Achieving literacy for a lifetime

The Research and Best Practices course gives a broad overview of new educational research and the instructional techniques it suggests. Participants have an opportunity to apply new learning by planning lessons for their own students and to practice with support to ensure confident transfer to the classroom. In addition to the group content session and demonstrations provided by a professional development trainer, additional seminar materials support teachers’ ongoing growth with partner learning extensions and review activities that can be incorporated into professional learning communities. This seminar is also a great support to schools implementing Rigby’s Literacy by Design or other comprehensive literacy resource.

Length:
One day

Objectives:

• Understand research related to the seminar topics
• Implement instructional techniques supported by the research
• Incorporate brain-based learning strategies when planning instruction
• Balance time spent with fiction and nonfiction text
• Support struggling readers with appropriate differentiated instruction
• Conduct a case study on one student to apply new strategies and monitor progress
• Maximize parent involvement

College Credit Available

Support new classroom teachers in grades K–5 with meaningful instruction designed to increase their effectiveness in teaching literacy. Developed by literacy expert Linda Hoyt, this two-day seminar supports participants through a gradual release, including group content sessions, partner learning experiences, and ongoing extension activities. This seminar is built on research-based practices and includes information on building and managing a successful classroom environment for literacy learning. This seminar is the perfect resource for schools using Literacy by Design that hire new teaching staff.

Length:
Two days

Objectives:

• Be familiar with literacy best practices and the supporting research
• Create an emotional, social, instructional, and physical environment for a successful literacy classroom
• Understand how to assess and plan appropriate instruction
• Apply strategies for building a classroom learning community
• Utilize classroom management strategies
• Develop communication techniques
• Apply time-management strategies

College Credit Available

The Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, and Word Study course reviews research and a variety of instructional strategies to implement research-based best practices in daily instruction. Topics are organized to begin with teaching sounds and symbols for emergent readers, explicit phonics instruction for early readers, then move into more sophisticated word study for proficient readers. The goal is to balance explicit skill instruction with multiple contexts for authentic application in reading and writing. Participants have an opportunity to apply new learning and practice with support to ensure confident transfer to the classroom. In addition to the group content session and demonstrations provided by a professional development trainer, additional seminar materials support teachers’ ongoing growth with partner learning extensions, and review activities that can be incorporated into professional learning communities. This seminar is also a great support to schools implementing Rigby’s Literacy by Design or balanced word study resource.

Length:
One day

Objectives:

• Know key research in the areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, and word study
• Implement a variety of instructional strategies into daily instruction
• Merge explicit skill instruction with authentic contexts for application and practice
• Use observation and assessment techniques to inform word-level instruction
• Link instruction to students’ prior language development
• Conduct a case study on one student to apply new strategies and monitor progress

College Credit Available

The Vocabulary Instruction course reviews research on vocabulary development and the instructional practices it suggests. A variety of vocabulary lessons and instructional strategies is shared, appropriate for whole-group and small-group lessons. Participants have an opportunity to apply new learning and practice with support to ensure confident transfer to the classroom. In addition to the group content session and demonstrations provided by a professional development trainer, additional seminar materials support teachers’ ongoing growth with partner learning extensions and review activities that can be incorporated into professional learning communities. This seminar is also a great support to schools implementing Rigby’s Literacy by Design or vocabulary development resource.

Length:
One day

Learning Outcomes:
After completing the Vocabulary Instruction seminar, participants will:

• Know key vocabulary research and methods
• Apply Marzano’s Six Steps to Effective Vocabulary Instruction
• Implement various instructional strategies to support long term vocabulary learning
• Utilize whole class and small group vocabulary building opportunities
• Assess vocabulary growth
• Conduct a case study on one student to apply new strategies and monitor progress

College Credit Available

The Fluency and Oral Interpretation of Text course reviews the characteristics of fluent reading, its relationship to comprehension, and research on the best practices to build fluency. Teachers will leave with a bank of instructional strategies to develop fluency in readers through explicit modeling, shared reading experiences, small group coaching, partner and individual reading practice, and a variety of assessment techniques. Participants have an opportunity to apply new learning and practice with support to ensure confident transfer to the classroom. In addition to the group content session and demonstrations provided by a professional development trainer, additional seminar materials support teachers’ ongoing growth with partner learning extensions and review activities that can be incorporated into professional learning communities.

Length:
One day

Objectives:

• Know key research in fluency development and the characteristics of fluent reading
• Implement fluency instruction that explicitly models specific aspects of fluency
• Provide multiple opportunities for repeated reading practice with coaching
• Use a variety methods to assess fluency and provide feedback to readers and plan appropriate instruction
• Conduct a case study on one student to apply new strategies and monitor progress

College Credit Available

The Comprehension Instruction Across the School Day course reviews research on best practices for comprehension development. Instructional strategies explored include clear, explicit, modeling and gradual release of responsibility for the new comprehension strategy through shared reading, small group instruction, and independent practice. Tools are developed to intentionally link the comprehension strategy use to content area instruction. Participants have an opportunity to apply new learning and practice with support to ensure confident transfer to the classroom. In addition to the group content session and demonstrations provided by a professional development trainer, additional seminar materials support teachers’ ongoing growth with partner learning extensions and review activities that can be incorporated into professional learning communities.

