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
Setting the Foundation: Implementing the Organizational Practices
In the coming months, we have an amazing opportunity to learn from MAISA (Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators) leaders Erin Brown and Rusty Anderson as well as Dr. Melissa Usiak, Michigan State University professor, who will continue our discussion and application of the newly revised Organizational Practices. These ten practices promote a systemic approach to creating robust learning environments that attend to literacy, mathematics, science, and social studies. This full-day professional learning opportunity will be introduced on January 30, 2024, and repeated on February 29, 2024. We encourage school teams, including coaches and building leaders, to attend. An outline of the schedule can be found below:
- Foundational learning provided by Rusty Anderson and Erin Brown
- Deeper learning with Dr. Melissa Usiak
- Related break-out sessions facilitated by WRESA and local leaders and teams
We look forward to this occasion to learn alongside one another in an effort to positively impact student learning throughout Wayne County. Register today!
Enhancing Phonics Instruction: Inviting Students to Write Decodable Readers
In the most recent issue of Reading Research Quarterly, Michigan State University doctoral candidate Amber Lawson presents her research findings on student-generated decodable readers (SGDRs). SGDRs not only tap into students’ “funds of knowledge” (Moll & Gonzalez, 1994) but also offer students the opportunity to embed their “lived experiences” into their application of phonics instruction. By centering Culturally Relevant Education and the Language Experience Approach, Lawson created an opportunity for students to build early literacy skills in meaningful and engaging ways. In the article, Lawson details her lessons, but in essence, students were invited to co-author their own decodable readers based a recently taught phonics skill or newly introduced high frequency word. Students’ choice and voice were elevated, and their pride in their work was unmistakable. Most promising, though, were the results. Students who co-created their own decodable readers almost doubled their decoding average when compared to students who were only using the curriculum-supplied decodable readers. Furthermore, SGDRs allowed students to simultaneously hone several literacy skills while building a sense of belonging in the classroom community. Recently, Dr. Rosalyn Shahid had an opportunity to interview Lawson about her work. Their recorded session provides additional insight and encourages us to consider new ways to affirm our students’ identities as readers and writers.
Coaching Connections
With the goal of celebrating all of the amazing work that has been done since 2015, the GELN created this video to highlight our growth as educators invested in providing the very best for Michigan’s students. Please share this video widely! We know the work is ongoing, but we also need to pause, reflect, and revel in our collective accomplishments.
Selecting High Interest Texts to Use in the Classroom
Educators continue to look at ways to increase students’ literacy proficiency, and research shows that students need to be provided with abundant reading experiences that foster their motivation across the curriculum. When educators tap into students’ curiosity, motivation increases and students have a built-in purpose for reading.
Keeping this in mind, educators need to carefully consider what texts they use with students. The following list, adapted from the work of Sarah Lupo and Dr. Alfred Tatum, provides a starting place for evaluating text:
- How will this text motivate students?
- How will this text connect to other content or learning?
- How will this text help build or enhance knowledge around a topic?
- What will students do with the knowledge they have learned from this text?
- What purpose will students have in reading this text?
- Whose diverse voices are heard in this text?
- How might readers use critical literacy skills to interpret messages and challenge power relationships within those messages?
- How will this text reflect students’ identities, experiences, and motivations?
- How will this text provide insights into the identities, experiences, and motivations of others?
Surveying students to discover the topics they are interested in and finding texts around those topics will help students make connections to concepts they are studying in class and will make learning more meaningful and relevant to them.
Statewide Updates
MAISA, EduPaths, and the Michigan Learning Channel have collaborated to create a self-paced course that guides K-3 teachers and coaches when implementing Mystery Words and Word Ladders, both of which support phonological awareness development (particularly phonemic awareness) and phonics development through explicit explanation of letter-sound relationships and patterns. The course is estimated to take about an hour. Enroll today!
As a reminder, MAISA GELN and lead researchers have revised the K-3 Essential Instructional Practices in Early Literacy document. With updated supporting research and additional details for educators using the document, these ten practices are intended to be used with every child, in every classroom, every day in an effort to improve student outcomes.
