Pike's ElevatED 2026: Full Schedule

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9:45am EDT

K-2 Strategies to teach narrative writing

Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:45am - 10:45am EDT

Every story needs a problem and a solution — and this session builds K–2 narrative instruction around exactly that. Explore developmentally appropriate ways to guide young writers from pictures and labels through simple sentences, with practical lesson ideas for generating story problems and crafting resolutions. Connections to Savvas make these strategies easy to use the very next day.

Speakers

Holly Sluyter

Literacy Consultant, Smekens Education

Holly Sluyter equips educators with transformative professional development, leaving teachers confident and prepared to implement best-practice reading and writing strategies. As a literacy consultant with Smekens Education, she inspires impactful "aha moments" that elevate instruction... Read More →

Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:45am - 10:45am EDT
P112

K-2, ELA

11:00am EDT

K-2 Strategies to teach informative writing

Tuesday July 21, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT

P112

Teaching young writers to share what they know requires explicit, scaffolded instruction. This session gives K–2 teachers practical lesson ideas for helping students embed topic-specific vocabulary, elaborate on what they know, and move from drawing and labeling into simple informative sentences — with direct connections to Savvas curriculum.

Speakers

Holly Sluyter

Literacy Consultant, Smekens Education

Tuesday July 21, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
P112

K-2, ELA

1:15pm EDT

K-2 Strategies to teach persuasive writing

Tuesday July 21, 2026 1:15pm - 2:15pm EDT

P112

Even the youngest writers have opinions worth sharing. This session builds on that instinct with foundational, age-appropriate persuasive writing instruction — guiding K–2 students to state a clear position and support it with simple details. Practical connections to Savvas give teachers a confident path from this session directly into classroom practice.

Speakers

Holly Sluyter

Literacy Consultant, Smekens Education

Tuesday July 21, 2026 1:15pm - 2:15pm EDT
P112

K-2, ELA

2:30pm EDT

3-12 Strategies to target short constructed-response writing

Tuesday July 21, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

P112

Discover the key components of effective short constructed responses, including inferential thinking and the use of textual evidence. Learn practical lesson ideas that cater to writers who will face state assessments, helping them develop the necessary writing skills to excel in this important format.

Speakers

Holly Sluyter

Literacy Consultant, Smekens Education

Tuesday July 21, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
P112

3rd-12th, ELA

Pike's ElevatED 2026

9:45am EDT

Holly Sluyter

11:00am EDT

Holly Sluyter

1:15pm EDT

Holly Sluyter

2:30pm EDT

Holly Sluyter

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