Interested in learning more?
If you are a Mineola teacher, contact Sara Ortiz sortiz@mineola.k12.ny.us to inquire about more opportunities to learn about the Science of Reading and opportunities for teachers to grow professionally! We offer many in house opportunities through our Professional Learning cycles and committee meetings. In addition, we work to create opportunities for educators to learn from experts outside of our district.
Out of district options include: SUNY New Paltz: Science of Reading micro-credential, Keys to Literacy course work, Fundations training, training from The Writing Revolution, The Reading League workshops, and more.
Past workshops (in-house): Our Instructional Leadership team has offered the following 4 session workshops during professional learning time over the past 2.5 years.
Building Comprehension Skills: Reading and Writing
Comprehension Routines for Any Content
Comprehending Complex Texts (Independently): Why is it so difficult?
Dyslexia Training Institute Conference
Literacy Continued: Understanding Learner Literacy for any content Literacy Data and using EasyCBM
Literacy Tools for Small Groups
Science of Reading through Writing
Shifts in Literacy and SOR @MMS
Shifts in Literacy and SOR @JA
Strengthening Oral Language and Vocabulary practices
Strengthening Oral Language Practices Through the Integrated Curriculum
Strengthening our Rope: Best Practices in Fundations
Structure of the Spanish Language (DL Spanish side only- a hybrid course*) @ MMS
Using Writing to Deepen Content Learning
Writing 1.0 (Keys to Literacy routines)
Writing 2.0
Writing: Practices, routines and instructional strategies to support early learners (Keys to Early Writing)
Unpacking the new literacy laws
Using Writing to Deepen Content Learning
Mineola Faculty have been provided with the following opportunities to extend their learning through Mineola UFSD:
BOCES Conferences including:
Tim Shanahan (20+ faculty/admin)
Jan Hasbrouck (5+ faculty/admin)
Doug Fisher (5+ faculty/admin)
Joan Sedita (7+ faculty/admin)
SUNY New Paltz Microcredential in Science of Reading: The Science of Reading Fundamentals microcredential (SoRF MC) is a fully asynchronous online, non-credit microcredential delivered in the learn.newpaltz platform. It is designed for practicing P-12 teachers and others interested in learning about the research-based building blocks of reading instruction. The SoRF MC covers the five pillars of the Science of Reading -- phonemic awareness, phonics (including alphabetic principle and orthography), fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The micro credential can be completed in as little as seven weeks or as long as six months. NYS teachers receive 35 CTLE hours upon completion.
25 + faculty and administrators to complete this course and gain their certificate. This is an ongoing opportunity for faculty.
Keys to Literacy: Keys to Literacy is a learning organization that uses research and evidence to design asynchronous coursework and resources to support instruction of structured writing, understanding dyslexia, routines to develop vocabulary and comprehension. Since 2007, KTL has helped thousands of educators improve student reading and writing skills with literacy professional learning that is evidence-based and delivered by expert teacher consultants and coaches. Each year, they work with educators in hundreds of schools in all U.S. states as well as working directly with state departments of education and regional literacy service centers. Their expect staff present keynotes and workshops at national and state literacy conferences with the mission of ensuring that all learners gain the ability to read and write which is the foundation for all learning and essential for a fulfilling and impactful life. KTL believes that effective, culturally responsive literacy instruction is a critical equity issue. The mission is to provide high-quality, engaging, and practical professional learning that is aligned to evidence-based literacy instruction. The goal is to help educators teach literacy skills in a way that increases literacy achievement for all students.
1 or more courses taken by at least 42 faculty and administrators
3 Instructional leaders trained in "train the trainer" course; in house professional development based on this training is an ongoing opportunity for faculty.
The Reading League: The Reading League is a national nonprofit founded by educators and reading experts dedicated to advancing evidence-aligned reading instruction. TRL believes that all children deserve to learn to read, and all teachers can learn to teach them.
The Reading League is dedicated to transforming reading instruction so that every child has the opportunity to become a skilled reader. Through professional development, resources, and strategic support, TRL empowers educators and school leaders with the knowledge and tools to deliver effective reading instruction grounded in the science of how people learn to read. Their missions is to advance the awareness, understanding, and use of evidence-aligned reading instruction with the vision that all educators who teach students to read will use evidence-aligned practices, resulting in successful reading outcomes for their learners. Mineola faculty have had the opporunity to take courses/trainings provided by this nonprofit organization dedicated to equipping teachers and administrators with evidence-based reading instruction, independent of for-profit curriculum providers.
at least 14 faculty and administrators
Dyslexia Training Institute: ConferenceThe Dyslexia Training Institute was founded in 2008 and we created the first online courses about dyslexia and the first online certification in the Orton-Gillingham approach and advocacy. Our mission continues to be to provide education and training about dyslexia, interventions for dyslexia (Structured Literacy, Orton-Gillingham and Structured Word Inquiry), as well as how to navigate the educational system by understanding Special Education Law. Our courses were created for educational professionals, parents, administrators, advocates, psychologists, private practitioners, SLPs and anyone interested in the topic. We believe information about dyslexia should not be limited by geography or time constraints, and we have created an online space where everyone has access to this information. Our instruction is provided by highly qualified and very experienced instructors in an interactive online environment.
15 of our reading teachers, special educators and administrators attended the 2026 conference
The Writing Revolution The Writing Revolution provides teachers with an evidence-based and proven instructional methodology, the Hochman Method Ⓡ which rests on explicit, carefully sequenced instruction, building from sentences to compositions. The Hochman Method is not a separate writing curriculum but rather an approach designed to be adapted to and embedded in the content being taught in any subject area and at any grade level.
at least 12 teachers have taken this course