“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places
you’ll go.”
Dr. Seuss
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Upcoming
Maine Reading First Events
May 11~Maine Reading First Conference on Comprehension and Vocabulary with Cathy Collins Block and John Mangieri (registration form is attached)
June 23 and 24~
Maine Reading First Level II Summer Institute at the Sunday River Resort
June 27 and 28~
Maine Reading First Level I Summer Institute at the University of Maine at Presque Isle
June 30 and July 1~
Maine Reading First Level I Summer Institute at the Samoset Resort
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Spotlight on…
Maine Reading First Course
Maine Reading First is pleased to announce the success that has been achieved in the first year of implementation for the Maine Reading First Course. The Maine Reading First course has been offered at 20 school sites around the state during the 2004-2005 school year and over 500 educators have participated. The Maine Reading First course is a requirement for schools which have been awarded Maine Reading First sub-grants and it is also available to any Maine school with grades K-3. The course is 17 sessions in length and includes such topics as reading and writing development, oral language development, and research, assessment, and instruction for the 5 essential elements—phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Additional details about the content are available on the course syllabus which can be accessed at: http://www.maine.gov/education/rf/homepage.htm. The Maine Reading First course is taught by a trained instructor on-site at the school. Each session is 2 hours in length and includes text-based discussions, content presentations, and hands-on activities. Participants can receive up to 70 contact hours or 7 CEU’s for their attendance and work for the course.
Maine Reading First is currently accepting requests from Districts which would like to offer the course during the 2005-2006 school year. Schools which will be awarded Maine Reading First sub-grants will be given first priority. If you are interested in learning more about offering this professional development opportunity in your District or if you would like to submit a request to have the Maine Reading First course offered at a site in your District, please email janet.trembly@maine.gov with the name of the contact person, name of the expected location of the course, and the estimated number of participants.
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Summary of Professional Literacy Text…
Starting Out Right: A Guide to Promoting Children’s Reading Success
Starting Out Right: A Guide to Promoting Children’s Reading Success translates research into practical guidelines. Ideas and examples on how to promote reading development in young children are also included. The focus of the book is on children from birth through grade 3 and its content is informative for a wide audience including educators, caregivers, administrators, and parents. The chapters in Starting Out Right explore the development of children as they begin to learn the value and functions of print and then move into the school years. This book is one of the required texts for the Maine Reading First course. The following website has more information and details about Starting Out Right: A Guide to Promoting Children’s Reading Success http://books.nap.edu/catalog/6014.html
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News from Maine Reading First…
Maine Reading First is finalizing plans for an exciting summer of professional development for Maine educators and administrators. Four summer institutes will be offered in June and July, including two level I Maine Reading First Institutes, one level II Maine Reading First Institute, and one Maine Reading First Seminar for Administrators.
The Level I summer institutes are 2-day events which will introduce participants to scientific research that informs the teaching of reading including the 5 essential elements of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension). Participants will also be introduced to assessment and instructional practices for each of these 5 elements. The first Level I summer institute will be held on June 27 and 28 at the University of Maine at Presque Isle. The second Level II summer institute will be held on June 30 and July 1 at the Samoset Resort in Rockport.
The Level II summer institute is a 2-day event which will examine instruction and assessment practices that support the 5 essential elements of reading in greater depth, and participants will have the opportunity to explore topics related to scientifically based reading research such as classroom management, selection of instructional materials, and interventions for struggling readers. The Level II summer institute will be held on June 23 and 24 at the Sunday River Resort in Bethel.
More information and the registration forms for these 3 Maine Reading First summer institutes are being sent as attachments with this edition of Literacy Links. These forms can also be accessed at http://www.maine.gov/education/rf/homepage.htm if you are unable to open the attachments.
The dates and location for the Maine Reading First Seminar for Administrators are still being finalized. Please check the May edition of Literacy Links for final details.
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