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The Reading League COMPASS: Families and Caregivers 

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The Reading League COMPASS: Families and Caregivers 

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Explore reading resources for families and caregivers to help support your child’s literacy journey with confidence.

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The Reading League Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines

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The Reading League Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines

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Use the Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines to evaluate how well a curriculum aligns with the findings from the science of reading.

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TEACHING ALL STUDENTS TO READIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: A Guide for Principals

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TEACHING ALL STUDENTS TO READIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: A Guide for Principals

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16-minute Introduction to Classwide Interventions by Dr. Matt Burns K-12

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16-minute Introduction to Classwide Interventions by Dr. Matt Burns K-12

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Intervene with Classwide Interventions | PaTTANpod [S4E4]

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Tier 1 Classwide Interventions Grades 1 - 12

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Tier 1 Classwide Interventions Grades 1 - 12

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In this 25-minute video, Dr. Matt Burns describes how to implement a class-wide intervention to increase fluency and comprehension in classrooms where more than half of the students are reading below grade level. FREE RESOURCES!

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Tier 1 Classwide Intervention for Reading

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The Reading League Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines: Reviewer Workbook

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The Reading League Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines: Reviewer Workbook

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Read-Aloud Routine Bookmark for Parents, English and Spanish

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Read-Aloud Routine Bookmark for Parents, English and Spanish

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Description

During the 2012-2013 school year, Project ELITE worked with K-3 teachers at Baty Elementary School in Del Valle Independent School District to implement a new way of reading books aloud to enhance students' vocabulary and comprehension. This bookmark presents a routine for parents to use with their children. For more information about this tool, contact Project Director Leticia Romero Grimaldo.

Note: Known issues with Firefox's new native PDF viewer may cause this PDF to display incorrectly. If so, save the PDF to your computer and open it with a PDF reader (such as Adobe Acrobat) or use a different browser.

Citation

The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk. (2013). Read-aloud routine: Rutina de leer en voz alta. Austin, TX: Author.

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Read-Aloud Routine Bookmark for Parents, English and Spanish - The Meadows Center

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Description During the 2012-2013 school year, Project ELITE worked with K-3 teachers at Baty Elementary School in Del Valle Independent School District to implement a new way of reading books aloud to enhance students' vocabulary and comprehension. This bookmark presents a routine for parents to use with their children.

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11. A Classwide Reading Intervention that Works | 2022 Literacy Symposium

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Tier 1 Class-Wide Interventions for Reading and Math: Setting the Foundation for Success with Matthew K. Burns, Ph.D

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Tier 1 Class-Wide Interventions for Reading and Math: Setting the Foundation for Success with Matthew K. Burns, Ph.D

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Tier 1 Class-Wide Interventions for Reading and Math: Setting the Foundation for Success

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Link to "How Principals Affect Students and Schools -- Let's Start with Master Schedules" with Misti Trowbridge

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How Principals Affect Students and Schools: Let’s Start with the Master Schedule

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Scheduling for Literacy Elementary Schools by Brent Conway and Stephanie Stollar

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Scheduling for Literacy Elementary Schools by Brent Conway and Stephanie Stollar

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The Science of Reading Implementation Guide

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Narrowing the Third-Grade Reading Gap: Embracing the Science of Reading

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Decodable Text links from The Reading League

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Decodable Text links from The Reading League

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The National Implementation Research Network

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The National Implementation Research Network

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K-12 Education

Our education work is dedicated to expanding the selection, adoption and sustained use of educational practices supported by evidence that result in positive outcomes for students. We use the science and practice of implementation to strengthen equity in our education systems, support our educators, and improve outcomes for learners and their families.

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Our education work is dedicated to expanding the selection, adoption and sustained use of educational practices supported by evidence that result in positive outcomes for students. We use the science and practice of implementation to strengthen equity in our education systems, support our educators, and improve outcomes for learners and their families.

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Examples of High-Quality Intervention Practices from Reading Rockets

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Examples of High-Quality Intervention Practices from Reading Rockets

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In this special Reading Rockets video series, reading expert Linda Farrell works one-on-one with students in grades K-3 to help ensure that they master the skills they need to become proficient readers.

