International Dyslexia Association, Kansas-Missouri

Schedule

As soon as we get the events schedule to individual webinars, we'll post the information online for everyone!

Speakers

Dr. Carrie Chambers

A passionate educator since 2003, Dr. Carrie Chambers has taught across multiple upper and lower elementary grades, served as a middle school Teaching and Learning Coach, and currently works as a District Instructional Coordinator. Holding a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction and a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership, Carrie is dedicated to empowering teachers through systemic change while keeping what is best for students at the heart of every decision. She is thrilled to share her district’s structured literacy journey not as an "all-knowing expert," but as a fellow learner championing teachers through this change.

Alex Fender

Alex Fender is the director of evaluation at the PSU Center for READing and a PhD student in Literacy Measurement and Analysis at MTSU. A nationally certified school psychologist and clinician, Alex has collaborated with multidisciplinary teams across sectors, including education, health, and research settings. She has trained preservice and in-service educators, presented at international, state, and regional conferences, and co-authored peer-reviewed publications. Alex’s work centers on data-based decision-making, dyslexia and ADHD identification, and improving access to and implementation of systems of support.

Kelli Fetter

Kelli Fetter, MS, OTR/L is a Certified Handwriting Specialist and the founder of Handwriting Solutions, LLC, where she and her team provide world-class handwriting, reading, and spelling tutoring to students virtually across the globe. Beyond her direct work with families, Kelli is a recognized leader in teacher and therapist education, equipping professionals with evidence-based strategies that transform student outcomes.

With a career rooted in occupational therapy, Kelli has practiced in pediatric outpatient clinics, early intervention programs, preschools, and private schools, and has also served as an adjunct professor in pediatrics and kinesiology. Her expertise spans handwriting, dysgraphia, and dyslexia, supported by extensive advanced training in these areas.

Kelli’s passion is deeply personal, fueled by her own daughter’s journey with dyslexia and dysgraphia. This lived experience drives her mission to empower parents, educators, and therapists with the tools and confidence they need to unlock every child’s potential.

Jacinda Griffin

Jacinda Griffin is the owner of Griffin Reading, a private structured literacy practice in Bernie, Missouri, and one of only thirteen Certified Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialists in the state. With nearly twenty years in education, as a classroom teacher, reading interventionist, and dyslexia therapist, she brings a rare vantage point on how children learn to read and where systems fall short. She serves on the board of the International Dyslexia Association Kansas–Missouri Branch and speaks regularly on dyslexia awareness, structured literacy, and what parents and educators can do to support struggling readers.

Sandy Hall

Sandy Hall is a 30 year veteran educator having taught preschool, first grade, third grade, and she held the position of reading specialist for the final 14 years of my public teaching career.She has taught in the Hazelwood, Camdenton, Savannah, and Strafford school districts in the state of Missouri. She has been a dyslexia therapist for the past 2 years. She has been married for 34 years to her husband, Andy. She has two adult children and one granddaughter named Iris. Her daughter, Emma, is a middle and high school librarian in Sparta and her son, Drew, is a traveling physical therapist currently working on the west coast. She enjoys flea marketing, painting, and traveling whenever and wherever she can. Her greatest joy is my time spent with her family.

Jill Hodge

Jill Hodge is a retired public school educator with over 30 years of teaching experience. She has taught in public schools in North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Kansas. Jill retired in 2019 from the Andover, Kansas school district, and began working at Rolph Literacy Academy as a Literacy Intervention Specialist where she taught dyslexic students to read. She is currently on the teaching staff of the Andeel Teacher Literacy Institute at the Phillips Fundamental Learning Center. Jill is a school board member for the Andover schools, a board member for the Butler County Special Education Interlocal, and a member of the Kansas Early Literacy and Dyslexia Advisory Council. She is also a member of ALTA and the Sedgwick County Early Childhood Coordinating Council along with other non-profit groups that support literacy. Jill earned her Certified Academic Language Practitioner (CALP) certification from the Academic Language Therapy Association (ALTA) in 2024.

Michael Hunter, M.Ed.

Michael Hunter, M.Ed., is a founding partner of Readsters, a small company dedicated to supporting and developing excellent reading instruction, so all students learn to read. Michael found his passion for teaching struggling readers as a volunteer teaching adult nonreaders. He is now dedicated to helping teachers teach every student to read. Michael has co-authored instructional materials with his business partner, Linda Farrell, including Phonics Plug-In ONE & TWO, Practice Packets for Fixing Common Confusions, and Teaching Vowel Sounds. Michael delivers professional development and advises schools nationally. Some of his favorite work with schools includes coaching and modeling in the classroom. This work with students and teachers keeps Michael’s skills fresh. This work also continues to inform the creation of additional instructional materials for beginning and struggling readers of all ages. Michael’s work at Readsters has even taken him to Africa to consult on early reading instruction in tribal languages.

