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
2024-2025 Goals
The Literacy Learning Network Advisory Team met this month to set goals for the 2024-2025 school year. This diverse team of educators is comprised of consultants and district leaders representing a cross section of Wayne County. In an effort to improve student outcomes countywide, the following goals were set:
- Understanding & Responding to Dyslexia Legislation
- Implementation of Schoolwide Essential Practices
- Including Building Knowledge and Literacy Skills through Interdisciplinary Project/Place Based Learning
- Supporting Principals as Literacy Leaders
These goals guide the planning of events offered throughout the year, such as the annual Literacy Symposium and the Organizational Practices professional learning sessions. We look forward to a dynamic and collaborative year of learning together!
Equity Literacy Series
We are thrilled to announce our fifth annual Equity Literacy Series! This professional learning series delves into the joys and complexities of purposeful knowledge building, fostering identity-affirming and community-centered classroom practices. Designed for all who work with children, it combines engaging discussions, practical strategies, reflection, and action-oriented pedagogy to create a culture of care and academic excellence. The series begins on October 17th, and each session will feature a keynote speaker who will lend their expertise around equitable and intentional literacy practices that center students. Featured speakers for the series include Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul, Trevor Aleo, Huda Essa, Amber Lawson, Celeste Johnson, and Amber Wade. Why limit yourself to one session? Register for all of them!
Coaching Connections
Each year, we collect coaching data that measures the amount of time a select group of literacy coaches engages in the three coaching activities outlined by the Michigan Department of Education. As noted in MDE’s early literacy coaching model, it is the goal for coaches to spend the majority of their time directly coaching teachers. Data collected over a two-year period shows a 21% increase in the number of minutes devoted to direct coaching between the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years, indicating that as our coaches become more comfortable and skilled in their roles, their time spent coaching increases. This plays a significant role in teacher application; Joyce and Showers’ (2002) review of 200 studies concluded that professional development that includes coaching and feedback has a 95% rate of transfer into classroom practices.
Statewide Updates
Secondary educators have the power to create inclusive classrooms that inspire and prepare every student for a future full of possibilities. Join us on October 8 for an immersive exploration into disciplinary literacy, designed specifically for grades 6-12 science, social studies, math, and literacy educators. This day is designed to
- enhance your instructional toolkit with equitable and culturally responsive practices that relate to and empower your diverse student population;
- deepen your understanding of the latest research on adolescent literacy and learning needs and discover how to bring disciplinary literacy to life in your classroom;
- envision transformative learning experiences you can tailor to your unique teaching context;
- learn to effectively initiate ideas, incorporate argument and discourse, and motivate your students, creating an engaging and dynamic learning environment; and
- explore the Essential Instructional Practices for Disciplinary Literacy in the Secondary Classroom, providing you with evidence-based strategies to prepare your students to thrive in the classroom, their community, and in the world.
Don’t miss this opportunity to enrich your teaching practice and make a lasting impact on your students’ academic journey. Register today!
School principals and building-level leaders are essential to the success of our coaches, educators, and students! Join us as we strive to increase learning in all content areas by exploring systematic and effective practices that can be implemented at the building level. We will use the Essential School-Wide Practices in Disciplinary Literacy: Grades 6-12 as a foundation of shared learning with afternoon break-out sessions targeted to various needs, and all participants will receive a bound copy of the Essential School-Wide Practices document. This event will be offered on November 19. See the flyer for details.
MDE is now offering Lexia LETRS Volume 2 (Units 5-8)! This course is for anyone who has completed Volume 1 (Units 1-4) independently or with another entity and does not have the opportunity to continue with Volume 2. Learn more and sign up at https://www.lexialearning.com/michigan-letrs. Note: Any educator currently enrolled in a cohort under the state aid grant is signed up for the entire course (volumes 1 and 2) and should not complete this form.
