WordWork Presentations and Workshops
A metacognitive approach to teaching early literacy

Objective:

Elementary literacy instruction has come to the forefront of public attention in the last several years. Despite our growing understanding of how children learn to read, current reading programs leave a substantial proportion of students unable to read independently and with ease. During this Institute, WordWork (Calfee, 1995) will be introduced to address these problems.

Content to be Presented:

WordWork for grades K-2,  is not a blend of previous methods but is a new approach to decoding, spelling and vocabulary based on the metaphonics principle. Curricula emphasize conceptual understanding, active participation, small-group problem solving, practice, and reflective analysis. Instead of being a set of highly scripted lessons as found in some programs, it is a professional development program incorporating the policies and practices seen in literature-based classrooms and the principles of social-cognitive learning. It is based on the findings from research in cognitive psychology, linguistics, and rhetoric. During intensive workshops, teachers are provided with a secure, conceptual understanding of the nature of reading and instructional strategies that can be incorporated into any existing program.

Methods of Presenting Content:

The morning session will be spent actively learning about the WordWork program. Participants will be grouped by grade levels, provided with program materials, and explore the guiding principles upon which the program is based. The afternoon begins by reviewing the research which examines the program in real public school settings over the past three years. The second breakout session will be devoted to discussing and demonstrating ways that WordWork can be incorporated throughout all aspects of the language arts curriculum. The role of authentic assessment will also be explored.

Intended for classroom, special education, speech teachers, and reading consultants, grades K-2
Registration Limit: 100

Sample One-Day Workshop, 8 hours

Welcome, Dr.Guy Trainin, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Program Overview, Dr. Kathleen Wilson, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Breakout Session—Pick one

Workshop: WordWork, K-2
Guy Trainin, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Workshop: Integrating WordWork/Authentic Assessment into the Reading and Writing Curriculum (K-2)
Kathleen Wilson, University of Nebraska, Lincoln

Breakout sessions—Pick One

Workshop: Strategies for Improving Comprehension of Narrative Text
Kathleen Wilson, University of Nebraska, Lincoln

Workshop: Strategies for Improving Comprehension of Expository Text
Guy Trainin, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Small group discussions—How Can We Implement What We’ve Learned?

Summary and Closing Statements, Guy Trainin

Materials Include: Curriculum folder, cd, letter tiles, games, etc. for each participant