USF conference to help teachers "grow" great readers
Teachers
in grades kindergarten through 8th are invited
to "Tending the Literacy Garden," the
University of St. Francis annual reading conference
on June 19. The conference is designed to provide
teachers with strategies, activities and ideas
to help "grow a great crop of readers."
The
daylong conference begins at 8:30 a.m. in the
university’s Moser Performing Arts Center.
Continuing education credits are available. Registration
fees are $40 before June 5 and $50 after. Students
are $25. Lunch is provided. For information, call
(815) 740-1441.
"Cultivating
Strategic Readers" will be the keynote address
by Susan Davis Lenski, an associate professor
at Illinois State University where she teaches
courses in literacy. Lenski maintains that many
teachers use excellent strategies to teach reading
that are later disregarded by students when they
read independently. She will discuss why students
fail to become strategic readers and will model
framework that teachers can use as they plan reading
instruction.
A
classroom teacher for 20 years, Lenski has co-authored
several books on reading and writing strategies
for classroom teachers.
Breakout
sessions include "Vocabulary Strategies that
Grow on You" by Lenski; "Marvelous Mini
Lessons to Teach the Traits of Good Writing"
by Maria Walther of Indian Prairie District 204;
"Growing a Garden of Good Readers" by
Beth Gambro, literacy consultant; "Supporting
Readers in the Content Areas" by Judy Davis
of West Aurora District 129; "We’re
Not Too Old for Picture Books" by Jean Ksiazak
of Plainfield District 202; "Organizing and
Implementing Family Reading Nights" by Venita
Dennis of Wilmington District 209U; "Assessment
in Reading" by Donna Metlicka, University
of St. Francis; and "A Seed Sprouts: Phonemic
Awareness is Where Reading Begins!" by Jennifer
Meier and Brenda Day of Yorkville District 115.
Anderson’s
Bookstore, known for its wide selection of children’s
literature, will be at the conference along with
PS Associates, which offers professional resource
materials.
The "Tending the Literacy Garden" conference
is offered by the university’s Regional Education
Academy for Leadership (REAL). Committed to developing
dynamic partnerships within the educational community,
REAL offers conferences and seminars in the areas
of character education, reading, math and science.
REAL services include master’s degree cohorts,
new teacher induction programs, professional development
in-service, special approval/certification programs,
and educational conferences.
The University of St. Francis, at 500 Wilcox St., serves more than 4,300 students nationwide, including 1,300 at its Joliet campus. The university’s College of Education offers the undergraduate programs in elementary and special education as well as secondary education certification in the areas of biology, English, history and mathematics. The university also offers the master of science in Education with study tracks in curriculum and instruction, middle school, teaching and learning, English as a second language and best practices. A master of Education with Certification degree is offered for those who already have a bachelor’s degree and are interested in earning a teaching certificate and master’s degree at the same time.