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Colorado Department of Education Advisory List 

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Colorado Department of Education Advisory List 

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The READ Act requires the department to identify quality reading instructional programs and professional development programs for use by local education agencies. This page includes links to providers and programs that have been identified through the 2020 instructional programming review process.

The in-person 2020 review was interrupted due to COVID-related gathering restrictions. All vendors were given the opportunity to submit digital materials to enable remote reviews, and CDE staff and volunteer reviewers worked to complete remote reviews of the remaining programs. As of March 2021, this list has been updated and is now considered complete. Please note that two vendors of Spanish programs have requested to wait until in-person reviews can resume.

Completed rubrics for any reviewed program will be made available upon request. Please email the READ Act Email readact@cde.state.co.us with all rubric requests and questions related to instructional program review.​

Jump to a Section:

Core Programming

Core Instruction is instruction provided to all students, and is typically guided by a comprehensive core reading program. Part of core instruction is typically provided to the class as a whole, and part is provided during the small group, differentiated instruction period. Although instruction is differentiated by student need during the small group period, materials and lesson procedures from the core program can frequently be used to provide reteaching, or additional teaching to students according to their needs.

Supplemental Programming

Supplemental Instruction is instruction that goes beyond that provided by the comprehensive core program because the core program does not provide enough instruction or practice in a key area to meet the needs of the students in a particular classroom or school. For example, teachers in a school may observe that their comprehensive core program does not provide enough instruction in vocabulary or phonics to adequately meet the needs of the majority of their students. Selection and implementation of a supplemental program in these areas can strengthen the initial instruction and practice provided to all students.

Intervention Programming

Intervention is the practice of providing scientifically-based, high-quality instruction and progress monitoring to students who are below proficient in reading. Intervention is provided withintensity that is matched to student need. This involves more time daily, above and beyond 90+ minutes of universal (Tier 1 or core) instruction, which is focused on the specific needs of the student as identified by a diagnostic measure. Instruction can be intensified in three ways: (1) more time, (2) more targeted instruction, and (3) smaller group size.

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2020 Advisory List of Instructional Programming

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The READ Act requires the department to identify quality reading instructional programs and professional development programs for use by local education agencies. This page includes links to providers and programs that have been identified through the 2020 instructional programming review process. The in-person 2020 review was interrupted due to COVID-related gathering restrictions.

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Rubric for Evaluation Reading and Language Arts Instructional Materials K-5

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Rubric for Evaluation Reading and Language Arts Instructional Materials K-5

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List of Screening Tools K-12

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Use the briefs to evaluate academic interventions available on the academic intervention tools chart across the seven dimensions of the Taxonomy of Intervention Intensity.

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Dr. Stephanie Stollar: Removing Barriers and Paving the Way: The School Leader's Role in Using the Science of Reading to Improve Outcomes for All Students

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Dr. Stephanie Stollar: Removing Barriers and Paving the Way: The School Leader's Role in Using the Science of Reading to Improve Outcomes for All Students

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School leaders hold the keys to unlocking literacy for young learners. However, like other educators, many school principals don't have deep knowledge of how the brain learns to read, effective instructional practices in the essential early literacy skills, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), and identifying and serving students with reading disabilities. Principals not only need knowledge in these areas, but they also need to know how to implement the processes and structures that pave the way for improved reading outcomes.

Assessment

School leaders make the hard decisions about selecting and implementing reliable and efficient assessments for screening, diagnostic assessment, and progress monitoring. This is one of the critical first steps because it reveals student performance on the essential early literacy skills (phonemic awareness, phonics, reading fluency, and reading comprehension) which distinguish children who are on track from children who are likely to need more support.

Data-Based Decision-Making

School leaders ensure the use of data in a collaborative problem-solving process that directly impacts decisions at the building, grade, and student levels. A systemic approach to using data to efficiently match student needs to instructional systems is the defining feature of MTSS.

Professional Development

School leaders must prioritize their own professional learning and the learning of others. Knowledge of how proficient reading and writing develop; why some have difficulty; and how we can most effectively assess and teach reading and writing allows schools to improve student outcomes through prevention of and intervention for reading difficulties.

