Literacy Lab requires a two-year commitment.  It consists of seven days of training each year.  Both years are broken into three days of training in the summer and two days of training in both the fall and spring.  The State Department of   Education determines the groups as new registration forms are submitted Literacy Lab assigns the group names.

Year I - Smart Step Literacy Lab

Day 1 - The uniqueness of adolescent literacy; our five goals for adolescent readers; the role of motivation; creating engaging literate cultures

Day 2 - The role of access to appropriate reading materials; educating students’ choices

Day 3 - The role of and research into reading practice; the reading workshop classroom– elements (independent reading, guided reading, literature study) and procedures

Day 4 - Fluency instruction in a reading workshop environment; designing, maintaining and perpetuating classroom libraries

Day 5 - Introduction to Comprehension Strategy Instruction; review of research and identification of the strategies and best practices in teaching; Gradual Release of Responsibility Model

Day 6 - Modeling of Comprehension Strategy Instruction; done with actual classes of students

Day 7 - Modeling of Comprehension Strategy Instruction; done with actual classes of students

Year II - Smart Step Literacy Lab

Day 1 - Assessment and its implications on teaching practice; learning to administer the Flynt-Cooter Informal Reading Inventory (fluency and comprehension); Motivation and Engagement Assessment

Day 2 - Learning to administer the Developmental Reading Assessment 4-8 (fluency, comprehension, access to appropriate text, motivation); Benchmark (CRT) Test Strategies

Day 3 - Vocabulary/Word Study (This day will be conducted at your local Co-op plus a touchback session with yoru Co-op Literacy Specialist one day in the fall)

Day 4 - Writing workshop classroom - elements (independent writing, guided writing, and investigations) and procedures; the teaching of craft in context

Day 5 - Writing workshop classroom (cont.)

Day 6 - Writing workshop classroom (cont.)

Day 7 - Inquiry writing