David Hurford, Ph.D.

David P. Hurford, Ph.D., is the executive director of the Center for Reading and the founder and manager of CARRD, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to assisting individuals with dyslexia to become competent readers. He has presented at many regional, national, and international conferences and has published articles on dyslexia, reading difficulties, the prevention of reading failure, and other educational issues. Early in his career, he was the recipient of a Spencer Fellowship from the National Academy of Education, which allowed him to dedicate his efforts toward the prevention, identification, and intervention of reading difficulties, which resulted in a reading curriculum designed to prevent reading difficulties in kindergarten (Secret Codes) and first grade (Advanced Codes). The Center for Reading and CARRD, Inc. use his identification and remediation strategies to provide high-quality and accurate assessments and successful interventions for children and adults with dyslexia and reading difficulties. Hurford is the co-executive editor of Perspectives on Language and Literacy and has written several books for children and families to better understand reading failure.

Rinu John

Rinu John is a master’s student in clinical psychology at Pittsburg State University and a graduate research assistant at the PSU Center for READing. Her interest in assessment developed through working with children and becoming curious about how they make sense of academic struggles, how those experiences shape their confidence and engagement, and how families and schools respond. At the Center, she contributes to comprehensive evaluations of reading and attention-related concerns and assists with evidence-based reading intervention. Rinu’s work centers on understanding the experiences of children with reading difficulties and using assessment to guide meaningful, individualized support for them and their families.

Emily Lehman

Emily is a licensed occupational therapist working in outpatient pediatrics at No Stone Unturned in Manhattan, Kansas. She received a bachelor’s degree from Kansas State in 2016, and a clinical doctorate in occupational therapy in 2019 from Creighton University. After completion of a clinical at No Stone, she began her career there in 2019. She has experience with neurological diagnoses, vision disorders, autism spectrum disorders, developmental delays, dyslexia and dysgraphia, and a variety of other diagnoses. After receiving a referral for a child in 2023 who was diagnosed with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia, she began taking courses and fell in love with teaching reading. Since then, she has over 100 hours of training through the Phillips Fundamental Learning Center in Wichita, Kansas, and uses the alphabetic phonics curriculum alongside her training as an occupational therapist to address foundational neurological skills needed for reading, alongside the structured, intentional reading instruction to support struggling readers.

Rachel Libick

Rachel Libick is the Owner and Executive Director of Applied Learning Processes. She has been administering Lindamood-Bell interventions for a variety of learning disabilities since 2009, and has extensive experience with Math-U-See, Handwriting Without Tears, and Phono-graphix. She served on the KS/MO IDA board from 2017-2022.

Cyndi Meeks, CALT-QI

Cyndi Meeks, owner of Northland Dyslexia, is a retired public school teacher with 22 years of experience in K–12 special reading and special education. She holds the credentials of Certified Academic Language Therapist–Qualified Instructor (CALT-QI) and National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT). Additionally, she served on the ALTA Board of Directors for four years.

Dr. Andrea Reaka

Dr. Andrea Reaka is an educator, academic coach, and advocate for students with dyslexia and other learning differences. She is Certified Dyslexia Practitioner and serves as an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry at Ponce Health Science University in St. Louis. She has dedicated her career to helping learners of all ages develop the skills, confidence, and support systems needed to achieve their academic goals.

Dr. Reaka was the Director of a Tutoring Center in Illinois where she worked with all ages of students with Dyslexia. Now in higher education, Dr. Reaka works extensively with college, graduate, and medical students as an academic advisor, mentor, and learning strategist. Dr. Reaka is also engaged in research and program development focused on dyslexia, executive functioning, and learning strategies across the educational lifespan. She is particularly interested in the intersection of dyslexia, self-regulated learning, and academic success in higher education, and advocates for stronger systems of support that help students transition successfully from K–12 education into college and professional programs.

A frequent collaborator with educators, faculty, and student support professionals, Dr. Reaka is committed to advancing awareness of dyslexia and promoting evidence-based practices that empower learners to reach their full potential. As a Board Member of the Missouri Branch of the International Dyslexia Association, she works to further the organization's mission of improving the lives of individuals with dyslexia through advocacy, education, and community engagement.