Schedules

School leaders have the authority to prioritize time for classroom reading instruction and the extra dose of intervention needed by struggling readers. When student data drive the daily schedule, principals can identify and remove potential barriers related to grouping practices, instructional materials, and staff allocation.

We Can Do This!

School leaders...reading failure can be prevented! Last week, my colleague, Sharon Dunn, and I presented a webinar Bringing the Science of Reading to Light Using MTSS: One School's Story and you can watch at your convenience here.
Dr. Stephanie Stollar is the former vice president for professional learning at Acadience® Learning Inc. She is an adjunct professor in the online reading science program at Mount St. Joseph University, and a founding member of a national alliance for supporting reading science in higher education. Dr. Stollar has worked as an educational consultant, a school psychologist, and an assistant professor in the school psychology program at the University of South Florida and has provided professional development for teachers for the past 25 years. Dr. Stollar is a co-author of Acadience® Reading K-6, Acadience® Reading Survey, and Acadience® Reading Diagnostic. She has conducted research in the areas of assessment, early intervention, and collaborative problem solving. As a member of the board for the Innovations in Education Consortium, she collaboratively plans the annual MTSS Innovations in Education Conference

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Removing Barriers and Paving the Way: The School Leader's Role in Using the Science of Reading to Improve Outcomes for All Students

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School leaders hold the keys to unlocking literacy for young learners. However, like other educators, many school principals don't have deep knowledge of how the brain learns to read, effective instructional practices in the essential early literacy skills, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), and identifying and serving students with reading disabilities.

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A guide for improving teacher implementation of evidence-based literacy practices within an effective, schoolwide multi-tiered system of support.

Research briefs, infographics, and guides with essential information that can be applied to your school or district.

Webinars and videos about evidence-based literacy practices that support school & district leaders.

Recommended websites, downloads, and videos from reliable sources.

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Literacy Leaders: What Do You Need to Know?

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Literacy Leaders: What Do You Need to Know?

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Literacy Leaders: What Do You Need to Know?

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This inforgraphic discusses 3 things that literacy leaders need to know.

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Literacy Scan TONS OF FREE RESOURCES TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN SUSTAINABLE LITERACY TRANSFORMATION IN YOUR SCHOOL!

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Literacy Scan TONS OF FREE RESOURCES TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN SUSTAINABLE LITERACY TRANSFORMATION IN YOUR SCHOOL!

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This Online Tool has Two Purposes

First, it is organized into a survey that will allow district personnel to self-assess current literacy practices and then collaborate as a team to improve literacy strategies. For educators in schools, this scan is a chance to anonymously share your feedback on how literacy practices are being implemented in your school and district. For district administrators, this scan will capture perceptions among staff about implementation within individual schools and district-wide. (In fact, if you administer this scan a few times per year or across multiple years, you will also be able to track the progress of literacy implementation in your district over time.)

This tool's second purpose is to compile many relevant resources and examples that will help you to implement effective literacy practices.

Your Data is Confidential

This is an anonymous scan designed to capture the perceptions of personnel around key components associated with balanced literacy programs. The scan does not request any personal information and does not track email addresses or other information related to users. Only the district administrator who distributed the link for the scan has access to the reports generated by this tool. The use of this tool over time can help a district understand the progress of the implementation of a balanced literacy program.

How to Use This Tool

For Individuals, district personnel, or school personnel

If you have accessed this website on your own (i.e., your district has not formally administered this scan to you), click here. You can think of this scan as an informative rubric for how districts and schools can implement effective literacy practices. You can access and use any of the resources, examples, and tools that are embedded in the scan questions. (A full list of the resources can also be found below.) If you respond to the scan questions, your results will not be tallied unless your district administers this scan.

For District Administrators

If you are a district administrator who would like to survey your personnel on the extent to which they perceive effective literacy strategies to be in place, you can log in or sign up here. After you create your profile, you can create a school roster so that when you administer the scan, it will disaggregate school-level and district-level results.

If you are a District Administrator
Here are some helpful tips on managing the simple district dashboard

Select the Reporting Year. We suggest using the current school year, and administering the scan once or twice a year. That way, you can compare results over time.

Use the "Get Share Link" Button. If you want district personnel to take this scan, disseminate this link so that the unique results for your district will tally. (We have also included a sample message that you might include in your email with the link, but you can use whatever language is right for you.)

