Kane County Institute Day 2025

Understanding and implementing evidence-based practices is crucial to fostering successful reading
development among students. This professional development session offers an immersive introduction to
the concept and methods of structured literacy. This session is tailored for K-5 General Education and
Special Education teachers, as well as administrators and curriculum coordinators who are new to the
principles of structured literacy and seek to enhance their understanding of effective literacy instruction
for all students.

Speakers

Kellyn Sirach

Reading Specialist, Illinois SLD Support Project

Kellyn Sirach is a passionate and motivated educator who has committed her career to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to learn to read. Over the past year, she has served as the Reading Content Specialist for the IL SLD Support Project developing professional development... Read More →

Illinois SLD Support Project

Friday February 28, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am CST
Breakout Room 1 1405 N 5th Ave, St. Charles, IL 60174

Host Organization Kane County Regional Office of Education
Grade Level PreK-5
Subject Literacy

9:30am CST

Understanding the Illinois Comprehensive Literacy Plan and What it Means for Advanced Learners

Friday February 28, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am CST

The Illinois Comprehensive Literacy Plan and its implications support differentiated literacy instruction for ALL learners. This provides districts and schools "flexibility and local autonomy" in a "no one size fits all" literacy learning program and curriculum. This session will place a lens on the advanced literacy learner and how the Literacy Plan advocates for differentiated instruction and meeting the needs of advanced learners.

Speakers

Laura Beltchenko

Illinois Reading Council

Laura Beltchenko has been a classroom teacher, reading specialist, teacher and coordinator of gifted programs, and an associate superintendent for curriculum and instruction in a suburban K-12 school district. She is currently the Chair of the Illinois State Board of Education Advisory... Read More →

Friday February 28, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am CST
Breakout Room 4 1405 N 5th Ave, St. Charles, IL 60174

Host Organization Kane County Regional Office of Education
Grade Level PreK-12
Subject Literacy

11:00am CST

Facing History’s Approach to Teaching English Language Arts

Friday February 28, 2025 11:00am - 12:15pm CST

Breakout Room 8

This professional learning will introduce educators to Facing History’s approach to teaching
secondary English Language Arts (ELA). We will share our expansive new collection, Coming of Age in
a Complex World, that invites students to explore the complexity of identity and develop a sense of
agency as they reflect on what it means to grow up in the world today. This session is intended for
secondary (grades 6-12) English Language Arts educators and other literacy specialists.

Presenter: Ken Garcia-Gonzales

Speakers

Facing History & Ourselves Inc.

Facing History & Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. Based on nearly 50 years of research, Facing History’s approach is academically rigorous, emotionally engaging, and proven to improve student outcomes. We... Read More →

Friday February 28, 2025 11:00am - 12:15pm CST
Breakout Room 8 1405 N 5th Ave, St. Charles, IL 60174

Diversity Equity and Inclusion

Host Organization Kane County Regional Office of Education
Grade Level 6th-12th
Subject Literacy

11:00am CST

Using the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) to Foster Student Critical Thinking and Collaboration

Friday February 28, 2025 11:00am - 12:15pm CST

The Question Formulation technique (QFT) provides a structured approach to assist students in asking questions, not just answering them. QFT words in concert with inquiry based learning and promotes learning engagement and meaningful discussion. QFT initiates the development of thought-provoking questions that assists educators understand how much prior knowledge their students know about a topic of study. It supports critical and creative thinking while fostering students' natural curiosity, motivation and engagement in learning. It is an excellent strategy for social studies and science for grades K-12. This is an interactive session so get ready to collaborate!

Speakers

Laura Beltchenko

Illinois Reading Council

Friday February 28, 2025 11:00am - 12:15pm CST
Breakout Room 4 1405 N 5th Ave, St. Charles, IL 60174

Host Organization Kane County Regional Office of Education
Grade Level PreK-12
Subject Literacy

12:30pm CST

Utilizing Paired Text and Text Sets to Present Challenge and Literary Analysis, Grades 2-5

Friday February 28, 2025 12:30pm - 1:45pm CST

Using paired text based on topics, or the exploration of overarching concepts and generalizations are methods of raising awareness of how texts having similar subjects compare as well as contract with one another to develop deeper levels of understanding. In this session we will explore how pairing texts and creating text sets (a bibliography will be shared) can benefit the development of higher order thinking as well as how story details and the integration of ideas can support literary analysis that is found in the Illinois Assessment of Readiness.

Speakers

Laura Beltchenko

Illinois Reading Council

Friday February 28, 2025 12:30pm - 1:45pm CST
Breakout Room 4 1405 N 5th Ave, St. Charles, IL 60174

Host Organization Kane County Regional Office of Education
Grade Level PreK-12
Subject Literacy

2:00pm CST

Picture Books as Complex Text, Grades PreK-3

Friday February 28, 2025 2:00pm - 3:15pm CST

In this book-rich session, participants will experience the advanced messages that illustrations send in picture books. We will explore using observation and visual literacy, the physicality and structures of children’s picture books and the impact these structures support instructional practice and intriguing read alouds. We will take a purposeful, productive and thoughtful adventure in picture books to better understand the advanced comprehension implications illustrations convey that words may not reveal to the reader. This session supports a myriad of ELA Standards.

Speakers

Laura Beltchenko

Illinois Reading Council

Friday February 28, 2025 2:00pm - 3:15pm CST
Breakout Room 4 1405 N 5th Ave, St. Charles, IL 60174