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
Upcoming Literacy Learning Network Events
📚Second Annual Literacy Symposium
Based upon the success of our first Literacy Symposium, the Literacy Learning Network, a group that includes district leaders, Wayne RESA literacy consultants, and members of the Wayne RESA leadership team, we will once again host a day-long event devoted to improving literacy practices and outcomes throughout the county. While final dates are to be determined, it is our plan to faciliate the same content on two separate days, one in May and one in June, to optimize the opportunity to attend. We look forward to continuing this important county-wide conversation and will provide details and registration information as soon as it is available.
🎉Fourth Annual Summer Blitz
While we’ve had some warmer days over the past month, it is hard to believe that summer is just around the corner. As many know, summer at Wayne RESA would not be complete without the Annual Summer Blitz! As we enter our fourth year of daily professional learning throughout the month of August, we look forward to connecting with you from the comforts of your homes, patios, decks, or even beaches. Session descriptions and registration links will be available soon!
Diverse Text Set Project
Supported by MAISA, members of the Early Literacy Coaching Network have been working with Dr. Gholdy Muhammad to develop diverse text sets aligned with Dr. Muhammad’s Culturally and Historically Relevant Educational (CHRE) Units. The Diverse Text Set Project, currently in Phase 1, includes sample units with daily lesson plans for K-3 teachers. The sample units are in various forms of development, but all include a unit plan driven by an essential question, an anchor text, and a layered text set. The text sets embody not only diverse selections, but also a broad understanding of text, thereby exposing students to books, articles, videos, photographs, maps, recipes, and more. Finally, each unit includes home connections, social emotional learning connections, and possible extensions, and lessons thoughtfully synthesize Dr. Muhammad’s five pursuits of culturally and historically responsive teaching: identity, skills, intellect, criticality, and joy. Whether you are a coach or a teacher, these units are worth exploring!
Coaching Connections
The Wayne County Coaching Network dates have been set for the 2024 – 2025 school year, and registration is now open! Mark your calendars for the following dates: September 12, November 7, January 9, March 6, and May 22. To accommodate our diverse set of coaches, we will continue to offer distinct Pathways for learning in the afternoon. 2024-2025 Pathways include K-5 Literacy, 6-12 Disciplinary Literacy, Math, Science, and COSAs. We’re already looking forward to another great year!
Statewide Updates
On November 22, 2023, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed into law two bills (SB 395 & SB 396) reforming the teacher and school administrator evaluation processes at K-12 schools. The legislation, now Public Acts 224 and 225 of 2023, introduces changes to teacher and school administrator evaluations, shifting the focus towards more streamlined rating categories, modifying the basis for evaluations with an emphasis on teacher performance, and mandating the involvement of educators in developing evaluation tools. The changes, which are effective July 1, 2024, will focus evaluations on improving the practice of educators—particularly those who are inexperienced or otherwise struggling—and will allow for educators to spend more time focused on the needs of children, both academic and socioemotional.
Registration is still open! The 2024 Michigan Reading Association Annual Conference will be held in Lansing, Michigan, from March 15-17. This year’s conference focuses on bringing JOY back into our teaching and learning. Join us for an engaging conference that promises to renew our enthusiasm and commitment to our craft!
The Michigan Department of Education celebrates March is Reading Month. Since 1994, March is Reading Month has been a month-long celebration promoting the importance of reading with learners and their families. This effort directly supports goal 2 of Michigan’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan to improve early literacy achievement. The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) reminds educators and families to be mindful of the philosophy of windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors when selecting books to engage with students and children throughout March is Reading Month. Please see the MDE Memorandum for more information and resources.
Supporting Science Learning and Literacy Development Together: In this research brief, initial results from a randomized trial in 1st grade classrooms show that use of science instructional materials that integrate science and literacy led to increased science outcomes and vocabulary knowledge for students. At the same time, these students’ performances in reading assessments did not decrease, suggesting that dedicating time to science can support student learning in both reading and science. Click here to learn more.
Are you looking to spend time delving deeply into your craft with others around the state? Seeking time to plan for intentional use of disciplinary literacy approaches to improve students’ engagement and proficiency? Then join the Disciplinary Literacy Task Force for a different kind of professional learning. This is not your typical way-too-many- presentation slides and way-too-little-application-of-learning event! We know that teachers and leaders talking with each other about research-based approaches can be the very best kind of professional learning, so members of the Disciplinary Literacy Task Force are committed to providing a two-day experience that will provide you with a powerful start to the 2024-2025 school year. See the flyer for additional information.
