Current StrateNotes Newsletter

SN Vol. 34, No. 5 | May/June 2026

Featured Article:

Small School, Big Gains: A First-Year Look at Xtreme Reading in Rural Illinois, Heather Crivilare

When “Reading Lab” appeared on my schedule as a new teacher at Winchester High School this year, I felt a knot form in my stomach. I am not a reading specialist. I have taught high school English in west central Illinois for over a decade and have worked with students across a wide range of needs, but strategically supporting students who are several grade levels behind in reading was new territory for me. Realistically, my toolkit at the time consisted of two strategies: “sound it out” and “read it again more slowly.” Neither felt adequate for what I knew was coming.

I also knew going in that there was no curriculum in place for this intervention class. Whatever I used, I would need to find it myself, and it would need to teach me how to teach reading intervention at the same time it was teaching my students.

Click here to read the full article

SIM News

Research Spotlight: Statewide partnership to help improve literacy rates evaluates school readiness, educator training, S. Myers
Register Today for the 2026 Fall SIM Virtual Update Conference - October 2026: This will be both a synchronous and asynchronous virtual event, occurring over several evenings throughout the month.
SIM Work was featured in the 2026 UCA Mashburn Center's Year at a Glance Newsletter

New online course alert!

More Resources and Media Picks:

Check out all of the Featured News from our Parent Organization, KU Life Span Institute. There is some great research happening to improve lives!
Are you planning ahead for a 2026-27 Reading Intervention? Let us know how we can support you with Xtreme Reading. - Together we can help students thrive!

SIM in the Field

Congratulations to the following SIM Professional Developers on their recent retirements: Dr. Ingrid Cumming, OCPS (FL), Kimberlee Oakes (FL), Terri Lent (VA), Kami Heinz (MT) - Wishing you all the best on this new chapter!
Planning your summer with SIM? Take us to the beach, the mountains, family visits, or even the back porch—wherever you go, SIM goes with you!

Learn more about our virtual courses at: https://sim.ku.edu/sim-events

~ If you have any fun summer pics that include SIM, we'd love to have them!

Recent Publications by KU CRL Staff and SIM Network Members:

Smith, Sean & Carreon, Adam & Goldman, Samantha & Smith, Bridget. (2026). UDL and innovative technologies. 10.4337/9781035337859.00027.
Kennedy, Michael & Kunemund, Rachel & Coleman, Olivia & Bruno, Lauren & Aigotti, Susan & Waterfield, Danielle & McClain, Suzanne. (2026). How Can Technology Support and Enhance How We Practice Special Education?.
Lindo, Endia & Elleman, Amy. (2026). Reading Comprehension Research from an Intersectional Lens. 10.4324/9781003624509-26. 10.4324/9781003495215-32.
Boyle, Joseph & Walker-Seibert, Teh. (2026). The Effects of a Phonological Awareness Strategy on the Reading Skills of Children with Mild Disabilities. Learning Disabilities A Multidisciplinary Journal. 8. 145-153.
Goldman, Samantha & Smith, Sean & Carreon, Adam. (2026). Technology Training’s Influence on Special Education Teachers’ AI Use. Journal of Special Education Technology. 10.1177/01626434261456279.

Reminders and Support:

Are you doing PD over the summer? Don't forget to report your PD Work - we don't care if it isn't recent!

Events for SIM Professional Developers and Specialists:

2026 Fall SIM Virtual Update Conference - October 2026: This will be both a a synchronous and asynchronous virtual event.

FREE SIM Resources:

SLANT (2nd Edition) Manual
Teaching Content to All Manual
Professional Learning Micro-credentials for teachers
SIM CROSSWALKS
2025 SIM One-Page Flyer
Handout with quick links to SIM resources (crosswalks and websites)

SIM Courses for Educators:

Course First! - Learn 4 SIM Content Enhancement Routines with this new online class designed to strategically integrate CERs across an entire course to support the full learning journey.

Supporting Adolescent Literacy for Successful School Change - A Six-Part Course Designed to Support School Teams in Implementing a Systematic Approach to Adolescent Literacy to Dramatically Impact Teacher and Student Performance

SIM Online Classes for Educators:

Content Enhancement Routines:
- Concept Comparison Routine
- Concept Mastery Routine
- Cross-Curricular Argumentation Routine
- Framing Routine
- Unit Organizer Routine
Learning Strategies
- Fundamentals of Paraphrasing and Summarizing Strategy
- The Inference Strategy
- The Paragraph Writing Strategy
- Possible Selves Strategy (1st or 2nd edition)
- Sentence Writing Strategies (Fundamentals and Proficiency)
- Understanding Academic Language
- NEW Apr 2026 - Word Mapping Strategy

Follow SIM® on: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

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