Literacy Coaching & Support for Educators

Common Core Standards are aimed at preparing students for success in college, career, and life. They focus on developing critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills through literacy in a variety of content areas.

The standards are not just for English Language Arts (ELA), but also apply to literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects. Specifically, they emphasize the ability to read, write, speak, listen, and use language effectively across different disciplines​​.

Common Core English Language Arts Instructional Shifts At-a-Glance:

• Complexity – Practice regularly with complex text and its academic language.
  
  Rather than focusing solely on the skills of reading and writing, the Common Core and other college- and career-ready (CCR) standards highlight the growing complexity of the texts students must read to be ready for the demands of college and careers. CCR standards build a staircase of text complexity so that all students are ready for the
  demands of college- and career-level reading no later than the end of high school. Closely related to text complexity—and inextricably connected to reading comprehension—is a focus on academic
  vocabulary: words that appear in a variety of content areas (such as ignite and commit).
   
• Evidence – Ground reading, writing and speaking in evidence from text, both literary and informational.
   

  College- and career-ready standards place a premium on students writing to sources, i.e., using evidence from texts to present careful analyses, well-defended claims, and clear information. Rather than asking students questions they can answer solely from their prior knowledge or experience, CCR standards expect students to answer questions that depend on their having read the text or texts with care. CCR standards also require the cultivation of narrative writing throughout the grades; in later grades, a command of sequence and detail will be essential for effective argumentative and informational
  writing.
  
  Likewise, the reading standards focus on students’ ability to read carefully and grasp information, arguments, ideas, and details based on text evidence. Students should be able to answer a range of text-dependent questions, questions in which the answers require inferences based on careful attention to the text.
   

• Knowledge – Build knowledge through content-rich nonfiction.
  
  Building knowledge through content rich nonfiction plays an essential role in literacy and in CCR standards. In K–5, fulfilling the standards requires a 50–50 balance between informational and literary reading. Informational reading primarily includes content rich nonfiction in
  history/social studies, science, and the arts; the K–5 standards strongly recommend that students build coherent general knowledge both within each year and across years. In grades 6–12, ELA classes pay much greater attention to a specific category of informational text—literary nonfiction—than has been traditional. In grades 6–12, the standards for literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects ensure that students can independently build knowledge in these disciplines through reading and writing.
  
  To be clear, CCR standards–including the Common Core–require substantial attention to literature throughout K–12, as half of the required
  work in K–5 and the core of the work of 6–12 ELA.

Evidence-based instruction in reading is a critical aspect of literacy education. It refers to teaching methods and practices that are grounded in research and have been proven to be effective.

Learn more about evidence-based reading instruction.

What Works Practice Guides

These FREE practice guides provide recommendations for educators to address challenges in their classrooms and schools. They are based on reviews of research, the experiences of practitioners, and the expert-opinions of a panel of national recognized experts. 

• Foundational Skills to Support Reading For Understanding Grades K-3
   
• Improving Reading Comprehension K-3rd Grade
   
• Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices
   
• Assisting Students Struggling with Reading: RTI and Multi-Tiered Intervention in Primary Grades
   
• Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School

GELN's Early Literacy Task Force is a collaborative partnership of early literacy experts working together to support literacy in the state of Michigan.

Here are some key aspects of the GELN Early Literacy Task Force:

1. Focus on Early Literacy – The task force primarily concentrates on improving literacy skills among young learners, particularly in the early grades. This is a critical period for setting the foundation for successful reading and writing skills.
    

2. Collaboration and Leadership – The task force brings together educators, administrators, and literacy experts to collaborate on developing and implementing effective literacy strategies and policies. It aims to provide leadership and guidance in the field of early literacy education.
    

3. Research and Best Practices – A major part of the task force's work involves staying informed about the latest research in early literacy and ensuring that the best, evidence-based practices are being used in classrooms across Michigan.
    

4. Training and Professional Development – The task force often plays a role in organizing training and professional development opportunities for educators. This helps ensure that teachers are equipped with the latest skills and knowledge to effectively teach early literacy.
    

5. Policy and Advocacy – The GELN Early Literacy Task Force may also engage in policy-making and advocacy to ensure that early literacy remains a priority in educational planning and funding.
    

6. Resource Development and Dissemination – Creating and disseminating resources and tools that can aid teachers, schools, and districts in implementing effective literacy programs is another key aspect of the task force's work.
    

7. Community Engagement and Partnerships – Engaging with communities and forming partnerships with various stakeholders, including parents and local organizations, is also part of their mission to promote early literacy.

