Advancing Literacy at Teachers College

New post up on the website!

advancingliteracy.tc.columbia.edu

New mini teaching institute: Small Group Writing Instruction - don’t miss out!

Teachers College, Columbia University

This winter, what a beautiful opportunity to be in schools, in community, with children learning!

https://advancingliteracy.tc.columbia.edu/events/developing-early-literacy-skills-through-play-drama-and-songs-pre-k-k

https://teacherscollege.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEqcuiprDkrGNQH036F3Ro4wRmoId1XI9ek #/registration

Register here!!!!

📢 Empower your child to become a confident, independent learner!

Join us for an invaluable FREE workshop with Beth Hickey and Alexandra Roman from Advancing Literacy. Discover how to nurture your PK-5 child’s problem-solving abilities and self-advocacy skills all while building the independence that will set your students up for success in the classroom and beyond.

📅 January 8, 2025 ⏰ 2:00 PM ET 💻 Via Zoom
You’ll learn strategies to help your child: ✨ Ask meaningful questions ✨ Solve problems independently ✨ Develop confidence in their learning ✨ Become their own advocate

Perfect for parents and caregivers who want to support their children’s growth as independent learners!

🎯 Reserve your spot now - link in bio!

📚 Calling all families with young readers!
Want to discover exciting new nonfiction books that will have your PK-5 kids begging for “just one more page”? Join us for a FREE virtual workshop with Amanda Hartman, Director of Primary Literacy at Advancing Literacy!

🗓️ January 6, 2025 ⏰ 8:00 AM ET 📍 Via Zoom

In this interactive session, you’ll learn about:
✨ Engaging nonfiction titles for young readers
✨ How to select books that spark curiosity
✨ Tips for making nonfiction reading fun

Perfect for:
Parents
Caregivers
Teachers
Anyone who loves helping kids discover books!

🎯 Click the link in bio to save your seat!

📚 ✨ FREE Family Workshops from Teachers College Advancing Literacy! ✨

Join us this January for four FREE workshops designed to support your child’s learning journey:

Jan 6, 8:00 AM ET 📖 Book Buzzes: Discover exciting new nonfiction titles for PK-5 students

Jan 8, 8:00 AM ET 🏗️ ¿Qué es la construcción de conocimientos? ¿Cómo puedo apoyar a mi hijo en casa? (K-5) | Taller en español

Jan 8, 2:00 PM ET 🌱 Teaching Kids to Advocate: Help your K-8 student become an independent learner

Jan 15, 7:00 PM ET 💝 Building Antiracist Practices at Home: Essential conversations about identity, difference, and justice

All workshops are FREE and hosted on Zoom by at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Register now! Free sign up in bio.

Join us for a free family workshop on December 17th at 2PM ET to explore how to navigate the evolving digital world with your children.

Learn practical strategies for:
💻 Adapting to technological changes & the practical implications
💻 Connecting in new ways with your children
💻 Fostering critical thinking about AI and its implications
💻 Empowering kids to thrive in a tech-driven future

This interactive session led by Advancing Literacy staff developer and AI explorer, Heather Burns, will equip parents and caregivers with the tools to maximize the benefits of new technologies while mitigating potential risks.

Sign up now to access this FREE virtual learning opportunity! Link in bio.

✨ Insights from Our Recent Institute in India 🇮🇳📚

We just wrapped an incredible three-day writing institute in New Delhi, where educators from Mumbai and Delhi came together to revolutionize how we teach writing! We dove deep into journalism, research-based writing, and graphic novels - exploring powerful strategies to engage students from PreK through 12th grade.

Key takeaways that will inspire your teaching:
- Discover writing that truly captures students’ attention
- Learn how to prepare students for writing through research and oral rehearsal
- Unlock the magic of mentor texts
- Integrate cutting-edge approaches to grammar and conventions

Curious to learn more? Head to our latest blog post for an inside look at this transformative experience! Link in bio 🔗

📸 Swipe to see some moments from our incredible week of learning and connection!

Bring them joy, then have your own back. 📚🎄

Here’s a useful tip to help students improve their writing. ✍️ 🤩

Ask them to read their work aloud. While it may not feel as natural—or modest—as reading silently, it can help them catch often-overlooked errors, a 2022 study found.

Ella Jenkins brought joy, song, and dance into early childhood classrooms and across the world. Often called “ the First Lady of children’s music, she was a strong presence at NAEYC conferences over the years. Elia passed away earlier in November. Below we share an interview with Elia from 2014 on her 90th birthday.

https://www.naeyc.org/our-work/families/interview-childrens-musician-ella-jenkins

https://advancingliteracy.tc.columbia.edu/resources/supports-for-familes

Check out December family & caregiver days!

advancingliteracy.tc.columbia.edu

This season, we at Advancing Literacy are filled with profound gratitude for all the incredible educators who partner with us to empower students. Your dedication, creativity, and tireless efforts make a profound difference in the lives of learners every day.

To our entire Advancing Literacy community - teachers, administrators, parents, caregivers and students - thank you. We are honored to work alongside such an inspiring group of individuals committed to advancing literacy and unlocking opportunities for students across the country and around the world.

We know during this long weekend different communities observe it in different ways. Some families come together with friends, family and community to share food and celebrate gratitude. Others may come together this weekend as a time to mourn the loss of indigenous lives, land and culture with friends, family & community. We wish everyone peace, rest, and warm feelings. We hope this weekend helps you to feel nourished, loved & restored.

On the next slides we have books written by Native people that we recommend reading with your students and kids.

1. A Wampanoag story

2. A poem- dedicated to memory and remembering.

3. a picture book about gratitude all year

4. A book about Native lands

5. A book about gathering with family and community- and a specific celebration of harvest in the spring.

📚 Powerful learning in action last week! Advancing Literacy acting director, Emily Butler Smith, joined school leaders for an inspiring visit to one of our partner schools.

We witnessed excellence at every turn and collaborated on:

Standards-based instruction that drives real learning
Crafting high-impact feedback for both teachers & students

Dynamic small groups responding to student needs
Rich read-alouds with accountable talk
Intentional vocabulary building woven throughout the instructional day

Our team left energized by the collaborative spirit and laser-focused on continuing to support student growth. We have so much gratitude for these thoughtful educational leaders and our host teachers and classrooms and it was incredible to see teachers and kids in action. These are the practices that transform schools. 💫