October 2021
ORTIi News & Updates

Greetings from Oregon Response to Instruction and Intervention
green yellow and red leaves on the road
Throughout my life, October has always been one of the most inspiring times of the year to me. It is the evolving colors all around us that signify the change to come. It is also the power and majesty of the beautiful gathering storm that reminds us of our humility and responsibilities.

October has another important significance that provides much to be inspired by - it is recognized across the world as Dyslexia Awareness Month! This marks the time where we are all called to unite our energy, like the beautiful gathering storm, to raise awareness of dyslexia’s impact and prevalence, and to share resources and the advancement of best practices in reading instruction for individuals impacted by dyslexia. We can be further inspired because we know that reading instruction based in best practices to support students with dyslexia is also really great reading instruction for all individuals learning to read.   

In honor of Dyslexia Awareness Month and in celebration of best practices in reading instruction for all students, we are inviting you to join us for our Fall Reading Symposium on October 26th, 2021 from 9:00AM to 12:00PM (PST). We are very excited to be joined by an amazing lineup of presenters for this day of learning, and we are extremely honored to present Dr. Tracy Weeden as our keynote speaker for this event. Information about the Fall Reading Symposium can be found below. Registration is open now. We hope to see you there!

We also encourage you to take advantage of the opportunities offered this month to advance our collective knowledge and skills to improve reading instruction for students with dyslexia and all learners. Below you will find information about valuable resources and learning opportunities we believe can support you and others to impact change and improve reading instruction for all students.  


Brad Thorud
Director, Oregon Response to Instruction and Intervention
It's almost here!
ORTIi Fall Virtual Reading Symposium
(Audience: Elementary Teachers & Leaders, Secondary Reading Teachers)

We are bringing together another great group of national presenters for our half-day
Fall Virtual Reading Symposium, 8:00-12:00 on October 26th.

Join us for an inspiring keynote presentation from Tracy Weeden titled "Closing the Perception Gap: Key Considerations for What Educators Need to Know and Do So That Literacy Liberates". The six breakout sessions will give teachers and leaders great ideas for ways to shift and fine-tune reading practices based in the science of reading so that we can teach each and every student how to read.

This incredible line up will once again be free and recorded. Even if you can't attend live, you will be able to use the recordings to supplement your professional learning plans for the year.

For a look at the session list, click here for the conference program and to register. The Zoom and Presenter Resource Folders will be available a few days before the event.
We are going virtual!
ORTIi Annual Spring Conference
Audience: All

Due to ongoing concerns about staff and substitute shortages (as well as a looming venue cancellation deadline), we have decided to move to a fully virtual ORTIi Annual Spring Conference on April 28-29, 2022. We know many of you already have this event on your calendars, so we hope that you will still be able to bring teams together in your location to view the sessions and share what you have learned. If you can't watch the sessions as they happen, they will be recorded so that you can continue to build staff knowledge of MTSS and Reading.
Picture of the Language Comprehension strands of the Reading Rope
Professional Learning Videos from
PaTTAN Literacy Hub
(Audience: All)

The Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network has curated a selection of videos that address the language strands of the Reading Rope. These videos are great resources for professional development for reading teachers of all levels (and also for content area teachers in secondary who are wondering how best to support reading).
multicolored letters
More Great Tips from
The Reading Science Academy
(Audience: Kindergarten Teachers)

If your school does not have a core reading program, and you need a scope and sequence for teaching letters and sounds, Stephanie Stollar has a document for you. This is not meant to replace the one in your adopted program if you have one but is still a good read because of the rationale she gives for the order.

For more learning about instruction grounded in what science tells us about reading, check out her whole web site here.

Why Racial Literacy and Strong Foundational Skills are Essential to Equitable Education.
(Audience: All)

Pivot Learning had a conversation with Zaretta Hammond about culturally responsive teaching and the importance of reading foundational skills. This short (16 minute) video is worth a listen!
Reading Buddies Title
New Early Literacy Show from
The Reading League
(Audience: Preschool and K/1 children and their families)

The Reading League has created a children's show to support early literacy skills, including phonemic awareness, phonics, letter formation, and more. The episodes are available on their YouTube Channel. This could be a good resource to share with families of young children and/or to use as a supplement if you have kindergarteners in quarantine.
Photo of Jan Hasbrook
CORE Presents
Supporting Students with Dyslexia: Early Identification and Effective Intervention
(Audience: elementary teachers and leaders and secondary reading teachers)

Besides the ORTIi Reading Symposium, there is another opportunity to hear from reading expert Jan Hasbrouck this month from CORE. This webinar on October 6th at 1:00 PT is a great way to kick off Dyslexia Awareness Month. Even if you can't watch it live, go ahead and register and you will get a recording.
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