New Frontiers in Reading and Writing Institute: Hosted in Partnership with Heinemann Publishing

Date: Monday, July 15, 2024 - Thursday, July 18, 2024

Time: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM ET

Location: Heinemann’s Headquarters in Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Grades: K-8 teachers, coaches, and administrators

Cost: $1000

The world is changing quickly, and our organization has been keeping pace with those changes. This small, intensive, in-person institute is designed for educators who have studied with us often, who are familiar with Units of Study, and who would like to continue to be part of ground-breaking research and innovation.

The hub of the institute will be housed at Heinemann’s beautiful facility, with many sessions also held at the nearby music halls, restaurants and even beaches so that you can experience the best of this picturesque coastal gem. These sessions will bring together people with deep roots in literacy – from keynote speakers and expert session leaders to members of our partner organization, Heinemann, and the RWP at Mossflower team.

Each day will open with a keynote, followed by fast-paced and hands-on small-group morning and afternoon sections that will investigate advanced topics. Days will end with participant-led support groups or think tanks. We’ll have lunch together each day, providing colleagues who share similar roles or face similar challenges in schools with opportunities to engage in less formal conversation, and we’ll organize after-hours hikes, tours, picnics, bar hops, and the like. Blocks of rooms have been set aside at convenient hotels for a discounted rate.

Large group topics include: 

• Living, Learning, and Teaching in a World Filled with Turmoil

• Important New Thinking About Responsive Small Group Instruction Tuesday

• AI: Embracing the Possibilities and Navigating the Potential Pitfalls

• Integrating Knowledge-Building Research Across the Curriculum as a Way to Strengthen Comprehension and Build Vocabulary

  Morning small group topics include:

• Weaving a Lively Grammar Curriculum into Your Writing Workshop, Grades 2-8

• Writing Across the Curriculum: Learn From RWP’s Newest Thinking, Grades 3-8 

• Tapping the Full Power of Decodable Texts: Assessments, Grades K-3

• When Upper-Grade Kids Are Reading Far Below Benchmark: How to Support Phonics, Fluency, and Comprehension, Grades 2-6 

• Teaching the Units of Study with Accountability: Exploring Best Practices and Bringing Them to School, Grades 3-8

• How to Continue Writing Workshop Alongside A Core Reading Program, Grade K-5

Afternoon small group topics include:

• Writing for Publication, Grades K-8

• AI: Exploring its Problems and Possibilities, Grades K-8

• Supporting the Hard Parts of Nonfiction Reading Comprehension and Knowledge Generation: Read Aloud, Text Sets, Book Clubs, and more, Grades K-5

• What You Should Know About the New Writing Units of Study, Grades K-5

• Teaching the Units of Study with Accountability: Exploring Best Practices and Bringing Them to School, Grades K-5

Afternoon think tank topics include:

• Ensuring Access for All Students, Including Our Earliest Writers, Students with IEPs, and MLLs, Grades K-8 

• Addressing Challenges and Concerns from Colleagues and Parents about the Teaching of Reading, Grades K-8

• Screeners: What They Are and How to Use Them Effectively? Grades K-2

• Supporting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Our Schools, Grades K-8

• Bringing More Play into Classrooms and PD, Grades K-8

• How Not to Teach Alone: Creating Communities of Practice, Virtually and in Person, Grades K-8 

• District and School Leadership During These Tumultuous Times, Grades K-8

The offerings suggested above can be modified based upon your interests, and sessions are sure to fill due to limited capacity. We suggest applying early for this institute.