Schools that are ready to learn more about a specific topic can request a day, or a sequence of days, on almost any literacy- related topic. These days provide an opportunity to dive deeper into a specific topic to enhance instruction and student outcomes. Each session is designed to offer practical strategies, resources, and hands-on experiences that teachers can apply immediately in their classrooms. Typically, these days are conducted online with a Staff Developer who is an expert on the selected topic.
Representative Topics for Special Topic Days
Choose from a variety of in-depth sessions that align with your school's literacy goals and priorities. Below are some of our most popular offerings:
Rebalancing Balanced Literacy: Integrate Science of Reading into the Reading Workshop (Grades K-2): This day will be especially helpful for schools that are interested in rethinking balanced literacy practices, reclaiming and rejuvenating the best of balanced literacy while also drawing on the rich and important trove of insights that the science of reading and knowledge generation research offers.
Using Decodable Texts to Support Early Readers (Grades K-2): We’ll share ways to assess readers so teachers can match them to decodable texts that are aligned with their phonics development and support students’ phonics and decoding work as they read decodable texts. Teachers will also explore a handful of high-leverage small groups they can use with decodable texts.
Small Group Work and Toolkits: Accelerating Growth in Readers or Writers (Grades K-8): This day will make it significantly easier for teachers to devise and lead high-leverage small groups that can make the world of difference for students. We will help teachers develop a toolkit of resources, allowing them to quickly and efficiently pull small groups that respond to predictable challenges for a wide range of learners. For the day to work its magic, it is best for participants to come with markers and sticky notes, tape and glue sticks, and a notebook or binder.
Responsive Grammar and Conventions (Grades 2-6): This day will bring schools into our latest work teaching standards-based grammar. Teachers will learn to help students use that grammar as they write. This day will also provide teachers with access to several pre-publication units of study in grammar, as well as a lot of practice with teaching methods designed to help teachers invent their own grammar instruction.
Working with Readers or Writers Who Are Significantly Below Benchmark (Grades 3-8): This day will help teachers to draw on screener data, state assessments, and classroom assessments to prioritize needs and determine high-leverage next steps, and then mobilize to develop plans that set students up to make more than one year’s progress.
Session Logistics and Pricing
Location: All sessions are conducted virtually, providing flexible access for schools and districts anywhere.
Cost: $2,500 per day, offering an affordable option for high-quality professional development.
Contact Us to Schedule Your Special Topic Day
Reach out to schedule a Special Topic Day and receive expert-led professional development tailored to your school or district’s needs. Because sessions are high in demand, we encourage you to apply early to reserve your preferred date and topic.