I am always happy to share resources, research-validated strategies, anecdotes, and advice, for what it's worth! Below are some of the seminars I present. If you are interested, please use the "contact" page to drop me a line.

Language Links to Latin, Greek, French, and Anglo-Saxon: 
Unwrapping the Roots of Vocabulary

Target Audience:          

• Professionals serving grades 4-12 and beyond (adult literacy)
• English or reading teachers, ELL teachers, special education teachers, literacy coaches for grades 4-12, curriculum directors, reading specialists, and content-area teachers (especially science)
• Pre-service teachers enrolled in teacher-credential programs

Overview:
This presentation offers a mix of research, word wit, and practical application. To ensure active engagement and ownership, participants stop and practice key strategies for teaching structural analysis at various points throughout the session. This seminar supports the instructional goals in my curriculum, Vocabulary Through Morphemes.

Duration:
Minimum 3 hours preferred (can be done in less time by reducing opportunities for practice)

Feedback from Participants:

"I really enjoyed the vocabulary session with Susan Ebbers. It was worth my time, especially the Spider and the Fly piece and the origins of the English language section. Very interesting from an ELL perspective. Thank you!"  --Amber Hilt, Middle School Teacher, Pennsylvania Governor's Institute, July 2008

"I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation at the PaTTAN Governor's Institute. I made a list of activities and strategies I want to try in September.  I particularly liked the concept linking map and was hoping you could send me a copy. " Regina Long,  July 2008

“Ms. Ebbers is very knowledgeable.  She obviously has a passion for what she does…  Fabulous!  I didn't realize how much I didn't know about the structure of the English language.  Eye-opening experience and I truly appreciate all the extensive research conducted in preparation for this session.”  Plain Talk About Reading Conference, New Orleans, April 2007

"This has been the best and most interesting presentation so far. I'll use the websites provided in this session often. I learned techniques for dissecting and analyzing words and terms and acquired good sources for word analysis information." High school science teacher, Long Island Regional Reading First Summer Institute, June, 2007.

"I love the way you have taken linguistics and made it applicable....This is what I have been looking for." Secondary ESL teacher, Long Island Regional Reading First Summer Institute, June, 2007.

"I was at the wonderful presentation you made at IRA and also bought your book as a result. Thanks!"   
V. Ellner, United Nations International School, New York

"I have been working this summer to try and expand the vocabulary of my 5th grade students. I teach science in south Texas. I have found your  presentation very helpful." J. Post, Texas

"I attended the IRA conference in Chicago, Illinois this week where I attended your session on "Language Links to Latin, Greek, French & Anglo-Saxon."  I was very impressed with the relevancy of this topic at my grade level, high school."  T. Farrell, Florida

"I just wanted to take a moment to tell you how much I loved your session "Language Links to Latin, French, and Anglo-Saxon."  It was the most interesting session at IRA and I could have listened to you talk all day, as your enthusiasm for your subject is catching! Thanks for the information!" M. Sebert

"I really enjoyed your presentation on language links. Your suggestions will definitely change the way I teach vocabulary and structural analysis.  Thanks for everything." E. Hennessy

ABCs of Effective Vocabulary Instruction: 
Anchor, Bridge, Connect


Target Audience:

• Professionals serving grades K-3 (easily adapted for K-6)
• Reading teachers, content area teachers, ELL teachers, special education teachers, literacy coaches, curriculum directors, reading specialists, etc.

Overview:
In this sessions, participants practice anchoring a new word to its spelling, its pronunciation, and its meaning,  bridging a new concept to a known word, and connecting the new word to various contexts, across content areas, and to conversation and discussion, thus enabling transfer of learning and multiple exposures. The content for this session is based in research (Beck, Biemiller, Graves, Henry, Juel, Moats, Stahl, etc.) and explicated through modeling, practice, and application. In addition to the ABC model described above, participants will gain concrete examples for how to  promote vocabulary through oral language.  Specific children's books that promote word consciousness (Scott & Nagy, 2004) will be shared, as well as several suggestions for teaching prefixes in elementary school (White, Sowell, & Yanagihara, 1989). Everything in this session is framed around creating networks of related words by linking new vocabulary to synonyms, antonyms, cognates, morphological word families, and common idiomatic expressions.

Duration:
Minimum 90 minutes
Maximum: 3 hours

Feedback from Participants

"Susan Ebbers’ vocabulary session was superb - great balance of research to practice."  Plain Talk About Reading Conference, New Orleans, April 2007

"Excellent ideas presented by Susan Ebbers.”  Plain Talk About Reading Conference, New Orleans, April 2007

"The A-B-C approach is an easy system to remember and to use! Thank you!" Long Island Regional Reading First Summer Institute, June, 2007.

"Great resources! Great strategies for teaching children to use words and connect many words!" Long Island Regional Reading First Summer Institute, June, 2007.