Literacy Essentials are a set of research-based instructional practices created by the GELN (General Education Leadership Network) and identified as crucial for effective teaching and learning in the area of literacy. These essentials are designed to provide a clear framework for teachers in Michigan, outlining what is necessary for successful literacy instruction, especially in the early grades. These 10 essential practice outlines are:

• Comprehensive – The Literacy Essentials encompass a broad range of instructional practices. They cover areas such as oral language development, phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing.
   
• Age-Appropriate – The practices are tailored to be age-appropriate. There are sets of essentials for different age groups – from birth through third grade – recognizing the developmental differences and learning needs at each stage.
   
• Research-Based – The essentials are grounded in extensive research. They represent the consensus of literacy experts and educators on the most effective ways to teach reading and writing.
   
• Practical – The Literacy Essentials provide practical, concrete guidance for educators. This includes specific strategies, activities, and approaches that can be implemented in the classroom.
   
• Professional Development – They are also used as a foundation for professional development. Educators can use the Literacy Essentials as a guide for self-improvement and to identify areas for further training.
   
• Collaborative – The essentials emphasize the importance of collaboration among teachers, administrators and families. Literacy development is seen as a shared responsibility.
   
• Assessment and Intervention – The essentials include guidance on assessing students' literacy skills and providing targeted interventions for those who need additional support.
   
• Inclusive – Recognizing the diversity of learners, the Literacy Essentials encourage culturally responsive teaching practices, ensuring that all students' cultural backgrounds are respected and integrated into literacy instruction.

10 Essential Instructional Practices

Based on the above outlines, the following 10 Essential Instructional Practices should be incorporated into every classroom, every day as they are crucial for effective literacy instruction and are designed to be universally applicable across different grades and learning environments. 

1. Read Alouds – Engaging students in daily read alouds to develop listening comprehension, vocabulary, and a love for reading.
    

2. Small Group Instruction – Using small group instruction to meet students' individual needs in reading and writing.
    

3. Writing About Reading – Regular practice in writing about texts to deepen comprehension and analytical skills.
    

4. Self-Selected Reading – Allowing students to choose books for independent reading to foster a love of reading and develop reading stamina.
    

5. Word Study and Phonics Instruction – Teaching phonics and word study to improve decoding skills, spelling, and word recognition.
    

6. Explicit Vocabulary Instruction – Systematically teaching vocabulary to enhance language and understanding of texts.
    

7. Interactive Writing – Engaging students in writing together as a class or in small groups to develop writing skills collaboratively.
    

8. Intentional Text Selection – Carefully selecting texts for instruction that are culturally responsive, developmentally appropriate, and diverse in genre and content.
    

9. Text-based Discussions – Facilitating rich, text-based discussions to improve critical thinking and comprehension.
    

10. Building Knowledge Networks – Integrating reading and writing with other content areas to build students' knowledge and understanding of the world.

Visit LiteracyEssentials.org for FREE Literacy Essentials Practices by grade. 

In October 2016, The Michigan Legislature passed a critical law that will have tremendous implications on current first grade students.  Beginning with the 2019-2020 school year third graders could be retained if they demonstrate reading proficiency levels that are more than one year behind. 

The law requires that districts and schools assess the reading skills of all K-3 students at least three times per year in an effort to identify struggling students.  Students experiencing deficiencies will be required to have an individualized reading improvement plan created in partnership with their teacher, the principal, and their parents.  This plan would include steps for early interventions provided by the child's teacher, school, and literacy team. Parents will be provided a "read at home" plan that would extend learning at home in an effort to strengthen the students reading skills. 

Berrien RESA recognizes the impact that this law could have on local school districts and their communities so we are providing resources that will support you as you move forward with your understanding of this law.

Third Grade Reading Law Bill (pdf)

Michigan's Top 10 Strategic Education Plan was updated and approved by Michigan's State Board of Education in August 2020.

The plan provides focused direction to Michigan's education community in support of all learners. It is designed to concentrate energy and resources, strengthen operations, and set success measures to ensure that all stakeholders are working together toward common education goals.

Michigan's Top 10 Strategic Education Plan has a mission, vision, guiding principles, focused goals, and metrics for each goal area to help monitor Michigan's educational progress. Collaboration among the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), education partners and stakeholders, business and industry, and communities is needed for the plan's successful implementation. 

Individualized Reading Improvement Plan Template (pdf)

Institute for Education Sciences "What Works" Practice Guides

Read By Grade 3 Communications Toolkit (pdf)

The Science of Reading Defining Guide