Learning Opportunities

Drawing from Jen's bestselling resources The Writing Strategies Book and The Reading Strategies Book, this workshop will help you understand how to find goals for your readers and writers and how to support them over time as they work toward those goals.

In the morning, you'll dive into reading: how to know what to expect of readers' print work, fluency, comprehension, writing about reading, and talk. You will practice determining goals based on a 13-goal hierarchy, and matching strategies to individual goals by studying student work. As you explore each goal, you will see and have opportunities to discuss video examples of students working on those goals, with Jen teaching strategies and providing feedback and support.

In the afternoon: writing. You'll explore a 10-goal hierarchy of possible writing goals by considering writing genres and modes, writing process, behaviors, skills, and qualities of good writing. Again, you'll look at student writing to practice making decisions based on the hierarchy of writing goals, match strategies to those goals, and explore the goals through video examples, activities, and conversations with co-participants.

When showing videos throughout the day, Jen will introduce you to essential teaching structures for differentiating instruction with individuals and small groups. The day will culminate with a conversation about record-keeping, managing a class with diverse needs, and scheduling to fit it all in. Jen uses a very active, minds-on and hands-on approach in her workshops, helping you feel you can turn what you learned in the workshop directly into practice in your classrooms the next day.

Learning Objectives

• Learn to study student work to determine goals using a hierarchy in reading and writing
• Craft strategies and feedback prompts and learn to match them to student reading and writing goals
• Learn practical ways to differentiate instruction through conferences and small groups, and how to decide which teaching structure to use for which purpose(s)
• Explore essential and practical organization, management, and note-taking options

*Note: All of Jennifer Serravallo's books will be available for purchase at the session. 

Target Audience

Classroom teachers Grades K-8, administrators, curriculum coordinators, reading specialists, writing teachers, literacy specialists, learning coaches