On-Site Literacy Professional Development

Literacy Professional Development in Your School District

If you can't come to us, we'll go to you.

We can provide a variety of literacy professional development workshops, institutes, and courses, ranging from grades PreK–8, for groups of literacy coaches, teachers, and administrators, right in your school or district. Non-credit and graduate credit options are available.

Primary Level: Two-Day Offerings
Primary Level: Three-Day Offerings
Intermediate Level: Two-Day Offerings
Middle School Level: Two-Day Offerings
Four-Day Institutes
Five-Day Courses
Nine-Day Effective Literacy Coach Training
Fees

Primary Level: Two-Day Offerings 

Guided Reading: Differentiated Small-Group Instruction That Works
(Grades K–2)
In this training, we will introduce you to the foundations of guided reading and the critical teaching decisions involved in effective teaching, including the role of the introduction, prompts during the reading, the discussion after the reading, and the teaching points that follow to help students expand their reading power. We will talk about the roles of teachers and students during guided reading and look closely at assessments that will further guide your work and what you need to consider when selecting texts for the students in the group. Additionally, we will discuss how our discussion after reading helps students think within, beyond, and about the text to support the kind of thinking that will be required on high-stakes tests. The two texts, The Continuum of Literacy Learning and Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for All Students, are required for this training.

Introduction to Teaching in a Writers' Workshop Model (Grades PreK–2)
This training is designed for teachers working in grades PreK–2. We will explore the complexities of the writing process as well as the design of the writers' workshop. You will take part in hands-on activities to investigate the power of whole class minilessons, individual conferring, and whole-class sharing of writing in supporting young writers in building a writing process.

Benchmark Assessment Professional Development — System 1
In this training, we will explore the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System 1.

 Day 1:

• Conduct effective assessment conferences
• Code, score, and analyze reading records
• Determine students' independent and instructional reading levels

Day 2:

• Group students for reading instruction
• Use The Continuum of Literacy Learning to plan instruction
• Utilize the Data Management System for on-line record keeping

Primary Level: Three-Day Offerings 

Literacy Beginnings: A Pre-Kindergarten Continuum to Guide Teaching (Grades PreK–K)
This session will support teachers working in pre-kindergarten in deepening their understandings around developing a child-centered, language-rich classroom. Topics may include: developmentally appropriate practice, the role of dramatic play, the role of oral language, language and word play, learning about letters and sounds, shared reading, interactive read-aloud, and nurturing young writers.

When Readers Struggle: Teaching That Works (Grades K–3)
This training is designed for all teachers who work with grade K–3 students (students reading text levels A–N) who find literacy learning difficult. The text, When Readers Struggle: Teaching That Works, K–3, by Fountas and Pinnell, is required for this training.

Topics:

• Why readers go off track
• The 12 systems of strategic actions that lead readers to comprehending and fluency
• Observing, analyzing, and teaching proficient and struggling readers
• The language teachers use to support readers
• How writing can extend the power of reading
• The role of effective and efficient phonics
• The role of emotion, motivation, attention, and memory in literacy acquisition
• Key features in designing effective interventions

Intermediate Level: Two-Day Offerings   

Introduction to Teaching in a Readers' Workshop Model (Grades 3–8)
This two-day professional development offering will give you an introduction to teaching in a workshop model. We will focus on teaching with minilessons focused on literary content, strategic actions for processing texts, and classroom management. We will discuss the process of initiating independent reading and responding to reading through talk and writing.

Introduction to Teaching in a Writers' Workshop Model
This two-day professional development opportunity will introduce you to teaching in a writing workshop framework using minilessons to focus instruction around procedures, the writing process, and the study of craft and conventions. We will discuss the importance of student initiated independent writing, conferring, and the use of the writer's notebook as a central tool for the workshop.

Benchmark Assessment Professional Development — System 2
In this two-day training, we will explore the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System 2.

Day 1:  

• Conduct effective assessment conferences
• Code, score, and analyze reading records
• Determine students' independent and instructional reading levels

Day 2:

• Group students for reading instruction
• Use The Continuum of Literacy Learning to plan instruction
• Utilize the Data Management System for on-line record keeping

Middle School Level: Two-Day Offerings 

Introduction to Teaching in a Readers' Workshop Model (Grades 6–8)
This professional development opportunity will give you an introduction to teaching middle school students through a workshop model. The focus will be on teaching with minilessons to include literary content, reading in the content areas, strategic actions for processing texts, and units of study around craft and genre. We will discuss the process of initiating independent reading and responding to reading through talk and writing.

Introduction to Teaching in a Writers' Workshop Model (Grades 6–8)
This professional development opportunity will introduce you to teaching in a writing workshop framework using minilessons to focus instruction around writing in a variety of genres, the writing process, and the study of craft and conventions. We will discuss the importance of student-initiated independent writing, conferring, and the use of the writer's notebook as a central tool for the workshop.

