Joan Sedita
Joan Sedita, M.Ed. is the founder of Keys to Literacy, a literacy professional development organization working with educators throughout the U.S. Joan has been in the literacy field for over 40 years as a teacher, administrator, and teacher trainer. She has authored multiple literacy professional development programs, including The Key Comprehension Routine, The Key Vocabulary Routine, Keys to Beginning Reading, Keys to Content Writing, Keys to Early Writing, Understanding Dyslexia, and Adolescent Literacy. Beginning in 1975, she worked for 23 years at the Landmark School, a pioneer in the development of literacy intervention programs. As a teacher, principal, and director of the Outreach Teacher Training Program at Landmark, Joan developed expertise, methods, and instructional programs that address the literacy needs of students in grades K-12. Joan was one of the three lead trainers in MA for the Reading First Program and was a LETRS author and trainer. Joan received her M.Ed. in Reading from Harvard University and her B.A. from Boston College.
Concurrent Session Description
The Writing Rope: Evidence-Based Writing Instruction
Joan Sedita
(Writing, Spelling, Components of Literacy Instruction, Curriculum, General Science of Reading)
This workshop includes an overview of The Writing Rope model for writing instruction (Sedita, 2019). Many teachers do not recognize that effective writing instruction must address multiple components, represented as strands in a rope in this model. An explanation with references to research findings will be provided for the five strands: 1) Critical Thinking (generating ideas and information, stages of the writing process), 2) Syntax (syntactic awareness, sentence elaboration, punctuation), 3) Text Structure (narrative, informational, opinion; paragraph structure; patterns of organization, 4) Writing Craft (awareness of task, audience, purpose; word choice; literary devices, 5) Transcription (spelling and handwriting fluency). This workshop addresses writing instruction across grades 3-12.
Target Audience: Elementary, Middle/Jr. High, High School
Education Track(s): New to the Science of Reading, Advanced Science of Reading, Leadership
Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices
Joan Sedita
(Special Ed, Dyslexia, Other Learning Challenges, Writing, Components of Literacy, Instruction, Adolescent Literacy, General Science of Reading)
Participants will develop an understanding of the literacy instruction needs of students in grades 5-12. Topics include adolescent literacy defined, research on effective reading/writing instruction across multiple tiers of instruction, teaching strategies for content literacy in all subjects (vocabulary, comprehension, writing about content), causes of difficulty for older students including dyslexia and executive function, and recommendations for interventions that target individual student needs.
Target Audience: Elementary, Middle/Jr. High, High School
Education Track(s): New to the Science of Reading, Advanced Science of Reading, Leadership