Professional Development Sessions

Parents of small children need guidance to help them implement "zero to five" best practices. This session helps parents discover children's full potential and focus on the special challenges and developmental traits of children of different age groups (babies, toddlers, preschool). Parents also learn about a variety of topics and issues affecting children such as nutrition, behavior, ADD/ADHD, and others.

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $250.00

Learn More

Level: K–12

Current research shows that Spanish learners need a variety of reading strategies to increase their reading comprehension skills. Conversely, an increase of reading comprehension skills allows learners to access language and content available only through authentic reading selections in Spanish, thus increasing their literacy as well as their cultural and content knowledge. This session discusses before, during, and after reading strategies and approaches that make scaffolded reading instruction comprehensible to ALL students. Participants learn and discuss the use of high-interest, low-difficulty reading selections with examples of Spanish literature in a variety of difficulty levels.

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $150.00

Learn More

Level: K–5

This session explores the basic principles of foreign language teaching as they apply to the teaching of Spanish in the elementary classroom and to the learning processes that are associated with second language acquisition, communicative competency, and cultural competency. Participants will discuss effective techniques for assessing and evaluating students and will learn about resources available to enhance teaching and learning Spanish at the elementary level.

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $150.00

Learn More

Level: K–12

Vocabulary acquisition is perhaps the single biggest predictor of language, literacy, and academic success in any language. Therefore, teaching and learning effective vocabulary strategies helps students attain communicative proficiency and literacy in Spanish. Conversely, Spanish educators need to focus on teaching a register that can be understood, and that assists Spanish students in attaining communicative proficiency. This workshop reviews scientifically based vocabulary teaching concepts, strategies, and suggestions that are applicable to the Spanish classroom.

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $150.00

Learn More

Level: K–12

This session focuses on Carol Ann Tomlinson’s work, which explains how foreign language teaching needs to address the differences that occur within students’ learning profiles. Participants explore how Spanish instruction that emphasizes student decision-making and research is more natural and effective than instruction in which students are served a “one-size-fits-all” curriculum. Participants learn how to differentiate Spanish instruction and curriculum in three different areas: Content, Process, and Products.

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $150.00

Learn More

Level: K–12

The acquisition of reading and literacy skills is vital to the development of literacy in any language. This session discusses pre-, during, and post-reading strategies and approaches that make scaffolded reading instruction comprehensible to ALL Spanish learners. Participants discuss the appropriate use of second language strategies for different types of student populations, including native or heritage speakers and foreign language learners.

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $150.00

Learn More

Level: K–12

This session focuses on research that supports the teaching and learning of the English language to K-6 ELL using the academic vocabulary of the content areas as the vehicle of instruction (i.e. Science, Math, Social Studies, etc.) and its practical applications in the ELL classroom. Participants discuss the findings of several researchers and research projects, including Deborah Short and JoAnne Crandall from the Center for Applied Linguistics, the University of Miami’s Gilberto J. Cuevas, Arizona State University’s Yolanda de la Cruz, and the Carnegie Corporation’s Academic Literacy Skills for Algebra project (2006).

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $150.00

Learn More

Level: K–12

This session discusses the research and practice of assessing English language and grade-level academic proficiency in ELL. The session explores a variety of measurement strategies and approaches, including how to use individual, classroom, and school-wide achievement data to gauge ELL progress in acquiring language and content knowledge. It also addresses the importance of standards-based instruction and its alignment with statewide language and academic assessments. Participants create and implement assessment and evaluation tools for both formative and summative purposes.

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $150.00

Learn More

Level: K–12

This session explores a variety of instructional strategies and approaches that help make instruction delivered in English comprehensible to students whose first language is not English and enable ELL to access academic and gradelevel appropriate content. Participants learn and practice strategies derived from second language acquisition theory and practice (Total Physical Response and Storytelling, natural approach, controlled language according to language proficiency, differentiated instruction, etc.).

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $150.00

Learn More

Level: K–12

This session addresses the reading process as an activity designed to help ELL construct meaning from texts. Participants will learn pre-, during, and post-reading strategies to help students understand reading selections. Reading comprehension topics covered include: vocabulary development, identification of main idea and supporting details, summarization, use of context clues, and more.

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $150.00

Learn More

Session participants explore basic principles of foreign language teaching and learning processes. This session also familiarizes teachers with the resources available to enhance the teaching and learning of Spanish as a foreign language in the secondary classroom, including textbooks and ancillaries, manipulatives, both controlled Spanish readers and authentic Spanish language literature (literature written by Spanish speakers for Spanish speakers), technology and Internet resources, and teacher-made materials. Participants learn about, discuss, and model effective techniques for assessing and evaluating Spanish as foreign language students in secondary schools.

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $150.00

Learn More

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $150.00

Learn More

This session explains the importance of integrating reading comprehension with the development of higher thinking skills. Enabling students to read analytically is one of the main goals of the new approach to teaching reading in Spanish. Participants learn and discuss the three main reading skills students must develop: (1) recognize the meaning of a word or phrase within the context of the other ideas presented in the text; (2) identify and understand basic reading forms (beginning, development, resolution; reading genres, types of reading selections, etc.) and (3) identify the relationships between the ideas presented in a reading selection in order to analyze and synthesize the information. The session also explores various factors that contribute to reading comprehension difficulties: lack of interest or lack of concentration, failure to understand a word, a sentence, or relationships among sentences, or failure to understand how information fits together.

