Azalea A

Meeting for First Time Conferees

Facilitator: Ann Carneal Murphy, Barry University

Summary: Learn helpful hints for getting the most from the conference sessions.

EXHIBITS OPEN

 8:00 – 3:00 p.m.

7:00 – 8:00

Jasmine

FRA DELEGATES ASSEMBLY AND LEADERSHIP BREAKFAST

Presiding: Janey Adams, FRA President

Awards:  Michelle Kelley, State Director of Membership

IRA Representative:  Mary Ellen Vogt, IRA President

Business Meeting

Sponsored by Harcourt

Third General Session

 Citrus Ballroom

Presiding:  Sharon Hogan, FRA Secretary

Presentation of Scholarships/Awards:  Elizabeth Gehron, FRA Board

Introduction of Speaker:  Ellen Supran, FRA Board

Speaker:  Timothy V. Rasinski, author of The Fluent Reader:  Oral Reading Strategies for Building Word Recognition, Fluency, and Comprehension; Kent State University Reading Clinic Director; IRA Board of Directors

Topic:  Reading Fluency:  Key to Successful Reading

Dr. Rasinski defines the critical reading concept of reading fluency and shares an approach or two for its effective instruction in the classroom.

Sponsored by Red Brick Learning

Special Interest Group

Coquina

 6-12

Secondary Reading Council of Florida

Speaker:  James Dean, Innovative Learning Group

Chair:      Lela-Anne Carroll, SRCF President

Topic: Thinking Maps - Tools for Learning

Sponsored by the Innovative Learning Group

Featured Speaker

Siesta/Biscayne

Energizing Your Classroom

Speaker: William McBride, Educational Consultant, author of Entertaining an Elephant

Chair:      M. Patricia Camber, FRA Board

Summary: Dr. McBride’s interactive workshop presents practical activities that get students involved in content area reading.  Learn research-based methodologies that you can use immediately in your classroom.

Sponsored by McDougall Littell/Houghton Mifflin and Florida Reading Association

Daytona

K-3

Comprehend Comprehension:  Build the Reading Comprehension Skills Students Need to Succeed

Speaker: Erika M. Simono, Consultant, Saxon Publishers

Chair: Ann Smith

Summary: Learn how to use fluency and decodable readers to teach reading comprehension strategically to increase awareness and improve performance. 

Paradise

K-6

Saddle Up and Ride Into Literature-Supported Curriculum

Speakers: Catherine M. Murphy, Erika Beagle, Dawn Gould, Jami Kilpatrick, Kelly McCarter, Charles Quirk, Kathryn M. Rush, Rose Sousa, and Tessa Thompson, Students, University of Central Florida

Chair: Judy Moore

Summary: Get great ideas, benchmark connections, sample lessons, and brainstorming opportunities that employ literature-based activities to enrich elementary math, science and social studies.

Cocoa

PreK-3

Integrate the FRA Children’s Book Award Winner Across Your Classroom Curriculum

Speaker: Shannon M. Ayrish, W.T. Moore Elementary School, Leon County

Chair: Andrea Rosenblatt

Summary: Get lesson plans, activities, and resources for using the books nominated for the FRA Children’s Book Award, featuring the 2003-2004 award winner.

Oleander A

K-8

The Bag Ladies “Round Up” an ALL New Make-n-Take Workshop

Speakers: Karen Simmons and Cindy Guinn, School District of Palm Beach County, co-owners of The Bag Ladies Inc.

Chair: Sherida Weaver

Summary: “Anytime is Summertime” as the Bag Ladies round up a wrapsack full of make-n- takes to motivate students’ reading skills, and that’s no nonfiction!

K-6

Cues and Clues for Building Good Learners

Speakers: Teresa Heidger, Beth Stevens, and Rachel Chappell, Sarasota County Schools

Chair: Sherida Weaver

Summary: Learn researched-based strategies in reading, writing, and math presented through hands-on techniques by "The Apron Ladies."

