Before the ILA 2015 Conference begins on July 18 in St. Louis, preconference institutes take an in-depth look at topics facing most schools, including diversity in the classroom, close reading, and project-based learning. These full-day sessions offer research, techniques, and strategies to integrate technology in the classroom, help English learners, and provide literacy education across all curricula.

Preconference institutes take an eight-hour deep dive into a topic including general and breakout sessions and discussions as well as takeaway collateral to put strategies into practice. You do not need to register for the full Conference & Exhibits to take part in the preconference institutes. Early Bird rates include $129 for Members and $199 for nonmembers. See conference registration for the complete range of prices.

Institute 01: Transforming Literacy Instruction Through Online Inquiry

This institute demonstrates research-based techniques and strategies for integrating literacy and technology in K–12 while showcasing instructional practices and Web 2.0 technologies that promote inquiry-based reading and writing, analytical thinking, personal reflection, collaboration, and creative response. Each session is designed to provide theoretical foundations, demonstrations of strategies, opportunities for hands-on practice, connections to authentic learning activities, Internet resources and tools, and tips for successful lessons.

Presenter: Denise Johnson, College of William & Mary

Institute 02: Newest Research on Classroom Literacy Practices

These sessions will highlight research-based practices that support and nurture literacy development. Each of the presenters will emphasize critical strategies to improve students' motivation to learn and reading and writing proficiency for students ages 4–18 (grades K–12) through general and breakout sessions and panel discussion.

Presenter: Susan B. Neuman, New York University

Institute 03: Transforming Access to Literacy: Empowering English Learners in K–12 Classrooms

This institute addresses quality literacy development for English learners (EL). Today, every teacher is a language teacher and literacy professional. Plenary sessions by Yetta Goodman, Zhihui Fang, David Schwarzer, and Mayra Daniel will put participants in the “real world” of life as an EL. Plenary topics will extend into breakout sessions and conversations throughout the day. Presenters are Fabiola Ehlers Zavala, Kouider Mokhtari, Paul Boyd Batstone, Chris Liska Carger, Abha Gupta, Rona F. Flippo, Janice Cate, Stephan Sargent, Guang-Lea Lee, Carol Owles, Kathrine Crane, and Debbie Price.

Presenter: Mayra Daniel, Northern Illinois University

Institute 04: Vocabulary Collaborations: Pathways to Vocabulary Learning for All Students, Grades 2–12

This institute, focused on students ages 7–18 (grades 2–12), comprises five keynotes and two breakout series. Five keynote addresses by seven leading experts will draw on research, the Common Core State Standards, empirical evidence, and first-hand experience to build attendees' understandings about developing the vocabulary knowledge and word-solving abilities as well as word-learning interest of grades 2–12 learners. Sessions use research-based strategies, activities, and techniques to engage grades 2–12 students in rich vocabulary-learning experiences.

Presenter: Kathy Ganske, Vanderbilt University

Institute 05: Best Practices for Children in All Areas of Early Literacy Instruction

This institute features research-based strategies grounded in the Common Core State Standards that support appropriate early literacy development. Sessions discuss foundational skills, oral language development, comprehension, fluency, writing, and the role of family in early literacy. Strategies include project-based instruction, new literacies, and supporting English learners. All presentations will recognize diversity, provide strategies for differentiating instruction, and offer ways to make reading, writing, and language joyful.

Presenter: Lesley Morrow, Rutgers University

Institute 06: Reading Simplified: Up Close & Personal Engagement With Efficient Strategies for Beginning Readers

Videos, hands-on demonstrations, and practice with specific feedback are used to integrate the alphabetic principle, phonics knowledge, and key phonemic awareness skills using a streamlined, multisensory approach. During this interactive, hands-on multimedia presentation, a team of presenters will use live demonstrations, videos that reflect the implementation of strategies and component activities, and more designed to match typical student errors and increase the likelihood of instruction that is matched to students' abilities, and specific feedback.

Presenter: Christie L. Cavanaugh, Independent Consultant

Institute 07: Accelerating and Extending Literacy for Diverse Learners: Using Culturally Responsive Teaching

This institute will address the issue of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students who are struggling readers, seldom identified for gifted programs. DISCOVER, a performance assessment based on Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences, will be introduced as a way to identify the strengths of CLD students, followed by discussion on how to create a culturally responsive learning environment through technology and a toolkit for parents.

