AIM Institute for Learning & Research

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AIM~Academy In Manayunk River Park Campus

Access to the Experts 2012 Speaker Series
March 2012	Neuropsychological Assessment of Learning Disorders and Working Memory by Dr. William Stixrud
April 2012	Why is Math so Hard for Some Children by Dr. Daniel Berch
May 2012	Evidence Based Practices in Writing - Don’t Sweat the Common Core Blues by Dr. Steve Graham
June 2012	Creating Language Enriched Classroom Environments for Young Children by Dr. Margie Gillis

Dr. Steve Graham Saturday, May 5, 2012 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. $125 per session (Student discount: $50 off)

Steve Graham is the Currey-Ingram Professor of Special Education and Literacy, a chair he shares with Karen R. Harris, at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education. Dr. Graham’s research interests include how writing develops, why some students have difficulty mastering this critical skill, and the identification of effective writing practices. He is the former editor of Exceptional Children and Contemporary Educational Psychology and has written over 250 publications, including Handbook of Writing Research, Best Practices in Writing Instruction, Writing Better, Powerful Writing Strategies for All Students, and Handbook of Learning Disabilities, and APA Handbook of Educational Psychology. He is the author of several influential meta-analysis of writing interventions, Writing Next, Writing to Read, and Informing Writing - all funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York. Dr. Graham is the recipient of the Council of Exceptional Children’s Career Research Award, the Samuel A. Kirk Award from the Division of Learning Disabilities, and the Distinguished Research Award from the Special Education Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association.

Evidence Based Practices in Writing - Don't Sweat the Common Core Blues

This presentation provides an overview of evidence-based practices in writing for students with and without writing difficulties. In addition, how to teach the following evidence based practices will be highlighted: strategy instruction, sentence-combining, and text transcription skills (handwriting and spelling).

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Margie Gillis Ed.D. Monday, June 11, 2012 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. $125 per session (Student discount: $50 off)

Margie Gillis’s work focuses on building teachers’ knowledge and skills to increase their effectiveness teaching all aspects of reading. She and her team of twelve mentors embed their professional development in the classroom where they model lessons and coach teachers in the use of evidence-based strategies. She is past-president of the Connecticut Branch of the International Dyslexia Association, the Northeast Regional Representative for IDA and the President and co-founder of Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities.

Creating Language Enriched Classroom Environments for Young Children

A language-rich environment is important for all children. However, for young children who are at risk for school success (e.g., English language learners, children from poverty, children with language delays), it is a must. Children who are surrounded by rich language are building a critical foundation for reading acquisition. This workshop will give participants ideas for and practice with engaging language-based activities to ensure frequent child-to-child, child-to-adult and adult-to-child high-quality verbal interactions. These activities will also include practices that develop emergent literacy skills including phonological awareness and narrative skills. Some research and the rationale for the importance of purposeful and intentional discourse will be presented and discussed.

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