Use the On/Off Button. We recommend that you decide upon a period of time during which the scan will be live, and then turn the button off. This will allow you to close the scan so that results stop tallying.

View School-Level and District-Level Results. If you click on the "Aggregate District Report," you can get feedback on perceptions about literacy implementation across the district. However, you can also look at the results of individual schools under the "School Reports" section.

Compare Year-to-Year Results. If you administer this scan over multiple years, you will be able to track your progress over time.

Compare the Overview to the Individual Questions. This scan is divided into five content areas: Leadership, Tiered Instructional Model, Professional Development, Assessment, and Family Engagement. When you look at your scan results, the green graph on the left displays overview results for one entire area. When you scroll down, the purple graphs on the right will display the responses to the individual questions within that area. These data points allow you to track both: (a) category areas that are strongest and weakest in your district/school; and (b) the individual issues that make you strong/weak in each area.

Use the Data to Inform Strategic Planning. Once you have administered the survey multiple times, you will have useful data about how well implementation of your literacy program is going. Where you find weaknesses, incorporate potential solutions into your strategic planning process-and then continue to track whether your solutions are correlated with improved data on the scan over time. Survey, analyze, plan, repeat!

Download Instructions

Resources

Embedded throughout this scan are resources, examples, templates, and tools. They will help you to calibrate your responses to the scan questions. (Sometimes, it's just easier to establish a common vocabulary when there are examples in place.) But these resources are also there for you to use any time, as you deem appropriate. As well as being embedded throughout the scan, you can click the button below to view them all.
View Resources

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Blog: Yes, Principals are THAT important

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Blog: Yes, Principals are THAT important

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​​​​Effective principals have an even greater impact than previously thought, benefiting not only student learning and attendance but also teacher satisfaction and retention, according to a major new research review. How Principals Affect Students and Schools: A Systematic Synthesis of Two Decades of Research draws on 219 high-quality research studies of K-12 school leadership conducted since 2000 and updates the landmark 2004 literature review by Kenneth Leithwood, et al., that concluded that principals are second only to classroom instruction among school-related factors affecting student achievement.

​​​​The authors of the new synthesis-Jason A. Grissom, the Patricia and Rodes Hart professor at Vanderbilt University, Anna J. Egalite, associate professor at North Carolina State University, and Constance A. Lindsay, assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill-presented their findings at a recent webinar​ hosted by Wallace President Will Miller and attended by more than 1,450 people. The event also featured a panel of education experts who shared their reactions to the report, which set out to answer three main questions: How much do principals contribute to student achievement and other school outcomes? Which behaviors are critical to that work? Who are principals today and how have they changed over time?

​​​​​To get at the first question, the researchers dug into six rigorous studies that together followed more than 22,000 principals and the schools they led over time, allowing the authors to assess the impact of the same principal at different schools and the same school under different principals. Principal effects are large, they found. Further, they translated the effect size into months of learning, finding that replacing a below-average principal-one at the 25th percentile in terms of raising student achievement-with an above-average principal at the 75th percentile resulted in nearly three more months of learning a year for students, almost as much as the four months of increased learning generated by a teacher at the 75th percentile. Principal effects are broader in scope than those of a teacher because they are felt across an entire school rather than a single classroom. Still, the effects stem in large part from a leader's work with teachers, including how principals hire and coach staff members and create a school environment conducive to learning. The report's authors also found that great principals yield benefits for outcomes beyond achievement, such as student attendance, exclusionary discipline (i.e., suspension), teacher satisfaction and teacher retention.

​The new report identifies four observable behaviors of school leaders that the best-available research suggests produce positive school outcomes:​

Fo​cusing on high-leverage engagement in instruction, such as through teacher evaluations and coaching

Establishing a productive school climate

Facilitating collaboration and professional learning communities

Managing personnel and resources strategically

As schools gradually reopen for in-person learning, nurturing a positive school climate and helping students reconnect must be a priority for leaders, noted panelist Hal Smith, senior vice president at the National Urban League. During the pandemic, "we've seen students report that the loss of relationships has been particularly unsettling...they don't know where to look for support," he said. Having a principal who's attuned to the social-emotional needs of students and staff and thinking about how to "reknit" the school community will be critical in the months ahead, he added.