Featured Author

10:00 – 11:00

 Oleander B

K-12

Math Literacy—The Next Frontier

Speaker: Greg Tang, author of Math Appeal and The Grapes of Math

Chair:      Tammy Johnson, FRA Board

Summary: Did you ever feel like you were missing the “math gene?” Well, it wasn’t missing—it was just waiting to be discovered! Join Greg Tang in discovering how poems, art, and even art history can make math engaging, enlightening, and exciting. Math will never be the same!

Other books include Math Fables, Math-terpieces, Math for All Seasons, and The Best of Times

Sponsored by Florida Reading Association

Featured Author

10:00 – 11:00

Cedar/Marathon

K-12

Picture Books as a Springboard to Literacy Activities

Speaker: Steven L. Layne, author of Thomas’s Sheep and the Great Geography Test, The Teachers’ Night Before Christmas, and My Brother Dan’s Delicious

Chair:      Katherine Caputo, FRA Board

Summary: Picture books are a valuable resource for scaffolding literacy activities at any grade level, and Steven L. Layne will show you how to make it happen!  Come prepared for a lively and engaging session full of practical ideas which use picture books as a vehicle for expanding students’ reading and writing experiences.

Other books include This Side of Paradise, Verses for Dad’s Heart, The Principal’s Night Before Christmas, Thomas’s Sheep and the Spectacular Science Project, and Life’s Literacy Lessons:  Poems for Teachers

Sponsored by Florida Reading Association

Featured Authors

Madeira

 K-8

Creating Readers with Poetry and Song

Speakers: Nile Stanley, author of Creating Readers with Poetry,                                                 University of North Florida, Maupin House Publishing

 Gary Dulabaum, author of My Teacher Rides a Harley, Maupin House Publishing, Amber Circle Music

Chair: Linda Dacks, FRQ Staff

Summary: Join author and performance poet Nile Crocodile and author, musician, comedian Gary Dulabaum for a rockin’ and rhymin’ good time.  Get strategies for using poetry and songs to develop children’s phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing.

Sponsored by Maupin House Publishing and Florida Reading Association

Featured Speaker

Oleander B

K-6

Constructivist Word Learning

Speaker: Timothy V. Rasinski, author of The Fluent Reader:  Oral Reading Strategies for Building Word Recognition, Fluency, and Comprehension

Chair:      Gail Hannas, FRA Board

Summary: Guiding students in building their own word knowledge and understanding is a key to phonics and vocabulary development.  Dr. Rasinski shares approaches for teaching words using a constructivist framework.

Sponsored by Red Brick Learning

Featured Author

Azalea A/B

K-6

Writing and Listening to Kids’ Points of View:  How to Write Nonfiction Books About Their State

Speaker: Carol Crane

Chair:      Sharon Searcy, FRA Board

Summary: Ms. Crane explains how she interviews kids about their state so that both writer and readers share the writing experience.

Books include S is for Sunshine:  A Florida Alphabet, L is for Last Frontier:  An Alaska Alphabet, L is for Lone Star:  A Texas Alphabet, and Sunny Numbers:  A Florida Counting Book

Sponsored by Florida Reading Association

Ormond

3-8

High-Return Nonfiction Vocabulary Strategies

Speaker: Shannon Cannon, Coughlan Publishing

Chair: Leslie Spector

Summary: Get more out of your vocabulary instruction with research-based strategies for developing effective vocabulary skills to use with nonfiction text.  

Venice

4-8

Voice Whizardry:  Helping Kids Find the Magic of Personal Writing Voice

Speaker: S. Maitland Schrecengost, Mauphin House Publishing

Chair: Pam LaRiviere

Summary: Help students individualize writing by learning the power and magic of their personal writing voices and how to personalize write-on-demand prompts leading to higher-scoring papers.

Madeira

1-6

TECST II:  Teachers Exploring Comprehension STrategies, Phase II

Speakers: Karri Williams, Dianne Corbridge, Linda Garrett, Suzanne Rogers, and Beth Warren, University of Central Florida and Brevard County Schools

Chair: Sharon Hinsley

Summary: See teachers demonstrate how they developed expertise in think-alouds and reciprocal teaching strategies first in self-comprehension and then in comprehension instruction of their elementary students. 

