Name: Thinking About Thinking: Why Theory of Mind Matters
Start: 2026-09-15T13:00:00-0400
End: 2026-09-15T14:00:00-0400

Thinking About Thinking: Why Theory of Mind Matters

Tuesday September 15, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

502 East Event Centre

Session Description:
Understanding how students think about thoughts matters for language and learning. This session explores why Theory of Mind is foundational to language development, literacy, and classroom learning for all students. Teachers will gain practical ideas for embedding Theory of Mind support into daily academic instruction.

Session Abstract:
Theory of Mind (ToM) refers to the ability to understand that others have thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and perspectives that may differ from one's own. This capacity is foundational to language development, narrative comprehension, reading, classroom discourse, and academic learning. Differences in language access, sensory experiences, and incidental learning can influence how ToM develops and how social-cognitive skills are expressed in educational settings.

This session provides teachers with essential, practical foundations in ToM and its role in supporting language and academic outcomes. Participants will explore key ToM concepts, typical developmental progressions, and the instructional conditions that support social understanding across early childhood and school-age classrooms. Emphasis is placed on how ToM connects to vocabulary growth, comprehension of classroom language, literacy tasks such as inference and perspective-taking, and student engagement in collaborative learning.

By increasing teachers' understanding of ToM as a core component of learning, this session aims to strengthen instructional decision-making and support language-rich educational environments for students.

Session Goals:

Participants will be able to define Theory of Mind and identify at least three ways it supports language development for academic learning for students.
Participants will be able to describe two instructional factors that influence Theory of Mind development in students.
Participants will be able to select and apply at least two classroom strategies for embedding Theory of Mind support into everyday instruction, routines, or academic activities.

Speakers

Jacqueline Hall-Katter

Speech-Language Pathologist, Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions

Jacqueline D. Hall-Katter received her master’s degree from Purdue University in 1992. She has worked exclusively with deaf and hard of hearing children since 1997, first at the Indiana School for the Deaf before transitioning full time to the Center in 2016. As the Center full... Read More →

Tuesday September 15, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
502 East Event Centre 502 E Carmel Dr, Carmel, IN 46032, USA

BLV and DHH

INSAIL 2026

Jacqueline Hall-Katter

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INSAIL 2026

Jacqueline Hall-Katter

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