This newsletter has been created by Wayne RESA literacy consultants for literacy educators. In each issue, you will find Literacy Learning Network updates and information, statewide initiative updates, book synopses, teaching and coaching strategies, and upcoming professional learning opportunities. We look forward to partnering with you as we engage in best practices in literacy instruction for all students.
Literacy Learning Network Updates
Talking Science
through Texts
Over the past several months, an interdisciplinary team of Wayne RESA consultants has collaborated to create an invaluable set of online resources for K-5 educators. The Science, Literacy, and Assessment Project cultivated grade level text sets, interactive read-aloud guides, and formative assessment probes to nurture elementary students’ skills and interest in science and literacy. An Additional Resources page includes materials that can be downloaded as well as suggested professional readings. While the resources are well-developed and comprehensive, the Science, Literacy, and Assessment Project team advises educators to remember that “neither reading about science nor engaging in ‘hands-on’ activities in isolation are sufficient to achieve science or literacy goals. The resources on [these pages] were created to support, not replace, high-quality Tier 1 science and literacy instruction.”
Wayne County 2022-2023 Reading Apprenticeship Training
WestEd’s Reading Apprenticeship has been awarded a competitive SEED grant designed to provide deep professional learning for Wayne County educators. WestEd and the Strategic Literacy Initiative believe that literacy, and its role in promoting achievement, is fundamentally an equity issue that can be positively impacted through their evidence-based approach. Reading Apprenticeship has been the subject of multiple large-scale studies in high school sciences, history, and literacy courses; results of these studies reveal that teachers who participated in Reading Apprenticeship professional development made statistically significant gains in classroom practices supporting disciplinary literacy. The upcoming Wayne County training is free of cost and will span June 2022 – June 2023. Districts and PSAs are encouraged to register educators at all levels of experience for this unique opportunity to bolster the literacy skills of our secondary students. Additional details can be found on the informational flyer.
Coaching Connections
The data collected by members of the COSA Collaborative throughout the 2020-2021 school year was both thorough and positive despite the ongoing obstacles presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. A full summary of the data analysis can be found in A Comprehensive Approach to Improved Literacy Instruction: 2020-2021 Key Findings. Highlights include increased self-efficacy amongst our COSAs, growth in students’ self-beliefs around literacy, and more intentional use of research-based instructional literacy practices in K-3 teachers.
Statewide Updates
Wayne RESA and Washtenaw ISD have partnered to present an Equity Leaders Series beginning in January 2022. Featured speakers include Cornelius Minor, Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, and Dr. April Baker-Bell. See the flyer for more information and registration details.
The Michigan Reading Association will be hosting its 66th Annual Conference at the Lansing Center in downtown Lansing from March 11-14, 2022. Early bird registration is now open for members and non-members alike. Don’t miss this opportunity!
The pandemic and the shift to remote learning have widened the academic gap for many students in our state. Accelerated learning focuses on closing academic gaps by strategically preparing students for success with current grade-level content to move students forward on their intended grade-level trajectories. The Michigan Department of Education has created a webpage of resources and tools to assist educators throughout the 2021-2022 school year.
The Arab American National Museum invites Dearborn/Detroit-area high school students to apply for the AANM Writing Fellows program, a creative writing fellowship opportunity. Applications are due by January 9, 2022. Up to 25 students will be selected for the program. No creative writing experience is necessary!
The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is sharing a professional learning opportunity from Section 35a(10) for Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) training grant. This grant is included in section 35a of the state school aid act enacted under Public Act 48 of 2021. This training grant supports the second guiding principle and the second goal of Michigan’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan. Educators will explore the science of reading and experience deep learning around language acquisition and evidence-based reading instruction to accelerate learning outcomes. All Pre-K – grade 3 educators are encouraged to register. Priority will be given to Pre-K–1 teachers. Don’t miss this free opportunity! Register today to reserve your spot in an upcoming cohort. For more information, please visit the Lexia Learning Michigan LETRS website. If you have questions, please send an email to MDE-LETRS@michigan.gov.
Wayne RESA has created an FAQ document to guide districts and PSAs when considering LETRS training. Please feel free to reach out to any Literacy Team member with additional questions or concerns.
Books and Strategies
Book Talk
Igniting Passion in Readers of All Ages
Change Sings
Amanda Gorman and Loren Long
In this beautifully illustrated picture book, Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, writes of the need for change. In rhyming couplets, the narrator invites young readers to join “the movement that roars and springs.” For those with the Libby app, the audio version featuring the author’s sing-song voice is an added bonus. The National Youth Poet Laureate perfectly articulates a plea to be “the voice where freedom rings.”
