Literacy Essentials Professional Learning Series

Use the lessons from our ELA TV show, Read, Write, ROAR! in your own classroom, and earn SCECH hours in the process!

Steal This Lesson!

A Professional Learning Series with the Literacy Essentials

Join teachers from the TV series as they share favorite lessons that you can use immediately in your classroom. Each session will share the research and literacy best practices behind the lesson and demonstrate how each lesson ties into assessment and helps foster student engagement.

Read, Write, ROAR! Is an literacy instruction television series for grades K-3 that features Michigan teachers sharing literacy lessons and read-alouds. Each lesson is based on the Literacy Essentials, which are research-based Instructional Practices proven to make an impact in your classroom.

Past Sessions

Let's Write!

November 8 from 4:00pm – 5:00pm

Presenters: Shannon Fuller and Annie Spear 
Host: Annie Spear

Learn from experienced Michigan teachers on the strategies they use to support young learners as they put their thoughts into writing. Participants will learn writing processes and strategies involving researching, planning, revising, and editing writing with connections to Essential Instructional Practices 6. You’ll also see live examples of how teachers implement writing activities and walk away with ideas and lessons you can bring into your own classroom immediately.

Letter Heroes and High Frequency Words

October 18, 2022 from 4:00pm – 5:00pm

Presenters: Jill Erfourth and Jody Pung
Host: Annie Spear

Learn how teachers in the Read, Write, ROAR! Television series support young learners with learning letters and recognizing “high frequency” words. Participants will learn how research-backed strategies inform fun lessons that you can immediately implement in your classroom. These lessons are connected to the Essential Instructional Practices 4, 5, and 6, which focus on promoting phonological awareness development, particularly phonemic awareness development through explicit explanation and demonstration.

Word Ladders and Mystery Words

September 20, 2022 from 4:00pm – 5:00pm

Presenters: Megan Friend and Annie Spear
Host: Annie Spear

“Word Ladders” and “Mystery Words” are fun, interactive lessons that give students an opportunity to play with sounds and engage in the study of words. These two lessons are aligned to Essential Instructional Practices 4, 5, 6. In the session, you will learn how to replicate these lessons in your classroom as a way to practice phonological awareness development, particularly phonemic awareness development through explicit explanation, demonstration, and experimenting with sounds.

Summer Learning and Family Engagement

Tuesday, May 17, 2022 from 4:00pm – 5:00pm

  • Host: Annie Spear
  • Presenters: Gillian Gainsley and Shernita Rodgers

Join MLC teachers from Read, Write, ROAR! and plan for Summer Learning opportunities to promote literacy beyond the classroom. Participants will learn how to access MLC’s Marking Periods 1-4, engage with lessons and resources, and focus on connections to the Essential Instructional Practice 8.

Literacy Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Tuesday, April 19, 2022 from 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Note: This session was rescheduled from its previous date of March 15.

  • Host: Rhonda Provoast
  • Presenters: Tan-A Hoffman, Jody Pung, Tracy Zarei-King, and Shannon Fuller

Learn how teachers are supporting literacy equity, diversity, and inclusion during literacy instruction from Read, Write, ROAR! Teachers will demonstrate research-supported lessons connected to the Literacy Essentials and how universal access to the program is available for free to children and families statewide.

Read Alouds Build Knowledge and Vocabulary

Tuesday, February 15, 2022 from 4:00pm – 5:00pm

  • Host: Annie Spear
  • Read Aloud: Tan-A Hoffman and Shannon Fuller
  • Vocabulary: Jody Pung

Join MLC teachers to learn about Read Aloud lesson types from Read, Write, ROAR! Participants will discover practices for read alouds of age-appropriate books and other material (print or digital) and learn strategies to leverage vocabulary and build content knowledge. You will leave with resources connected to Essential Instructional Practices 2 and 7 that you can immediately implement in your classroom.

Let’s Write!

November 16, 2021 from 4:00pm – 5:00pm

  • Shannon Fuller, Early Literacy Coach, Manistee ISD
  • Christi Gilbert, Language and Literacy Coach, Kent ISD
  • Aligned to Literacy Essential 6

Learn from experienced Michigan teachers on the strategies they use to support young learners as they put their thoughts into writing. Participants will learn writing processes and strategies involving researching, planning, revising, and editing writing with connections to Essential Instructional Practices 6. You’ll also see live examples of how teachers implement writing activities and walk away with ideas and lessons you can bring into your own classroom immediately.

Letter Heroes and High Frequency Words

October 19, 2021 from 4:00pm – 5:00pm

  • Annie Spear, Early Literacy Project Coordinator, MAISA
  • Jody Pung, Early Literacy Coach, Ionia County ISD
  • Aligned to Literacy Essentials 4, 5, and 6

Learn how teachers in the Read, Write, ROAR! Television series support young learners with learning letters and recognizing “high frequency” words. Participants will learn how research-backed strategies inform fun lessons that you can immediately implement in your classroom. These lessons are connected to the Essential Instructional Practices 4, 5, and 6, which focus on promoting phonological awareness development, particularly phonemic awareness development through explicit explanation and demonstration.

Word Ladders and Mystery Words

September 21, 2021 from 4:00pm – 5:00pm

  • Annie Spear, Early Literacy Project Coordinator, MAISA
  • Haley Skelley, Kindergarten Teacher, Livonia Public Schools
  • Aligned to Literacy Essentials 4, 5, and 6

“Word Ladders” and “Mystery Words” are fun, interactive lessons that give students an opportunity to play with sounds and engage in the study of words. These two lessons are aligned to Essential Instructional Practices 4, 5, 6. In the session, you will learn how to replicate these lessons in your classroom as a way to practice phonological awareness development, particularly phonemic awareness development through explicit explanation, demonstration, and experimenting with sounds.

This program is presented by: