Professional Development

Our dynamic workshops show you how to teach phonics and train you in the methods and tools that will ensure reading success in your classroom. The workshops guide attendees step by step through the Discover Intensive Phonics for Yourself approach, beginning with the basic presentation of the names, sounds, and formation of the letters of the alphabet and working up to the decoding of multi-syllabic words. We recommend the Three-Day Teacher In-Service Workshop (H430) for the most-effective training experience.

$2,250 plus actual expenses (up to 25 attendees)

This training package includes an initial Two-Day Extended Discover Intensive Phonics or Reading Horizons Workshop (H410) and a One-Day Teacher Certification Workshop (H420) three-to-five months following. Topics covered include:

• How to teach explicit, systematic phonics.
• Direct instruction at the board.
• Our unique marking system.
• Overview of the Discover Intensive Phonics or Reading Horizons computer courseware.

The third day of training allows time for reviewing progress, answering questions, and sharing success before moving on to more complex phonetic skills. Instructors who complete all three days of training qualify for teacher certification.

$750 plus actual expenses (up to 25 attendees)

A one-day overview of the Discover Intensive Phonics course, providing hands-on involvement as attendees participate in acquiring the requisite knowledge and skills that will allow them to effectively teach the Discover Intensive Phonics System system.

The overview includes:

• Instruction in direct instruction techniques employing multi-sensory involvement.
• Grapheme-phoneme relationships used in the alphabetic code. Auditory discrimination and matching phonemes to their related graphemes. Sound blending and phonemic segmentation.
• Structural analysis (phonetic skills) and marking system for identifying word patterns.
• R-controlled vowels, Diphthongs, Diagraphs, rules for Y and decoding skills that enable students to use a systematic plan for analyzing and pronouncing unknown words of any length. (Multi-syllable word analysis).
• Handling exceptions.

Teachers cannot be certified through this one-day workshop alone.

$750 plus actual expenses (up to 25 attendees)

A one-day overview of the Discover Intensive Phonics methodology used in the Reading Horizons program. Also, how to integrate the course materials and administer the software component. Designed for teachers of secondary and adult students. Topics covered include:

• How to teach explicit, systematic phonics.
• Direct instruction at the board.
• The unique marking system.
• An overview of the Reading Horizons computer courseware.

Teachers cannot be certified through this one-day workshop alone.

$1,500 plus actual expenses (up to 25 attendees)

Two-days of hands-on instruction for Discover Intensive Phonics or Reading Horizons that incorporates all of the skills offered in the one-day overview and, additionally, provides the following:

• Additional modeling and practice of individual skills.
• Games and activities to strengthen motivation and understanding.
• Integration of technology component.
• Using Reverse Listening Cards for guided reading activities.
• Vocabulary development, increasing automaticity, use of Little Books and the Mastery Check system for accountability.

A Teacher Certification Workshop (H420) should follow within three-to-five months.

$1,500 plus actual expenses (up to 25 attendees)

Prerequisite: Teachers attending this workshop are encouraged to have previously completed the Discover Intensive Phonics Online Workshop: www.phonicstraining.com (a certificate of completion may be presented to the institution’s reading coach/facilitator prior to the workshop).

This workshop includes two days of hands-on instruction on the Discover Intensive Phonics (DIP) methodology. It incorporates the skills presented in the Online Workshop and, additionally, provides the following:

• Additional modeling and practice of individual skills.
• Word vocabulary development to increase automaticity and comprehension.
• Video clips of teachers in similar teaching situations.
• For elementary: interactive implementation of the DIP method and materials with the institution’s current reading program.
• Use of Reverse Listening Cards for skill-based practice and activities and the use of Little Book stories (DIP) for guided-reading development and comprehension practice.
• Explicit discussions on how to facilitate the transfer of phonics skills learned to "real-life" reading in additional classroom curriculum, such as science and social studies (DIP & RH).
• For grades 4-adult: modeled integration of the ESL component to the Reading Horizons program (by request only).
• Games and activities (applicable to each grade level) to strengthen motivation and implementation of DIP skills.

Teachers are encouraged to bring materials (i.e. teacher’s editions, units) of the reading program currently used in the school for effective implementation with DIP materials.

**A Teacher Certification Workshop (H420) or Coaching Workshop (H475) is recommended for further implementation ideas and instruction or review of phonic skills.

