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Humanities Texas will hold two series of workshops on teaching reading at the fourth- and fifth-grade levels. Each series will consist of three one-day sessions. One series will take place in Austin on October 17th, December 5th, and January 30th. The other series, held in San Antonio, will take place on October 18th, December 6th, and January 31st. Teachers are expected to attend all three sessions in the series.

"Best Practices in Reading Instruction" will present evidence-based approaches to teaching reading in grades four and five. Each of the three workshops will include interactive sessions on word study and recognition, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. The series is cumulative—each workshop will build on the previous session and explore the material presented in greater depth. Teachers will be encouraged to implement the approaches in their classrooms between the sessions and seek feedback from faculty and peers.

Humanities Texas has developed these programs in collaboration with Sharon Vaughn, executive director of the Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk at The University of Texas at Austin. Workshop faculty will include Dr. Diane Haager of California State University, Los Angeles; Dr. Jennifer Schnakenberg of The University of Texas at Austin; and educational consultant Dr. María Elena Argüelles.

The workshops will feature close interaction with leading literacy experts and present an innovative, comprehensive approach to evidence-based reading instruction. Content will align with the fourth- and fifth-grade Reading and Comprehension TEKS. The workshop is also appropriate for middle and high school teachers with students reading significantly below grade level. For details on eligibility, substitute and travel reimbursements, and the workshop venue or to apply online, visit the Upcoming Institutes page.

The workshops are made possible with support from the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities.