Cross-Language Connections: Assessing for Dyslexia among Bilingual Learners
2026-01-14 16:30 - 17:30 (America/New_York)
Accurately assessing emergent bilinguals for learning differences presents some of the most complex challenges in modern education. It demands specialized knowledge beyond monolingual assessment standards. Join Julia Betancourt and Nancy Rebarchik for this SPOD Diving Deeper session, a comprehensive, 300-word follow-up explicitly designed for educators and education leadership. You must refine your understanding and practical application of dyslexia assessment strategies for bilingual learners. This specialized training builds on their popular “Spotlight on Dyslexia” session and focuses intensively on the complexities of cross-language connections and cultural considerations. Ignoring these factors can lead to devastating misidentification or failure to identify needs altogether. Therefore, mastering reliable dyslexia assessment strategies for bilingual learners is essential to promoting equity.
This session offers advanced insights to enhance your ability to accurately identify and support dyslexic bilingual learners, ensuring literacy for all. You will gain essential, research-backed knowledge about building robust systems for identification and intervention, thereby promoting literacy for bilingual learners across your entire school or district. Furthermore, the presenters will address common pitfalls, misconceptions, and the specific diagnostic tools necessary for this population.
Key Strategies for Bilingual Dyslexia Assessment:
This SPOD Diving Deeper session provides advanced, actionable steps to improve assessment and intervention practices immediately. We’ll delve deeply into:

Advanced Case Studies: We will conduct an in-depth analysis of complex scenarios in bilingual dyslexia assessment. These case studies move beyond the basics, focusing on differential diagnosis and distinguishing language acquisition issues from true learning disabilities.

Data Point Analysis: We will identify and analyze the specific data points crucial for accurate identification. This includes analyzing data across both languages (L1 and L2) to ensure appropriate educational planning and to avoid bias.

Referral Processes: Learn actionable steps to build robust, equitable referral processes for emergent bilinguals. This ensures timely and appropriate access to necessary evaluations and resources.

Effective Interventions: Discover practical, proven strategies for implementing effective dyslexia interventions within your district or campus, specifically tailored to honor and leverage a student’s linguistic strengths. This includes practical tools and resources you can implement next week.

Understanding Policy: Discuss the key policy considerations and legal mandates that impact the assessment and instruction of bilingual learners with dyslexia.

You will also have immediate access to the original “Cross-Language Connections” session, making this a complete, high-value professional learning experience within the SPOD series.

World Thesaurus Day
2026-01-18
World Thesaurus Day is celebrated annually, honoring the birthday of Peter Mark Roget, the creator of Roget’s Thesaurus (first published in 1852) and encouraging people to use thesauruses to expand vocabulary and improve writing. It’s a day to appreciate this essential resource for finding synonyms, antonyms, and related words, helping writers avoid repetition and find the perfect term for their ideas.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day
2026-01-19
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a U.S. federal holiday observed on the third Monday in January, honoring the life and legacy of the pivotal civil rights leader, celebrated with service, reflection, and events focused on equality and community building–often called a “day on, not a day off”. The holiday, signed into law in 1983, commemorates Dr. King’s efforts against racial segregation and for justice, encouraging volunteerism to create his vision of a “Beloved Community”

National Handwriting Day
2026-01-23
National Handwriting Day is celebrated annually on January 23, coinciding with John Hancock’s birthday, to promote the art, benefits, and personal expression of handwriting in a digital world, encouraging people to write letters, journal, or make lists by hand. The Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association (WIMA) established the day in 1977 to highlight handwriting’s role in cognitive development, memory, and individuality

International Day of Education
2026-01-24
The International Day of Education 2026 will be celebrated with the theme, “The power of youth in co-creating education,” focusing on young people’s role in shaping learning and policies, with major events held at UNESCO and online by youth networks. Established by the UN, the day highlights education’s role in peace, development, and achieving global goals, urging action to ensure quality education for all.