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $150.00

Learn More

This session provides practical solutions to the specific needs of secondary Spanish heritage language teachers. Participants benefit from a review and clarification of basic and advanced grammatical and linguistic concepts, including the teaching and learning of spelling and punctuation, verb conjugations, common grammatical and linguistic inaccuracies and common errors made by Spanish heritage speakers living in the U.S. (i.e. Spanish/English false cognates, accent rules, semantic variations, etc.). The session includes opportunities for participants to do hands-on activities and model the strategies presented and also explores various ways in which participants can use Santillana’s Gramática y ortografía para la ESO as a classroom resource or as a student supplemental.

* Offered In Spanish.

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $150.00

Learn More

This session explores the richness of Hispanic multicultural literature and focuses on four research-based pedagogical approaches to teaching literary analysis: Reader Response, Inquiry, Cultural Studies, and Critical Pedagogy. Participants learn, discuss, and model these techniques.

* Offered In Spanish.

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $150.00

Learn More

Level: K–12

This session covers common grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and punctuation errors made by Spanish learners and prescribes “fixes” to avoid these recurrent problems. Helpful tips focus on specific Spanish language errors and provide fun, creative solutions to “remedy” these chronic issues, improving communication skills.

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $150.00

Learn More

Level: K–12

This session addresses strategies that students must develop to read analytically: (a) recognize the meaning of a word or phrase within the content of the other ideas presented in the text; (b) identify and understand basic reading forms, and (c) identify the relationships between the ideas presented in a reading selection in order to analyze and synthesize the information. Participants learn effective, research-based reading strategies to help teach reading in Spanish.

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $150.00

Learn More

Level: 6–12

This session addresses common grammatical issues secondary Spanish heritage language students encounter and strategies to help teachers address these problems. Participants benefit from a review and clarification of basic and advanced grammatical and linguistic concepts, including the teaching and learning of spelling and punctuation, verb conjugations, common grammatical and linguistic inaccuracies, and common errors of heritage speakers living in the U.S. (e.g. Spanish/English false cognates, accent rules, language variation, etc.).

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $150.00

Learn More

Teaching reading enjoyment (beginning with reading aloud) in the early childhood years is crucial to developing a child’s literacy success. This session provides practical reading strategies to help make the most of early childhood reading resources such as concept books, rhyming stories, picture books, counting books, and others.

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $250.00

Learn More

This session focuses on Carol Ann Thomlinson's work, which explains how teaching needs to address the differences that occur within students' learning profiles. Participants explore how instruction that emphasizes student decision-making and research is more natural and effective than instruction in which students are served a "one-size-fits-all" curriculum. Participants learn how to differentiate instruction and curriculum in three different areas: Content, Process, and Products.

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $250.00

Learn More

The acquisition of reading skills is vital to the development of literacy in any language. This session discusses pre-, during, and after reading strategies and approaches that make scaffolded reading instruction comprehensible to ALL students, especially students who have had interrupted formal education (SIFE). Participants learn/discuss the appropriate use of high-interest, low-difficulty reading selections.

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $250.00

Learn More

This session explores teaching strategies and approaches to help SIFE in the acquisition of academic vocabulary, content area knowledge, and literacy skills such as scaffolding instruction to grade level standards and rigor.

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $250.00

Learn More

This session provides teachers and staff with at-risk student populations with strategies to help identify students in need of intervention and to be responsive to their needs. Learn More

Participants learn the tiered approach to intervention outlined by RtI and the activities that both schools and school personnel should address. Learn More

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $150.00

Learn More

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $250.00

Learn More

Participants learn how to structure the limited summer school educational experience to maximize time-on-task instruction. This session explains how to provide students with focused support and intensive academic instruction to help boost grade-level academic knowledge and literacy skills.

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $250.00

Learn More

Sessions provide teachers and support staff with strategies to identify migrant students and be responsive to their needs. Teachers learn how migratory situations impact students' academic knowledge, their language and literacy proficiency, and other factors that affect instruction. Participants develop plans that address the needs of migrant children and youth and learn how schools can implement equal opportunity models.

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $250.00

Learn More

Parents of migrant children need assistance in many areas: how to support their children's education, how to integrate into their communities, understanding the U.S. educational and civics systems, how and where to access support and assistance, etc. These sessions focus on how school staff can better serve the needs of these parents, making school communications accessible, integrating parents into the school's culture, and teaching them strategies to help them support their children's education, etc.

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $250.00

Learn More

Gramática y recursos comunicativos 2 (B1) Learn More

Level: K–5

This session explores the basic principles of foreign language teaching as they apply to the teaching of Spanish in the elementary classroom and to the learning processes that are associated with second language acquisition, communicative competency, and cultural competency. Participants will discuss effective techniques for assessing and evaluating students and will learn about resources available to enhance teaching and learning Spanish at the elementary level.

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $150.00

Learn More

Level: K–5

This session addresses common grammatical issues elementary Spanish heritage language students encounter and strategies to help teachers address these problems. Participants benefit from a review and clarification of basic Spanish grammatical and linguistic concepts, including the teaching and learning of the Spanish phonemic system, spelling and punctuation guidelines, grammatical and linguistic inaccuracies, and common errors made by heritage speakers living in the U.S. (e.g. Spanish/English false cognates, accent rules, language variation, etc.).

*Price established for a maximum of 30 participants. Each additional participant - $150.00

Learn More