Dr. Amy Thompson

Amy Thompson is an Associate Professor at the University of Central Arkansas, where she serves as Director of the Graduate Literacy and Dyslexia Program and Concentration Leader for the PhD in Literacy Leadership. She also maintains a private practice, Thompson Literacy Solutions, as a dyslexia therapist, educational diagnostician, speaker, curriculum developer, and consultant, and holds certifications as a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) and a Certified Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist (C-SLDS).

Amy earned her PhD in Leadership with a concentration in Literacy and Dyslexia in 2018. Before entering higher education, she spent years in the classroom as an elementary school teacher in the Little Rock School District. Since joining the UCA faculty in 2013, Amy has taught courses spanning literacy assessment and intervention, multisensory approaches to language, dyslexia foundations, early and adolescent literacy and intervention, and courses in Literacy Leadership. She has led extensive curriculum work to align UCA's graduate literacy programs with the International Dyslexia Association, shepherding the program through accreditation with the International Dyslexia Association. Amy also serves on the International Dyslexia Association's review team, reviewing programs seeking accreditation. She also serves on the board of the Dallas Branch of the International Dyslexia Association and helped bring the first regional IDA Conference to Arkansas. Her scholarship includes a co-authored book, multiple peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, and presentations at regional, national, and international conferences.

When she's not teaching, researching, or seeing students, Amy can be found enjoying time with her family and a very full house of six dogs — four Yorkies, a lab mix, and a German shepherd mix.

Jenn Wright

Jenn Wright is a literacy educator with 26 years of experience helping students build strong, confident reading skills and currently serves as a Reading Interventionist in the North Kansas City School District, with additional experience as a classroom teacher, literacy coach, and interventionist. She is a CERI-Certified Structured Literacy Dyslexia Interventionist (C-SLDI)—a distinction held by only 15 reading interventionists in Missouri—and specializes in systematic, multisensory, implicit and explicit instruction grounded in the “Science of Reading”. In addition to her full-time role, Jenn presents at state and national conferences and provides virtual professional development, partnering with schools and educators to strengthen literacy skills and improve student outcomes through evidence-based practices.

Session Descriptions

Session 1- 9:40-10:30

Experience Dyslexia, Part 1: A Simulation with Jill Hodge

Experience firsthand what it’s like to be dyslexic, have ADHD, or to have dysgraphia. Six different simulations are facilitated by a Literacy Specialist to help parents, educators, administrators, psychologists, grandparents, and other family members feel many of the frustrations that children with learning differences experience in the classroom every minute of every day.

Before the Rope with Emily Lehman

Successful reading development begins long before a child is introduced to letters and books. This session explores the foundational neurological systems that support literacy acquisition, providing participants with a deeper understanding of the developmental skills that precede formal reading instruction. Attendees will examine the role of primitive reflex integration, sensory system development and processing, visual skills, and other foundational neurological functions that contribute to a child's readiness for learning. Using the framework of the neurological pyramid, participants will gain insight into how early brain and body development influences attention, self-regulation, motor coordination, visual processing, and ultimately reading and academic performance. The session will also highlight common indicators of developmental gaps that may interfere with literacy acquisition and discuss how recognizing these underlying factors can inform more effective instructional practices and interventions.

Designed for educators, therapists, interventionists, and other professionals who support developing readers, this session provides a practical, research-informed perspective on the relationship between neurological development and literacy. Participants will leave with a stronger understanding of how foundational developmental skills impact learning and strategies for identifying students who may benefit from additional support.

Unlocking Words: How Morphology Helps Students Read, Spell, and Understand More with Sarah Houser

This session explores morphology as a core component of Structured Literacy Instruction. Participants will examine free and bound morphemes, the distinction between word definition and deeper word meaning, and why that difference matters for students with dyslexia who interpret language literally. We'll investigate how morphological awareness connects to decoding, spelling, vocabulary, and reading comprehension — and why the spelling of morphemes stays stable even as pronunciation shifts depending on context. We'll touch on word origins, cultural contributions to English, and research showing that roughly 60% of words in school texts can be unlocked through morpheme analysis. The session closes with a replicable, multi-sensory morphology lesson and a curated list of resources and extension activities you can use immediately in your classroom.