Dyslexia Defined: Unpacking the 2025 IDA Definition
2026-01-28 16:00 - 17:00
The revised 2025 International Dyslexia Association (IDA) definition of dyslexia reflects decades of scientific progress. This edWebinar invites you to explore the full scope of this expanded definition. Dr. Tim Odegard, a member of the IDA definition committee, will bridge the gap between scientific language and classroom realities, and real-life experiences that persist across lifespans. He will clarify how this updated definition fosters a deeper understanding of dyslexia’s causes and defining characteristics.
Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how a continued focus on instructional persistence informs our approach to identification and intervention. This session offers the reassurance that as our scientific understanding of dyslexia evolves, our shared commitment to helping every student thrive remains the heart of our work.
Learning objectives include:

Analyze the core components of the 2025 IDA revised definition regarding word-reading accuracy and speed
Evaluate “instructional persistence” as a key indicator of the dyslexia profile
Identify the defining characteristics of dyslexia

This edWebinar will be of interest to K-12 teachers, school leaders, district leaders, dyslexia specialists, reading specialists, speech pathologists, and MTSS and intervention specialists.
Register now!

National Puzzle Day
2026-01-29
Each year on January 29th, National Puzzle Day recognizes how exercising our brains with puzzles is just one of its many benefits.

20-Minute Speed Training: Level Up Reading with Audiobook Solution
2026-02-04 16:00 - 16:20
Do you need quick, effective strategies to boost student reading? If you are short on time but want more impact from the Audiobook Solution this semester, this session is for you. We designed this exclusive, 20-minute speed training specifically for educators who are already using the Audiobook Solution. Here, you will find practical, classroom-ready strategies to improve outcomes without revisiting the basics.
You will explore three teacher-tested instructional moves that educators are using right now. These specific techniques boost listening volume, strengthen comprehension, and help students demonstrate what they know. Furthermore, each strategy is easy to implement and aligns seamlessly with your core curriculum. Therefore, they fit naturally into existing class time, PLCs, or staff meetings.
Fast-Paced Strategies for Immediate Impact:
This session focuses on action. It includes real classroom examples and a quick planning moment so you leave knowing exactly what to try next week. In this fast-paced session, you’ll learn how to:

Increase reading sessions through small, consistent classroom routines.
Use tools intentionally to increase student reading engagement in ELA and content-area instruction. Strengthen comprehension and evidence-based responses with simple annotation strategies.
Choose one high-impact move to implement immediately to drive measurable reading growth.

This training is perfect for educators who have completed the Launch Workshop. If you are ready to fine-tune implementation and boost usage fast, join us!

Empowering Your Reluctant Reader: Building Motivation and Consistent Habits
2026-02-25 20:00 - 21:00
Does reading time in your home feel like a constant battle? If so, you are not alone. Parenting a reluctant reader often feels isolating and frustrating. However, we can change that narrative today. Many children desperately want to succeed in reading. Unfortunately, specific challenges with decoding and fluency often make the process exhausting and discouraging. Over time, this daily struggle leads to avoidance, low confidence, and the heartbreaking feeling of being “different” from friends and peers.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Join us for this one-hour live session. We designed this webinar specifically for parents and caregivers who want to see their children thrive. We will move beyond unhelpful advice like “just try harder.” Instead, we explore the science behind why reading is difficult. Furthermore, we show you how to remove the barriers standing in your child’s way.
Unlocking Potential and Confidence
In this session, you will discover that reading success is achievable. We provide actionable insights to transform your home learning environment. Specifically, we will cover:

The Hidden “Why”: You will understand the emotional and academic realities of learning differences. We explain how cognitive processing impacts your child’s ability to read and why traditional methods might fail.

The Power of Audiobooks: Learn how pairing audio with text reduces “cognitive load.” We demonstrate how audiobooks for kids, such as the Learning Ally Audiobook Solution, act as a vital bridge. This allows your child to access grade-level content, build vocabulary, and improve comprehension without the usual fatigue.

Restoring the Joy: Discover specific, practical habits you can implement immediately. These strategies focus on building genuine reading motivation. Consequently, you can transform reading from a chore into a daily source of engagement and confidence.

Transform the Struggle into Success
Do not let the struggle define your child’s education. When you understand the root causes of a reluctant reader, you can provide the right support. Register today to leave with ready-to-use tools and strategies. These resources support confidence, engagement, and success—starting right now. Register today!

