The Reading & Writing Project at Mossflower was created out of the
pioneering work that Lucy Calkins began over forty years ago when she
joined the faculty of Teachers College at Columbia University.
Inspired by her research, she developed innovative curricula and methods
that transformed the way children learned to write, adapting the collegiate
and professional-level “writing workshop” model for elementary-age students.
For decades since, she has worked with schools and educators to help students
become what she always knew them to be: proficient and enthusiastic writers,
readers, and thinkers.
Today, the Project remains deeply rooted
in this experience, while also holding true to this a spirit of innovation
and continuous learning. At RWP at Mossflower, Lucy Calkins and her team
of experienced educators author the Units of Study in Reading, Writing,
and Phonics for grades K through 8, and several series of engaging decodable
texts. More than authors of curriculum, at its core, the Project is a community
of practice, a think tank, and a professional development organization
dedicated to transforming the way students learn to read, write, and think.
This work is ever-evolving, and the Project is consistently reflecting
on the work it does, learning from the latest research in the field of
education and from the research our team does every day in schools and
classrooms across the world.
The Reading & Writing Project at Mossflower provides state-of-the-art
professional development services to K-8 educators worldwide on
reading, writing, and phonics. We offer on-site and online
professional development, working directly with teachers, literacy
coaches, school principals, and district leaders, aiming to tailor our
work to the needs of each individual school and its students. We host
study groups, conference days, and multi-day institutes.
We also create a plethora of resources and curricula for K-8 educators,
including the New York Times best-seller, Pathways to the Common Core,
and most recently the new decodable book series for children, Jump Rope
Readers. Units of Study in K-2 Reading and Writing have recently been released
and Units of Study in 3-5 Writing will be out in mid 2024. We work shoulder-to-shoulder
with educators and have a constant cycle of feedback among teachers, schools,
and RWP at Mossflower.
The nature of our work is that it is continually evolving to meet
the needs of all students. All feedback helps us to grow stronger and more
able to best serve educators and the needs of all students.
There are many avenues for studying with us through our professional
development services and events. Often a school or district
partnership begins with a single day of professional development–these
are usually called Quick Start Days–or with teachers attending a
one-day conference or a summer institute and returning home, full of
hopes for a more personalized and site-based involvement.
Many schools choose to partner with us for ongoing, site-based staff
development, working with a team of staff developers across the year
and attending our monthly flagship leadership conferences. Educators
often attend conference days, institutes, or other events on their own
or with a group. To name a few of our favorites, on Wednesday
evenings, several hundred educators participate in an event called
Supper Club in which we hold informal, intimate exchanges with great
literacy leaders worldwide. Lucy Calkins also leads Heinemann Office
Hours featuring the Units of Study on the first Thursday of every
month. Educators learn from the curriculum, Units of Study, as it is
designed to not only support children, but to also support those who
work with children. There is an active Facebook community of educators
helping each other to implement the Units of Study.
No
matter how you choose to learn, we welcome you into our community of
practice with open arms.