorder (DLD): Prevalence and Effective Instructional Strategies for Educators
This session will provide educators with a comprehensive understanding of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), which affects language acquisition in approximately 7% of children in grades PreK-12. Participants will learn about the prevalence and impact of DLD on academic and social development, along with the importance of early identification. The session will explore practical, research-based instructional strategies designed to support students with DLD in the classroom, promote language development and reading comprehension, and foster language-enriched learning environments.
Dates, Location and Registration:
December 9, 2025 Orion (Clearwater) Register HERE
December 12, 2025 Southwest Plains (Sublette) Register HERE
January 16, 2026 Greenbush (Lawrence) Register HERE
January 20, 2026 Greenbush (Girard) Register HERE
January 20, 2026 ESSDACK (Hutchinson) Register HERE
Come and learn with others strategies for teaching with grade-level, rigorous texts!
Starting NEXT MONTH! Registration is OPEN...Come join us!
With the launch of Tim Shanahan's new book, Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives, our KSDE Structured Literacy and ELA teams will be collaborating to offer a text-based learning opportunity starting in January of 2026 to discuss and navigate the chapters together.
What: Virtual (Zoom) Text-Based PD, Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives- educators will provide their own books
When? January 26-March 9, from 5:00 - 6:00 PM, have book in advance to prepare for January 26!
Why? To help students learn how to navigate and tackle complex text anda you can earn PDC points for time you are able to actively participate with us!
How? Click on the REGISTRATION LINK. Registration will be open until January 9th.
Information for Promising Practice
Question....Is it really important to continue screening students as they get older?
Answer...Yes.
Reading difficulty can go undetected or emerge later as texts become more difficult- sometimes at the middle school or high school level. This article provides some great information related to late-emerging reading difficulties, assessments that can be helpful and ways to build and strengthen intervention systems for students who are in middle or secondary school settings.
Reading Science Considerations for Middle and High School Literacy Intervention, by Stephanie Petricone-Turchetta
How do you explicitly teacher letters and sounds?
If you do not have explicit guidance provided in your materials, there is a source linked below that you may find helpful! When explicitly teaching students the sounds of our language, linking them to the grapheme/s- and helping students articulate those sounds correctly and form the letters correctly, explicit instruction that is both clear and accurate is essential.
Additional resources, including videos, can also be found at Reading Universe.
A printable resource can be downloaded at this link: A Guide for Teaching Letters and Sounds
English Learner Support
Helping English Learners with Short Vowels
Following with the idea in the section above- this resource can be helpful for the explicit teaching of the sounds of our language, specific to our English learners as they work to hear and differentiate short vowel sounds. Reading Universe includes a section to provide additional support for educators working with our EL students as they hear and use the sounds in English in their "Short Vowel Skill Explainer".
Reasons to Celebrate!
It is the time of the year for lots of reasons to celebrate! Perhaps you have a school activity or lesson that can be tied to an event near you- or perhaps you are looking for something to do with your own children, family or friends. Whether a poetry reading, historical tour, holiday light viewing or book event- there is a reason to celebrate in your part of the state!
Literacy Lifeline Questions/ Answers
Literacy Lifeline is up and available to answer your questions!
If you have a question about literacy professional practice, or anything else related to improving student literacy learning - the KSDE Early Literacy/ Dyslexia team is here to help! You can ask a question using the linked form below and request it be answered via a Zoom virtual conference/ consulting session, an email, or suggest it as a possible article in this newsletter.
Happy Holidays!
If you know someone who would like to receive this newsletter, please ask them to contact me at ELitDyslexia@ksde.gov to request being added to the Early Literacy/ Dyslexia listserv, or visit the KSDE Dyslexia page and select the purple HERE button and select Newsletter to see the current and past issues.
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