June-July 2023
Hello,
Midway through summer...hope you have been able to take advantage of our KSDE Sunflower Summer...and if not yet, hope you can soon! Lots to do and things to see around our state. In this issue there will be some reporting of what has happened, what is happening and a preview of what is coming up this fall and opportunities to register for those opportunities! This issue is out later than normal- and combined with June as I was wanting to wait until we had confirmation on revision of the new ELA standards and the new screening protocol launched! Lots happening to help us do what is best for students in helping them acquire literacy skills!
Important Information! The Kansas Dyslexia Handbook is under revision to reflect the new screening protocols and will be available next month.
Rather than our team determining what you need...I would rather hear what you feel you need! Please complete the survey below to provide that feedback for what might be helpful for you. Our team will be meeting July 24th to finalize the next few months and we would love to hear from you! Just complete the link below:
KSDE Early Literacy/ Dyslexia Team Professional Learning Survey
Please share/ forward this newsletter widely and let me know if I can help you in any way,
Yours in education,
Laurie
Dr. Laurie Curtis, KSDE Early Literacy/ Dyslexia Program Manager
The screening protocol for all schools in Kansas has been revised for the 2023-2024 academic year.
Please see the attached document for details. Important to note is that ALL K-8 students must be screened three times a year using one of the KSDE approved screeners. The approved screeners are identified in the attached document.
Secondary students should also be screened in the fall of their 9th grade year. If they demonstrate NO risk, they may be allowed to exit the screening process if certain levels of proficiency are met. Details are found at the link below.
2023 Revised English Language Arts Standards are Approved!
The 2023 revision of the Kansas English Language Arts Standards was approved unanimously by the Kansas Board of Education in June! The standards now reflect more clearly the requirement for structured literacy in our classroom practice. I appreciate those of you who joined in providing feedback during the public comment period, whether through writing or via Zoom. Your comments were read carefully and guided the final revised copy put forth to the Kansas Board of Education. Most of the changes will be seen in the K-2 standards. Here is a link to the new document. There will be additional supportive pieces added to provide additional classroom examples/ ideas- but the actual standards document is completed.
Dyslexia in the Classroom: What Every Teacher Needs to Know
This document is not new (2017), but a wonderful resource. It is a great anchor document for any educator working with students who have characteristics of dyslexia. If you have it...do your grade level partners, paras and others have a copy? It is also a wonderful resource for mentoring new teachers or for revisiting important practices as we consider priorities for the new academic year as it has "classroom strategies, tips and tools".
This study was well received, with nearly 500 registered participants. Each week we had an average of over 200 people joining to hear from those with various roles and responsibilities to provide insight into dyslexia, how we work with our students who have characteristics of dyslexia and how to communicate with one another and families in order to do what is best for all students.
I owe a debt of gratitude to David Hurford, Stacey Cates, the Ricker Family and Jim Porter for their willingness to give their time and expertise in providing these sessions and a big shout out to Jeri Powers, KSDE Teacher Leader Consultant for her planning and facilitation of this opportunity.
The takeaway?
When we know more- we can do differently. Collaboration and communication are key. Whether we have an official diagnosis or official identification of dyslexia, it is important that we acknowledge immediately when we are concerned about a student's reading progress and delve deeper into understanding exactly how, when and where that student is struggling.- diagnostic assessments are critical. We then create the plan for addressing the student's needs and how we will monitor our efforts to see if they are helping and clearly communicate from the beginning with parents.
These sessions and supporting documents will be placed next month on the KSDE Dyslexia webpage.
Text-Based Professional Learning
Upcoming Professional Learning Opportunity
Structured Literacy Interventions: Teaching Students with Reading Difficulties, Grade K-6
This book consists of ten chapters authored by leading literacy researchers and is edited by Louise Spear-Swerling. Topics for the chapters include poor-reader profiles, interventions for phonemic awareness, basic word recognition skills, reading multi-syllabic words, spelling interventions, fluency and vocabulary interventions, comprehension and written expression intervention and multicomponent structured literacy interventions for mixed reading difficulty. To participate in this study, you will need to acquire your own book. We are hoping to infuse some of the study with speakers.
This will be a 10 week study bimonthly on Mondays for one hour, 4:00 - 5:00 pm CST
Dates are: September 18, October 2, 16, 30, November 13, 27, December 11, January 8, 22, February 5, 19, 2024
Registration can be found HERE: Structured Literacy Interventions 2023-2024
Text-Based Professional Learning
Back by Popular Demand! Fresh Look at Phonics: Revisited
This text-based professional learning opportunity was done this past academic year and was enjoyed by multiple teachers across the state. We are offering it again for those who weren't able to participate last year. It would be a great study to do together with teachers in your building or just by yourself with your new professional colleagues on Zoom! It is based on the Wiley Blevins Book A Fresh Look at Phonics: Common Causes of Failure and 7 Ingredients for Success.
This will be offered via Zoom on Wednesdays from 5:00 - 6:00 CST.
This will start on September 20th and last for 6 weeks on Wednesdays...with the final date of October 25th.
Registration can be found HERE: Registration for Fresh Look at Phonics Fall 2023
If you are struggling to find books in a language that is the first language of students in your school (resources for your new arrivals), you might find this manual helpful. World Bank has developed a manual for working primarily in other parts of the world, but on p. 29 you will find links that allow you to download open-source books for students in multiple languages. It also provides guidance for working with families who might have limited English proficiency, helping them recognize how they can support their child's literacy learning even though they may have limited literacy proficiency themselves.
Please use and share this wonderful flyer that was created collaboratively by our partners at TASN (Technical Assistance Systems Network) and the Kansas Parent Information Resource Center (KPIRC). Please share widely with teachers, families and community members! It includes a clear, concise explanation of Structured Literacy- what it is and why it is important. Also included is Nancy Young's Ladder of Reading and Writing, a wonderful graphic to help us understand why there are multiple ways to teach reading...they often don't provide what is needed so students can LEARN to read!
Why is Structured Literacy the Best Approach to Learning to Read?
Have a question? KSDE is ready and willing to help you brainstorm answers!
This past year, when engaging in our virtual PD, teachers found it beneficial to engage in honest conversations and brainstorming with others who are in the classroom facing the same challenges they have. While some might have regular opportunities for grade level brainstorming with peers...others don't! When a child presents with a certain profile, and you can't quite figure out what to do next- who can you ask? The KSDE Early Literacy/ Dyslexia Team!
We are going to try something new, and we are calling it KSDE Early Literacy/ Dyslexia Virtual Office Hours- a place you can go to brainstorm with other educators. We will be available online via Zoom on Thursdays from 3:30-5:00 pm (to accommodate both time zones). Come for a minute...come for 10 minutes...let's figure out how to support you in doing the next right thing! This will be a come and go opportunity focused on doing our best to teach literacy skills to ALL kids! The Zoom link at the bottom of this section will lead you to our virtual office hours!
Come to ask questions and brainstorm solutions with colleagues and members of the KSDE Early Literacy Dyslexia Team!
There are only two rules to follow:
No student names or identifying information shared
Respectful and encouraging language required by all who join
Zoom link: KSDE Early Literacy/ Dyslexia Virtual Office Hours
"I've come to a frightening conclusion
that I am the decisive element in classroom.
It's my personal approach that creates the climate.
It's my daily mood that make the weather.
As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power
to make a child's life miserable or joyous.
I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal.
In all situations, it is my response
that decides whether a crisis
will be escalated or de-escalated
and a child humanized or de-humanized. "
Haim Ginott
If you know someone who would like to receive this newsletter, please ask them to contact me at lcurtis@ksde.org 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.