David D. Paige

Reading Today Online asked all of the Institute Chairpersons for IRA San Antonio to respond to three questions designed to give our readers and all prospective attendees a better understanding of the insights and benefits they will gain from attending these day-long programs. Below are responses from Institute 11 Chair David D. Paige.

What is the professional urgency that this institute is designed to address?

A “Reading Tsunami” is coming soon! With the implementation of the Common Core across the country, knowledgeable administrators and teachers are beginning to recognize the importance of effective fluency in all readers. More urgently, the quickly approaching “Reading Tsunami” in the form of the assessment of complex text in the Common Core suggests that students with inadequate fluency skills will very likely struggle. Evidence suggests that inadequate fluency skills including little reading stamina, poorly developed word identification skills, and languid automaticity with text will result in poor ability to construct meaning. In other words, reading scores may well decrease before they get better! “Fluency and the Common Core” will provide attendees with a jump-start on the knowledge and tools to implement effective fluency instruction in their districts and schools.

What types of literacy professionals is this institute designed for?

Content teachers, reading teachers, special education teachers, and literacy coaches from elementary, middle, and high school will benefit from this institute. Central office personnel responsible for reading initiatives across the district will also benefit through a deeper understanding of how fluency instruction should fit into the larger curriculum. Undergraduate and graduate students will gain understanding of reading fluency and its importance in effective reading instruction from national experts.

How will attendance at this institute help those literacy professionals “make a difference” in their work?

Those attending this institute will take away the following “difference makers” that will help in their work with students:

1. Greater understanding of the role that fluent reading plays for students at all grade levels
2. The demands of the Common Core relative to reading fluency and complex text
3. Specific strategies that can be employed across elementary, middle, and high school to encourage the development of fluent reading in students.

Registration Information: This preconference institute will be held at the Grand Hyatt in San Antonio, Texas from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 19 before the 58th International Reading Association Annual Convention begins on Saturday, April 20. Register online for this or another institute and/or to register for the annual convention. Call 888-294-9167 or 415-979-2278 to find out how to register by phone, fax, or mail. To learn more about convention events in San Antonio, visit the annual convention website and the online itinerary planner (iPlanner), or read more Reading Today annual convention articles.