Balanced Literacy Professional Learning Options

A Deep Dive into Reading Instruction

This session focuses on reading instruction and explores foundational skills as well as comprehension. We explore teacher moves in whole class, small group, collaborative, and independent learning. Specific attention is given to the differences in primary grades versus upper grades in terms of teacher modeling, text selection, grouping patterns, collaborative tasks, and assessment. Participants plan a learning experience for students with balanced literacy in mind, so that they can determine the impact of the lesson with their team.

Learning intentions:

• Identify teacher moves that increase students reading performance.
• Ensure students develop foundational language and literacy skills.
• Explore text selection and instructional moves for students who struggle with reading.

A Deep Dive into Writing Instruction

This session focuses on writing development and ensures that teachers have the tools needed to move from causing writing to teaching writing. We explore teacher moves in whole class, small group, collaborative, independent learning, and the role of assessment in writing. Attention is paid to keyboarding as well as handwriting. Participants plan a learning experience for students, balancing literacy, so that they can determine the impact of the lesson with their team.

Learning intentions:

• Identify teacher moves that increase student writing performance.
• Ensure students develop spelling and grammar skills as they write across genres and text types.
• Understand the impact of writing tasks, peer review and revisions that move writers forward in their development.

Assessing Learning and Impacting Teaching

Ensuring that all students achieve at high levels requires that teachers monitor student performance and adjust learning experiences accordingly. In this session, we explore a range of assessment tools that allow teachers to monitor and adjust the experiences students have so that learning moves forward. Participants will develop their assessment literacy and identify tools that they can use with their students.

Learning intentions:

• Explore assessment tools for literacy learning.
• Understand how to adjust instruction based on student performance.

Guiding Learning and Keeping the Rest of the Class Engaged

Key to balancing literacy learning is ensuring that student needs are met. There are significant differences in students’ understanding of strategies and their development of skills in most classrooms. To meet those varied needs, teachers need to identify learning expectations and group students to meet those needs. In addition, teachers must develop meaningful tasks for students who are not engaged in small group instruction.

Learning intentions:

• To create appropriate grouping structures.
• To design small group reading and writing lessons.
• To design collaborate tasks for students not engaged in small group instruction.

Coaching and Implementations Days

Implementation Day includes walk-throughs, instruction coaching, and opportunities to talk through any potential questions or challenges. This day is a powerful way to engage with leaders and teachers on what the learning environment looks like, sounds like, feels like and examining the impact thus far.