Presenter: Dorothy Ann Sisk, Lamar University

Institute 08: Novel Engineering: An Integrated Approach to Teaching Literacy and Engineering

Novel Engineering (NE), a National Science Foundation–funded project at Tufts Center for Engineering Education and Outreach, engages students ages 6–14 (grades 1–8) and educators in engineering, using books as a context for client-centered, open-ended design challenges. In this hands-on interactive workshop, you will work in groups and use NE to integrate engineering and literacy, recognize texts as rich ground for engineering design, identify character-clients and problems, scope constraints surrounding the problem, and design and build solutions using age- and grade-level texts. You'll analyze video of NE students, focusing on their thinking and ideas, and plan NE units for your classroom.

Presenter: Lija Yang, Tufts University CEEO

Institute 09: Reading With Rigor: Interpreting Complex Texts Using Annotation and Close Reading Strategies

The kind of lifelong readers we imagine our students becoming are the type of readers who do not simply let a text wash over them. We see reading as an active process in which readers question, challenge, and talk back to the text—all components of interpretation. Raising the quality and rigor of reading instruction in our classrooms, while making it fun and accessible to all students, is possible through close reading and annotation strategies with print and digital texts. The sessions provide a collection of graphic organizers and strategies, as well as tried-and-true methods to help your students construct and deepen their reading of complex texts.

Presenter: Dana Johansen, Teachers College

Institute 10: Transforming Adolescents’ Lives Through Literacy

This institute offers practical strategies and targeted research on adolescent literacy, especially as it relates to reading complex texts and incorporating technology in literacy. Through a series of keynote addresses, interactive breakout sessions, and a panel discussion, participants will have the opportunity to explore topics of particular interest to their work and learn more about what ILA leaders and Members are doing to strengthen adolescent literacy as we strive to transform adolescents' lives through literacy. This institute is an interactive, international forum for the dissemination of current research and promising practices in the field of adolescent literacy.

Presenter: Susan Lenski, Portland State University

Institute 11: Transforming Teachers' and Students' Lives Through a Schoolwide Approach to Literacy Learning

Learn about how successful schools have built teacher and student capacity through schoolwide pedagogical approaches to improve and sustain student literacy learning outcomes and leave with takeaway strategies. Lesson snapshots, teacher interviews, and transcripts will bring research into focus. Through self-examination and considering school context implications, you will examine the image of a 21st-century literacy professional.

Presenter: Shirley O'Neill, University of Southern Queensland

Institute 12: Building Literacy Through Rigorous, Relevant, and Engaging Project-Based Learning

In this institute, you will construct an understanding of the key elements of gold standard project-based learning and learn to create rigorous, relevant, and engaging projects. As part of the process, you will participate in a design workshop in which you'll develop the skills and knowledge to integrate research-based literacy strategies into your projects so that all students achieve.

Presenter: David Christopher Ross, Buck Institute for Education

Institute 13:Transforming Instruction for Culturally, Linguistically, and Socially Diverse Learners

This institute will introduce you to the principles of the Accelerated Literacy approach as well as equip classroom teachers with new ideas to gain a deeper understanding of the literacy needs of these students and practical examples of these highly engaging, motivating, and inclusive teaching strategies.

Presenter: Cathryn Mary Welsford, Effective Teaching

Institute 14: ILA 2015 Research Institute

The ILA 2015 Research Institute integrates the cutting-edge thinking of literacy's leading researchers in successive one-hour keynote presentations. Topics are beginning readers; teaching young learners to read and write informational text; the latest thinking on reading comprehension; the most innovative information about close reading; English learners and struggling readers; and motivating and engaging all learners.

Presenter: Maureen McLaughlin, East Stroudsburg University

The ILA 2015 Conference will be held July 18–20 in St. Louis, MO, with more than 6,000 educators ready to transform their practice. The days will be jam-packed with featured speakers, the revamped Teaching Edge series, and exciting general sessions. Key topics affecting literacy featured at the conference include content literacy, children’s literature, classroom engagement, and professional development. More than 120 exhibitors will be on hand with new tools and technologies for all manners of literacy education.

Learn more about the conference programs at ilaconference.org. Register today for the ILA 2015 Conference to take advantage of special Early Bird pricing.