Special Education Summer Institute 2025

Non-speaking does not mean non-reading. This dynamic, hands-on session empowers educators with practical strategies to deliver phonics and literacy instruction to students with complex communication needs. Participants will rotate through engaging stations that model accessible tools like AAC, eye-gaze boards, and alternate pencils. You’ll learn how to build phonological awareness, support independent reading, and assess literacy without relying on oral responses. Walk away with materials, ideas, and confidence to help every learner find their voice through literacy.

Ready to unlock the next level of phonics instruction? This session will equip you with the foundational tools of structured literacy, reinforcing the critical connection between word recognition, decoding, and reading comprehension. You'll explore newly designed phonics checklists and FastBridge to learn how to write meaningful IEP goals and monitor progress with confidence. Whether you’re just entering the game or already have your phonics power-ups, this session will level up your assessment toolkit and clarify the “why” behind the code.

Unlocking Literacy Stats: A Beginner’s Guide to Capti-Assess ReadBasix

New to Capti-Assess ReadBasix? This session is your beginner’s guide to unlocking the potential of this diagnostic tool. We’ll walk through the basics of navigating the ReadBasix platform, understanding the six foundational reading subtests, and interpreting student data. Then we’ll explore how to connect data insights to the design of specially designed instruction (SDI), with a focus on actionable next steps for targeting student needs. Whether you’re just getting started or need a refresher, this session will equip you with the tools to make data-informed decisions that support student growth. Note: This is for high school practitioners only.

Helping students improve their writing skills can feel like the ultimate boss battle. In this session, we’ll break down writing into manageable moves using evidence-based practices that really work. Learn how to build strong sentences and paragraphs with The Writing Revolution, and tackle longer writing pieces with the SRSD model. We’ll also draw from The Writing Rope to connect foundational strands into a cohesive instructional game plan. Walk away with lesson templates and strategies that help students power-up their writing—no cheat codes required. 

Decode Mode: Unlocking Words with Morphology

In this session, we’ll explore morphology instruction and its powerful impact on students’ word recognition and language comprehension. We’ll start by defining key elements of morphology instruction, then dive into strategies for selecting high-leverage words and word parts, and implementing engaging practice activities that help students master them. You'll leave with a teachable routine for decoding unfamiliar multisyllabic words and ideas for incorporating morphology into instructional planning and data analysis.

Dive into the dynamic world of literacy instruction by Drs. Karen Erickson and David Koppenhaver by exploring their book “Comprehensive Literacy for All” along with updated information from the Comprehensive Literacy for All conference. This course will explore evidence-based practices and strategies to foster comprehensive literacy skills in diverse learners. Participants will start to explore the foundational principles of literacy development, including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, while gaining practical tools for differentiation and individualized instruction.

Unlocking Literacy Stats: A Beginner’s Guide to Capti-Assess ReadBasix

New to Capti-Assess ReadBasix? This session is your beginner’s guide to unlocking the potential of this diagnostic tool. We’ll walk through the basics of navigating the ReadBasix platform, understanding the six foundational reading subtests, and interpreting student data. Then we’ll explore how to connect data insights to the design of specially designed instruction (SDI), with a focus on actionable next steps for targeting student needs. Whether you’re just getting started or need a refresher, this session will equip you with the tools to make data-informed decisions that support student growth. Note: This is for high school practitioners only.