Clearwater

K-5

Making It Real With School-Published Books

Speaker: Kay L. Scott, Reading Coach, Hillsborough County

Chair: Kathy Good

Summary: Use available school technology to write and publish inexpensive, commercial- quality books.  

Longboat

K-6

Toying With Writing:  Mini-Lessons for a Kid’s World

Speaker: Teri Mitchell, Consultant, Venetia, PA

Chair: Andrea Edwards

Summary: Learn an innovative way to teach students to apply abstract skills to their writing by using toys as meaningful manipulatives

Cedar

K-3

Secret Stories—Cracking the Reading Code!

Speaker: Katherine E. Garner, Author, The Secret Stories

Chair: Robin Grimsley

Summary: Participate in a brain-based, multi-sensory adventure to crack the secret reading codes that lie beyond the alphabet.

Marathon

4-8

Bringing Authors Into Your Classroom via Online Technology

Speaker: Nick Glass, TeachingBooks.net

Chair: Linda Bracken

Summary: See how the Internet can bring famous authors and illustrators and engaging materials to your classroom. 

Largo

K-8

Meeting the Reading Challenge:  Power Reading for ALL Students

Speakers: Joyce Muller, Vicki Reed, Grace Howland, Penny Jadwin, and Connie Schaffer, Orange County Public Schools

Chair: Goldie Stopek

Summary: Learn simple, effective strategies for increasing students’ fluency rate and improving their understanding of the text.

Book & Author Luncheon

12:30 – 2:00

Jasmine/Magnolia

Presiding: Mary Ann Clark, FRA Vice President

Inspirational Message:  Peggy Harris, FRA Board

Special Guests:  FRA Past Presidents

Introduction of Author:  Lela-Ann Carroll, FRA Board

Author:  Sharon M. Draper

Topic:  Literacy, Laughter, and Learning

This award-winning author, poet, and educator presents a delightful mixture of reading, laughter, and inspiration. “I learned to dream through reading, learned to create dreams through writing, and learned to develop dreams through teaching,” she says.  “Come dream with me.”

Books include:  The Battle of Jericho, Tears of a Tiger, Forged by Fire, Darkness Before Dawn, Romiette and Julio, Double Dutch, Teaching from the Heart, and Not Quite Burned Out, But Crispy Around the Edges

Sponsored by Florida Reading Association

Featured Speaker

Oleander A

K-12

Story Power:  Hooking Kids with Humor and Action

Speaker: Bruce Hale, author of the Chet Gecko Series

Chair:      Sherida Weaver, FRA Board

Summary: Would you like to turn your reluctant readers into rabid readers?  Learn some battle-tested tips from author/storyteller Bruce Hale.

Books include:  The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse, The Big Nap, The Malted Falcon, Give My Regrets to Broadway, and Murder, My Tweet and picture books Moki and the Magic Surfboard and Surf Gecko to the Rescue!

Sponsored by Florida Reading Association

Featured Authors

Madeira

 K-8

Creating Readers with Poetry and Song

Speakers:               Nile Stanley, author of Creating Readers with Poetry, University of North Florida, Maupin House Publishing

                                Gary Dulabaum, author of My Teacher Rides a Harley, Maupin House Publishing, Amber Circle Music

Chair:      Linda Dacks, FRQ Staff

Summary: Join author and performance poet Nile Crocodile and author, musician, comedian Gary Dulabaum for a rockin’ and rhymin’ good time.  Get strategies for using poetry and songs to develop children’s phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing.

Sponsored by Maupin House Publishing and Florida Reading Association

Venice

K-12

Vocabulary Strategies That Work

Speakers: Ann Carneal Murphy and Nancy Masztal, Barry University

Chair: Diane Reese

Summary: Learn principles that guide vocabulary instruction and strategies for teaching word meaning to improve students’ comprehension.  

Madeira

6-12

How to Excite Readers to Write and Writers to Read

Speaker: Swanee F. Ballman, Jawbone Publishing Corporation

Chair: Judy Moore

Summary: Hear how student-generated anthologies can increase student interest in reading and writing.  

