On November 3, 2018, The Summit School will host its fall symposium, The Challenges of Comprehension: A Blueprint for a Comprehensive Instructional Approach. Attendees will explore the role of language comprehension and how it contributes to reading proficiency. The speaker, Nancy Hennessy, an experienced teacher and administrator and past president of the International Dyslexia Association, will present evidence-informed instructional approaches necessary for developing critical reading comprehension competencies.
“Academic achievement, to a large degree, is dependent upon a student’s reading comprehension abilities. It’s critical that students have access to effective reading comprehension instruction, particularly those who struggle,” said Dr. Joan Mele-McCarthy, Executive Director of The Summit School. “This is an opportunity to enhance our instructional approach and take these strategies and tools right into the classroom.”
The Summit School expects approximately 200 people to attend the full-day event and continuing education through ASHA and NASP are pending. “It’s an honor to deliver such relevant and timely information to our community. I’d like to thank the many participating Partner Schools that help make the Summit Symposium Series possible,” said Dr. McCarthy.Plans have already been made for the The Summit School spring symposium. On Saturday, March 23, 2019. Dr. Peg Dawson will present: Smart but Scattered: Executive Dysfunction at Home and at School. For more information about the Summit School Symposium Series or to register for the event visit www.thesummitschool.org.
Nancy Hennessy, educational consultant and past president of the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), is an experienced teacher and administrator. While in public schools, she provided leadership in the development of professional learning systems, innovative programming for students who struggle to learn, and a statewide revision of special education code. Nancy co-authored Module 6 of LETRS, Digging for Meaning: Teaching Text Comprehension (2nd edition) with Louisa Moats and was a national trainer for Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS). Additionally, she has written the chapter, Working with Word Meaning: Vocabulary Instruction, in Multisensory Teaching of Basic Skills (4th edition). Most recently, she developed a series of interactive e-workshops, Pathways to Proficient Reading and Proficient Writing, for the AIM Institute for Learning and Research.
