|
Literacy Now!®
This series of professional development sessions focuses on approaches and strategies for increasing literacy skills for students in grades 4-12 and reflects information from the latest research and the recommendations from Reading Next—A Vision for Action and Research in Middle and High School Literacy. The sessions are intended to build teacher understanding of the conceptual framework necessary for improving reading, and they provide a wide variety of concrete instructional strategies that target all subject areas. Strategies and activities presented are designed to work within the context of the school’s adopted texts and curriculum rather than requiring new materials. Literacy Now!® training consists of six modules:
Literacy Now!® modules consist of approximately four to eight days, depending on staff size:
- 2 days of on-site instruction for participants
- 1-3 days consultant models strategies plus debriefing in small groups
- 1-3 days of consultant observation of teachers implementing strategies
All sessions include opportunities for participants to apply activities and strategies between sessions. Participants receive binders that include copies of all materials used in training, summaries of applicable research, complete citations of all references, and one resource book for each module. In addition, participants receive activities and materials that may be reproduced for use in their own classrooms. Resources
Literacy Now!® training is based upon principles of proven practices that have been established in scientific research. Resources for the development of the training include:
Biancarosa, G., and C.E. Snow. Reading Next—A Vision for Action and Research in Middle and High School Literacy: A Report to Carnegie Corporation of New York. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education, 2004.
The Partnership for Reading: National Institute for Literacy, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and U.S. Department of Education. Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read. Washington, DC: U.S. GPO, 2001.
National Reading Panel, Teaching Children to Read: Report of the Subgroups. Report to the National Reading Panel. Washington, DC: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2000.
Comprehension
This series of professional development sessions focuses on approaches and strategies for increasing comprehension for students in grades 4-12 and reflects information from the latest research and the recommendations from Reading Next: A Vision for Action and Research in Middle and High School Literacy. The sessions are intended to build teacher understanding of the conceptual framework necessary for improving reading comprehension, and they provide a wide variety of concrete instructional strategies that target all subject areas. Strategies and activities presented are designed to work within the context of the school’s adopted texts and curriculum rather than requiring new materials. Literacy Now!® comprehension training includes the following components:
- Conceptual foundations of reading comprehension, including the cognitive processes of reading, characteristics of good and poor readers, and common problems students experience with comprehension; and
- Instructional strategies and activities for improving reading comprehension, including activating prior knowledge, utilizing text structure, adjusting rate, predicting, summarizing, using imagery, generating questions, and monitoring comprehension.
Materials
Participants receive binders that include copies of all materials used in training, summaries of applicable research, complete citations of all references, and one resource book. In addition, participants receive activities and materials that may be reproduced for use in their own classrooms.
Professional Development
This training consists of approximately four to eight days, depending on staff size:
- 2 days of on-site instruction for participants
- 1-3 days consultant models strategies plus debriefing in small groups.
- 1-3 days of consultant observation of teachers implementing strategies
All sessions include reviews of previous sessions and opportunities for participants to apply activities and strategies between sessions. Comprehension training targets teachers of grades 4-12 in all subject areas.
Resources
Literacy Now!® comprehension training is based upon principles of practice that have been established through scientific research. Resources for the development of the training include:
Biancarosa, G., and C.E. Snow. Reading Next—A Vision for Action and Research in Middle and High School Literacy: A Report to Carnegie Corporation of New York. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education, 2004.
The Partnership for Reading: National Institute for Literacy, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and U.S. Department of Education. Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read. Washington, DC: U.S. GPO, 2001.
National Reading Panel, Teaching Children to Read: Report of the Subgroups. Report to the National Reading Panel. Washington, DC: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2000.
Return to Top
Vocabulary
This series of professional development sessions provides educators with approaches and strategies for improving vocabulary development for students in grades 4-12. The sessions reflect information from the latest research and the recommendations from Reading Next: A Vision for Action and Research in Middle and High School Literacy. The sessions are intended to build teacher understanding of the conceptual framework surrounding vocabulary acquisition, the part it may play in reading comprehension, and concrete strategies for helping students build vocabulary within the context of a wide variety of subject content. Strategies and activities presented are designed to work within the context of the school’s adopted texts and curriculum rather than requiring new materials. Literacy Now!® vocabulary training includes the following components:
- Conceptual foundations of vocabulary acquisition, including how vocabulary is acquired, developmental stages for vocabulary, the relationship between vocabulary and reading comprehension, and the research findings on vocabulary instruction; and
- Explicit and implicit instructional strategies for vocabulary development across the curriculum.
Materials
Participants receive binders that include copies of all materials used in training, summaries of applicable research, complete citations of all references, and one resource book. In addition, participants receive activities and materials that may be reproduced for use in their own classrooms.
Professional Development
This training consists of approximately four to eight days, depending on staff size:
- 2 days of on-site instruction for participants
- 1-3 days consultant models strategies plus debriefing in small groups.
