What Every School Leader Needs to Know About Good Literacy Teaching and Effective Literacy Coaching

"The School Leaders training was invaluable for myself and other administrators in my district. It provided us with a common language to talk with other literacy coaches, teachers, and each other."

-- Dr. Linda Hatfield, Middletown City School District, NY

Dates:

• January 12-13, 2012 (Thurs./Fri.) and February 13–14, 2012 (Mon./Tue.), 8:30 am–4:00 pm
• Plus, 8 hours of online instruction

Description:

Taught by Irene Fountas and Cindy Downend

This 4-day face-to-face training plus 8 hours of online learning is designed for school leaders interested in examining the roles of effective teaching, student assessment, coaching, supervision, and in 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.  Participants will have the opportunity to observe and analyze videotaped teaching, and learn how to use language that supports teacher development.

Topics include:

• The Professional Learning Community
• Key Factors in School Change
• The Role of the Literacy Coach
• Systematic Observation of Teaching
• The School Walk-through
• The Role of Assessment in Informing and Documenting Student Change
• Documenting and Reporting Student Progress
• Effective Supervision: The Role of Language, Artifacts, Documentation
• Systematic Observation of the Writing Workshop: Interactive Writing, Guided Writing, Independent Writing
• Key Elements of High-Quality Professional Development
• Building Capacity Within the School: Leadership and Coaching
• Using Language in Supervision to Promote Reflective Practice

Faculty

Irene Fountas is a professor in the Lesley University School of Education in Cambridge, MA where she directs research-based literacy projects.  She has been a classroom teacher, language arts specialist, literacy coach and consultant in school districts across the nation and abroad and has received numerous awards for her contributions in literacy.

She is the co-author with Gay Su Pinnell of several books, including The Continuum of Literacy Learning, PreK–8 and The Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System, K-2 and 3-8.

Cindy Downend is a faculty member at the Center for Reading Recovery and Literacy Collaborative with over twenty years of educational experience as a classroom teacher and Reading Recovery teacher. She has also held many leadership roles in a variety of diverse settings including school districts in Florida and Minnesota.

Cost:

• $1,850 (includes professional materials and lunch)

Registration:

• Download our latest brochure including registration form [pdf].

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