February 2022
ORTIi News & Updates
red mailbox
Happy February!

For the shortest month, there is sure a lot going on! We know this year continues to bring challenges and that you are all tired. We hope you find a few quiet moments to check out some of the resources below. There is a lot to love in this month's newsletter, including a new addition to the Annual Conference line up!

Christie, Lisa, Jon, Beth, Nicole and Brad
photos of anita archer and maryanne wolf
You should have received an email with an opportunity to register for the 2022 Spring Conference. If not, there is a link below. You can also find the amazing line up of presenters we have for you.

Worried about getting a substitute the day of the conference? Can't decide which great session to attend? Wish one of your teammates could hear what you are hearing? Good news! All sessions will be recorded and available on our website the first week in May.

The ORTIi staff will also provide a small number of facilitated team times, held each afternoon of the conference. Look for an announcement regarding how to sign up a district team to talk about scaling the work of improving reading instruction in your setting.

Check out these two powerful interviews with Kareem Weaver
(Audience: All)

We are so excited that we can now announce the addition of Kareem Weaver to our Annual Conference line up. If you want a glimpse into his knowledge and passion about the subject of literacy, here are a few recent samples. You can also hear him on The Reading League's book launch linked further down in this newsletter.
Photo of Kareem Weaver and the Amplify logo
Humility and Accountability: A New Direction in Literacy
student in front of black historical figures
Black History Month Resource Guide for Educators and Families
(Audience: All)

Looking for materials to enhance Black History Month and also to hold up and honor Black voices every day in your classroom and your own home? Here is a very thorough resource. The Center for Racial Justice in Education has a page of links in several different categories.
Students in a classroom
Reading Intervention for Middle School English Learners: Changing the Trajectory
(Audience: Secondary Reading Teachers, Coaches and Admins)

This webinar with Dr. Antonio A. Fierro was really informative about how to support older English Learners who are still not proficient readers. It was good information even for those reading teachers who do not have many ELs. In fact, some of the suggestions for building a robust vocabulary routine would be good for teachers across all content areas!
screenshot of morpheme study
Curious about word parts?
Check out
The Base Bank
(Audience: All)

UK-based educator Jason Wade has compiled an ever-growing file of morphemes, perfect for your robust word study needs. All students benefit from studying how meaning and spelling are related. If you are new to morphology, this blog post is a great resource. Warning, once you start down the road of word parts, it can be a little addicting! Anyone else want students to be thinking of words all the time?!
The science of reading a defining movement logo
The Reading League's
Science of Reading:
A Defining Movement
Book Launch
(Audience: All)

On an early Saturday morning last month, The Reading League held a book launch party hosted by Amplify. Speaker after speaker reiterated the importance of using evidence-aligned reading instruction for ALL students. The short eBook that is available at the link below has a very clear definition of what the Science of Reading is, what evidence aligned reading instruction should consist of, and loads of links to other materials you can use to increase your own knowledge or to support other staff in your setting. Regardless of your level of knowledge of what the Science of Reading is, there is something in this book you can use.
Lit Champs Book Review of
"If only I would have known..."
(Audience: Families)

This is a 5 episode book club led by educator Tre Hadrick along with a group of fathers (a combination of educators and non-educators) who discuss the book "If Only I Would Have Known: What I Wish the Pediatrician, the Preschool Teacher, and the Librarian Would Have Told Me About Language, Literacy, and Dyslexia" written by Faith Borkowsky. The fathers talk about what is important for building literacy skills and what to look for when your child is struggling to learn to read. You can read more about Tre Hadrick (Mr Lit Edu on Instagram) at his blog.

ORTIi's
MTSS Component Modules
(Audience: ALL)

Have you had a chance to check out our new videos that explain each of the components on the ORTIi Framework? Each module has reflection questions that allow you and your team to discuss what each component looks like in your setting. Resources are provided for each topic.

The modules are designed to follow the items on the ORTIi Implementation Rubrics and can be used in a few ways:

  • To provide professional learning to existing staff on the RTI/MTSS components
  • To onboard new staff to the MTSS in your setting.
  • To review the components, as either a district or building leadership team, before assessing your system using the rubrics.

Each module can stand alone and begins with a brief description of the ORTIi Framework that is similar in each one. So if you are binge-watching all the modules, you can skip the first few minutes after the first one.

We would love your feedback on the modules. There is a link to a feedback form on each page, so you can give specific feedback on each module you watch.