Clearwater

K-6

Cues and Clues for Building Good Learners

Speakers: Teresa Heidger, Beth Stevens, and Rachel Chappell, Sarasota County Schools

Chair: Kathy Good

Summary: Learn research-based strategies in reading, writing, and math presented through hands-on techniques by “The Apron Ladies.”  

Siesta/Biscayne

K-3

Secret Stories—Cracking the Reading Code!

Speaker: Katherine E. Garner, Author, The Secret Stories

Chair: Linda Bracken

Summary: Participate in a brain-based, multi-sensory adventure to crack the secret readingcodes that lie beyond the alphabet.  

Longboat

K-6

Toying With Writing Too/Two:  More Mini-Lessons for a Kid’s World

Speaker: Teri Mitchell, Consultant, Venetia, PA

Chair: Robin Grimsley

Summary: Learn exciting, new ways to teach writing with toys. 

Cedar

K-2

Lasso Your Elementary Readers with Fun, Rousing Activities

Speakers: Kelli M. Heath and Anne Draper, Media Specialists, John E. Ford Elementary School and St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School, Duval County                     

Chair: Kathy Carmichael

Summary: Gain strategies for including FRA’s 2004-2005 Children’s Book Award titles in the K-2 Language Arts curriculum while meeting National Literacy Standards.  

Marathon

K-12

The Pink and Blue of Learning

Speakers: Artis M. Gray, Ellen Supran, and Velma Papier, Barry University

Chair: Jennifer Flynn

Summary: Find how research on male/female differences in the brain and cognitive functioning can provide data for modifying the learning environment to accommodate gender differences and encourage gender equity. 

Largo

K-5

Awakening the Visual Learner

Speaker: Lisa A. Ciganek, Rodney B. Cox Elementary School, Pasco County

Chair: Shannon Ayrish

Summary: Discover how to move your students from passive observers to meaning makers using art and photography. 

Azalea A

K-12

Notable Books for a Global Society

Speakers: Linda Leonard Lamme, Ruth McKoy Lowery, Nancy Rankie Shelton, and Be Astengo, University of Florida, Towson University, and Alachua County Library   District

Chair: Leslie Spector

Summary: Hear booktalks on winners of the 2003 Notable Books for a Global Society Award plus other presenters’ favorites suitable for sharing with K-12 students. 

Azalea B

3-12

Book Clubs and Discussion Groups:  Motivating Kids to Read

Speakers: Liz Knowles and Martha Smith, Pine Crest School, Boca Raton

Chair: Debra Wellman

Summary: Learn how to motivate students who choose not to read—even novels that are assigned to them.

Oleander A

K-8

Transforming Reluctant Writers into Self-reflective Writers

Speaker: Francine C. Guastello and Claire R. Lenz, St. John’s University and St. Joseph’s College, New York

Chair: Mary Ann Clark

Summary: Discover a model for motivating the reluctant writer and using a rubric to encourage students to work with their teachers to improve writing.

Fourth General Session

3:30 – 5:30 pm

Citrus Ballroom

Presiding:  Sylvia Warner, FRA Treasurer

Introduction of Speaker:  Kelly Holter, FRA Newsletter Editor

Speaker:  William McBride, National Educational Consultant; author of Entertaining an Elephant

Topic:  Hold Fast to Dreams

In this era in which testing dominates our decisions about curriculum, let us not forget that the greatest role of a school is to help a child become a better person.

Sponsored by McDougall Littell/Houghton Mifflin and Florida Reading Association

7:30 – 9:00 pm

Jasmine/Magnolia

Authors' Tales Around the Campfire

Host:  Nile “Crocodile” Stanley

Authors:  Carol Crane, Sharon M. Draper, Gary Dulabaum, Denise Fleming, Bruce Hale, Steven L. Layne, William McBride, and Nile Stanley

Meet our special guests in an informal setting!  Find out what they are working on currently; hear them read from their newest manuscripts; ask them about their writing; get to know them; enjoy them!

Sponsored by Great Source and Rigby & Steck-Vaughn