Registration for LETRS Cohort 9 is open for elementary educators, early childhood educators, and administrators. Training for Cohort 8 will start in January 2025. For more information, including registration links, please visit the Michigan LETRS website.
On October 22, join Penny Kittle, author of Write Beside Them and co-author with Kelly Gallagher of 4 Essential Studies: Beliefs and Practices to Reclaim Student Agency, as she explores the power of storytelling to unlock students’ interests, relationships, and beliefs about themselves and about writing. Storytelling is the glue that binds not only a student to faith in the writing process but binds a community of writers together in the pursuit of something more than correctness and compliance. Penny will share stories and strategies from her own classroom practice as well as mentor texts and student samples. This free event is co-sponsored by the National WRITE Center and the National Writing Project. Register today! For more information about the National WRITE Center events, visit their website.
From face-to-face professional learning events to self-paced online modules, the Michigan Assessment Consortium offers and supports many opportunities for educators to become “assessment literate” and improve their use of effective assessment practices. Take a look at the professional learning opportunities, visit our website, and schedule your personal learning plan today.9
Books and Strategies
Book Talk
Igniting Passion in Readers of All Ages
Promoting STEM Through Literature
Wayne RESA’s own Judy Bowling, Instructional Technology and Library Consultant, and Kerri Guiliano, Virtual Academy Director for the Melvindale-North Allen Park school district, are the project leads behind the development of this REMC-sponsored comprehensive set of resources designed to help educators engage students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) through literature. While the book list continues to grow, notable texts include The World Is Not a Rectangle, The Crayon Man, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Magic Ramen, and more. Each book features a story in which something is invented or built, emphasizing the steps of designing, planning, gathering materials, and creating. Accompanying each title is a book card or lesson plan that includes a maker-STEM connection, guiding questions for before, during, and after reading, and a hands-on design challenge, sparking excitement by involving students in the design thinking process.
“Using Literacy Instruction to Develop Student Activists”
Christopher Hass
This article from The Reading Teacher talks about how incorporating thoughtfully chosen children’s literature into the reading curriculum allows teachers to foster civic-mindedness in students, encouraging them to engage in meaningful actions as responsible citizens. The full text of the article includes text sets developed around complex issues as well as actionable steps teachers can take to implement these practices in their classrooms.
Noteworthy News
The Michigan Council of Teachers of English will host its annual fall conference on Friday, October 11 at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing, Michigan. Featured speakers include authors and educators Cornelius Minor and Ebony Elizabeth Thomas. Register today and join the conversation!
The Michigan Reading Association will host its 69th Annual Conference from March 7-9, 2025, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Call for Proposals is open! We encourage teachers and teacher teams to consider sharing their talents with educators throughout the state. Registration is also open, so get a jump on Early Bird pricing and register today!
Who doesn’t love a package delivered to their porch? With PL in a Box, participants receive TWO boxes full of goodies designed to connect interactive read-alouds and other literacy concepts to computational thinking, a fundamental skill that equips students with problem-solving abilities and nurtures their creativity, critical thinking, and logical reasoning. Join us as we delve into the benefits of teaching computational thinking to young minds through engaging hands-on activities!
Professional Learning
| Upcoming Events at Wayne RESA |
See our new interactive 2024-2025 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. Many 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. 🍁Be sure to check out our fall professional learning opportunities!🍁 |
Tools to Make Your Teaching Life Easier
Building community in the classroom is essential for fostering a supportive and collaborative learning environment. When teachers prioritize community, students feel valued, connected, and more comfortable sharing their ideas and perspectives. This sense of belonging enhances engagement, encourages open dialogue, and helps students take risks in reading and writing. A strong classroom community also promotes empathy, respect for diverse voices, and a shared responsibility for learning, empowering students to grow not only as readers and writers but as thoughtful and compassionate individuals. This list has various resources that can be used to support relationship-building throughout the school year.
Wayne RESA Literacy Team
Michelle Wagner, Director 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