Advancing Literacy at Teachers College

💬 Strong classrooms are built on strong conversations.

When students explain their thinking, ask questions, clarify ideas, and build on one another’s responses, they strengthen both language and learning.

Join us for:
Embracing Multilingualism and Multiliteracies: Research-Aligned Practices to Support Oral Language, Vocabulary, and Discourse

📍 Teachers College, Columbia University
📅 July 28–29, 2026
🕘 9:00 AM–4:00 PM EST

Explore research-aligned practices that help students:
🗣️ Develop oral language
📚 Build vocabulary and academic language
🤝 Engage in meaningful discourse
🌍 Draw on their linguistic and cultural strengths

Leave with practical routines and classroom-ready strategies that support all learners.

https://advancingliteracy.tc.columbia.edu/events/embracing-multilingualism-and-multiliteracies

The right mentor text can transform your writing instruction if you know how to use it strategically.

🔍Mentor texts give students a window into the craft of writing: how authors make intentional choices about structure, word selection, and voice. When teachers use them with purpose, students can begin to experiment with new moves and develop their own individual writing voices.

This summer, take your mentor text practice further. Our Evidence Based Methods of Teaching Writing Institute runs July 14–15, 2026 (11:00–6:00 PM EST), and is designed to give K–12 educators research-backed strategies they can bring directly to the classroom.

🎓 Scholarships available.
📍 Online
📅 July 14–15, 2026
🔗 Apply: https://advancingliteracy.tc.columbia.edu/events/evidence-based-methods-of-teaching-writing-institute

As the school year winds down, celebrating the reading journeys in your classroom is a wonderful way to honor student growth.

Here are four simple, low-prep reflection activities to try with your readers:
📚Reading Timeline: Students map out their reading year and identify the specific books that stuck with them.
📚Reading Identity Letter: Students write a letter to their future selves reflecting on who they are as readers today and setting goals for tomorrow.
📚Wall of Fame: Students create a recommendation postcard for the best book they read this year to inspire next year’s class.
📚Reading Awards: Students invent a creative award category that describes their unique reading style, like “Most Likely to Read Under the Covers” or “Biggest Genre Hopper.”

These activities offer students a meaningful way to see how far they have come since the beginning of the school year.

Which of these celebrations will you try with your students? Let us know in the comments.

☀️📚 Our Advancing Literacy Summer Reading Challenge is designed to connect your summer reading life to the learning in our upcoming Summer Institutes.

🌍 Read a multilingual story → Embracing Multilingualism & Multiliteracies
🧠 Build new knowledge through reading → Knowledge Building to Strengthen & Deepen Comprehension
⭐ Read a highly recommended fiction title → Writing About Reading
✍️ Read about writers, journalists, or the writing process → Evidence-Based Methods of Teaching Writing
📖 Choose a breezy, can’t-put-it-down read → Phonics to Support Spelling, Decoding & Fluency

We hope these prompts help you discover new books, grow your reading life, and stay connected to literacy all summer long.

✨ Ready to deepen your practice? Registration for our Summer Institutes is now open. Join us for engaging, research-based professional learning designed to support joyful, meaningful literacy instruction all year long.

🎙️ New Podcast Episode

Today’s the day!

Episode 5 of Advancing Literacy: Beyond the Classroom is officially live!

Join Kim Brooks, Amanda Hartman, & Emily Smith from Teachers College, Columbia University, as they explore:

Practical and Positive Strategies to Support Grammar and Spelling Development

This episode is designed for families and caregivers looking for supportive, practical ways to help children grow as readers and writers while building confidence with spelling and grammar over time.

✨ Learn everyday strategies to support spelling and grammar development
✨ Discover ways to make word study engaging and meaningful
✨ Explore how reading and writing work together to strengthen literacy skills
✨ Hear practical ideas families can use during everyday learning moments

🎁 Bonus Resource: We’ve included a FREE printable guide in the show notes with ideas you can try today!

👉 Listen now: https://share.transistor.fm/s/7cdbd64b

End-of-year reflection does not have to feel like a compliance task.

When we give students the time and structure to look back at their own writing portfolios, they begin to see themselves as real authors who grow over time.
This simple anchor chart template helps students celebrate their writing journey with four concrete prompts:

1️⃣Side-by-Side: Compare a piece from the beginning of the year to one from the end of the year to spot growth.
2️⃣Resilience Rockstar: Identify a piece where writing got tough, and name the strategy that helped push it forward.
3️⃣Growth Playlist: Choose three pieces that defined the year, and write a quick dedication for each one.
4️⃣Technique Showcase: Find a specific tool or skill learned this year, and point out exactly where it was mastered.

Try using these sticky note prompts to help your students internalize their progress before summer. 📋
Which of these reflection prompts would your young writers love most? Drop a comment below. 💬

TeacherTips ClassroomInspiration TCAdvancingLiteracy

Spotlighting moments from our Teachers College Advancing Literacy Leadership Conference ✨

Literacy leaders from across classrooms, schools, and districts came together for a joyful day of learning, reflection, collaboration, and connection.

📚 LEARNED.
Thoughtful discussions, expert insights, and collaborative workshops.

💭 REFLECTED.
Shared experiences and deepened leadership practice.

🎉 CELEBRATED.
Our shared commitment to advancing literacy in every community.