Helping Students Move from Words to Understanding
As our April 2025 Visualizing and Verbalizing® workshop began, teachers brought familiar challenges: students who could read the words but struggled to make sense of text—who had the pieces of understanding but couldn’t quite articulate the big ideas. Many were seeking practical, research-based strategies to strengthen comprehension and expression across content areas.
Over two days, participants explored the power of concept imagery—the ability to form mental pictures from oral or written language—and how this process can transform students’ comprehension, verbal expression, and critical thinking. Guided by trainer Shadi Tayarani, M.Ed., they practiced helping students move from describing individual images and words to visualizing and verbalizing full sentences, paragraphs, and complex informational texts.
Insights and Aha Moments
For many participants, the experience was eye-opening.
“This course will definitely impact how I support students’ comprehension. It opened my eyes to the importance of holding off on inferencing until students fully understand what is literally on the page. I feel more equipped to support students who seem to have all the pieces but struggle to verbalize their understanding or tease out the big ideas.”
Others shared excitement about applying what they learned right away:
“I already have several students in mind who would benefit from this approach. I really appreciated how Shadi gave concrete examples of how to weave these strategies into everyday instruction. Even for students still working primarily on decoding, I can see how to implement this. Plus, having the resource pad bookmarked will make it easy to continue building my practice.”
Meaningful Results
By the end of the workshop, 100% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that the course would influence their thinking and teaching. The feedback wasn’t just about learning a new method—it reflected a genuine shift in confidence and clarity around how to help students access and understand text.
This workshop didn’t just teach strategies; it changed perspectives. Teachers left with practical tools, renewed energy, and a clear vision for helping students think deeply and comprehend fully.
Visualizing and Verbalizing® Workshop Details
Dates: April 14–15, 2025
Format: Remote Synchronous Instruction (live, interactive sessions)
Schedule: 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. each day
Trainer: Shadi Tayarani, M.Ed.
Fees: $595 (includes teaching manual; $50 non-refundable deposit)
Credit: 18 PDPs | 1 Graduate Credit Available | 1.2 IACET CEUs
About the Trainer
Shadi Tayarani, M.Ed.
Director, Professional Training Institute
Shadi Tayarani is an accomplished educator with more than 25 years of experience spanning public schools, private schools, and the nonprofit sector. Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to advancing equitable access to education and improving outcomes for students with disabilities.
Specializing in the application of universal design principles and research-based interventions, Shadi has led numerous school-improvement initiatives and facilitated countless professional-development sessions for teachers and school leaders.
A licensed special-education teacher for grades K–12 in three states, she remains closely connected to classroom realities, grounding her work in the daily practice of teaching and learning. Shadi holds a Bachelor’s in Child Development from Tufts University and a Master’s in Education from Harvard University with a focus on Administration, Planning, and Social Policy.
