Ohio Summit on Dyslexia 2026

Saturday, March 14, 2026  

This is an in-person event only. Registration is required to attend.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

Ohio Summit on Dyslexia 2026

Foundations in Literacy and Language

Saturday, March 14, 2025 8:30am – 4:00pm

GREAT NEWS! 

Our speaker, Lyn Stone, will now be attending our conference in person and speaking LIVE instead of via Zoom!

This is an in-person event only. Registration is required to attend.

Box lunch is included. Options to select are on registration page.

Breakout sessions – Each of the keynote speakers will have a breakout session. Options to select are required on registration page.

Earlybird registration has been extended. January 20th will be the last day to register at this price

Cost:

$150 Early Bird Non IDA Members

($180 after January 20, 2026)

$125 Early Bird IDA Members

($155 after January 20, 2026)

Location: Ohio State University – Ohio Union 1739 N. High Street, Columbus, OH 43210

Parking: Parking Garages at OSU are $19.25 for the whole day. Parking at meters on the streets are limited but if you are looking for a cheaper option it beats the parking garages. Make sure you download the parking app ‘Park Mobile’ for the parking meters.

Certificate of Attendance for 6 Contact Hours will handed out at the end as you leave the Summit.

ASHA Credits – pending

Purchase Orders: If your organization would like to pay by PO. Select ‘pay by check’ on the registration page. Please make sure your organization has your name listed on the PO.   Have PO’s emailed to treasurer.coh@dyslexiaida.org

For questions please email Diana McGovern at treasurer.coh@dyslexiaida.org

Keynote Speakers:

Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan, Ed.D., CCC-SLP, CDT, CALT, QI

Keynote: Structured Literacy for Multilinguals:

What Every Educator Should Know

Structured Literacy is a term that describes a comprehensive and evidence-based approach for literacy instruction that is based upon language skills. It includes foundational skills of reading and writing in addition to the development of oral language and comprehension in an explicit and systematic manner. Evidence-based practices that are necessary for the successful development of literacy among students who are learning English as an additional language will be described. A demonstration of effective literacy instruction that is culturally and linguistically responsive and builds upon first language and literacy knowledge for the development of second language literacy will be modeled and practiced. Participants will learn how to address cross-linguistic features into every lesson and thus implement an asset-based approach to instruction.

Bio: Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan is a bilingual speech and language pathologist, a certified teacher, dyslexia therapist, certified academic language therapist and a qualified instructor. She is the President of the Valley Speech Language and Learning Center in Brownsville, Texas and works with the Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation and Statistics at the University of Houston. Elsa has spent the last 2 decades working with national research teams designing assessments and interventions for English learners who struggle with learning to read. She has a passion for ensuring that every child in schools across the world has access to a highly qualified educator who can implement effective language and literacy instruction to diverse populations.

Dr. Lucy Hart Paulson, Ed.D., CCC-SLP

Keynote: It’s All about the TALK, the TALK, the TALK

TALK is integral to our communication and interactions. Our brains are wired to learn to TALK with exposure and experiences. Speech sounds become words which grow into sentences and turn into stories and conversation. TALK is also integral to learning to read and write. Sound awareness connects to letters making words for reading and spelling which grow into sentences, paragraphs and more. Join us for the TALK of how oral language weaves into written language and what we can do to enhance and facilitate the TALK that supports reading and writing development.

Bio: Dr. Lucy Hart Paulson, Ed.D., CCC-SLP, is an author and literacy specialist with a mission of bringing research to practice. She is also a speech-language pathologist with many years of experience working with educators and with students in a wide range of educational settings. In addition, Lucy was an associate professor teaching and conducting research in the areas of language and literacy development and disorders. She provides professional development using a broad-based perspective blending areas of language and literacy together resulting in effective, appropriate, and engaging language-based literacy instruction and intervention for all children. Finally, Lucy is the co-author of the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) for Early Childhood Educators, 2nd Edition, Building Early Literacy and Language Skills, a resource and activity guide for young children, and also for Good Talking Words, 2nd Edition, a social communication skills program for young children.

