Advancing Literacy at Teachers College

☀️📚 Our Advancing Literacy Summer Reading Challenge is designed to connect your summer reading life to the learning in our upcoming Summer Institutes.

🌍 Read a multilingual story → Embracing Multilingualism & Multiliteracies
🧠 Build new knowledge through reading → Knowledge Building to Strengthen & Deepen Comprehension
⭐ Read a highly recommended fiction title → Writing About Reading
✍️ Read about writers, journalists, or the writing process → Evidence-Based Methods of Teaching Writing
📖 Choose a breezy, can’t-put-it-down read → Phonics to Support Spelling, Decoding & Fluency

We hope these prompts help you discover new books, grow your reading life, and stay connected to literacy all summer long.

✨ Ready to deepen your practice? Registration for our Summer Institutes is now open. Join us for engaging, research-based professional learning designed to support joyful, meaningful literacy instruction all year long.

🎙️ New Podcast Episode

Today’s the day!

Episode 5 of Advancing Literacy: Beyond the Classroom is officially live!

Join Kim Brooks, Amanda Hartman, & Emily Smith from Teachers College, Columbia University, as they explore:

Practical and Positive Strategies to Support Grammar and Spelling Development

This episode is designed for families and caregivers looking for supportive, practical ways to help children grow as readers and writers while building confidence with spelling and grammar over time.

✨ Learn everyday strategies to support spelling and grammar development
✨ Discover ways to make word study engaging and meaningful
✨ Explore how reading and writing work together to strengthen literacy skills
✨ Hear practical ideas families can use during everyday learning moments

🎁 Bonus Resource: We’ve included a FREE printable guide in the show notes with ideas you can try today!

👉 Listen now: https://share.transistor.fm/s/7cdbd64b

End-of-year reflection does not have to feel like a compliance task.

When we give students the time and structure to look back at their own writing portfolios, they begin to see themselves as real authors who grow over time.
This simple anchor chart template helps students celebrate their writing journey with four concrete prompts:

1️⃣Side-by-Side: Compare a piece from the beginning of the year to one from the end of the year to spot growth.
2️⃣Resilience Rockstar: Identify a piece where writing got tough, and name the strategy that helped push it forward.
3️⃣Growth Playlist: Choose three pieces that defined the year, and write a quick dedication for each one.
4️⃣Technique Showcase: Find a specific tool or skill learned this year, and point out exactly where it was mastered.

Try using these sticky note prompts to help your students internalize their progress before summer. 📋
Which of these reflection prompts would your young writers love most? Drop a comment below. 💬

TeacherTips ClassroomInspiration TCAdvancingLiteracy

Spotlighting moments from our Teachers College Advancing Literacy Leadership Conference ✨

Literacy leaders from across classrooms, schools, and districts came together for a joyful day of learning, reflection, collaboration, and connection.

📚 LEARNED.
Thoughtful discussions, expert insights, and collaborative workshops.

💭 REFLECTED.
Shared experiences and deepened leadership practice.

🎉 CELEBRATED.
Our shared commitment to advancing literacy in every community.

Want deeper readers? Let them write. ✏️

Writing about reading helps students slow down, think more deeply, and hold onto and shape their thinking.

A few simple practices can help:

📝 Start with low-stakes writing like quick jots and stop-and-jots.

👀 Teach the mode before assigning it. Model the annotation, summary, or response first.

🎯 Match the writing task to the thinking goal. Annotating deepens thinking. Summarizing helps students distill meaning.

📖 Keep writing close to the reading while thinking is still fresh.

When students write while their thinking is still live, comprehension grows stronger.

Register here for a mini institute: https://advancingliteracy.tc.columbia.edu/events/writing-about-reading-institute