Dysgraphia 101: The 3 Things Every Teacher and Parent Needs to Know to Support Handwriting Struggles with Kelli Fetter (virtual presenter)

Does your student or child avoid writing, complain that their hand hurts, or produce work that doesn't match their verbal abilities? You're not imagining it, and you're not alone. In this 50-minute session, Certified Handwriting Specialist Kelli Fetter, MS, OTR/L, breaks down the hidden "iceberg" of skills behind handwriting, separates handwriting myths from research-backed facts, and explains the real difference between general handwriting struggles and dysgraphia. You'll walk away understanding why "try harder" and more worksheets don't work, and what actually builds legibility, fluency, and endurance instead. Whether you're guiding a classroom or supporting your own child at home, you'll leave with practical tips on what to do and what not to do to begin building confidence and real writing skills.

The Difference Between Balanced Literacy and Structured Literacy and Why It Matters with Linda Farrell

Understanding the difference between "Balanced Literacy" and "Structured Literacy" is valuable knowledge for teachers and administrators. After attending this session, participants will confidently know the attributes of the most effective approaches to early reading instruction. They also will be able to evaluate whether the methods being used in their schools and classrooms qualify as most effective, based on current research. — Balanced Literacy is the stated methodology of many early reading instructional programs and of almost all early reading courses taught in colleges of education. Proponents of Balanced Literacy state that the Balanced Literacy instructional approach is difficult to define, but that it is research-based. The National Reading Panel's meta-analysis and many other research studies conclude that explicit, systematic phonics instruction (Structured Literacy) yields the strongest results, especially for low SES students and students with learning disabilities. This session describes the differences between Balanced Literacy and Structured Literacy with examples from reading programs using each method.

Session 2- 10:40-11:30

Experience Dyslexia, Part 2: A Simulation with Jill Hodge

Continuation from Session 1.

Big Words. Bigger Understanding. Using Morphology to Unlock Academic Vocabulary Across the Content Areas with Jenn Wright

When students encounter words like photosynthesis or interdependence, context clues aren’t enough. Morphology—the study of meaningful word parts—helps them break words apart and understand them. This interactive session, grounded in Structured Literacy and Scarborough’s Reading Rope, highlights the difference between syllables and morphemes and why it matters. You’ll gain practical strategies, including a four-step decoding routine and the POSSUM framework, to help students master academic vocabulary and improve comprehension across subjects.

"Why?" Isn't a Scary Word - Questioning to Success with Rachel Libick

Most struggling learners have been conditioned to associate questions from the teacher with failure. "Why?" can land like a paralytic, rendering a student silent because they think they've done something wrong. But properly applied questions allow students to harness their own natural curiosity to analyze their answers and develop a framework for critical thinking. This session lays out the Socratic method as it applies to interventions of all sorts, explores the power of positive reinforcement, and lays out a scaffolded system for teaching students to self-monitor and self-correct.

Using Early Literacy Data to Drive Structured Literacy Success with David Hurford

Strong reading outcomes begin with early identification and effective instruction. In this session, school leaders will learn how the Center for READing supports schools through the free Brief Assessment of Reading for Kindergarten (BARK-2), including assessment materials, training, data analysis, and individualized reports that identify students' reading strengths, areas of need, and risk status. Participants will also explore the principles of Structured Literacy and see how they can be implemented across grade levels. Through a demonstration of the Secret Codes curriculum, attendees will discover how a Structured Literacy approach can serve as a high-quality core reading program in kindergarten while also providing effective Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention for older struggling readers. This session offers practical strategies for using assessment data to inform instruction and strengthen literacy outcomes schoolwide.

Solve the Mysteries of Spelling by Understanding the History of Our Language with Michael Hunter & Linda Farrell

This session provides some answers to the question “Why is it spelled that way?” Participants learn that there is logic to our spelling system by understanding the four major layers of the English language: AngloSaxon, Norman French, Latin, and Greek. There is a reason why so many of our most frequently used words (was, of, from, who) have wacky spellings. There’s also a logical reason why in some words 'ch 'spells /ch/ (chin, chapter, chest), in other words it spells /sh/ (chef, parachute, chauffeur), and yet in other words it spells /k/ (chorus, character, Christ). Teachers will also understand how a word’s language of origin influences its meaning. Both spelling and vocabulary instruction will be enhanced with the information learned in this workshop. — This session may sound dry, but Linda makes it entertaining and fun

Session 3- 12:30-1:20

Advocacy in Action: Moving Beyond Phonics to Support Every Struggling Reader with Alana McWilliams

Learn how to become an effective literacy advocate by building partnerships across your community, including schools, libraries, school boards, and policymakers. This session will equip you with practical communication strategies to foster productive relationships with educators and decision-makers while promoting collaboration rather than conflict.

