Latest Happenings at FUNDAMENTAL LEARNING
Speaking, Exhibiting, Teaching, CONSULTING, MENTORING… AND ALWAYS LEARNING!
orton-gillingham academy – 2023 annual conference
“Unlocking the Structure of the Science of Reading”
boston, massachusetts in-person – march 25, 2023
letters have stories too!
Are you familiar with the convention that English words do not end in the letter <v>? Did you ever wonder why that was so? Every word has a story and a family. You may have heard that words that are related in meaning, are related in spelling. This helps us understand more about why there are letters in words that don’t seem to be there for the purposes of pronunciation. It also helps us to make sense of homophones! But, sometimes it helps to dive even further back into the history of English to learn the story about letters in our alphabet. Letters have stories too! Knowing these stories helps us to see connections between words that at first glance, may not seem to share a spelling, and it also helps us understand some of the reasons for English spelling conventions. Join us as we navigate back through time and explore some interesting connections.
Sessions were recorded and will be available for on-demand viewing between April 3 – July 5, 2023
Fundamental learning goes to iqaluit!
PD week – 3 workshops – February 13 – 17, 2023
I had the rare privilege of traveling to Canada’s far north to work with an incredible group of enthusiastic, dedicated teachers eager to learn more about how to support their students.
Teachers participated in three workshops:
- Structured Literacy – What? Where? When? Why? How?
- Morphology – Words Have Families! Scientific Word Investigation
- Sight Words? Irregular Words? High Frequency Words?It was a fabulous week of learning for all and making new friends.
University of Ottawa – Faculty of Education Fall Workshop – November 5, 2022
Structured Literacy
A shout out to the students and professors in The Faculty of Education at The University of Ottawa for spending their Saturday morning (virtually) with me doing what I love best – talking about words and the English language! We looked at the components of a Structured Literacy approach and evolving research in the field. We learned about orthographic conventions and explored how phonology, morphology, and etymology work together. It was an honour and a privilege to share some of what I wish I had known when I started out in the classroom many years ago. Thank you for your time and commitment to learning how to help ALL of our students learn to read AND write!
MABIN SCHOOL – toronto
Teacher Literacy Development – year long partnership
I have had the pleasure over the last few years of working with several teachers at the Mabin School in Toronto as they have deepened their understanding about English orthography, the relationship between spoken and written language, and what the research says about how students learn to read and write. Now the whole school is on board! We started a year-long partnership with our first session (IN PERSON!!) before the students arrived. It seems fitting that along with a new physical building (note the green hard hat beside me), comes new knowledge building! I am super excited to work with this amazing group of committed teachers and staff.
orton-gillingham academy – 2022 annual conference
word wonderings and wanderings
April 2, 2022
Come explore the sometimes obvious, but often surprising connections between words. See the importance of understanding the history of English as we wend and wind our way from word to word, considering how phonology, morphology, and etymology influence the underlying structures of our writing system.
ADM, CT, F/FIT, PFA, PSY, RS, TU; CAL; INTRO, INTER, ADV
tHUNDER BAY CATHOLIC SCHOOL BOARD
Teacher Literacy Development – Learning and Innovation Project
Teachers with the Thunder Bay Catholic School Board embarked on a 4 month journey this spring (2022) to learn more about our complex, but coherent and logical spelling system, the relationship between spoken and written language, and current research about how we learn to read (and write!), with the goal of deepening their own understanding so they can implement strong literacy practices in their classrooms.
This was spearheaded by a wonderful teacher in the board who has been learning on her own and seeing amazing results with students! She has inspired others to learn along with her!
University of ottawa – faculty of education WORKSHOP
It was an amazing morning spent with 70+ B.Ed. students, instructors and teachers who took time out of their weekend to learn about literacy! I am thankful for the opportunity to share what I wish I had known when I started out teaching.
Here are some of the words that the students built using the <tract> matrix!
virtual WORKSHOP
University of Ottawa – Faculty of Education
January 29, 2022 live with recording available to all uOttawa B.Ed. students, Associate Teachers and instructors/professors
Structured Literacy – What? Where? When? Why? How?
KEYNOTE – VIRTUAL conference
Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board – P.D. Day – November 16, 2021
– Sunset P.D. follow up
Structured Literacy – What? Where? When? Why? How?
Are you curious about “The Science of Reading”? Have you heard of “Structured Literacy,” but you are not exactly sure what it is and how it differs from other practices? If so, you are not alone. This presentation will give an overview of the Science of Reading and outline the elements of Structured Literacy: what it is, how it is taught, where and when it should happen, and the reasons why this explicit, systematic approach to teaching language skills is getting so much attention.
VIRTUAL CONFERENCE PRESENTATION
Orton Gillingham Academy – The Breadth and Depth of the Orton-Gillingham Approach – April 10, 2021
Using Morphology in Content Subject Areas
There is a growing body of research showing positive effects of morphological instruction on phonological awareness, morphological awareness, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and spelling, with the strongest effects for the youngest students and those struggling with literacy. Although morphology is most often thought of as something taught in language lessons, teachers of all subjects can harness the power of exploring word structure in order to teach vocabulary and deep understanding of concepts for all students. This session will take participants through examples of how word study can build a deeper understanding of concepts in a particular subject, and show how this knowledge can transfer into other subject areas, thereby lessening overall cognitive load on students.
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VIRTUAL CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS:
Learning Disabilities Association of Halton-Hamilton – March 6, 2021
10th Solutions for Learning Conference
- Structured Literacy
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Virtual workshop
STRUCTURED LITERACY OVERVIEW Oakbridges Academy – August 26, 2020
- This was a wonderful full-day workshop with this amazing school learning about Structured Literacy and how to better support their students!
