Workshops

Looking for ideas for professional development or conference workshops?

Brenda offers the following workshop topics:

1. Letters and Sounds – Establishing the Foundation for Reading — (approx. 2 hours)

In this session, participants will be given:

  • a brief overview of research and literature on the importance of teaching the alphabetic principle
  • a rationale for focussing on letter sounds and lower case letters
  • a review of phonemic awareness skills
  • suggestions for developing accuracy and automaticity
  • assessment materials
  • suggestions for follow-up activities once letters and sounds are taught

2. Reducing and Reversing Letter Reversals(approx. 1.25 hours)

Letter reversals are a concern in every classroom. In this session, participants will learn:

  • two key strategies to help prevent reversals from happening
  • techniques to correct many of the common reversal problems
  • specific strategies to correct the b — d confusion

Please note: Sessions 1 and 2 can be combined into a full-morning, 3 hour session.

3. An Overview of Itchy’s Alphabet program — (approx. 2.5 hours)

This session is designed to provide those teachers using Itchy’s Alphabet or planning to implement the program with a demonstration of the program and its various components, including:

  • an introduction to and background information on Itchy’s Alphabet
  • a demonstration lesson from the Teaching Guide
  • ways to use the various support materials
  • hands-on activities with alphabet books and favorite children’s story books
  • development of phonological awareness activities

Since getting to a workshop can sometimes be challenging and expensive, Brenda now offers her Letters and Sounds workshop in two alternate formats:

4. Letters And Sounds Live Webinar with GoToMeeting

This 2-hour webinar will focus on best practice techniques to introduce letter sounds and formations to young children. You can participate in this workshop from your home or school computer.

COST: $25/person, minimum 4 people

Organize a group of teachers at your school or in your district who may be interested or, if you don’t have anyone else to join you, email learn@itchysalphabet.com and Brenda will notify you when there is a spot available in an upcoming session.

Sessions can be 2 hours or split into two 1-hour sessions. Brenda is available to do after school or weekend sessions to accommodate a teacher’s schedule. Contact Brenda directly if you would like to customize a session to meet your specific needs.

5. Audio/Video Recording of the Letters and Sounds Workshop

Download this 1 hour 12 minute recording of Brenda’s popular power point presentation and watch it on your own schedule.

COST: $15

Here is what attendees are saying about Brenda’s workshops:

  • “Awesome session!!”
  • “Super”
  • “Brenda Larson was fantastic!”
  • “Excellent presentation! Lots of great ideas and loved the program she uses!”
  • “Brenda was a great speaker. She was open to questions and had lots of knowledge to share. Well organized.”
  • “Got lot out of this workshop!”
  • “Very helpful. I appreciated the systematic approach with emphasis on the visual!”
  • “Brenda was very thorough.”
  • “Thanks for the great tips!”
  • “I loved her ideas on teaching letters and sounds.”