BUILDING Early Reading Intervention in ONE DAY! with Cyndi Meeks

If you are a K-First grade teacher, don't miss this opportunity to learn about early intervention. When you identify young students with characteristics of Dyslexia through screeners, what do you do? BUILD: A K-1 Early Reading Intervention is a comprehensive 100-lesson reading program that explicitly addresses all five reading pillars. Watchful waiting is not an appropriate response! Start the fix in 2026!

Tightening the Rope: Practical Syntax Routines for Every Grade with Jacinda Griffin

Within Scarborough’s Rope, syntax strengthens the Language Comprehension strands that support skilled reading. This session explores practical, explicit syntax routines that help students understand increasingly complex sentences and texts. Participants will learn how to integrate syntax instruction into daily lessons across grade levels, from simple sentence expansion to analysis of complex academic language. Through modeling and classroom-ready examples, attendees will leave with effective routines that improve comprehension, support written expression, and help students strengthen a critical strand of the rope that contributes to proficient reading.

Leading The Shift in Literacy with Carrie Chambers

As district and school leaders, our most critical role in the shift to structured literacy is providing the strategic vision and active support our teachers need to succeed. Join us for an honest look at our district’s transition away from traditional balanced models and toward a systematic, explicit approach. We’ll share the moments that sparked our transformation, how we equipped and empowered our staff, and the leadership strategies that helped our educators confidently embrace a new, science-backed way of teaching.

The Long Road to Reading: Why Structured Literacy Can't Stop at Third Grade with Amy Thompson

Structured literacy is too often treated as an early-elementary fix — something that "catches kids up" by third grade, after which support quietly disappears. But reading demands keep growing, and so should our instruction. This session explores why students with early intervention can still struggle as texts grow more complex, and what structured literacy looks like beyond decoding — supporting morphology, syntax, vocabulary, and comprehension into upper elementary, secondary, and beyond. Attendees will leave with practical starting points for extending structured literacy support across a student's full educational journey.

Session 4- 1:30-2:20

Supporting College Students with Dyslexia: A Parent and Caregiver Guide to Success with Andrea Reaka

The transition from high school to college can be both exciting and overwhelming for students with dyslexia and the families who support them. This session is designed to help parents and caregivers understand the significant differences between high school and college accommodations, navigate disability services, and learn how to support their students while fostering independence and self-advocacy. Participants will gain practical knowledge about accommodations, assistive technology, FERPA and parent access to student information, executive functioning challenges, and common barriers faced by college students with dyslexia. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies, helpful resources, and a collection of tools and handouts to support their student throughout the transition to college and beyond. Whether your student is preparing to start college or is already enrolled, this session will provide guidance, reassurance, and a roadmap for success.

Focused Oral Reading Practice: A New Approach to Fluency Instruction with Michael Hunter

Fluency programs are often considered the “solution” for struggling readers. This interactive session examines underlying skills necessary for fluent reading along with three critical parts of fluency: accuracy, rate, and prosody. It provides a simple research-based framework for determining which students need fluency, developing instruction to meet individual needs, and assessing growth. The new method includes focusing on accuracy before turning to rate. It also is effective at getting students to read with appropriate accuracy and rate the first time they attempt a passage. Participants receive tracking charts based on the three-part framework for fluency instruction.

Clinical and School-Based Evaluations of Word Recognition Difficulties with Alex Fender & Rinu John

Understand the differences and similarities between clinical and school-based evaluations of dyslexia. This presentation will cover the components required in a comprehensive evaluation of reading disabilities, including those involving word recognition difficulties. Relevant eligibility indicators and evaluation procedures will be reviewed.

Literacy Across the Curriculum: Building Reading and Writing Skills in Every Subject with Emily Henley

Literacy is the foundation for success in every classroom—not just English language arts. This session explores practical, evidence-based strategies for integrating literacy instruction into mathematics, science, social studies, and other content areas without sacrificing instructional time. Participants will learn how to explicitly teach the vocabulary, language structures, reading comprehension, and writing skills unique to each discipline while supporting students with diverse learning needs.

Weaving the Reading Rope: Practical Ways to Strengthen Reading Comprehension with Sandy Hall, CALT

Scarborough's Reading Rope provides a helpful framework for understanding the many skills that contribute to successful reading. In this session, participants will explore how language comprehension and word recognition work together to support reading development. Through classroom examples, personal stories, and practical instructional ideas, we'll discuss ways to identify areas of student need and connect assessment to meaningful instruction. Participants will leave with a better understanding of the Reading Rope and practical strategies they can use to support developing readers.

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