The Michigan Department of Education, in partnership with the Michigan Multi-Tiered System of Supports Technical Assistance Center, invites you to save the date for the 2024 Diversity in Literature Symposium: The How and Why of Literacy. This in-person literacy event will be held on March 7, 2024, at the Lansing Center and is for educators and administrators of all grade levels. Conference attendees will select from a wide range of breakout sessions featuring diverse literacy resources, research-based literacy practices, and other opportunities that support lifelong literacy learning. Additional details about the event will be forthcoming.
Wondering how the K-3 Essential Instructional Practices in Early Literacy insect with LETRS training? As MDE has noted, these are “two complementary pathways for valuable professional learning […]. The Essential Instructional Practices in Early Literacy (EIP) are the research-based practices that teachers employ in the classroom. LETRS translates current research into practical guidance that can be applied to existing curricula.” The MDE June memo includes a crosswalk document that aligns the Essential Instructional Practices and LETRS.
The Disciplinary Literacy Task Force has created an EduPaths Information Document to facilitate participation in their recently developed online courses. Courses 1-7 are currently live, and Courses 5 and 6 each include two parts, Part 1 and Part 2. In addition, all courses now have facilitation guides available for those working on the modules in collaborative groups.
Registration is 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!
Eastern Michigan Writing Project has developed a pilot learning series called Inkcredible: Reclaiming Joy and Humanity in Writing Instruction and Assessment. This is the first part of a pilot professional learning series for K-16 teachers led by Eastern Michigan Writing Project. As you already know, there are a number of new and perennial challenges facing writing instruction—most significantly the emergence of generative AI applications that can write everything. Inkcredible is designed to address these challenges by focusing on student connection to their writing process and ownership in writing products, not just words to be assessed. Students write better across the curriculum when they are confident in their writing voice, and this confidence comes from classroom practices that build student self-efficacy and classroom community around writing (in all subjects!). Register here soon!
The American Educational Research Association (AERA), with the support of the International Literacy Association (ILA), is sponsoring a writing project related to the theme of the 2024 AERA Annual Conference: “Dismantling Racial Injustice and Constructing Educational Possibilities: A Call to Action.” The initiative centers on asking students in kindergarten through grade 12 how they feel about diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice to gain unique insights into the school environment. For more information, see the submission guidelines.
Books and Strategies
Book Talk
Igniting Passion in Readers of All Ages
Big
Vashti Harrison
Every year, the Michigan Association of School Librarians (MASL) publishes a MISelf in Books list with an aim to provide inclusive books for readers of all levels. This lovely book by Vashti Harrison illustrates the thoughtful selections the annual list comprises. The main character in this story, initially happy to be a “big girl,” grows more self-conscious about her size, especially around her peers and adults. Harrison’s whimsical mixed medium images prudently recount the young girl’s journey to self-acceptance, encouraging readers, young and old, to prioritize self-love.
Everyone Loves Lunchtime But Zia
Jenny Liao
In this delightful picture book, Zia, a Chinese-American girl, is always nervous about opening her lunchbox as it is filled with Cantonese dishes that look and smell different than her classmates’ food. She is regularly made fun of and asks her parents to pack her sandwiches instead, but, during her birthday week, they pack a special meal each day with a special meaning and cultural significance. When she eats her lunch, something extraordinary relating to the food happens, including making new friends. On the final day, she brings a little of each food to share with her classmates.
Warrior Girl Unearthed
Angeline Boulley
Perry Firekeeper-Birch is participating in a summer internship where she has been assigned to work at the tribal museum. Initially not thrilled with the placement, fearing a summer of cleaning museum display cases, Perry is horrified when she learns about human remains of her ancestors that were stolen over previous centuries and treated like artifacts. Perry develops a newfound passion for bringing her ancestors and stone possessions home. With a fierce sense of duty to her predecessors, she begins to engage in activities that could get her into trouble. The novel follows Perry through her journey into the injustice of institutions treating her ancestors’ remains as if they were things to be collected.