No Ballet Shoes in Syria
Catherine Bruton
Prolific author Catherine Bruton introduces readers to Aya, an eleven year old who has lost contact with her father due to the war in Syria. Seeking asylum, Ava arrives in Great Britain where she must care for her baby brother, Moosa, and her mother. Her passion for dance leads her to friendship and an opportunity to belong. While she hopes for a chance to perform, her family must fight to remain in the country so that they can finally reunite and make a home.
The Legend of Auntie Po
Shing Yin Khor
Set in a logging camp in the late 1800s, this wonderfully detailed graphic novel tells the story of Mei and her family. Their job is to feed over one hundred lumberjacks and Chinese workers every day. As she struggles to believe that things can get better some day, Mei reinvents the popular tall tale about Paul Bunyan. In her version, the infallible hero is Po Pan Yin, or Auntie Po, who is accompanied by her trusty ox Pei Pei. Her stories engage the other children at the logging camp and provide a way for Mei to deal with the effects of the Chinese Exclusion Act on her family.
Refugee
Alan Gratz
While separated by time and geographic location, the stories of Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are nonetheless connected by a common theme of persecution. Josef is a young Jewish boy forced to flee the Nazis during World War II, Isabel’s family is stranded at sea in an effort to leave Cuba and Fidel Castro’s regime, and Mahmoud and his family have left war-torn Syria for a better life in Europe. Readers are gripped by the characters’ tenacity and sheer resilience as each strives to overcome myriad obstacles on the road to freedom.
Compassionate Coaching: How to Help Educators Navigate Barriers to Professional Growth
Kathy Perret and Kenny McKee
Using the metaphor of a GPS, Perret and McKee focus on several common “roadblocks” to effective coaching. Each chapter zooms in on a particular coaching conundrum, such as a lack of confidence, school disruptions, and feelings of isolation, and Perret and McKee offer practical strategies for maneuvering around these issues. The authors also are active on Twitter; coaches can follow each personally or engage in regular conversations about coaching using the hashtag #educoach.
No More Sharpening Pencils during Work Time and other Time Wasters
Elizabeth Brinkerhoff and Alysia Roehrig
Part of the Not This But That series, No More Sharpening Pencils during Work Time centers in on ineffective and effective classroom practices in an effort to reduce “time wasters.” By tightening both instructional and non-instructional segments of the school day, teachers can increase student engagement and motivation. Simple changes, like displaying and following a daily agenda, provide the initial structure necessary to move learning forward. Eventually, students will feel comfortable self-regulating, which increases their efficacy, goal-setting abilities, and self-advocacy.
Combatting Compassion Fatigue
Unrelenting stress has been at an all-time high for educators around the country. COVID outbreaks, school closures, virtual learning, and threats to personal health are ongoing, leaving teachers, administrators and students in their wake. Less obvious are the mental and emotional traumas experienced by adults and children alike as a result of fear, instability, social isolation, and loss of loved ones, amongst others. While empathy and nurturing seem innate for educators, there are limits on what teachers, administrators, and support staff can give. Once the boundary has been crossed, fatigue, more specifically compassion fatigue, can set in. As Illinois high school teacher Shayla Ewing explains, “Unsurprisingly, the increased trauma associated with pandemic teaching has created a silent epidemic in education: educators with nothing left to give” (2021). In their recent report Compassion Fatigue and Teacher Resilience, Hanover Research (2021) describes the “physical, psychological, emotional, and social symptoms” of compassion fatigue as well as its
residual effects, such as absenteeism, emotional withdrawal, lack of engagement, impatience and more. Unfortunately, both educators and students suffer in the case of unchecked compassion fatigue. Hanover Research (2021) suggests that schools refrain from stigmatizing mental health issues. In addition, when possible, schools should provide on-the-spot assistance for teachers, such as class coverage and/or a private room for decompressing. Support groups and allocated time to engage in professional learning around this issue can help as well. Ultimately, though, taking care of oneself is the first and most important step. Exercise, diet, and sleep cannot be undermined. Connecting regularly with loved ones and friends is important, too. Finally, take this upcoming break to engage in things that truly bring joy. “When educators take care of themselves, they model proper self-care practices for [others]” (Hanover Research, 2021), and they open the door to resilience for all around them.