$750 plus actual expenses (up to 25 attendees; when coupled with the H410 workshop, the cost is $2,250.00 plus actual expenses).

Three months following the Expanded Workshop (H410DIP or H410RH), an additional day of training will be held. The first two hours are devoted to reviewing progress, analyzing potential problems, sharing successes, and answering questions teachers may have after having taught the course for three months. The remaining instruction involves learning higher, more complex phonetic rules and skills usually taught in second grade and beyond. Included are the following:

• Reversed vowels.
• Prefixes and suffixes.
• The schwa.
• -le endings
• eu and ew.
• Spelling skills, including ist/est, us/ous, tion/sion.
• Plurals and suffixes for Y.
• Double consonants and double C.
• Words ending in -c, -ck, or -ke; words ending in -ce, -se, or -ss.
• Vowel families.
• Jobs of gh and gn.
• Rules for ea and ei/ie.
• Synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, heteronyms and palindromes.

Completion of the H420 and the intervening three-month practicum qualify participants to become certified teachers of the Discover Intensive Phonics for Yourself course.

$450 per attendee plus actual expenses

A certified Discover Intensive Phonics for Yourself teacher may apply to become a Certified Workshop Instructor. Applicants must accumulate 150 recorded practicum hours of instruction over a minimum of nine months. Applicants may then attend a three-day Certification Clinic, in which they will review the Discover Intensive Phonics program in detail and then be required to present assigned portions of the course in order to demonstrate complete understanding of the technique and the strategies required to instruct other teachers. Upon becoming a Certified Workshop Instructor, applicants may conduct workshops for schools, districts, and other literacy providers.

Cost: $750 per day, plus Certified Workshop Instructor expenses for each day scheduled (additional days can be added, depending on the institution’s request).

The H475 Coaching Workshop provides on-site observation and training conducted by a Certified Workshop Instructor for the reading coach/facilitator and teachers who have adopted the Discover Intensive Phonics methodology. This training ensures proper implementation of the program, especially during the first year of instruction.

The H475, in general, follows the Two-Day Expanded H410 or H415 Workshop for one or more days necessary to meet the needs of the teachers using the DIP methodology (review of phonic skills, implementation suggestions, timeframe guidelines, etc.). The workshop is "tailored" to the institution’s needs and could entail the following:

• Personal communication between the Certified Workshop Instructor and the on-site reading coach/facilitator regarding the institution’s needs, implementation concerns, and intentions for using the purchased materials.
• On-site classroom observation of teachers currently implementing Discover Intensive Phonics by the Certified Workshop Instructor, accompanied with the designated on-site reading facilitator. Following observation, the Certified Workshop Instructor will provide suggestions/feedback to develop new strategies to assist the teachers as they effectively implement the DIP program for classroom instruction.
• Brief review and practice of any phonic skill(s), as requested by teachers.
• Implementation of specific skills (by teacher request and observation) with the current reading program.
• The H475 workshop can be added to the H420 Teacher Certification Workshop (involves learning more-complex phonetic rules and skills usually taught in second grade and beyond); however, an additional day must be added to teach the advanced phonic skills.

+Ongoing implementation suggestions and resource support will be provided through HEC Reading Horizons and/or a Certified Workshop Instructor to the teachers and the reading facilitator (found on the HEC Reading Horizons Web site, under "Community").

The Online Workshop is three-to-nine hours of interactive and proactive training. It is an excellent review for teachers who have attended a live workshop. The Online Workshop begins with the presentation of the alphabet and concludes with strategies for decoding multi-syllabic words. A track for teachers of children ages 4-9 and another for teachers of students ages 10+ ensures that the content is right on target. The workshop uses full-motion video and flash animation to bring the concepts to life and allows for intermittent practice to embed the strategies for teachers. The system will allow teachers to start and stop as needed, affording flexibility for busy schedules.

The Online Workshop is available in three packages:

• H468 - One-Time Use: $79
  Starts user from the beginning for a systematic, sequential learning experience. Certificate of Completion is provided after completion.
• H465 - Single-User Access: $99
  Allows one user unlimited access to entire curriculum for one year. Renewed annually.
• H460 - School Access: $599
  Allows access for 15 teachers for a single institution (additional entries can be purchased for $39 per year). User has unlimited access to entire curriculum for one year. Renewed annually.

Visit the Online Workshop page to learn more about the Online Workshop, sign in, or create a free 30-day trial account.