Embedded Files
Happy March,
Here we are- "marching" toward spring break. I hope you are having a great March and are preparing for a well-deserved break with family and friends. This month you will see information about the many things we have been doing at KSDE to help move literacy learning forward, find links for upcoming PD offerings and be able to download a great infographic to explain orthographic mapping.
Never hesitate to reach out to ask for something you need. Someone did a few weeks ago, and now we have a new KSDE Reading Specialist PLC that met for the first time a few days ago- with over 30 asking to participate! You are the change-makers! Last weekend one of my granddaughters had a special event in her life on a Saturday- she was told she would need to limit those who could attend. Who did she want to invite beyond her immediate family-- and who showed up--her two 6th grade teachers from Roesland Elementary. Teachers Invest In the lives of students each and every day...and with gratitude I thank you for being an educator.
This month, as always, you will find a link to our Literacy Lifeline, where you can partner with someone on our Early Literacy/ Dyslexia team to help you answer questions you may have as you work to meet the needs of your students.
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
KSDE has been working with our partners at TNTP to develop resources for educators throughout the state to bring coherance and clarity to the work we do In support of the KSDE Four Fundamentals of School Improvement. Those resources Include clear visions for quality Instruction, Information on the process of selecting high quality Instructional materials and more resources are In the works. Those resources can be found at the link below. Additional resources will be added In the coming months, so check back periodically!
Kansas Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot
The Kansas State Department of Education has provided a Kansas Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot Fact Sheet that has lots of valuable information as systems learn how to use their ASQ-3 data as we look toward the spring. If you are wanting to learn more, the fact sheet is linked here: Kansas Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot
There is also a half-hour webinar to provide additional information, review timely resources and review the information on the fact sheet. Four options: Tuesday, March 25 at 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday August 4 at 3:30 p.m., and Tuesday August 5 at 10:00 a.m.
Kansas Education Framework for Literacy
There has been a lot happening in striving to improve the literacy learning of students in Kansas schools. See this document for evidence of decisions made and the hard work being done around the state! It takes all of us working together and I greatly appreciate the work you do...teaching, serving on committees, reviewing standards, providing feedback...and the list goes on and on! The document is linked in the title and below, and it can also be found on the KSDE Dyslexia page.
Don't Forget!
Sign Up for the 2nd Grade Assessment!
This assessment provides information on how our young students do when applying the skills they learn in K-2 to comprehension passages. This is an opportunity for students to gain familiarity with the testing system in a low-stress environment! Results come back quickly, prior to the end of the year to share with parents, plan for summer opportunities and inform planning for next year! Feedback has been positive from those who have used it...both from students AND teachers! If you are interested, please contact your test coordinator. Additional assistance can be found below/!
The testing window for the optional 2nd grade reading assessment is 3/24/25 to 4/25/25.
Test coordinators can find information at https://ksassessments.org/sites/default/files/documents/KAP_Test_Coordinator_Manual.pdf
The test is the same as last year and students take it in two sessions given in the Kite Student Portal. Districts will need to send a TASC record to register students to take the assessment. Districts do not need to notify anyone at KSDE, the TASC record will be the notification.
Student results will be available about a week after the testing window closes.
Direct questions to Chelsea Pelfrey or the Kite Service desk- 855-277-9752 or kap-support@ku.edu.
Information for Promising Practice
Take a look at this great resource to solidify your understanding of teaching short vowels to students who may find it especially difficult to learn those sounds! This resource explains some great tips to help our students who have dyslexia- and is a beneficial resource for all those mastering those sounds that are similar In production and/ or the way they sound In running speech. The tips shared encourage you to provide explicit Instruction while teaching one vowel at a time, using visual mnemonics and key words,. It suggests an Increase an emphasis In spelling during lessons and as student progress, use activities such as word chaining. This free resource can be found on Reading Universe at the link below and a quick scroll down will provide you with many other additional free resources!
Is reading a text aloud to a student a good accommodation for students who struggle during reading instruction?
While It might feel "kind" to read aloud any text our striving readers struggle with- we must make sure that ALL students have access to grade level text and have the opportunity, with appropriate scaffolding, to build stamina while learning to navigate those challenging texts! Reading aloud may be a good accommodation for building background knowledge, scaffolding content In science or social studies- but when you are teaching reading...reconsider! Hear what Dr. Timothy Shanahan has to say about the difference between teaching and assessing reading comprehension and listening comprehension.
