ILA Next Middle Pathway (ages 12-14)

Join us in our workshop as we share how to use the Notice and Note Signposts for fiction and nonfiction as a way to empower readers. Participants who have not yet used the Signposts will receive a brief overview, while participants skilled with the Signposts will learn new ways to use them. We'll discuss both fiction and nonfiction and provide examples that are appropriate for face-to-face or distanced instruction. We'll move into complex texts as well as visit how picture books provide a good introduction for students. Join us as we share how to help students discover the power of a literate life.

How can concepts be leveraged to promote access, student choice, personal relevance, and transfer in a literacy classroom? Inductive inquiry-based learning experiences in a literacy classroom allow students to be actively engaged in the construction of meaning through the exploration of rich text examples across a range of genres. In this workshop, you will learn how to weave together current literacy practices with inductive inquiry to deliberately leverage students’ conceptual understanding of what it takes to be a capable reader, writer, speaker, listener, and viewer. See why concept-based literacy is one of the keys to designing dynamic learning experiences in which authentic contexts and thinking become the catalyst to mastering literacy skills.

In this workshop, we'll explore how to build and grow a community of readers and writers by focusing on identity work in the classroom. Through self-awareness and understanding, students become better equipped to identify and address topics related to social justice.

This workshop will focus on using culturally relevant literature to build digital literacy skills. Digital literacy entails the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills. Using literature that is inclusive and that empowers students to use their cultural schema to build their digital literacy skills will lead to not only increased student engagement but also strong classroom culture during virtual and face-to-face instruction.