MTSLD - Local and National Perspectives: The Right to Read and Beyond

Event is FULL - Currently not accepting registrations

FULL - MTSLD AGM

FULL - Keynote: Right to Read

We will be discussing the recommendations of the Ontario Human Rights Commission Report - Right to Read and its implications for educators in Manitoba and across Canada.

Presenter: Dr. Kathryn Garforth, Garforth Education and Dr. Valdine Björnson, MTSLD President

Time: 8:45 am - 9:15 am

Suitable for: All Educators, Administration, Student Teachers

FULL - Manitoba Human Rights Commission Updates

Karen Sharma from the Manitoba Human Rights Commission will be sharing updates on the Commission’s work with the right to read in Manitoba.

Presenter: Karen Sharma, Manitoba Human Rights Commission

Time: 9:15 am - 9:30 am

Suitable for: All Educators, Administration, Student Teachers

FULL - A.1 - Fun and Games: Increasing Student Engagement during OG Lessons with Young Learners

The session is aimed at Kindergarten to Grade 3 teachers who are looking for engaging activities and games to use during their OG sessions with young learners.

Presenter: Karen Tremblay-Eley, Quebec Association of Independent Schools, The Priory School

I am an Associate level Orton-Gillingham practitioner who teaches students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 at an independent school in Montreal, Quebec.

Time: 9:30 am - 10:30 am

Suitable for: All Educators, Administration, Student Teachers

FULL - A.2 - Numeracy Development and Dyscalculia

This session will focus on the foundational skills important for math learning, and the factors associated with developmental dyscalculia. This talk will be best for educators who work with children from Pre-K to Grade 4.

Presenter: Dr. Stephanie Bugden, University of Winnipeg

I am a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Winnipeg. My research focuses the cognitive and neural processes associated with early numerical development in typically developing children and children with dyscalculia

Time: 9:30 am - 10:30 am

Suitable for: Pre-K - Grade 4

FULL - A.3 - Using the Psych-Ed to Understand Your Student

A psychoeducational assessment can be a very intimidating document and many teachers feel overwhelmed with the idea of reading through the report. However, this report is filled with important information that can heIp you understand your student and their learning needs. Even a report that is a few years old has valuable information you can use to better support your student.

Presenter: Dr. Kathryn Garforth, Garforth Education, British Columbia

Dr. Kathryn Garforth has a PhD in Educational Psychology and Special Education with a specialization in Learning Disabilities.

Time: 9:30 am - 10:30 am

Suitable for: All Educators, Administration, Student Teachers

FULL - A.4 - Reading Development and Dyslexia - Joint Session U of M & U of W

We will speak on factors related to reading development, and the difficulties in reading and other perceptual processes that affect children with dyslexia. This session would be best for educators who work with children from Pre-K to grade 4.

Presenters: Dr. Amy Desroches, University of Winnipeg and Dr. Richard Kruk, University of Manitoba

Amy Desroches is a Professor in Psychology at the University of Winnipeg who studies the cognitive and neural basis of reading and language development and dyslexia.

Richard Kruk is a Professor in School Psychology at the University of Manitoba who studies the perceptual, cognitive, and language factors that underlie reading development and reading difficulty.

Time: 9:30 am - 10:30 am

Suitable for: Pre-K - Grade 4

FULL - B.1 - Sound Walls for Your Classroom

Are you using a word wall but not finding it as effective as you would like? Sound Walls focus on building phonological awareness skills to support learners in decoding and spelling and this supports reading comprehension and written expression. Let’s discuss what a SOUND WALL is, how to begin to build one in your classroom and the dramatic impact it can have on the learning of students with learning disabilities (and ALL learners)! The work of Louisa Moats and will be discussed in building your learning.

Presenter: Kelly Gibbs, Gibbs Educational Consulting, Alberta

Kelly Gibbs, MEd is a Reading Specialist, a teacher of various types of learners including students with learning disabilities, a sessional instructor at the University of Alberta and a professional development presenter with the Edmonton Regional Learning Consortium (ERLC).

Time: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Suitable for: All Educators, Administration, Student Teachers

FULL - B.2 - Transitioning from High School to Post-Secondary: Supports for Students with LD

Planning for the transition from high school to post-secondary for students with LDs is important and helps ensure timely supports for the student. This session will discuss supports, funding, and collaborations to support students in this transition. A discussion on how we can encourage self-advocacy skills development will be included.

Presenter: Michelle Magnusson, Student Accessibility Coordinator, Brandon University

A retired speech-language pathologist with experiences working with all ages, Michelle is the Student Accessibility Coordinator at Brandon University and enjoys supporting post-secondary students with accommodations, technology and learning assistance.

Time: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Suitable for: All Educators, Administration, Student Teachers

FULL - B.3 - Using the Psych-Ed to Understand Your Student

Session 2 focuses on how to use the Psycho-Educational Assessment and interventions to inform your Individual Education Program.

Presenter: Dr. Kathryn Garforth, Garforth Education, British Columbia

Dr. Kathryn Garforth has a PhD in Educational Psychology and Special Education with a specialization in Learning Disabilities.