2026 Great Reading Games Celebration
2026-03-06 14:00 - 15:00
The wait is finally over! Join Learning Ally for a high-energy, virtual bash to celebrate the thrilling conclusion of the 2026 Great Reading Games. Together, classrooms and families across the nation united their unique reading superpowers. We zoomed through countless pages, explored new worlds, and built lasting reading habits. Now is the time to celebrate this incredible collective achievement. We want to honor every minute read and every student who participated in the Great Reading Games this year.
This isn’t just a simple wrap-up. It is a full-scale celebration of literacy, persistence, and joy. During this special live broadcast, we will loudly recognize and celebrate the dedicated students, tireless educators, supportive schools, and engaged families who made this year’s competition a massive success. Your hard work deserves a global spotlight.
Meet Author Megan Nicolas
To make this event truly unforgettable, we welcome a very special guest. Megan Nicolas, the inspiring author of Discovering My Dyslexia Superpowers, joins the party. She brings a message of hope and strength that resonates with every learner. Megan will guide us through an interactive session designed to boost confidence and spark creativity in young minds.
What You Will Experience
During this dynamic session, participants will gain exclusive insights into the writing process and self-advocacy. Specifically, Megan will:

Identify Strengths: Help readers recognize and embrace their own unique dyslexia superpowers and learning strengths.

Share a Journey: Share her family’s personal superhero journey, making deep connections with the audience.

Go Behind the Scenes: Give us an exclusive look at how an author brings a story to life. Students will see how ideas transform into published books.

Provide Resources: Send everyone home with fun, tangible resources. These tools ensure you keep your reading superpowers strong all the way into spring.

This event is open to all readers, their educators, and families across all grade levels. Whether your school topped the leaderboard or you simply beat your own personal best, you belong here. We can’t wait to celebrate with you…register now!

Spring Into Reading
2026-03-09 - 2026-04-24
Spring into Reading and Build Strong Habits

Let’s spring forward! As the days grow longer and the world begins to bloom, it’s the perfect time to Spring into Reading. Growing as a reader is even more rewarding when we do it together!
Keep the reading momentum going all season long with exciting March Madness–style reading challenges and celebrations for National Poetry Month. Let’s make this spring a season full of stories, growth, and reading success!

Interrupt the School-to-Prison Pipeline with Literacy Leadership
2026-03-11 16:00 - 17:00
Systemic failures in early education often set vulnerable students on a devastating trajectory toward the juvenile justice system. However, courageous school leadership has the power to change this narrative. Join us for a powerful edLeader Panel designed specifically to help you interrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. We will unlock actionable strategies that shift school cultures toward equity, early literacy success, and transformative outcomes for all students.
Award-winning educator and author Hilderbrand Pelzer III leads this crucial conversation. He draws on over three decades of deep experience as a school leader. Notably, he organized one of the largest correctional education programs in the U.S. Consequently, Hilderbrand brings unique, firsthand insights into the consequences of educational failure. He illustrates exactly how educational systems can interrupt the school-to-prison pipeline by strengthening literacy instruction and expectations for every learner.
Reframing Literacy as an Equity Lever
This session goes far beyond basic academic milestones. Hilderbrand, author of Unlocking Potential, reframes literacy as a core lever for opportunity. Attendees will explore how systemic leadership decisions directly impact student trajectories. We will examine how culture, expectations, and instructional priorities shape the future for underserved learners. Furthermore, you will learn to recognize the structural barriers in your district.
Key Learning Objectives for Leaders:
Through compelling real-world examples and research-aligned insights, we will guide you through the following goals:

Analyze the Correlation: Explore the undeniable link between early literacy difficulties, prolonged disengagement, and eventual involvement with the criminal justice system.

Implement Literacy Leadership: Identify specific literacy leadership practices that foster high expectations and inclusive success for marginalized groups.

Build Systems: Learn strategies to build equitable instructional systems that support diverse learners.

Support Instruction: Discover how school leaders can effectively support teachers in delivering evidence-based literacy instruction.

Transform Your School Culture Today
Do not settle for survival; ensure every student has the opportunity to thrive. You will gain the inspiration and actionable strategies you need to immediately reshape your school culture. This panel is essential for K-12 school leaders, district leaders, and education technology leaders ready to reduce dropout rates and support their most vulnerable populations. Moderated by Dr. Martaluz Rodriguez Pozo, this session promises to be a pivotal moment for your leadership journey.
Register now!