The Building a Better Assessment Future conference is designed to inspire and equip educators to engage in assessment literate practices and to see how each individual can be that spark for their student, their classroom, building, and district — enacting change to elevate learner outcomes and successes. Featured keynote presenters are Margaret Heritage and Myron Dueck. Learn more about this year’s conference. This year we’re offering a discount for early registration before May 31, 2024. Register today to reserve your spot!
The Henry Ford’s Educators-in-Residence Program offers K-12 educators the opportunity to explore and implement ideas to create a new kind of classroom culture where students feel empowered to think and act like innovators. Apply today for your chance to become a resident for the 2024-25 school year and receive a $500 stipend and an all-expenses-paid trip to The Henry Ford. Michigan educators can also receive SCECHs.
The East Michigan Gifted and Talented Spring Conference will be held on Saturday, April 20, 2024, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Avondale High School in Auburn Hills. Registration is $85 with 4.75 SCECHs available. This year’s Keynote speaker is Emily Kircher-Morris from Unlimited Potential Counseling & Education Center, who will lead participants in exploring neurodiversity and finding out more about neurodivergent people.
Registration for LETRS Cohort 7 is open for elementary educators, early childhood educators, and administrators. You can also register for the LETRS Accelerated Course. Training for Cohort 7 will start in June 2024. For more information, including registration links, please visit the Michigan LETRS website.
Books and Strategies
Book Talk
Igniting Passion in Readers of All Ages
The Libby Life site has posted its “recommended reads” based upon the books that have topped the awards’ lists for 2024. Since March Is Reading Month, we urge you to explore the many wonderful children’s and young adult books that Libby contributor Annie Suhy has curated. This would be an opportune moment to also introduce students to the Libby app. The Libby app connects users with digital materials from their public libraries, including ebooks, audio books, and magazines. As the Libby site notes, “All you need is a library card!” Finally, if you looking for some guidelines when crafting reading activities for the month of March and beyond, check out “Every Month Should be Reading Month” by Alessandra Ward and Nell Duke (2021).
Shifting the Balance, Grades 3-5: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading to the Upper Elementary Classroom
Katie Cunningham, Jan Burkins, and Kari Yates
In this book, Katie Cunningham, Jan Burkins, and Kari Yates introduce 3rd-5th grade teachers to six shifts that can be made within classroom instruction to align more with the science of reading. The six shifts include:
- Reconsidering How Knowledge Impacts Comprehension
- Rethinking the Role of Strategy Instruction in Learning to Comprehend
- Recommitting to Vocabulary Instruction
- Reclaiming Word-Reading Instruction in the Intermediate Grades
- Revisiting Fluency Instruction
- Reimagining Independent Practice in the Literacy Classroom
The authors provide useful routines and strategies that can immediately be used with students. They have also provided resources that can be downloaded and used with students at www.thesixshifts.com
Affirming Black Students’ Lives & Literacies: Bearing Witness
Arlette Ingram Willis, Gwendolyn Thompson McMillon, and Patriann Smith
Professors and researchers at universities from the midwest to the southeast, Willis, McMillon, and Smith begin with a multifaceted theoretical framework that includes “Black Liberation Theology, Black Feminism, Black Radical Tradition, and Decolonial Theory” (2022, p. xvi). These theories encase the rich narratives woven throughout the book. These narratives expose a centuries-old push against the power dynamics that have oppressed black students, and by doing so, develop a counternarrative–one that celebrates and “bears witness” to the subjects’ literate lives and the development of their positive identities as readers and writers. At the end of the book, Willis, McMillon, and Smith advocate for a framework to inform the future of literacy instruction: CARE.
- Centered on Black Students
- Awareness of Anti-Blackness
- Racial Equality/Justice
- Expectations for School Personnel
Worthy Websites
The International Literacy Association’s Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy has developed a series of podcasts with accompanying articles on current and relevant topics for those teaching students ages 12 and up. Designed to provide listeners with research-supported best practices in adolescent and adult literacy, podcasts are between 30 and 60 minutes long–perfect for your drive to or from work!