State education agencies have a vital role to play in helping current principals strengthen the skills that manifest themselves in these four inter-related behaviors, in addition to ensuring a strong pool of future principals, said Carissa Moffat Miller, chief executive officer of the Council of Chief State School Officers, which represents top-ranking state education officials. Below-average principals can become above-average ones if they have access to the right in-service learning opportunities. The new synthesis provides a "map" of where states might consider directing their investments and their work with partners to support school leaders, she noted. "Sometimes we just think of the [principal] pipeline in terms of recruitment, but it's also about retention and skill-building," she said. Panelist Michael Casserly noted that more needs to be learned about improving the skills of current principals. He is executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools, which represents larger, urban school districts. "How is that we can move principals from being less effective to more effective?" he asked. "The research is not very clear on that but would be enormously important."

The report also calls on principals to embed equity in their leadership practices, given the growing number of marginalized students, such as students from low-income families and English learners. The authors examine emerging research on how equity-focused principals exhibit the four behaviors linked to positive school outcomes. For example, equity-oriented leaders promote a productive school climate by implementing alternative strategies to student expulsions. They use data to identify children who are falling behind and work with teachers to create a plan to get them back on track. They engage families in the life of the school and coach teachers on culturally-responsive instructional practices to better serve marginalized students. Noting that some teachers "simply want to be excused" from tough discussions about equity because they find them uncomfortable, Casserly said it is imperative for principals to push forward with the work and encourage teachers to adopt an equity mindset.

Principals of color appear especially likely to have positive impacts on students and teachers of color, according to the report, yet the racial and ethnic gaps between school leaders and the students they serve are stark. Nearly 80 percent of principals today are white while the student body is only 53 percent white. Diversifying the principal workforce will require taking a closer look at how emerging leaders of color are identified, noted panelist Mónica Byrne-Jiménez, executive director of the University Council for Educational Administration, a consortium of higher education institutions committed to advancing the preparation and practice of principals and other school leaders. "If you want to diversify the leadership pipeline, we have to diversify the teacher pipeline," she said. Future leaders of color may begin their studies at community college or start as teacher assistants, she added. Schools and districts need to identify these rising stars early on, give them opportunities to cultivate their budding leadership skills, and provide a viable career path to the principalship.

Whether they're aspiring to the role-or already on the job-investing in principals makes sound financial sense given the magnitude and scope of their effects on a broad range of school outcomes. "Principals really matter," conclude the report's authors. "Indeed, it is difficult to envision an investment in K-12 education with a higher ceiling on its potential return than impr​oving school leadership."

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​​​​Effective principals have an even greater impact than previously thought, benefiting not only student learning and attendance but also teacher satisfaction and retention, according to a major new research review.

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The Science of Reading -- Defining Guide

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The Science of Reading -- Defining Guide

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Ten Ways to Improve Tier 1 Reading Instruction(That You Can Use Today Without Taking a Course or Buying a Program)

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Ten Ways to Improve Tier 1 Reading Instruction(That You Can Use Today Without Taking a Course or Buying a Program)

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Example of Elementary Building ELA Schedule by Brent Conway

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Example of Elementary Building ELA Schedule by Brent Conway

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Example Elem Building schedule - for Tiered Literacy

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Effective and Efficient Teaching

By Anita L. Archer and Charles A. Hughes

Explicit instruction is systematic, direct, engaging, and success oriented-and has been shown to promote achievement for all students. This highly practical and accessible resource gives special and general education teachers the tools to implement explicit instruction in any grade level or content area. The authors are leading experts who provide clear guidelines for identifying key concepts, strategies, skills, and routines to teach; designing and delivering effective lessons; and giving students opportunities to practice and master new material. Sample lesson plans, lively examples, and reproducible checklists and teacher worksheets enhance the utility of the volume.

This title is part of the What Works for Special-Needs Learners Series, edited by Karen R. Harris and Steve Graham.

