SAC Online Workshop: Advanced Literacy Practices – Making it Happen!

The course will describe contemporary and advanced approaches to assessment and intervention in emergent literacy, reading, and writing disorders. Learners will acquire knowledge of emergent literacy, reading, and writing disorders across various populations (i.e., English language learners and special populations, including students with dyslexia, executive functioning difficulties, Down syndrome and autism). The importance of engaging in culturally reflective and responsive practice, working within the context of a multidisciplinary team and engaging in collaborative consultation and planning with parents and professionals will be discussed throughout. Classroom learning will involve interactive lectures interspersed with group discussions and sharing by learners. The course includes opportunities and time for participants to apply and maximize their learning by completing assessments, interpreting results, planning and conducting interventions, monitoring student progress, and problem-solving with the course instructors as well as peers to maximize their learning.

Speech-language pathologists will

• Be able to utilize and apply their knowledge and understanding of the science of reading in their clinical work to improve assessment, goal selection and intervention in order to improve client outcomes.
• Understand the reciprocity between oral and written language to understand better how various linguistic and literacy skills influence and impact each other.
• Apply advances in research-to-practice and culturally responsive literature to the assessment and intervention of language and literacy disorders.
• Develop integrative knowledge of evidence-based intervention practices that are explicit, systematic and linked to the curriculum.
• Develop knowledge of assistive technological tools to support students.
• Develop and apply critical thinking skills when selecting, evaluating, and interpreting assessment and intervention materials and tools.
• Apply their knowledge in authentic, job-embedded situations (i.e., assessment, intervention, consultation).
• Engage in reflective practice to evaluate and amend their learning as needed throughout the course.