We are now offering professional development workshops on topics related to language and literacy development. While these workshops are for teachers of primary classes, parents and others interested in helping children outside of school may also participate.
1. Workshop on Teaching Reading Fluency in the Primary Classes (Virtual)
December 2024: Upcoming
29th (Sunday), Time: 5-8 Pm, Fee: Rs. 500
When we say fluency, we often think of reading words quickly, without stumbling over the words, i.e., reading automatically. However, there are other components to reading fluently, not just automaticity. If children don’t have all these factors, they are not fluent. Why is reading fluency important? There is a strong link between the students’ ability to read fluently and their ability to comprehend the text.
What is the evidence linking reading fluency and reading comprehension? How do we help students stuck at the word level build their fluency skills to read sentences and passages? What about children who do not have the opportunity to hear fluent reading in English outside of school hours?
We at For All Our Kids address these questions in the upcoming workshop on Teaching Reading Fluency in primary classes. The workshop will address the components of reading fluency, discuss the needs of English Language Learners, and practice strategies to use in the classroom. Participants will practice the strategies and take home a packet of handouts to use in their classroom.
Register here for the workshop on Teaching Reading Fluency.
2. Workshop on Developing Phonological Awareness in Young Children (Virtual)
December 2024
15th (Sunday) Time: 4-8 pm, Fee: Rs. 750
Children must be good readers to achieve academic success. To become proficient readers, they must have strong phonological awareness skills. What are phonological awareness skills, and what do they have to do with learning to read?
Beginning readers must learn that letters represent speech sounds. How do they gain this understanding? By becoming aware of how
1. spoken words can be separated into sounds
2. sounds can be combined to form words.
Almost 80% of struggling readers are estimated to have poor phonemic awareness, a key phonological awareness skill. Phonological awareness lays the foundation for strong phonics skills. Fortunately, research shows that these essential skills can be taught through easy, short, structured activities.
Our online workshop will guide KG and early primary teachers (and parents) in learning how to develop these skills in young children so they can be more successful in reading.
The workshop will explore
- What research says about phonological and phonemic awareness,
- Their role in how a beginning reader learns to read in English,
- The link between phonological awareness and phonics
- Differences in reading in English and the Indian languages derived from the Brahmi script
Participants will receive a handout with activities targeting each skill discussed in the workshop. We will review and practice these during the workshop.
Register here for the workshop on Developing Phonological Awareness.