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Explicit Instructions | Effective and Efficient Teaching

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By Anita L. Archer and Charles A. Hughes Explicit instruction is systematic, direct, engaging, and success oriented-and has been shown to promote achievement for all students. This highly practical and accessible resource gives special and general education teachers the tools to implement explicit instruction in any grade level or content area.

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Copy of LETRS Unit 5 Supplemental Handouts

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Copy of LETRS Unit 6 Supplemental Handouts

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Copy of LETRS Unit 8 Supplemental Handouts

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RTI/MTSS and End of School Year7 Pillars to Reflect on Your Program, Recalibrate Your Approach and Energize Your Staff

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RTI/MTSS and End of School Year7 Pillars to Reflect on Your Program, Recalibrate Your Approach and Energize Your Staff

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Webinar: Differentiated Instruction: Aligning Assessment and Management of Your Intervention Block to Reflect a Science of Reading Classroom

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Webinar: Differentiated Instruction: Aligning Assessment and Management of Your Intervention Block to Reflect a Science of Reading Classroom

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Differentiated Instruction: Aligning Assessment and Management of Your Intervention Block to Reflect a Science of Reading Classroom

At the very core of effective literacy instruction is the teacher's knowledge and ability to determine each student's strengths and weaknesses and to differentiate instruction accordingly. Join Dr. Julie Klingerman and discover some innovative ways to approach the realities of creating targeted intervention groups-all the while handling classroom management like a pro! Participants can expect to gain:

Research-based information regarding the development of a comprehensive assessment plan.

Tips on using effective diagnostic tools to create small groups, based on specific needs of students.

Resources and practical ways to manage classroom centers during small-group instruction time.

Assessment and classroom-management tips that are essential parts of research-based and best practices offering benefits for years to come.

Target Audience: K-3 classroom teachers, reading specialists, special education teachers, administrators

Dr. Julie Klingerman
Julie Klingerman has worked in education for more than 34 years, in which she has been a classroom teacher, literacy coach, and reading specialist for primary and secondary students. She earned her doctorate in reading and literacy in 2016 and is an adjunct instructor of literacy for graduate students at Liberty University and Wilson College. Dr. Klingerman also is a national LETRS® ( Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) trainer and enthusiastic advocate for research-based professional development for all teachers.

View Webinar

Complete form to watch this webinar.

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Differentiated Instruction: Aligning Assessment and Management of Your Intervention Block to Reflect a Science of Reading Classroom At the very core of effective literacy instruction is the teacher's knowledge and ability to determine each student's strengths and weaknesses and to differentiate instruction accordingly.

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30-Minute PODCAST: Ep. 3- Unpacking Progress: What it Takes to Raise School Literacy Rates from Glean Education 

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30-Minute PODCAST: Ep. 3- Unpacking Progress: What it Takes to Raise School Literacy Rates from Glean Education 

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Sharon Dunn, former principal of Loudon Elementary School, led her school through positive change from one of the lowest performing in the district, to one of the highest. This is the story of how.

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What's inside: In this episode, we talk with Sharon Dunn, former principal of Loudon Elementary School. She led the school through positive change from one of the lowest performing in the district, to one of the highest. This is the story of how.

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Ep. 3- Unpacking Progress: What it Takes to Raise School Literacy Rates - Glean Education

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What's inside: In this episode, we talk with Sharon Dunn, former principal of Loudon Elementary School. She led the school through positive change from one of the lowest performing in the district, to one of the highest. This is the story of how.

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Kareem Weaver on "Levers for Literacy Change"

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Kareem Weaver on "Levers for Literacy Change"

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In this episode, Melissa and Lori have a candid discussion about change with Kareem Weaver, co-founder of FULCRUM Oakland: Full and Complete Reading is a Universal Mandate. FULCRUM's goal is to ensure that every Oakland child is an 'on-time' reader provided with full LITERACY: a fundamental civil right, a powerful protection from the school to prison pipeline, and the cornerstone for a life of choice and fulfillment. In this episode, Kareem discusses the change he is fighting for and the elements he believes are necessary to make it happen.
Related Episodes Resources
Connect with us Visit our Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. website to stay connected with Melissa and Lori!