- 1-3 days of consultant observation of teachers implementing strategies
All sessions include reviews of previous sessions and opportunities for participants to apply activities and strategies between sessions. Vocabulary training targets teachers of grades 4-12 in all subject areas.
Resources
Literacy Now!® vocabulary training is based upon principles of practice that have been established in scientific research. Resources for the development of the training include:
Biancarosa, G., and C.E. Snow. Reading Next—A Vision for Action and Research in Middle and High School Literacy: A Report to Carnegie Corporation of New York. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education, 2004.
The Partnership for Reading: National Institute for Literacy, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and U.S. Department of Education. Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read. Washington, DC: U.S. GPO, 2001.
National Reading Panel, Teaching Children to Read: Report of the Subgroups. Report to the National Reading Panel. Washington, DC: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2000.
Return to Top
Fluency
This series of professional development sessions focuses on approaches and strategies for increasing fluency for students in grades 4-12 and reflects information from the latest research and the recommendations from Reading Next: A Vision for Action and Research in Middle and High School Literacy. The sessions are intended to build teacher understanding of the elements of fluency and their relationship to reading comprehension. Additionally, teachers learn specific strategies for helping students to develop rapid, accurate decoding skills, group words into meaningful grammatical units, use punctuation rapidly and accurately, and determine where to place emphasis or to pause to make sense of text. Strategies and activities presented are designed to work within the context of the school’s adopted texts and curriculum rather than requiring new materials. Literacy Now!® fluency training includes the following components:
- Conceptual foundations of fluency, including current research on the connections between fluency and comprehension; and
- Instructional strategies for improving fluency, including activities that focus on rapid and accurate decoding, phrase reading, accurate use of punctuation, and expressive reading.
Materials
Participants receive binders that include copies of all materials used in training, summaries of applicable research, complete citations of all references, and one resource book. In addition, participants receive activities and materials that may be reproduced for use in their own classrooms.
Professional Development
This training consists of approximately four to eight days, depending on staff size:
- 2 days of on-site instruction for participants
- 1-3 days consultant models strategies plus debriefing in small groups
- 1-3 days of consultant observation of teachers implementing strategies
All sessions include reviews of previous sessions and opportunities for participants to apply activities and strategies between sessions. Fluency training targets teachers of grades 4-12 in all subject areas.
Resources
Literacy Now!® fluency training is based upon principles of practice that have been established in scientific research. Resources for the development of the training include:
Biancarosa, G., and C.E. Snow. Reading Next—A Vision for Action and Research in Middle and High School Literacy: A Report to Carnegie Corporation of New York. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education, 2004.
The Partnership for Reading: National Institute for Literacy, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and U.S. Department of Education. Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read. Washington, DC: U.S. GPO, 2001.
National Reading Panel, Report to the National Reading Panel: Teaching Children to Read: Report of the Subgroups. Bethesda, MD: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Washington, DC, 2000.
Return to Top
Writing
This series of professional development sessions provides educators with approaches and strategies for improving writing for students in grades 4-12. The sessions reflect information from the latest research and the recommendations from The Neglected “R:” The Need for a Writing Revolution. The sessions are intended to build teacher understanding of the writing process and state writing assessments. Additionally, the sessions will provide concrete strategies for helping students improve writing within the context of a wide variety of subject content. Strategies and activities presented are designed to work within the context of the school’s adopted texts and curriculum rather than requiring new materials. Literacy Now!® writing training includes the following components:
- Conceptual foundations of writing, including the stages of the writing process, different types of writing, assessing writing, and writing to learn and to demonstrate learning; and
- Explicit and implicit instructional strategies for improving writing across the curriculum.
Materials
Participants receive binders that include copies of all materials used in training, summaries of applicable research, complete citations of all references, and one resource book. In addition, participants receive activities and materials that may be reproduced for use in their own classrooms.
Professional Development
This training consists of approximately four to eight days, depending on staff size:
- 2 days of on-site instruction for participants
- 1-3 days consultant models strategies plus debriefing in small groups
- 1-3 days of consultant observation of teachers implementing strategies
All sessions include reviews of previous sessions and opportunities for participants to apply activities and strategies between sessions. Writing training targets teachers of grades 4-12 in all subject areas.
Resources
Literacy Now!® writing training is based upon principles of practice that have been established in scientific research. Resources for the development of the training include:
Frank, Marjorie. If You’re Trying To Teach Kids How To Write…you’ve gotta have this book! Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications, Inc., 1995.
National Center for Education Statistics. The Nation’s Report Card: 2002 Assessment Results, National Assessment of Educational Progress, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: U.S. GPO, 2003.
National Commission on Writing. The Neglected “R:” The Need For a Writing Revolution. New York: The College Board, 2003.
Urquhart, Vicki and Monette McIver. Teaching Writing in the Content Areas. Alexandria, VA: ASCD and Aurora, CO: Mid-Continent Research Laboratory, 2005.
