AIM Institute Research Symposium Draws Literacy Experts

CONSHOHOCKEN, PA – More than 500 educators will learn from nationally-recognized reading researchers on Monday, March 12th when the AIM Institute for Learning & Research, the internationally-recognized professional development and research arm of AIM Academy, a grade 1-12 for children with language-based learning differences, hosts its 6th Annual Research to Practice Symposium.

The theme of the free, daylong symposium, Reading Proficiency: Differences That Matter – Another Look at High Risk Populations – Literacy Development & Practices That Work, offers a rare opportunity for education’s most innovative experts to meet and share ideas with education practitioners and policy makers from across the country in a highly interactive online summit and live gathering. Symposium speakers include Language at the Speed of Sight author Dr. Mark Seidenberg, whose call to action to schools and school districts to look to science in how all children are taught to read is a topic of conversation throughout the education community and in mainstream media.

“It is critical that educators look to the science when determining the best way to teach children to read and more importantly when educating future teachers,” said Pat Roberts, executive director of AIM Academy. “By bringing together so many key individuals in education to look closely at high-risk populations and discuss literacy practices that can work, the AIM Institute for Learning & Research hopes this symposium helps continue a broader, ongoing dialogue about how to improve our schools and student achievement, and increase literacy among all students.”

Presenters at this year’s Research to Practice Symposium include:

• Elsa Cardenas-Hagan, Ed.D., President, Valley Speech Language & Learning Center
• Mark S. Seidenberg, Ph.D., Vilas Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Julie Washington, Ph.D., Professor and Program Director in Communication Sciences and Disorders, Georgia State University

The symposium boasts an equally impressive list of attendees, representing multiple school districts from across the world, state education policy makers, foundations and literacy programs who will join the symposium in person or using the interactive live streaming option thanks to the support of symposium sponsors National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) and Wilson Language Training.