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Ep. 112: Kareem Weaver on Levers for Literacy Change - Melissa and Lori Love Literacy

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In this episode, Melissa and Lori have a candid discussion about change with Kareem Weaver, co-founder of FULCRUM Oakland: Full and Complete Reading is a Universal Mandate. FULCRUM's goal is to ensure that every Oakland child is an 'on-time' reade...

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"Literacy Leaders as Agents of Change" with Ernie Ortiz

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"Literacy Leaders as Agents of Change" with Ernie Ortiz

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What does it take to disrupt the "way it has always been done"? Dr. Ernie Ortiz, Senior Literacy Engagement Specialist with AIM Institute for Learning and Research, joins us to discuss this important question. As a former teacher, school leader, and current national leader, he realizes that leaders play a critical role in student achievement. The approach leaders take often make or break systems and change within classrooms, schools, and districts. How can a side by side approach with leaders as learners (rather than top down with leaders as managers) be more supportive of schools achieving greatness for students?
Resources Connect with us Visit our Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. website to stay connected with Melissa and Lori!

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Ep. 141: Literacy Leaders as Agents of Change - Melissa and Lori Love Literacy

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What does it take to disrupt the "way it has always been done"? Dr. Ernie Ortiz, Senior Literacy Engagement Specialist with AIM Institute for Learning and Research, joins us to discuss this important question. As a former teacher, school leader, a...

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Our mission is to ensure that all pupils leave secondary school reading well. We support schools with training, resources and lesson design, so that pupils who were struggling with their reading catch up quickly and completely.

Thinking Reading is a whole-school strategy with an intensive, one-to-one intervention at its heart. Our practice is built upon the synthesis of well-evidenced teaching methods with decades of research evidence to support them. In addition to consulting with school leaders and training to build teachers' knowledge, we publish the resources needed for this intensive teaching, along with a 10-part lesson plan that ensures individualisation of each precise step in a clear, easy-to-use format.

We use our extensive experience in literacy, teacher development and leadership to help schools develop coherent literacy strategies with maximum impact. We also provide ongoing advice and guidance to schools in order to help solve specific learning or teaching issues, to maximise progress, and to link teachers and tutors in a professional community.

Mission

We work with schools to eradicate adolescent illiteracy so that no student leaves school unable to read well.

Vision

All schools have the means and commitment to ensure that all students, regardless of background, can read fluently.

Values

Commitment

we work to ensure that literacy is the highest priority in education.

Excellence

we strive for the best results through the best methods.

Integrity

we are committed to honest, transparent relationships and accurate objective use of data.

Knowledge

accumulated scientific knowledge is the basis of excellent practice.

Partnership

we work collaboratively with partner schools, as part of a wider movement, to achieve our mission.

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Our mission is to ensure that all pupils leave secondary school reading well. We support schools with training, resources and lesson design, so that pupils who were struggling with their reading catch up quickly and completely. Thinking Reading is a whole-school strategy with an intensive, one-to-one intervention at its heart.

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Tier 1 Instructional Strategies to Improve K-4 Reading Comprehension

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Tier 1 Instructional Strategies to Improve K-4 Reading Comprehension

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Tier 1 Instructional Strategies to Improve K-4 Reading Comprehension

James S. Kim and Zhongyu Wei | Harvard University

Strategies to Consider (Curriculum Content)

English language arts curricula that integrate science and social studies content show strong promise in improving reading comprehension outcomes from kindergarten to grade 4.

Schools that adopt curricula that simultaneously build word recognition and language comprehension skills can boost student reading outcomes, especially when instruction begins in early grades.

Simple, low-cost changes to the texts that students read, such as using sets of texts that contain overlapping words and related concepts, can improve skills that support reading comprehension.

When districts and schools allow teachers to select from structured adaptations to interventions and curricula, student reading comprehension improves relative to when teachers must strictly follow a specific protocol.

Strategies to Consider (Context & Supports)

Intentionally planning the sequence of English language arts curriculum and assessments from kindergarten to grade 4 to progress toward more complex subject matter while avoiding repetition supports stronger reading comprehension.

Using formative assessments to flexibly group students by skill level has strong positive effects on students' word recognition, vocabulary, and reading comprehension outcomes.

Districts can amplify the effects of curriculum interventions by offering literacy coaching and sustained teacher professional development focused on translating reading research findings into classroom practice.