From Problem to Progress: How One District Transformed Its Reading Culture
2026-03-24 16:00 - 16:30
Many school leaders face the ongoing challenge of stagnant literacy rates and disengaged students. However, you can turn these complex challenges into measurable success. Join us for an inspiring webinar titled “From Problem to Progress: How One District Transformed Its Reading Culture.” In this session, we will explore the exact steps an innovative district took to completely overhaul its literacy approach. By attending, you will learn how to build a thriving district reading culture that empowers both educators and students alike.
Transforming a deeply rooted educational system is never easy. It requires strategic planning, dedicated leadership, and the right implementation tools. During this insightful presentation, district leaders will share their real-world journey from struggling test scores to remarkable academic progress. You will hear firsthand how they identified systemic barriers and replaced them with effective, sustainable solutions. Consequently, you will discover actionable strategies to boost student engagement and improve overall literacy outcomes across your own schools.
Key Strategies for District-Wide Success
This webinar focuses heavily on practical, scalable solutions. We will carefully guide you through the critical phases of change management and instructional reform. Specifically, you will learn how to:

Analyze the Data: Identify the root causes of reading struggles within your student population and use data to drive meaningful decisions.

Implement Effective Instruction: Discover how to effectively integrate evidence-based reading instruction into your daily core curriculum.

Engage the Community: Learn proven methods for transforming reading motivation by actively involving teachers, parents, and students in the process.

Sustain the Momentum: Explore long-term strategies to ensure your new district reading culture remains strong and vibrant year after year.

Empower Your Educators and Students
We must equip our teachers with the knowledge and resources they desperately need to succeed. Therefore, this session highlights the critical importance of targeted professional development and continuous support. When educators feel truly confident in their instructional methods, student success naturally follows.
Do not let stagnant reading scores define your district’s future. Instead, take proactive steps to foster a genuine, lasting love of reading among all your students. Register for this transformative webinar today. You will leave with a clear, actionable roadmap to drive significant literacy growth in your community.

Spotlight on Dyslexia
2026-06-04 09:00 - 18:30
Are you looking for effective ways to transform reading instruction across your entire school or district? Join us for the annual Spotlight on Dyslexia virtual conference, the premier professional learning event designed specifically for forward-thinking educators, reading specialists, and school leaders. This highly anticipated educational event brings together world-class experts, dedicated classroom teachers, and passionate literacy advocates. Together, we share the latest research-backed methods and practical tools dedicated to supporting students with dyslexia.
For a decade, this powerful professional development event has empowered educators and fundamentally transformed classroom environments. When you attend the Spotlight on Dyslexia virtual conference, you gain immediate access to transformative, real-world insights. You will discover exactly how to implement effective, multi-tiered systems of support so that every student learns to read successfully. Do not miss this opportunity to revolutionize your approach to reading intervention.
What to Expect at the Conference
This comprehensive, multi-day event offers an unparalleled, interactive learning experience. It successfully combines deep theoretical insights with highly practical, everyday strategies. Furthermore, you can easily customize your specific learning path to fit your unique professional role. We offer specialized, dedicated learning tracks for school administrators, general education teachers, and intervention specialists.

Expert Keynotes: You will hear directly from leading national researchers and neuroscience experts. They will thoroughly build your foundational knowledge around the science of reading and the inner workings of the dyslexic brain.

Actionable Strategies: Our expert presenters share ready-to-use classroom accommodations and targeted interventions. Therefore, you can confidently implement robust evidence-based literacy instruction in your own classroom immediately.

Immersive Experiences: Attendees actively participate in an eye-opening, interactive dyslexia simulation. This unique, hands-on activity helps you truly understand the daily academic and emotional challenges that struggling readers face.

Flexible Access: Enjoy short, bite-sized EdTalk sessions and extensive on-demand access to all recordings for months after the live event concludes.

Elevate Your Literacy Instruction Today
We must move boldly beyond outdated teaching methods and fully embrace the science of reading. Consequently, this conference equips you with the exact diagnostic tools and instructional knowledge you need to succeed. You will learn how to spot early warning signs of reading difficulties, interpret screening data accurately, and provide the absolute best accommodations.
By prioritizing evidence-based literacy instruction, your school community can drastically improve reading outcomes for all learners. You will leave this virtual event feeling inspired, connected, and fully prepared to champion neurodiversity. Register today and take the next crucial step toward effectively supporting students with dyslexia in your community.