Using a Benchmark Assessment System to Inform Teaching (Grades 6–8)
In this two-day training, we will explore the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment — System 2.

Day 1:

• Conduct effective assessment conferences
• Code, score, and analyze reading records
• Determine students' independent and instructional reading levels

Day 2:

• Group students for reading instruction
• Use The Continuum of Literacy Learning to Plan Instruction
• Utilize the Data Management System for on-line record keeping

Four-Day Institutes 

The Continuum of Literacy Learning: A Foundation For Effective Instruction in Reading and Writing (Grades K–2 or Grades 3–5/6)
The institute is divided into two days on writing and two days on reading. Topics for the two days on reading include: observing readers, exploring the development of reading across the grades, analyzing children's reading behaviors, and working with readers through whole-group, small-group, and individualized teaching. We will focus on reading contexts, including interactive read-aloud, shared and modeled reading, reading minilessons, guided reading, and literature circles. During the writing portion, we will cover analyzing students' work and supporting students' writing development from emergent to self-extending. We will focus on writing for different purposes and audiences across the year. Activities will include: working with children's writing samples, concrete strategies, models and skills for organizing ideas, writing, revising, and editing for fiction and nonfiction pieces.

What Every School Leader Needs to Know About Good Literacy Teaching and Effective Literacy Coaching (Grades PreK–8)
Taught by Irene Fountas and Cindy Downend, this seminar is designed for school leaders and focuses on the roles of effective teaching, student assessment, coaching, supervision, and improving student achievement in reading and writing. Learn how to use observational tools to examine the classroom environment and understand best teaching practices. Develop a sound foundation of literacy theory, assessment, and practices such as guided reading, literature study groups, reading workshop, writing workshop, guided writing, interactive writing, genre study, and word study. You will observe and analyze videotaped teaching, and learn how to use language that supports teacher development.

Five-Day Courses With Graduate Credit and Noncredit Options 

Introduction to Guided Reading in an Effective Literacy Program (Grades K–2)
This course will take an in-depth look at how to use guided reading in the K–2 classroom. The course covers how to assess children, select leveled books, dynamically group students, and teach guided reading lessons in the primary classroom. It also shows how to design and organize the learning environment to engage students in managed independent learning.

Systematic Teaching of Phonics and Spelling in the Primary Classroom (Grades K–3)
This course offers you the opportunity to develop an in-depth understanding of the role of phonics and learning to reading and write. The course features:

• A review of the nine critical areas of phonics and spelling learning
• An overview of effective minilessons for use in the K, 1, 2, and 3 classroom
• The role of phonological awareness in learning to read and write
• The role of letter-sound relationships in the reading process and in the writing process
• Techniques for teaching how letters and words work
• Designing and planning for effective word study center activities
• Using students' reading and writing to assess phonics and spelling knowledge
• A comprehensive spelling system for grades 1–3 and a self-assessment of teacher knowledge about phonics

Introduction to Guided Reading in an Effective Literacy Program (Grades 3–8)
This course will build your understanding of the reading process, changes in students' reading development over time, and effective small-group instructional practice. We will focus on understanding how to guide students in thinking within, about, and beyond the text in the context of small, guided reading groups within the reading workshop. We will do work around understanding a gradient of texts and matching books to readers for powerful instruction. We will explore elements of guided reading to help teachers understand how the elements can be used in teaching students to become more effective readers. The course will help teachers understand how to assess students, form flexible guided reading groups, select appropriate texts, and plan guided reading lessons for effective instruction.

Nine-Day Training For Literacy Coaches (Grades PreK–8) 

The Effective Literacy Coach Training
This intensive (nine days, plus 30 hours online) face-to-face and online professional development helps literacy coaches to improve teacher expertise and student achievement in their school. Developed and offered by Irene Fountas and Lesley University faculty, this training supports literacy coaches in all aspects of their role. We will identify the critical attributes of a healthy, professional learning community for adult learners, and how to build it for your school in collaboration with administrators.

Fees For On-Site Professional Development 

• Fees are determined by the number of participants and the duration of the training
• Travel expenses for each trainer (airfare, hotel, meals, and rental car) are an additional cost to be paid by the district
• Unless otherwise noted, fees do not include the cost of any required books or materials, which will be selected by the faculty trainer and the district, based on topics and the district's needs
• Fees are subject to change, beginning January 1, 2013

Primary, Intermediate, and Middle School Offerings

Cost/Day       Participant Range
$2,750            1–30
$3,750            31–50
$5,250            51–75

Four-Day Institute: The Continuum of Literacy Learning (graduate credit available)

Four-Day Institute: What Every School Leader Needs to Know About Good Literacy Teaching and Effective Literacy Coaching (noncredit only)

Five-Day Courses (graduate credit available)

Nine-Day Effective Literacy Coach Training (noncredit)