Tutoring is an effective Tier 2 intervention for students who are struggling with Tier 1 core instruction and the impact of tutoring can be amplified when it is connected to Tier I classroom content.

Strategies to Avoid

Reducing instruction time in science and social studies undermines efforts to improve reading comprehension outcomes for all learners.

The oft-repeated phrase, "learning to read, then reading to learn," diverts attention from the need to build systems and curricula that continuously develop young children's language comprehension skills, particularly for historically marginalized students.

A narrow focus on shortterm solutions for improving grade 3 reading scores works against the broader goal of improving Tier I ELA instruction across a system.

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Tier 1 Instructional Strategies to Improve K-4 Reading Comprehension | Annenberg Institute at Brown

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James S. Kim and Zhongyu Wei | Harvard University Strategies to Consider (Curriculum Content) English language arts curricula that integrate science and social studies content show strong promise in improving reading comprehension outcomes from kindergarten to grade 4.

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LENA: Building Brains Through Early Talk

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LENA: Building Brains Through Early Talk

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LENA (Language ENvironment Analysis) is on a mission to transform children's futures through early talk technology and data-driven programs...

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Thirty Million Words Initiative - Parenting to Build Children's Brains

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Thirty Million Words Initiative - Parenting to Build Children's Brains

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Thirty Million Words Initiative - Parenting Language to Build Children's Brain, Dana Suskind

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From Reading Rockets - Reading 101: A Guide for Parents

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From Reading Rockets - Reading 101: A Guide for Parents

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It's not an easy thing, learning to read and write. Discover what it takes to build important literacy skills, and how you can help your children grow as readers, writers, and thinkers!

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National Center on Improving Literacy -- "KID ZONE": Resources for choosing read alouds and literacy games for families 

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National Center on Improving Literacy -- "KID ZONE": Resources for choosing read alouds and literacy games for families 

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Kid Zone! | Kid Zone! National Center on Improving Literacy

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Kid Zone! | Kid Zone! | National Center on Improving Literacy

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The Literacy Playground for Kids and Families!

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Shared Reading Guide to support shared reading experiences in the home:

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Shared Reading Guide to support shared reading experiences in the home:

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"Conversation Cards" for parents to initiate talking with kids:

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"Conversation Cards" for parents to initiate talking with kids:

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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy .

I think it is pretty safe to say that everyone is on their summer vacations now. At least for kids, summer can be boring at times. This printable conversation questions card game will help beat those summer blues.

I know sometimes I wish I could feel bored again, but then I remember what a horrible feeling it is (haha). This printable "conversation cards" game is the perfect solution to this problem.

Conversation Questions

If you're looking for other ideas similar to this one, you'll like these posts too:

This game is pretty simple. All you have to do is gather a group of people and pick cards out, answer the questions on it, and use the questions to help start a conversation. These cards are available for FREE at the end of this post!

These cards are also the perfect solution to boredom on cantrips. Use the normally boring driving time as family bonding time by answering the questions and getting to know each other better. The questions ask things like "If you could open a restaurant, what food would you serve?" and other out of the box questions that normally wouldn't come up in day-to-day conversation.

I used them with my family at the dinner table a couple of nights ago and they were a hit. It was so fun to learn new things about all of the members of my family. By the way, these plastic Extra gum containers make a great case to hold the cards in. I also love the fun and bright colors featured in the designs. They just make me so happy to look at :). Don't worry about running out of questions anytime soon either, I created five sheets of cards each with completely different questions.

Conversation Games

First, download the card file sheets onto white card stock. The link to download the cards can be found at the end of this post.

Get a group together and take turns letting participants choose cards. You can either have everyone answer, or just have the person who drew the card answer it.

Instead of just answering the questions, try to explain why this is your answer. This will help formulate a conversation and help players to get to know each other better.

Thanks for reading everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful week and an amazing summer! Don't forget to check out my blog for more inspiration and projects.
HOW TO PLAY:

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Printable Conversation Questions Card Game

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This game is pretty simple. All you have to do is gather a group of people and pick cards out, answer the questions on it, and use the questions to help start..

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Follow these tips to create more strategic elementary school schedules that benefit students and staff.