Chartwell Teaching Institute

09/30/2026

When we shift our lens on dyslexia from a deficit model to a "sea of strengths," we unlock the true potential of every learner.

In our latest blog post, educator, advocate, and artist Hannah Shickle shares her personal journey as a dyslexic educator and how early identification can change everything. She reflects on how early universal screening isn't just about catching reading difficulties; it's about protecting a child’s self-concept before years of struggle take root.

"California's screening requirements create an opportunity to identify students who may be at risk for reading difficulties much earlier, before years of struggle begin to shape how they see themselves as learners." — Hannah Shickle

Swipe through the carousel to preview key takeaways from Hannah’s story, and tap the link in our bio to read the full article! 🧠✨

🔗 Read the full blog post: https://chartwellteachinginstitute.org/changing-the-story-dyslexia-strengths-and-the-power-of-early-identification/

09/25/2026

Did you know it's estimated that 1 in 5 people are dyslexic? Early identification changes everything, but knowing what to look for and how to adapt instruction is where the real transformation happens. 💡

Join us for a free virtual workshop, Demystifying Dyslexia, hosted by the Chartwell Teaching Institute.

Whether you're an educator, learning specialist, administrator, or advocate, this hour will equip you with actionable insights to recognize the signs, understand learning profiles, and strengthen evidence-based instruction in your classroom.

📅 Date: October 13, 2026
⏰ Time: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM PST
📍 Location: Virtual
🎟️ Cost: Free
👉 Register now and reserve your spot: https://chartwellteachinginstitute.org/event/demystifying-dyslexia/

09/01/2026

Word problems got you down? 📉

Mathematical success goes beyond simply memorizing facts and formulas. When students struggle with word problems, it’s rarely just a math issue. It’s a reading comprehension issue.

Math requires literacy AND numeracy.

Join the Chartwell Teaching Institute for our upcoming professional development workshop, Math Sticking Point: Word Problems. We will equip you with actionable, evidence-based strategies to help your students decode complex problems, bridge the literacy gap, and build profound mathematical confidence.

🗓️ Date: September 15, 2026
🕓 Time: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM PST
📍 Save your seat: https://chartwellteachinginstitute.org/event/word-problems/

08/28/2026

Are you looking for explicit, research-backed routines to help your K–2 students build deeper vocabulary and automatic fluency? 🧠✨

Join us for a FREE virtual workshop hosted by the Chartwell Teaching Institute: Playing POSSUM? Vocabulary and Fluency Strategies for K-2, presented by Molly Bricker, MPS!

Grounded in the Science of Reading, the POSSUM framework provides a structured, multi-sensory roadmap for complete word knowledge: 🔹 P – Phonology (sound structure) 🔹 O – Orthography (spelling patterns) 🔹 S – Syntax (grammatical role in sentences) 🔹 S – Semantics (meaning) 🔹 U – Understanding (contextual & real-life connections) 🔹 M – Morphology (roots, prefixes, & suffixes)

In this session, you’ll discover practical, classroom-ready strategies to move students beyond rote memorization into deep word processing and improved reading fluency.

🗓 Date: September 10, 2026
💻 Format: Virtual Workshop (FREE)
🎙 Presenter: Molly Bricker, MPS
🔗 Register today: https://chartwellteachinginstitute.org/event/playing-possum/

08/24/2026

Ever feel like you’re juggling decoding, encoding, vocabulary, and fluency all in one lesson block? 🤹‍♀️

Swipe through to meet POSSUM—a multi-dimensional linguistic framework designed to target both word recognition and language comprehension, so words actually stick! 💡✨

As Maryanne Wolf (2025) emphasizes in her research on the reading brain, deep reading requires building rich, interconnected neural pathways that connect speech sounds, spelling patterns, word meanings, and grammar. The POSSUM framework breaks down those essential layers:
Phonology
Orthography
Syntax
Semantics
Understanding
Morphology

Ready to bring these explicit vocabulary and fluency strategies into your K-2 classroom? Join us for our upcoming FREE workshop! 🎟️

🎓 Playing POSSUM? Vocabulary and Fluency Strategies for K-2 📅 Thursday, September 10, 2026 🕓 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM 📍 Online

👉 Register today: https://chartwellteachinginstitute.org/event/playing-possum/

08/18/2026

When we talk about the Science of Reading, phonics and decoding often get the spotlight—but SoR includes ALL strands of Scarborough’s Reading Rope! 🧵✨
If you’re looking to strengthen your K-2 students’ vocabulary acquisition and oral reading fluency using evidence-based strategies, this workshop is for you.
Join us as we dive into the POSSUM model—a powerful, structured framework to elevate vocabulary and fluency instruction for all of your students! 📚
🗓 Date: September 10, 2026
⏰ Time: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM PST
💰Cost: FREE
🔗 Register here: https://chartwellteachinginstitute.org/event/playing-possum/ (Link in bio!)
Tag a fellow educator who needs this in their toolbelt! 👇

