From Theory to Practice: Using Modern CHC to Drive Meaningful Evaluations (Part 2)

From Theory to Practice: Using Modern CHC to Drive Meaningful Evaluations (Part 2) 

Thursday January 22nd, 2026 | 11:00AM CST / 12:00PM EST

This session brings modern CHC theory to life by showing how specific cognitive processes directly shape academic performance. Using a real-world case study, participants will explore why accurate readers may still struggle with fluency, how automaticity differs from accuracy, and how tools like Rapid Automatic Naming, retrieval fluency, and RPI reveal the true educational impact of processing weaknesses. Attendees will leave with clearer strategies for interpreting CHC-aligned data and translating scores into meaningful, defensible evaluation conclusions, especially in reading and written language. 

Learning Objectives: 

1. Apply contemporary CHC theory to interpret patterns of strengths and weaknesses and explain how specific processes contribute to academic performance in school-aged learners.​
2. Differentiate and analyze CHC narrow abilities (e.g., phonological manipulation, rapid automatic naming, retrieval fluency, working memory capacity) to identify specific processing inefficiencies that underlie academic weaknesses and inform PSW conclusions.​
3. Describe how cognitive and academic skills develop from foundational to complex levels (e.g., awareness to manipulation, accuracy to automaticity) and apply this understanding to evaluation and interpretation of learning difficulties.​
4. Apply CHC-aligned assessment tools to identify and explain links between cognitive processing strengths and weaknesses and corresponding academic performance in reading, writing, and mathematics. 

Becki Robertson, M.Ed. 
Becki Robertson, M.Ed. is a national presenter and experienced practitioner with more than 30 years of service as a public-school educational diagnostician, including leadership roles, preceded by work as both a general and special education teacher. She currently serves as Senior Product Advocate for the Woodcock-Johnson® V at Riverside Insights and as a field supervisor in an educational diagnostician certification program, supporting the preparation and professional growth of evaluation staff. Her professional interests include specific learning disability evaluations, assessment of low-incidence populations, and the application of learning theory to evidence-based evaluation and intervention practices. Outside of her professional work, Becki enjoys outdoor activities, running, crafting, and woodworking.