Noteworthy News
Our Literacy Team prepares to say farewell to another member. Mary-Lu Strimbel will be retiring in January 2021. With over twenty years of experience in education, Mary-Lu has supported teachers, principals and coaches in the development and implementation of research-based instructional practices and curriculum development as well as assessment development and purpose. Her experience as a teacher, literacy coach, reading interventionist, and consultant has an extensive reach, impacting educators locally, regionally, and statewide. While we wish her well in this next chapter, we will miss Mary-Lu dearly!
Professional Learning
| Upcoming Events at Wayne RESA |
| See the Professional Growth pages on the Wayne RESA site for links to course offerings, their descriptions, and online registration in Learning Stream. Many of our professional learning events will continue to be offered virtually in the coming year. If the format for a session or series is unclear, please contact any of the Literacy Team members for details. |
| Elementary |
| Leveled Literacy Intervention Training, K – 2: December 6 – 9 and February 15 – 16 |
| The Fountas and Pinnell Leveled Literacy Program System (LLI) is a scientifically-based early intervention program designed to prevent literacy difficulties before they turn into long-term challenges. Participants will learn effective small group instructional strategies to provide the intensive support necessary for some primary students to achieve grade level competency in reading and writing. The intended audience for this online course includes teachers of grades K-2 and literacy interventionists. For additional information, contact any Literacy Team member. |
| Leveled Literacy Intervention Training, Grades 3 – 5: January 24 – 27 and March 22 – 23 |
| The Fountas and Pinnell Leveled Literacy Program System (LLI) is a scientifically-based early intervention program designed to prevent literacy difficulties before they turn into long-term challenges. Participants will learn effective small group instructional strategies to provide the intensive support necessary for some intermediate students to achieve grade level competency in reading and writing. The intended audience for this online course includes teachers of grades 3-5 and literacy interventionists. For additional information, contact any Literacy Team member. |
| Secondary |
| Wayne County Reading Apprenticeship Network: December 16, January 21, March 17, May 19 |
| Reading Apprenticeship is a research-based professional learning model and instructional framework designed to improve student literacy and learning. With a focus on discipline-based ways of thinking, reading and writing, Reading Apprenticeship is not a curriculum but a way of working with teachers and students to help them make the most of their own subject knowledge, tools, and curriculum so that even inexperienced student readers and writers can engage with complex texts and gain deeper understanding of core subject area concepts. In an effort to learn from one another, collaborate, reflect, and practice Reading Apprenticeship strategies, Wayne RESA is offering Reading Apprenticeship-trained educators a regular opportunity to network across the county. All meetings will be virtual, and participants will receive 4 SCECHs for attending. This course is appropriate for secondary educators and administrators. For additional information, contact Rosalyn Shahid. |
| Leadership |
| Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Leadership Series, 2021-2022: October 14, November 30, January 25, February 3, February 10, March 17, March 24 |
| Despite the educational challenges of the pandemic, WRESA serves to accelerate and innovate instruction to support ALL students. This Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) professional learning series offers an opportunity to examine our current systems to ensure equitable practices and increase momentum as we enter into a new and stronger school year. These MTSS offerings are designed to be a continuous series, each session building off one another, in an effort to support a solid framework. Based on school/district needs, teams may register for individual sessions. Dedicated time with school/district team members to collaborate on action plans will be embedded as well as opportunities to share out and learn from other Wayne County MTSS leadership teams. Some sessions may include additional asynchronous tasks to be completed prior to the next session. SCECHs will be offered for the synchronous learning sessions. The intended audience for this event includes members of the MTSS leadership team, building and district administrators, curriculum specialists, and general and special educators. |
Resources: Where can I find...
Students are continually exposed to information and misinformation about current events. All Sides works to provide news from the right, left and center perspectives in order to build students’ understanding and objectivity.
The Google Lens app allows smartphone users to research objects via their cameras. For instance, a picture of a tree will result in information about it. The app also includes an immersive reader feature.
Wayne RESA Literacy Team
We look forward to hearing from you!
Laura Gabrion
Bridget Regan
Rosalyn Shahid
Mary-Lu Strimbel
Michelle Wagner
Colleen Whalen
Mellissa Wilson
Mari Treece, Manager of Educational Services
If this newsletter has been forwarded to you, and you’d like to subscribe to it, please contact Laura Gabrion.
33500 Van Born Road • Wayne, MI 48184 • 734.334.1300 • 734.334.1620 fax • www.resa.net
Board of Education
James S. Beri • Mary E. Blackmon • Danielle Funderburg • Lynda S. Jackson • James Petrie
Daveda Colbert, Ph.D., Superintendent
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