08/03/2026

Want to turn passive readers into active observers before opening a new book? 🕵️‍♂️✨
Swipe through to see how the See-Think-Wonder routine works in action! ➡️
When introducing a new text or unit—like studying animal habitats—start by showing a rich photograph or illustration and guiding your students through three simple steps:
1️⃣ SEE: Make objective observations, name items, colors, shapes, people, animals, etc. (focus on the details!)
2️⃣ THINK: Activate prior knowledge by asking thoughtful questions that make your students infer.
3️⃣ WONDER: Spark curiosity and inquiry by having students list their questions about the topic.
This quick, 5-minute thinking routine builds crucial background knowledge and levels the playing field for all learners before they even read line one. 🧠💡
🎁 Want the free graphic organizer?
Head to our latest blog post, "The ABCs of Background Knowledge," to read more about activating, building, and connecting schema—and download your FREE printable See-Think-Wonder Graphic Organizer to use in your classroom this fall!
🗓 Free Virtual Workshop Alert:
Ready to dive even deeper into background knowledge and reading comprehension? Join Meghan Sanchez, MEd for our live, free virtual workshop!
📌 The ABCs of Background Knowledge
📅 Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at 4:00 PM PST
💰 Cost: FREE
👉 Tap the link in our bio to grab your freebie and register today! (or visit chartwellteachinginstitute.org/event/abc-background-knowledge/)

07/31/2026

✏️ Go Back 2 School with Chartwell Teaching Institute! There is a topic for everyone — Background Knowledge, Vocabulary and Fluency, Dyslexia, and Mathematical Sticking Points.

💻️ Hosted Virtually
💸 Cost: FREE
⏰️ 4:00-5:00 pm PST

We hope to see you there! https://buff.ly/HZnTGyA

07/30/2026

Decoding is only half the battle when it comes to reading comprehension. Without background knowledge, even fluent readers struggle to make meaning from text. 💡

In this quick video, we share the three essential steps to level the playing field for all readers:
1️⃣ Activate & Assess: Use anticipation guides or See-Think-Wonder routines to surface prior knowledge.
2️⃣ Build: Get creative with multi-sensory tools, imagery, and interactive experiences.
3️⃣ Connect: Help students anchor new ideas to past lessons and personal experiences.

📲 Explore More Resources & Join Us Live:
📖 Read the Blog + Get a Free Graphic Organizer: Check out our latest post on The ABCs of Background Knowledge to grab your free downloadable See-Think-Wonder tool!

💻 Free Virtual Workshop: Don't miss our live session hosted by Meghan Sanchez on Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at 4:00 PM PST.
🔗 Register for the workshop and download your freebie here: chartwellteachinginstitute.org/event/abc-background-knowledge/

07/28/2026

Background knowledge is a foundational pillar of comprehension. 🧠📚
When students bring rich context and prior knowledge to a text, their ability to infer, analyze, and retain information skyrockets. But how do we explicitly activate, build, and connect that knowledge in daily instruction?

In Chartwell Teaching Institute’s latest blog post, we explore The ABCs of Background Knowledge, an evidence-based framework to address all phases of learning. In the post, we break down actionable strategies to help educators:
✨ Activate & Assess what students already know
✨ Build necessary context before reading
✨ Connect new concepts to existing schema

💡 Bonus: The post includes a FREE downloadable See-Think-Wonder Graphic Organizer—a simple yet powerful thinking routine you can use in your classroom right away to spark curiosity and deepen engagement!
👉 Read the blog & download your freebie: https://chartwellteachinginstitute.org/the-abcs-of-background-knowledge-activate-build-and-connect-for-reading-success/

🎯 Want to take this work further?
Join us for a FREE virtual workshop hosted by Meghan Sanchez, MEd:
📌 The ABCs of Background Knowledge
🗓 Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2026
⏰ Time: 4:00 PM PST 💻 Format: Virtual (Zoom)

Whether you're prepping for the upcoming school year or refreshing your literacy toolbox, this session will give you practical tools to support all readers.
👉 Reserve your spot for the workshop here: chartwellteachinginstitute.org/event/abc-background-knowledge/

The ABC’s of Background Knowledge: Activate, Build, and Connect for Reading Success by Chartwell Teaching Institute | Jul 25, 2026 | Structured Literacy, Tools & Strategies Imagine two students reading the exact same passage about a baseball game. Student A is technically a “strong reader”—t...