Workshops and Learning for Arbor Teachers

We had the privilege of hosting a workshop on Saturday given by Alison Awes, AMI Elementary Trainer, on Dyslexia in a Montessori Environment. We had nearly 30 participants from all over the Atlanta area, including 13 members of our own Arbor community. Becca Fernandez, one of our Lower Elementary teachers, had this to say about the experience. 

The dyslexia workshop on Saturday was full of information. It is amazing to me that so much of what we currently know about dyslexia has only been discovered over the past 20 years or so, aided by developments in brain scanning. We learned about early signs of dyslexia, why it is critical to get a diagnosis, why we start interventions during the primary years before a diagnosis is even possible, and how transformative these early interventions can be.

In the afternoon portion of the workshop, we focused on how the Montessori curriculum supports children with dyslexia. From the sandpaper letters to the lessons on prefixes, Greek and Latin roots; these lessons are wonderful for all learners, but especially for students with dyslexia. Those of you who have children with dyslexia are well aware that the work in the Montessori classroom alone does not give them enough of the individualized and intensive repetition they need to become successful readers. Rest assured, those tutoring bills will not last forever! Emily and I talk frequently about how our Orton Gillingham training helps us support our students with dyslexia, but the workshop helped me recognize how much our Montessori classrooms allow for the flexibility we need to make accommodations for our students as they learn to read. 

We are humbled that we are able to host workshops that provide outreach to the larger community! There are more on the calendar for later this winter and spring.

Supporting ongoing professional development is a core tenet of Arbor's mission and supported by the philanthropy of Arbor's parent community. Having Arbor staff spend their Saturdays on campus engaging in these professional development opportunities speaks to the level of dedication and commitment to their craft, to Arbor Montessori School, and to your children. We are very fortunate!