Length:
One day

Objectives:

• Know research and be familiar with key comprehension strategies
• Apply each strategy with explicit instruction and think-alouds
• Connect each comprehension strategy from whole group lessons to small group coaching sessions, and to content area instruction
• Implement various techniques to support students’ independent use of each strategy
• Assess use of comprehension strategies
• Conduct a case study on one student to apply new strategies and monitor progress

College Credit Available

The Small Group Instruction course investigates the benefits of using small group instruction, and how to get the most out of small group sessions. Strategies will be provided to support forming groups, planning, and managing the rest of the class. Teachers will plan small group lessons with a clear instructional focus to meet individual needs. Participants have an opportunity to apply new learning and practice with support to ensure confident transfer into the classroom. This seminar is a great support to schools implementing leveled text resources.

Length:
One day

Objectives:

• Evaluate the benefits of small group instruction while determining potential obstacles and methods/strategies to overcome them
• Learn how to establish routines and classroom management for small groups and build student independence
• Discover various flexible grouping techniques
• Determine what happens during small group instruction
• Utilize small group assessments and record keeping

College Credit Available

The Guided Reading course is designed for grades K–6 teachers who are using leveled books in their classroom. Teachers will learn how to use leveled text as part of a balanced literacy program and in conjunction with a core reading program. They will also have hands-on experiences with the lesson procedures, assessment, and how to schedule and manage leveled groups.

This highly interactive course guides participants through each step in preparing for instruction. Teachers observe and then practice a text preview, how to effectively prompt students while reading and how to use assessments to place students and guide instruction. Participants will learn how to use leveled books to enhance fluency, develop comprehension and enrich vocabulary. Finally, teachers explore strategies for how to manage multiple leveled reading groups in the classroom. For districts adopting specific level reading products such as the Houghton Mifflin Leveled Readers, or Rigby Leveled Bookrooms, these materials are integrated throughout the course

Length:
One day

Objectives:

• Know the purpose and design of implementing guided reading
• Build fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension for every reader
• Understand the components of a guided reading lesson
• Assess using oral reading records
• Apply effective techniques to organize and manage leveled reading in the classroom

College Credit Available

During this one-day training on Differentiating Instruction, teachers will explore how to meet the needs of various learners through a differentiated instruction approach. Teachers will be introduced to engaging activities that respond to individual student learning needs, strengths and preferences. There are many goals for differentiated instruction, all of which focus on providing multiple opportunities for student engagement and learning. This course provides a wide variety of strategies for differentiating instruction that can be easily streamlined to current Houghton Mifflin Harcourt curriculum.

Length:
One day

Objectives:

• Understand the meaning of differentiated instruction
• Understand the various tiers of instructional support
• Utilize a variety of assessments to drive decision making
• Understand and be able to effectively use a variety of resources and strategies to meet students’ needs

College Credit Pending

The Reading for Understanding in the Content Areas course combines research with proven and innovative strategies to deliver powerful instruction designed to improve the reading skills of all students—both struggling and proficient readers. Targeted for educators in all subject areas, this workshop provides step-by-step instruction that identifies factors impacting comprehension and examines the process of reading and learning for students.

During this hands-on workshop, participants examine each critical step in the reading process—before reading, during reading, and after reading. Teachers learn about the research based strategies that support comprehension in each step of the reading process. Teachers have the opportunity to practice and apply the new learning directly to text used in their own classroom. For districts adopting the Reader’s Handbook, time is spent on effectively integrating these materials into the curriculum.

Length:
One or two days

Objectives:

• Know factors that impact comprehension
• Apply step-by-step guidelines that break down the process of reading and learning for students
• Incorporate ready-to-use comprehension strategies directly to the classroom
• Motivate and engage students to become active, strategic readers

College Credit Available

During this one-day training on Powerful Comprehension Strategies, teachers will review research from Kylene Beers and others on comprehension and the instructional practices they suggest to improve student achievement. A variety of instructional strategies designed to move secondary students from dependent to independent reading will be shared. Participants will have an opportunity to see powerful comprehension strategies modeled and apply new learning through practice with support to ensure confident transfer to the classroom. This course provides a wide variety of strategies for effective comprehension instruction that can be easily streamlined to current Houghton Mifflin Harcourt curriculum.

Length:
One day

Objectives:

• Know key comprehension research and methods
• Apply Beers’ strategies for improving comprehension
• Implement various instructional strategies to support long-term comprehension growth
• Assess comprehension growth
• Apply strategies to an upcoming course of study

College Credit Pending

This one-day course, designed specifically for secondary educators, will review the research from Robert Marzano, Janet Allen, and others on vocabulary development and the instructional practices they suggest. Vocabulary lessons and instructional strategies that are appropriate for whole group and small group lessons will be shared. Participants will have an opportunity to apply new learning and practice with support to ensure confident transfer to the classroom. This course provides a wide variety of strategies for effective vocabulary instruction that can be easily streamlined to current Houghton Mifflin Harcourt curriculum.

Length:
One day

Objectives:

• Know key vocabulary research and methods
• Apply Marzano's Six Steps to Effective Vocabulary Instruction
• Implement instructional strategies to support long term vocabulary learning
• Utilize whole class and small group vocabulary building opportunities
• Assess vocabulary growth
• Apply newly learned strategies to an upcoming course of study

College Credit Pending