We Deserve Monuments
Jas Hammonds
After an abrupt move from Washington, D.C., Avery Anderson is trying to adjust to life in Bardell, Georgia. She and her parents have uprooted their urban life to take care of Mama Letty, Avery’s grandmother, who has terminal cancer. Amid family dysfunction, murder mysteries, and burgeoning friendships, Avery begins to find herself and to make difficult decisions about her future. Her quest to heal old wounds brings frustration and, at times, solace, but she begins to understand the complexities of human relationships and love. As she tries desperately to reunite her mother and grandmother, the question remains: will Avery have enough time to fix things for her family?
The Megabook of Fluency
Timothy V. Rasinski and Melissa Cheesman Smith
The Megabook of Fluency by Timothy V. Rasinski and Melissa Cheesman Smith is book of fluency activities for all levels of readers. The authors break down the activities into four categories: Expression, Automatic Word Recognition, Rhythm and Phrasing, and Smoothness. Each activity is also accompanied by a text that could be used to practice the skill being worked on. The best part of these activities, however, is that they are quick and can easily be applied to any classroom text. The activities can also be used in whole class or small group instruction
The A.I. Roadmap: Human Learning in the Age of Smart Machines
Dr. John Spencer
With the rapidly growing accessibility of generative A.I. platforms such as ChatGPT, Dr. John Spencer gently reminds us that we’ve enjoyed the benefits of artificial intelligence for many years. However, the recent proliferation of chatbots and their wide range of capabilities has educators asking some big questions about the future of education, career paths, and more. In his conversational tone, Spencer invites us to travel along with him, albeit at high speeds, and to center the most important piece of the educational puzzle: people.
Worthy Websites
Matthew M. Johnson, Ann Arbor high school teacher, hosts a website full of resources for secondary English teachers. In his blog, Johnson writes about current topics of interest, such as A.I., Going Gradeless, Lesson Ideas, and so much more. He also has a section of his website called Essay of the Week, a play on Kelly Gallagher’s Article of the Week, where he provides essays written in several different styles. He uses these models to help his students write “better, deeper, and more lively essays.”
Sometimes, looking at the blank page can be scary. Being vulnerable and putting thoughts down on paper can cause students to freeze. Many educators use pre-writing techniques such as mapping, free writes, and listing to help students get started, but have you considered using Improv? Research has found that Improv expands vocabulary, increases confidence in ideas, and boosts students’ ability to express themselves. In a blog post titled Using Improv to Boost Narrative Writing with Students, author Pernille Ripp describes what this could look like for upper elementary, middle school, and even high school students.
Noteworthy News
When considering both the work of the Michigan Department of Education in partnership with the state legislators, it has been quite a year for Michigan educators! As State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice emphasized in his November letter, “In collaboration and sometimes with vigorous debate, much was accomplished.” Read the entire letter for an update on all of the current legislative changes designed to provide more comprehensive support to educators, students, and families.
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. Several 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. In addition, our fourth annual Equity Leaders Series is in full swing. Each session features a keynote speaker who will lend their expertise around equitable and restorative literacy practices that center students’ humanity by helping educators cultivate a culture of care and academic excellence. Restorative literacies transcend time, space, and academic discipline. Register today for our remaining sessions! NEW! Supporting the Upper Elementary Reader: Join a community of educators from Wayne County in thinking and learning about effective literacy practices in the upper elementary grades. This series aims to actively promote equity within the classroom so that all students have the resources and support they need to succeed. Over the course of the year, participants will have the opportunity to learn about four different topics:
Each topic will be discussed for two weeks, allowing participants to try new practices between and after each session. Participants will leave with routines, strategies, and activities that they can use immediately within the classroom. |
AI Resources: Embracing the Possibilities
Looking for ways to enhance your slide decks? Slidesgo now includes an AI generator that will produce new slide themes and content. You can create unique presentations in seconds!
Canva has released several new AI tools to enhance your designs on flyers, social media posts, event announcements, and more. Canva also app smashes with several other apps, such as Bitmoji, Wakelet, Smore, and Google Classroom, allowing you to import unique designs in variety of platforms.
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
2023 December “Use Your Megaphone”: Inspiring Excellence in Literacy Instruction Read More »