Time: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Suitable for: All Educators, Administration, Student Teachers

FULL - B.4 - Structured Literacy in FSL: Equity and Inclusion in Bilingual Programs

I will share how a Structured Literacy approach is ESSENTIAL for students with Reading Disabilities, such as Dyslexia. I will share information I learned from my Orton-Gillingham training on how students with Dyslexia learn to read and how an explicit, systematic, sequential approach to reading instruction that incorporates PA, Phonics, reading fluency and vocabulary knowledge is critical for these students but benefits ALL students. I will also address the OHRC's RTR report and how we are lacking in teacher training and knowledge on how to teach the foundational skills that are needed for decoding words off the page. I will explain that French Immersion students with Dyslexia need the same explicit, systematic, sequential instruction in PA and Phonics that their English program peers need and switching a Dyslexic student to the English program will not erase their reading difficulties; reading disabilities are cross-linguistic and the reading problems will persist in either language until students receive the instruction and accommodations they need.

Presenter: Kimberly Lockhart, Limestone District School Board, Ontario

Kim Lockhart is a French Immersion, Special Education teacher with Orton-Gillingham training and has adapted a Structured Literacy approach in her French Immersion school to ensure FSL students learn to read, write and feel successful in the bilingual program.

In this presentation, Kim Lockhart will share her knowledge of the Science of Reading and her classroom experience using a Structured Literacy approach to reading and writing instruction in the Early French Immersion program. Kim will share the reading research, recommendations from the OHRC's Right to Read Report, and practical classroom strategies that align with the OHRC's recommendations. Participants will leave this workshop with hands-on, evidence-based tools and strategies that will enable ALL students to read, write, speak and feel successful in FSL programs across Canada.

Time: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Please note that this session is pre-recorded.

Suitable for: All Educators, Administration, Student Teachers

FULL - C.1 - Parent-Educator Q&A Session

We will have an informative and interactive session for educators and families about navigating and working within the school system to best advocate for our learners with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia. Please come with your questions!

Presenters: John Harding, dyslexic and parent of child with dyslexia
Carrie Wood, parent of a child with dyslexia. Educator and dyslexia advocate. Tutor for the Learning Disabilities Association of Manitoba
Dr. Valdine Björnson, Facilitator & MTSLD President

Time: 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Suitable for: All Educators, Administration, Student Teachers

FULL - C.2 - Technology Supports for Students with Learning Disabilities in Post-Secondary Education

The presenters will provide an overview of a variety of assistive technology to support students with learning disabilities in the post-secondary setting. Many of these tools can be introduced in high school. Technology to support reading, writing, note taking, and study skills will be discussed.

Presenters: Michelle Magnusson and Morganna Malyon, Student Accessibility, Brandon University

The presenters support students with disabilities at Brandon University through Student Accessibility Services.

Time: 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Suitable for: All Educators, Administration, Student Teachers

FULL - C.3 - The Importance of Proper Instruction Designed for Those with Learning Disabilities

Part 1 of 2: This session is for everyone in the education system (K to post-secondary); friends, family, and individuals; and local representatives. She will present the three learning disabilities, the reasons why early interventions are needed, the best teaching methodology for those with learning disabilities, and the sources for learning Orton-Gillingham knowledge and practices. She will explain the consequences of not receiving proper instruction and that literacy (reading, spelling, written expression, and math) is a human right. Please know IQ is not related to learning disabilities, and it is never too late to learn, but proper interventions will be more intensive if not given early.

Presenter: Twila Richards, Orton-Gillingham practitioner, Manitoba Educator, and learning disabilities advocate.

Twila Richards has firsthand experience with learning disabilities as a Manitoba Educator, an OG practitioner, a parent, a family member, and an individual; therefore, she comprehends the necessity of early identification and, most importantly, necessary ways of instruction.

Time: 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Suitable for: All Individuals

FULL - D.1 - Thinking About Nature-Based Learning with Disability

Spending time in nature has shown to improve the mental health, well-being, and behavior of children (Bowler et al, 2010; Townsend & Weerasuriya, 2010). The human cost of alienation from nature includes diminished use of senses, attention difficulties, and higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses. Nature-based learning approaches can have tremendous benefits for all children, including those with learning disabilities of varying types. This presentation will focus on the impact that nature-based schooling can have on students and educators, particularly in early years schooling.

Presenter: Shelley Kokorudz, Faculty of Ed. Brandon University

Time: 2:15 pm - 3:15 pm

Suitable for: All Educators, Administration, Student Teachers

FULL - D.2 - People with Dyslexia in Winnipeg: Experiences as Children and Adults

This research study identifies and reflects on the experiences of adults with dyslexia “through the eyes of a dyslexic.” This study shows that adults with dyslexia struggled with the formal education system, as children and as adults. The study also illustrates the coping strategies employed by adults with dyslexia.

Presenter: Natalia Jackson, Reading and Learning Clinic of Manitoba

Time: 2:15 pm - 3:15 pm

Suitable for: All Educators, Administration, Student Teachers

FULL - D.3 - The Importance of Proper Instruction Designed for Those with Learning Disabilities

Part 2 of 2: This session is for everyone in the education system (K to post-secondary); friends, family, and individuals; and local representatives. She will present the three learning disabilities, the reasons why early interventions are needed, the best teaching methodology for those with learning disabilities, and the sources for learning Orton-Gillingham knowledge and practices. She will explain the consequences of not receiving proper instruction and that literacy (reading, spelling, written expression, and math) is a human right. Please know IQ is not related to learning disabilities, and it is never too late to learn, but proper interventions will be more intensive if not given early.

Presenter: Twila Richards, Orton-Gillingham practitioner, Manitoba Educator, and learning disabilities advocate.

Twila Richards has firsthand experience with learning disabilities as a Manitoba Educator, an OG practitioner, a parent, a family member, and an individual; therefore, she comprehends the necessity of early identification and, most importantly, necessary ways of instruction.

Time: 2:15 pm - 3:15 pm

Suitable for: All Individuals