Literacy Teaching Training

Lesson 1 • Cognitive Processes Behind Reading

Working memory, phonological processing, and executive function are linked to reading success. Understanding these processes helps teachers design cognitively appropriate tasks.

Lesson 2 • Equity and Access in Literacy Learning

Systemic barriers to literacy achievement are identified alongside culturally sustaining practices. Teachers develop an equity lens that informs every instructional choice.

Lesson 3 • Defining Literacy in Modern Education

Literacy is defined beyond decoding to include comprehension, fluency, and meaning-making. This framing anchors all subsequent instructional decisions in the course.

Lesson 4 • The Science of Reading Explained

Research-based models of reading acquisition are examined, including the Simple View of Reading. Teachers gain a theoretical lens for diagnosing and planning instruction.

Lesson 1 • Teaching Multisyllabic Word Decoding

Strategies for breaking apart longer words are taught using syllable types and morpheme boundaries. This section extends phonics skills to the complex words students encounter in content areas.

Lesson 2 • Encoding and Spelling Connections

Spelling is positioned as the productive counterpart to decoding, reinforcing phonics knowledge. Teachers design encoding tasks that deepen word-level understanding.

Lesson 3 • Phonological Awareness Continuum

The hierarchy from rhyme to phoneme manipulation is mapped with benchmark skills at each level. Teachers learn to assess and sequence phonological tasks accurately.

Lesson 4 • Systematic and Explicit Phonics Approaches

Synthetic, analytic, and analogy-based phonics methods are compared for effectiveness and scope. Teachers select and justify an approach based on student needs and evidence.

Lesson 1 • Selecting Words for Explicit Instruction

Criteria for choosing high-utility Tier 2 words are applied to authentic texts and content units. Teachers practice word selection that maximizes instructional return.

Lesson 2 • Direct Vocabulary Instruction Strategies

Rich, robust instruction methods including semantic mapping and student-friendly definitions are modeled. Teachers build a toolkit of engaging, research-supported vocabulary routines.

Lesson 3 • Morphology as a Vocabulary Tool

Prefixes, suffixes, and roots are taught as generative tools for unlocking unfamiliar words. Teachers integrate morphological analysis into vocabulary and content-area instruction.

Lesson 4 • Understanding Vocabulary Knowledge

Vocabulary breadth, depth, and fluency are distinguished as separate but related dimensions. This framework guides teachers in setting precise vocabulary learning goals.

Lesson 1 • Fluency Across Content Areas

Fluency demands in informational, technical, and narrative texts are compared and addressed. Teachers adapt fluency routines for science, social studies, and other disciplines.

Lesson 2 • Wide Reading for Fluency Development

Independent reading at appropriate levels is structured to build automaticity through volume. Teachers learn to match texts to readers and sustain engagement over time.

Lesson 3 • Components and Importance of Fluency

Accuracy, rate, and prosody are defined and linked to comprehension outcomes. Teachers understand why fluency instruction is a distinct and necessary component of literacy.

Lesson 4 • Assessing Reading Fluency

Oral reading fluency probes and prosody rubrics are used to establish baselines and monitor progress. Assessment data directly informs the grouping and pacing of fluency instruction.

Lesson 1 • After-Reading Synthesis and Response

Summarizing, synthesizing, and evaluating are taught as post-reading consolidation strategies. Teachers design response tasks that require and reveal deep comprehension.

Lesson 2 • Close Reading of Complex Texts

Close reading protocols guide students through multiple readings with text-dependent questions. Teachers learn to select appropriately complex texts and scaffold without over-supporting.

Lesson 3 • During-Reading Monitoring and Strategies

Questioning, visualizing, inferencing, and fix-up strategies are modeled through think-alouds. Teachers practice gradual release to build independent strategy use during reading.

Lesson 4 • Before-Reading Comprehension Strategies

Activating prior knowledge, previewing, and setting purpose are taught as pre-reading routines. These strategies reduce cognitive load and improve initial text engagement.

Lesson 1 • Writing Process and Workshop Model

Prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing are taught as recursive, not linear, stages. The writing workshop structure is modeled as a sustainable classroom framework.

Lesson 2 • Argumentative and Opinion Writing

Claim, evidence, and reasoning are taught as the core structure of persuasive writing. Teachers learn to build students' capacity for evidence-based argumentation across grades.

Lesson 3 • Sentence-Level Writing and Grammar

Sentence combining, syntax variation, and grammar in context are taught as craft tools, not isolated rules. Teachers integrate grammar instruction into authentic writing tasks.

Lesson 4 • Narrative Writing Instruction

Narrative craft elements including plot, character, and voice are taught through mentor texts and structured practice. Teachers learn to scaffold narrative writing from personal to fictional forms.

Lesson 1 • Flexible Grouping Based on Data

Assessment data is used to form, adjust, and dissolve instructional groups dynamically. Teachers learn to manage multiple groups without sacrificing instructional quality.

Lesson 2 • Communicating Assessment Results

Assessment findings are communicated clearly to students, families, and colleagues using accessible language. Teachers practice translating technical data into meaningful, actionable feedback.

Lesson 3 • Interpreting and Analyzing Assessment Data

Error patterns, benchmark comparisons, and growth trajectories are analyzed to identify instructional priorities. Teachers move from raw scores to actionable instructional hypotheses.

Lesson 4 • Types and Purposes of Literacy Assessment

Screening, diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments are distinguished by purpose and timing. Teachers build a coherent assessment plan that avoids redundancy and maximizes utility.

Lesson 1 • Universal Design for Learning in Literacy

UDL principles are applied to literacy instruction to proactively reduce barriers for all students. Teachers redesign lessons using multiple means of representation, action, and engagement.

Lesson 2 • Supporting Struggling and At-Risk Readers

Intervention principles, structured literacy approaches, and progress monitoring are applied to students below benchmark. Teachers design targeted small-group lessons that address root causes of difficulty.

Lesson 3 • Literacy Instruction for English Language Learners

Language acquisition stages are linked to literacy instructional adjustments for multilingual learners. Teachers apply sheltered instruction and translanguaging strategies to support literacy growth.

Lesson 4 • Challenging Advanced and Gifted Readers

Extension tasks, independent inquiry, and complex text engagement are designed for students above benchmark. Teachers avoid busywork and instead deepen advanced readers' critical thinking.