Zemelman, Steven and Harvey Daniels. A Community of Writers: Teaching Writing in the Junior and Senior High School. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1988.
Return to Top
Instructional Coaching
Literacy Now!® Instructional Coaching is designed to meet the needs of teachers who want to see effective literacy practices in the context of their own classrooms and schools. This approach, which involves a cycle of collaborative planning between teacher and coach, model teaching, observations, and feedback, provides contextualized professional development for teachers in all subject areas. Literacy Now!® Instructional Coaching follows a standard protocol:
- After reviewing available results of achievement testing, the MRSH instructional coach meets with participating teachers and their principals to determine the key literacy content and strategies for coaching. Coaching focuses upon instructional strategies directly related to comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and reading fluency within the teacher’s own content area. The coach will provide all participants an overview of the strategies to be used.
- While the participating teacher observes, the instructional coach models specific instructional strategies and classroom practices in the classroom. Following this modeling session, the coach and teacher discuss the session, clarify questions, and elaborate on the demonstrated practices. The participating teacher is then given the assignment to develop a lesson using the new strategies and practices.
- During the subsequent school visit, the instructional coach observes the participating teacher presenting the lesson he or she has designed. Following this observation, the coach provides extensive feedback to the teacher, suggesting needed modifications or strategies for improvement.
- The instructional coaching protocol is iterative and can be repeated as many times as necessary, depending upon the needs of participants.
Materials
Participating teachers receive copies of exemplars and materials from all model lessons.
Professional Development
Typically, eight to ten teachers per school participate at a time in the coaching cycle.
- 1 day initial meeting/training
- 3 days of model teaching
- 3 days of consultant observation of teachers and substantive feedback
The cycle may be repeated as needed.
Resources
Literacy Now!® instructional coaching is based upon principles of practice that have been established through scientific research. Resources for the development of the training include:
Buehl, Doug. Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning, 2 nd Ed. Newark, DE: International Reading Association, 2001.
Faber, Sharon. How to Teach Reading When You’re Not a Reading Teacher. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications, Inc., 2004.
Herrell, A. & M. Jordan. Fifty Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners, 2 nd Ed. Columbus, OH: Pearson, Merrill, Prentice Hall, 2004.
Sousa, David. How the Brain Learns to Read. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc., 2005.
Wolfe, P. & P. Nelvills. Building the Reading Brain, PreK-3. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc., 2005.
Wolfe, P. Brain Matters: Translating Research into Classroom Practice. Alexandria, VA: ASCD, 2001.
Return to Top
Leadership
This series of professional development sessions for administrators and literacy leaders focuses on approaches and strategies for leading literacy programs for students in grades 4-12 and reflects information from the latest research and the recommendations from Reading Next—A Vision for Action and Research in Middle and High School Literacy. The sessions are intended to build administrators’ understanding of the conceptual framework necessary for improving literacy instruction, and they provide a wide variety of concrete instructional strategies that target all subject areas. Strategies and activities presented are designed to work within the context of a school’s/district’s leadership policies. Literacy Now!® leadership training includes the following components:
- The roles of building/district leadership in establishing effective learning practice and the critical actions that must take place in every classroom in order for learning to occur
- The basics of effective literacy instruction as well as the role the building/district leaders play in setting the conditions for a focus on literacy
- Concrete strategies for observing classrooms and giving effective feedback and assistance to teachers
- Concrete strategies to assist in building a professional learning community
- The development of a clear action plan for improving literacy instruction
Materials
Participants receive binders that include copies of all materials used in training, summaries of applicable research, and complete citations of all references. In addition, participants receive activities and materials that may be reproduced for use in their own schools or districts.
Professional Development
This training consists of one to five days, depending on the leadership needs in the school/district. It is appropriate for central office administrators, building-level administrators, and lead teachers. All sessions include reviews of previous sessions and opportunities for participants to apply activities and strategies between sessions.
Resources
Literacy Now!® leadership training is based upon principles of practice that have been established through scientific research. Resources for the development of the training include:
Biancarosa, G., and C.E. Snow. Reading Next—A Vision for Action and Research in Middle and High School Literacy: A Report to Carnegie Corporation of New York. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education, 2004.
Fullen, Michael. The New Meaning of Educational Change. New York, NY: Teachers College Press, 2001.
Marzano, R. Classroom Instruction that Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement. Alexandria, VA: ASCD, 2001.
The Partnership for Reading: National Institute for Literacy, National Institute of Child Hearth and Human Development, and U.S. Department of Education. Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read. Washington, DC: U.S. GPO, 2001.
National Reading Panel, Teaching Children to Read: Report of the Subgroups. Report to the National Reading Panel. Washington, DC: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2000.
Sousa, David. The Leadership Brain: How to Lead Today’s Schools More Effectively. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2003.
Return to Top
|