Lyn Stone

Keynote: The Thread that Connects Us: Linguistic Tapestry for Life

From our first words to our most complex ideas, language is the thread that weaves human connection. In this presentation, we will explore two vital questions at the heart of literacy: How are words built? and How do we remember them?

We will take a clear-eyed look at the structure of words: phonology, orthography, morphology and etymology, and see how these elements combine to form the patterns of our writing system. Understanding this structure is not an abstract exercise. It is the key to making English predictable, elegant and teachable.

We will then examine how the brain stores words for instant, accurate retrieval, drawing on research into orthographic mapping and memory. By connecting linguistic knowledge with the cognitive processes that make reading and spelling possible, we can design instruction that truly sticks.

This is not just about decoding or rote memorisation. It is about helping all learners, from early readers to skilled writers, build a mental lexicon that is rich, resilient and ready for life.

Bio: Lyn Stone is an educational linguist, author, and founder of Lifelong Literacy: an education coaching and training organisation.

 Her goal is to help educators awaken linguistic curiosity in their students using creative, engaging tools and strategies that are based upon scientific consensus as to what constitutes best practice.

Lyn creates research-informed professional development seminars, both online and face to face, for teachers and other education professionals. She directs a team of specialist practitioners to deliver high quality literacy intervention at Tiers 2 and 3, and a team of school coaches to deliver the best possible Tier 1 literacy instruction.

Her occasional podcast about the lives of prominent education professionals, Loves, Hates and Passions, can be found on Spotify.

Her three books, Spelling for Life, Language for Life and Reading for Life continue to attract worldwide acclaim and enjoy places on various bestseller lists.

Breakout Sessions:

Elsa Cardenas-Hagan

Title: Multilingual Students: Identification and Treatment of Language and Literacy Disorders

There are 5.3 million multilingual learners in public schools across the United States. Most of these students participate in English as a Second Language (ESL) programs, while fewer receive instruction in their home language. Important factors, such as home language and available language of instruction models, must be considered when screening, identifying, and treating language and literacy disorders.

This session will cover special considerations for screening and assessment. Evidence- based intervention strategies will be modeled and practiced. Additionally, case studies will be presented, providing opportunities for in-depth discussion and treatment design.

Lucy Hart Paulson

Title: Phonological Processing PHacts, PHoudations, and PHun

The components of phonological processing, including phonological awareness, phonological naming, and phonological memory, provide a vital PHoundation for learning to talk and, again, for learning to read and write.

This session 1) describes the PHacts for the interconnected nature of these PHonological components with further connections to phonological representation and phonological sensitivity, 2) details developmental sequence

PHoundations and assessment considerations for children from birth into the early grades, and 3) provides a PHew PHun routines to help develop these important skills in young students and strategies for older students with underdeveloped phonological processing abilities.

Lyn Stone

Title: The 4-Step Process: Combining lexical and sub-lexical units for literacy

We know that storing words in long-term memory is most effective when students connect them to their linguistic components: phonemes, graphemes, morphemes, and their meanings. To do this effectively, we need more than isolated strategies. We need a structured, integrated approach that draws on phonics, morphology, syntax, etymology, orthography, and semantics.

In this presentation, Lyn Stone introduces the Four-Step Process, a method used widely in classrooms and clinics to help students study words in a way that is explicit, cumulative, and enduring. The process incorporates essential practice structures, including the use of a spelling voice, interleaving, spaced retrieval, and background knowledge building, helping students create strong, flexible mental representations of words.

Whether applied formally or informally, the Four-Step Process provides educators with a clear, practical framework for teaching the English writing system as the elegant, pattern-based, meaningful system that it is. You will leave the session with a ready-to-use resource and a technique you can try straight away.