Noteworthy News
Hawanya Urquhart
On Saturday, March 9, the Michigan Council of Teachers of English will hold its annual Think Spring Conference – Sowing Seeds of Joyful Learning: English Teachers in Full Bloom. This year, two Wayne County MCTE Teachers of the Year – Frances Smith (Washington-Parks Academy) and Hawanya Urquhart (Plymouth-Canton Community Schools) – will be sharing their expertise with literacy educators around the state. Frances, in Bringing Books and Children Together: Creating a Lifelong Literary Bond, will talk about building and maintaining robust classroom libraries. Hawanya will lead participants in an exploration of ways to increase students’ engagement and comprehension skills in her session Literary Liberation: Elevating Engagement and Comprehension through Independent Reading.
Frances Smith
Professional Learning
| Upcoming Events at Wayne RESA |
See our new interactive 2023-2024 Wayne RESA Course Catalog for links to course offerings, their descriptions, and online registration in Learning Stream. Simply click on the catalog link above, and then click on Literacy in the Table of Contents to peruse our offerings. Don’t forget to check for interdisciplinary offerings by clicking on additional content areas. Some of our professional learning events will continue to be offered virtually. If the format for a session or series is unclear, please contact any of the Literacy Team members for details. Additionally, our literacy course offerings for the 2024-2025 school year are being added to Learning Stream as we develop them. A formal brochure will be available soon, but in the meantime, you can browse professional development opportunities on the Catalog and Registration page of the Wayne RESA site. Finally, as part of the 35j grant, the Wayne RESA Literacy Team has developed several series and sessions for the upcoming school year. See the brochure for details; sessions and series are open to all. |
AI Resources: Embracing the Possibilities
This Class Tech Tips blog touts 14 AI teaching tools “you won’t want to miss”! This comprehensive list includes tools for writing prompt generation, quiz creators, animators, teacher workspaces, and more!
Meet Our New Team Members
Carrie Fromm, one of our new Literacy Consultants for Wayne RESA, has extensive experience in the area of literacy instruction and curriculum development. Carrie has been an elementary and middle school classroom teacher, a K-12 Literacy Coach, and a Curriculum Coordinator for English Language Arts, Reading Intervention, and Media. Carrie strives to support educators in creating culturally relevant and responsive literacy curricula that allows students’ voices, backgrounds, and cultures to be valued and respected within the classroom. Carrie received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Michigan State University where she studied English and Elementary Education. She received her Master of Teaching Degree in Reading from Oakland University. Carrie has also completed the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals’ Path to Leadership Program.
In addition to being a Literacy Consultant, Sarah Jones also serves as an Adult Learning Coach with the National Educational Association, supporting teachers as they build their knowledge and capacity in various professional learning areas while they earn credit hours toward recertification. She began her career 23 years ago as an elementary K-8 self-contained teacher in Detroit Public Schools; she then transitioned to the Oak Park School District where she developed a strong skill set in literacy as a reading specialist and later as an LEO In-Residence Literacy Coach for Oakland Schools. Sarah received her Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of Detroit Mercy and received her Master’s in Elementary Education from Wayne State University. She currently holds a Professional Teaching Certificate and will obtain her School Administrator Certificate as well as an Educational Leadership Degree in May of 2024 after which she will pursue a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction. Sarah Jones strives to support and have open conversations with all educators seeking pathways to improving literacy instruction. She has dedicated her work and practice to building capacity in teachers and to empower them as they empower their students to navigate through life with joy and genius.
Heather Palmer, currently serving as a Literacy Consultant at Wayne RESA, began her career as an elementary teacher and evolved into a literacy specialist, where she collaborated to establish and refine effective reading and writing programs. Heather’s journey continued as she transitioned into the role of an Instructional Coach, with a primary focus on empowering educators to enhance their teaching skills through tailored coaching and training, ultimately benefiting students. She has taken leadership roles in every district she has worked, specifically in the areas of MTSS, School Improvement, Assessment Coordination, and Building Leadership. Heather has a passion for literacy and science integration, which led her to be the recipient of the Project Lead the Way Teacher of the Year in 2021. She has a strong academic foundation, having earned a Bachelor’s degree in Language Arts from Central Michigan University and a Master’s degree in Reading and Mathematics from Walden University. Rooted in a family tradition of educators, Heather’s boundless enthusiasm for teaching is driven by her commitment to making a lasting impact on students’ reading capabilities.
Wayne RESA Literacy Team
Michelle Wagner, Manager of Educational Services
Mari Treece, Executive Director 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