Accommodating Reading Comprehension with Listening: Good Idea? | Shanahan on Literacy
Professional Learning Opportunities
Please join us! Check the dates and register!
Our KSDE ELA and Early Literacy/ Dyslexia Teams and other content area teams are very happy to be working on a state-wide collaborative effort with our Kansas Educational Service Center partners to provide ongoing, free professional learning in support of the new KSDE School Improvement Model.
These collaborative sessions are designed for any K-12 teacher, teaching In an accredited school. Registration links are included, so jump in to register as space is limited! Additional dates will be announced soon as we schedule throughout this school year, this summer and next fall!
Data-Driven Success- Unpacking Literacy Assessments for Maximum Impact (K-12)
March 10 ESSDACK
April 2 SW Plains
For more information and to register see THIS LINK
Cracking the Code: Practical Strategies for Teaching Word Recognition (K-12)
March 31 Greenbush (Girard)
April 3 Orion (Clearwater)
April 15 Greenbush (Lawrence)
April 22 Southwest Plains (Sublette)
April 24 ESSDACK
For more information and to register see THIS LINK
Empowering Educators: Differentiated Phonics Instruction and Implementing Small Group Instruction
June 3 Greenbush (Girard)
June 9 Greenbush (Lawrence)
June 17 Smoky Hill (Salina)
June 24 Southwest Plains (Sublette)
July 7 ESSDACK (Hutchinson)
July 24 Orion (Clearwater)
For more Information and to register, see THIS LINK
Fluency Matters: Enhancing Educator Expertise In Instruction and Assessment
June 4 Greenbush (Girard)
June 10 Greenbush (Lawrence)
June 26 Smoky Hill (Salina)
July 21 ESSDACK (Hutchinson)
July 22 Southwest Plains (Sublette)
September 17 Orion (Clearwater)
For more Information and to register, see THIS LINK
For English Language Arts Standards Alignment PD, see these links for dates and locations:
ELA Standards and Mini tests/ Interims- Using Data to Help Drive Instruction (Grades 3-12)
Clear, Intentional, and Effective Writing: The Writing Tenets (3-12)
Words, Words, Words: Vocabulary and Morphology (3-12)
Demystifying Reading: Directed Reading Teaching Activity (3-12)
Reasons to Celebrate!
Plans are underway for the KSDE Great Ideas in Education Conference for Building and District Leadership Teams. On Tuesday, July 29th, we are offering a one day registration for our KSDE Literacy Summit, featuring Becca Silver, a coach of coaches! If you are Interested In leveling up your literacy leadership, this day will be a great fit for you! We will highlight sessions for our LETRS facilitators and others who are interested in supporting literacy initiatives in your building and/ or district! If you are on your district leadership team...start the conversation for who is sending in your registration for your entire team! It opened up this week! More information can be found HERE. While there, watch the highlight video with Dr. Randy Watson sharing the great things awaiting you this July at the Great Ideas Conference!
While it may be a little belated...in honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday on March 2nd...here are a few great quotes from him for you to ponder as we move through March...and I've Included one at the end of our newsletter this week!
AND, did you know...
He wrote “Green Eggs and Ham” on a bet
He wrote “Green Eggs and Ham” on a bet
Dr. Seuss’ editor Bennett Cerf bet him he couldn’t write a book using 50 or fewer words. He did it using only these:
a, am, and, anywhere, are, be, boat, box, car, could, dark, do, eat, eggs, fox, goat, good, green, ham, here, house, I, if, in, let, like, may, me, mouse, not, on, or, rain, Sam, say, see, so, thank, that, the, them, there, they, train, tree, try, will, with, would, you
Now, for the quotes...enjoy!
"Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!"
"A person's a person, no matter how small."
"Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!"
"From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere"
"If you never did, you should. These things are fun and fun is good!"
"You're in pretty good shape for the shape you are in"
"Will you succeed? Yes you will indeed! (98 and 3-4 percent guaranteed.)"
Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.
You're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child.
Dr. Seuss
WooHOO Topeka 501!
Congratulations to those educators completing Volume 2!
Well done on completion of LETRS, 3rd Edition!
Literacy Lifeline Questions/ Answers
Literacy Lifeline is up and running!
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.
Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not. Dr. Seuss
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.
Page updated
Report abuse