Rotherglen Professional Development Day
November 8, 2019
Forty-five primary teachers at Rotherglen School in Oakville, Ontario spent their professional development day with Liisa learning about dyslexia and structured literacy.
Speaking at First Nations Special Education Sharing Forum – Striving Forward: Supporting Student Success
April 17, 2019
Phonological Awareness and Incorporating Multisensory Instruction
There is an abundance of research on the importance of Phonological Awareness and its role in the development of word-level reading skills. Phonological Awareness refers to the ability to attend to the phonological structure (sounds) of language, or how oral language can be divided into smaller components and manipulated. It has been shown that lack of phonemic awareness is often associated with difficulty in learning to read and new research by David Kilpatrick indicates that advanced phonemic awareness is critical to becoming a fluent reader. The good news is that phonological awareness can be developed though carefully planned instruction starting at a young age.
Speaking at LDAO Halton Solutions for Learning Conference – Breakthrough to Excellence –
March 21, 2019 – Burlington, Ontario
Phonological Awareness and Incorporating Multisensory Instruction
There is an abundance of research on the importance of Phonological Awareness and its role in the development of word-level reading skills. Phonological Awareness refers to the ability to attend to the phonological structure (sounds) of language, or how oral language can be divided into smaller components and manipulated. It has been shown that lack of phonemic awareness is often associated with difficulty in learning to read and new research by David Kilpatrick indicates that advanced phonemic awareness is critical to becoming a fluent reader. The good news is that phonological awareness can be developed though carefully planned instruction starting at a young age.
Special Education Technician,Patrik Lowen, and Liisa Freure
Giving Keynote Presentation at First Nations Special Education Sharing Forum – Building Capacity in Education – January 30, 2019 – Sault Ste Marie, Ontario
DYSLEXIA 101 – What Every Teacher Needs to Know
Dyslexia is the most common type of learning disability, and one of the most common causes of reading, writing and spelling difficulties. It exists across a spectrum, ranging from mild to severe, and occurs in people of all backgrounds and intellectual levels. The impact that dyslexia has is different for each person and depends on the severity of the condition and the timeliness and effectiveness of instruction or remediation. This introductory session will help attendees understand what dyslexia is (and what it is not), the signs and symptoms over the ages and stages, and the type of instruction that is essential to their learning.
Speaking at ONBIDA’s 12th annual Literacy and Learning Conference, “Early Identification and Intervention Strategies,”
Toronto, Ontario – November 3rd, 2018
Liisa’s presentation, “What Makes O-G, O-G?”, focused on going beyond labels to understand WHAT practices and skills most benefit ALL students and are especially important for those who struggle with dyslexia.
The term “Orton-Gillingham” is widely used by different people to mean different things, even by those familiar with its history. What are the underlying principles of the O-G approach, and how might current research and evolving understanding of the structure of the English language impact practices?
Presenting at the 18th annual AOGPE Conference “Dyslexia On My Mind”
Boston, Massachusetts April 28-29, 2017
Investigating Morphology using a Structured Word Inquiry Approach
Liisa Freure, F/AOGPE, Owner, Fundamental Learning, Toronto, Canada
This workshop, given to 120 attendees, introduced the basics of a structured word inquiry approach. Using examples of word sums and matrices as tools we investigated the morphological structure of words and the relationships between words that share morphemes.
CT, F/FIT, OGP, RS, TU, CAL; INTRO, INTER; Subscriber Course
Speaking at Understanding Dyslexia Conference
November 12, 2016 – Toronto, Canada
On Saturday, November 12, 2016, Liisa Freure was honoured to be one of several speakers invited to give a presentation to a sold-out crowd as part of Canada’s first Understanding Dyslexia Conference hosted by the Ontario Branch of the International Dyslexia Association (ONBIDA) in partnership with Decoding Dyslexia Ontario. Liisa’s presentation was on Teacher Training and Dyslexia: What Our Teachers Need to Know and What Our Colleges Need to Be Doing to Help Them,
FUNDAMENTAL LEARNING also exhibited and met with many parents and teachers who were interested in learning more about training and how to support students with dyslexia.
Click here for the full Conference agenda to see the list of speakers and topics. Also, check out https://dyslexiclibrary.com‘s amazing Photo Essay coverage of the conference. What a great day of learning and connecting with like-minded individuals. Well done, ONBIDA and Decoding Dyslexia!
Liisa Freure spoke at the first Canadian Understanding Dyslexia Conference for Parents, Families, and Educators at Harbourfront Centre in Toronto.
Presenting at ONBIDA 11th Annual Literacy and Learning Conference – March 2016
Liisa Freure presented a workshop at the ONBIDA 11th Annual Literacy and Learning Conference – Finding Success in the Classroom – held at the Ontario Science Center in Toronto on March 5th, 2016. Liisa’s workshop was entitled: Beyond “Magic E”: An Introduction to Syllables and a few Basic Spelling Patterns. Fundamental Learning was an exhibitor.
ONBIDA’s 10th Annual Literacy and Learning Conference
Fundamental Learning exhibited at the 10th Annual Literacy and Learning Conference in 2014 hosted by the Ontario Branch of the International Dyslexia Association (ONBIDA).
Practicum Supervision
Teachers who have completed their Orton-Gillingham coursework are now ready to begin working on a supervised practicum with students. This is a wonderful opportunity to receive tutoring from a teacher who has completed an intensive training program and is putting theory into practice while continuing to work under the guidance of a Fellow of the Academy. You have the benefit of two committed and skilled teachers!
Practicum Supervision
Teachers who have completed their Orton-Gillingham coursework are now ready to begin working on a supervised practicum with students. This is a wonderful opportunity to receive tutoring from a teacher who has completed an intensive training program and is putting theory into practice while continuing to work under the guidance of a Fellow of the Academy. You have the benefit of two committed and skilled teachers!