Active Practice: Modeling the Routine (15 mins)
Have teachers look at the sample text in their participant workbooks. Lead them through a brief, 3-minute mock "First Read" and "Second Read". Call on participants to share what they noticed about the text dependent questions. Discuss how this prevents students from simply hunting for answers.
SLIDE 4 Pillar 2: Analytical & Text-Based Writing
Duration: 25 Minutes
Instructional Goal
Shift teaching mindsets from personal narrative/creative writing towards logical, evidence-supported argumentative writing.
Facilitator Script (Pillar 2)
"Now let’s look at writing. In middle school, our students must write to learn, and write to prove. We are introducing the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) framework. Writing instruction is not a separate island—it is directly integrated with reading. If we do not require textual evidence, we allow students to rely on speculation. In ELA, we teach students to explicitly make a claim, pull specific quotes, and explain exactly how that quote proves their thesis."
Pedagogical Insight (Common Teacher Misconception)
Teachers often struggle with the "Reasoning" step of CER. Remind facilitators to emphasize that "Reasoning" is the intellectual glue. Students should spend more time explaining the connection than simply copying text.
Table Talk Prompt
"How can we scaffold the transition from simple paragraphs to multi-paragraph analytical essays? Brainstorm with your table and jot down ideas in your handbook."
District Literacy Launchpad PD Manual Page 2 of 3
Facilitator Guide Implementation & Closing
SLIDE 5 Pillar 3: Morphology & Word Study
Duration: 20 Minutes
Facilitator Script (Pillar 3)
"Our final pillar is Word Study. Memorizing definitions is a low-level cognitive task. Instead, we teach students morphology—the architecture of words. By learning Greek and Latin prefixes, roots, and suffixes, a student can decode thousands of unfamiliar academic words across science, history, and literature. For example, if they understand 'bene-' means 'good' and 'vol' means 'wish/will', they can infer 'benevolent'. Let's look at the prefix practice on Page 2 of your workbooks."
SLIDES 6-7 Weekly Routine & Planning Workshop
Duration: 35 Minutes
Facilitator Script (Weekly Flow)
"Consistency is the best form of differentiation. When the weekly structure is predictable, students don't waste cognitive energy figuring out what they are supposed to do; they use that energy on the academic content. Days 1 and 2 are for text deconstruction. Day 3 is for close-reading analysis. Day 4 is the transition to writing, and Day 5 is for demonstrating mastery."
Workshop Practice (20 mins)
Direct participants to complete the "Weekly Routine Planner" and "Launch Goals" in their Participant Workbook. Facilitators should circulate, helping teachers match their district curriculum scope and sequence with the daily flow framework. Answer questions about pacing conflicts or block scheduling.
Q: What if teachers say their readers are 2+ grade levels behind?
A: Remind them that reading simple books does not build high-level reading skills. We must keep grade-level complex texts in front of them, but provide teacher read-alouds, vocabulary pre-teaching, and scaffolded graphic organizers.
Q: How do we fit all of this into a 45-minute period?
A: Adjust the weekly pacing. For example, vocabulary word walls and warm-ups can occur in the first 5-8 minutes daily, leaving the rest of the time for core reading and writing.
District Literacy Launchpad PD Manual Page 3 of 3
| de (down/reverse) + struct (build) |
| To systematically take apart and analyze. |
| 3. Inevitable | in (not) + evit (avoid) + able (capable) | Incapable of being avoided; bound to happen. |
Map your upcoming unit's weekly routine onto our district's foundational 5-day flow:
Day 1 Introduction
Day 2 Deconstruct
Day 3 Deep Read
Day 4 Evidence
Day 5 Synthesize
Establish clear, concrete benchmarks to successfully run this literacy framework from the very first bell:
Which highly rigorous, grade-level text will you select?
Where will you place morphology cards and literacy word walls?
District Literacy Launchpad Workshop Book Page 2 of 2
