Rebuilding a Schoolwide Culture of Reading and Writing

Presented by Patty McGee, M.Ed., Author and Literacy Consultant, Benchmark Education Company; Laura Robb, Author; Evan Robb, Author and Principal, Johnson-Williams Middle School (VA); and S. Travis Crowder, Author and Seventh-Grade Teacher

Sponsored by Benchmark Education

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When schools reopen in the summer and fall, how can educators create a learning environment that engages students in reading and writing across the curriculum and throughout the school day? Watch four leading literacy experts and authors—Laura Robb, Evan Robb, S. Travis Crowder, and Patty McGee—as they discuss ways to resume and accelerate K-8 students’ progress toward reading and writing proficiency.

This research-based edWebinar provides effective strategies and detailed suggestions for enhancing an existing schoolwide literacy initiative or developing a new one, based on recent events and current realities. Viewers will learn how to:

• Determine each school’s strengths and needs for developing a schoolwide culture of reading and writing
• Combine effective instruction with culturally relevant classroom libraries and writing projects to increase engagement
• Link self-selected books, reader’s notebooks, and expressive writing to social-emotional learning as well as academic skills
• Improve collaboration among administrators, specialists, and teachers in order to implement and elevate a schoolwide literacy initiative

This recorded edWebinar will share proven techniques for creating a culture and climate that support diverse students’ literacy development, so it will be of interest to literacy and ELA directors, specialists, and teachers, as well as principals, instructional coaches, reading teachers, and other educators involved in literacy development.

About the Presenters

Patty McGee, M.Ed. is a New Jersey-based author, educator and literacy leader who envisions learning environments where teachers and students discover their true potential and power. She has written books and classroom materials to support strong writing instruction, and she has traveled nationally and internationally to serve districts as they refine their literacy practices. Patty has received the Milken Educator Award (2020) and is the author of The 7 Essentials of Writer’s Workshop.

Laura Robb is a co-author of Schools Full of Readers and has written more than 35 other books on reading and writing. She received NCTE’s Richard W. Halle Award for outstanding middle level educator, and she mentors many emerging authors and teachers.

Evan Robb is Principal of Johnson-Williams Middle School in Berryville, Virginia, and a co-author of Schools Full of Readers. Prior to this, he was an English teacher, department chair, assistant principal, and a junior high school principal. He has received the Horace Mann Educator of the Year Award in recognition of his leadership.

S. Travis Crowder is a seventh-grade teacher in North Carolina and the author of Reflective Readers. He studied literature and language, specializing in British literature, at the University of North Carolina-Asheville, and is an active member of ILA, NCTE, and many other literacy organizations.

Closed captioning will be added to the recording within 2 weeks of the live presentation.

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Benchmark Education promotes building language and literacy for life. Support for the whole child is how learning happens. At Benchmark Education, a whole-child mindset underpins all that we do. We apply research-based approaches that strive to build equity, access and excellence for every child, at every distance. Learn more at www.BenchmarkEducation.com.