Using the Essential Literacy Skills to Engage Your Students

BOS Center, B1

All learning is based on the mastery of essential literary skills, and in this interactive presentation, educators will discover tools they need to embed literacy into all subjects. Comprehension is based on skill-building strategies that encourage purpose and engagement; as a result, educators can effectively teach those literacy skills to support developing students as they learn to read, write, and think critically. In this presentation, I will offer of the seven essential literacy skills where educators will discover how to: expand their teaching methods to include literacy skills, introduce literacy into daily lesson planning, embed reading comprehension into any subject area, and scaffold instruction using literacy strategies to boost subject-area comprehension. (Based on Peg’s book, Clearing the Path for Developing Learners: Essential Literacy Skills to Support Achievement in Every Content Area.)

How to Design a Note-taking Lesson for Student Success

March 13, 2026 8:30-9:30 am

BOS Center, B1

In this interactive and hands-on presentation, I will demonstrate how students can rotate among four stations of note-taking practice: annotation, concept mapping, magnet summaries, and Cornell notes Each station will give students the opportunity to self-assess their own note-taking skills to determine which note-taking station works best for the particular text. Participants will have a chance to rotate among the stations, much like their students, to determine which station works best for them and for the text. Participants will offer feedback and reflection regarding the process.

How to Embed the Seven Essential Literacy Skills into Your Content Area

All learning is based on the mastery of essential literary skills, and in this interactive presentation, educators will discover tools they need to embed literacy into all subjects. Comprehension is based on skill-building strategies that encourage purpose and engagement; as a result, educators can effectively teach those literacy skills to support developing students as they learn to read, write, and think critically. In this presentation, I will offer of the seven essential literacy skills where educators will discover how to: expand their teaching methods to include literacy skills, introduce literacy into daily lesson planning, embed reading comprehension into any subject area, and scaffold instruction using literacy strategies to boost subject-area comprehension. (Based on Peg’s book, Clearing the Path for Developing Learners: Essential Literacy Skills to Support Achievement in Every Content Area.)

8:30-9:30 a.m.

moving from rigor to vigor in WRITING

For many students, writing is an almost “mysterious” process. This presentation will take the “mystery” out of the writing process to empower all students of all abilities toward writing success. I will define rigor and explain why all teachers want to employ writing VIGOR. I will explain authentic writing and how to write for an authentic audience. In addition, I will demonstrate how to utilize the writing process giving students the opportunity to use their voice, and finally, I will show how to design writing scaffolding tools meant to engage all writers in a culturally responsive and respectful way.

2:15-3:15 p.m.

productive struggle in the inclusive classroom

 Every student is on an individual learning journey, observing and reacting to setbacks and obstacles from their perspective. How can we transform our school culture to support their distinctive learning process and set the foundation for their unique learning ability and their ability to face a challenge? Let's personalize the learning, connect students with each other, and show empathy as we support all students in accepting and embracing productive struggle. (Based on Peg’s book: Not Yet…And That’s Ok: How Productive Struggle Fosters Student Learning)

11:00-12:00 p.m.

productive struggle in the inclusive classroom

Every student is on an individual learning journey, observing and reacting to setbacks and obstacles from their perspective. How can we transform our school culture to support their distinctive learning process and set the foundation for their unique learning ability and their ability to face a challenge? Let’s personalize the learning, connect students with each other, and show empathy as we support all students in accepting and embracing productive struggle. (Based on Peg’s book: Not Yet…And That’s Ok: How Productive Struggle Fosters Student Learning)

how to embed the seven essential literacy skills in your content area

All learning is based on the mastery of essential literary skills; and in this interactive and research-based presentation, educators will discover the tools they need to embed literacy into all subjects. We know comprehension is based on skill-building strategies that encourage purpose and engagement. Therefore, in this presentation, educators will learn how to effectively teach those literacy skills to support developing students as they learn to read, write, and think critically. (Based on Peg’s book, Clearing the Path for Developing Learners: Essential Literacy Skills to Support Achievement in Every Content Area.)

10:15-11:30 a.m.

moving from rigor to vigor in writing

For many students, writing is an almost “mysterious” task where it seems, some students are just naturally gifted writers. My presentation will take the “mystery” out of the writing process to empower all students of all abilities toward writing success. I will define rigor and explain why all teachers want to employ writing VIGOR instead of rigor. I will explain authentic writing and how to write for an authentic audience. In addition, I will demonstrate how to utilize the writing process giving students the opportunity to use their voice, and finally, I will demonstrate writing scaffolding tools meant to engage all writers in a culturally responsive and respectful way.

12:45-2:00 p.m.

An Overview of the seven essential literacy skills

All learning is based on the mastery of essential literary skills, and in this interactive presentation, educators will discover tools they need to embed literacy into all subjects. Comprehension is based on skill-building strategies that encourage purpose and engagement; as a result, educators can effectively teach those literacy skills to support developing students as they learn to read, write, and think critically. In this presentation, educators will discover how to: expand their teaching methods to include literacy skills, introduce literacy into daily lesson planning, embed reading comprehension into any subject area, and scaffold instruction using literacy strategies to boost subject-area comprehension. (Based on Peg’s book, Clearing the Path for Developing Learners: Essential Literacy Skills to Support Achievement in Every Content Area.)

an overview of the seven essential literacy skills - part 2 (Continuing the conversation)

While every classroom teacher may not be a certified reading teacher, we know that every teacher is, indeed, a teacher of literacy in their classroom. We also know that essential literacy skills are the foundational competencies that students require to build lives of learning. In this afternoon workshop, Peg will demonstrate how to choose one of the essential literacy skills based on your state’s standards and how to customize it for your classroom: from creating and designing a lesson plan, complete with strategies including graphic organizers, worksheets, and charts, to writing a vigorous learning intention and scaffolded success criteria, and finally, applying assessement methods for all student abilities.

Information about the conference…

How to Embed the Seven Essential Literacy Skills into Your Content Area

All learning is based on the mastery of essential literary skills, and in this interactive presentation, educators will discover tools they need to embed literacy into all subjects. Comprehension is based on skill-building strategies that encourage purpose and engagement; as a result, educators can effectively teach those literacy skills to support developing students as they learn to read, write, and think critically. In this presentation, educators will discover how to: expand their teaching methods to include literacy skills, introduce literacy into daily lesson planning, embed reading comprehension into any subject area, and scaffold instruction using literacy strategies to boost subject-area comprehension. (Based on Peg’s book, Clearing the Path for Developing Learners: Essential Literacy Skills to Support Achievement in Every Content Area.)

Here are the reproducibles:

Lesson Plan for Summary

Annotation Sentence Starters

“56% of College Students Have Used AI on Assignments and Exams”

“There Will Come Soft Rains”

Write a Summary Worksheet

5Ws and H for Short Stories

Lesson Plan for Inference

“The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street

“The Scarlatti Tilt” 

It’s hard to live in a studio apartment in San Jose with a man who’s  learning  to  play  the  violin.’  That’s  what  she told  the police when she handed them the empty revolver.

My Evidence Worksheet

What’s the Subtext?”

“How AI could power the climate breakthrough the world needs”

“How Students Use AI vs. How Teachers Think They Use It, In Charts”

Exploring Cause and Effect Chart

Causes, Effects, and Solutions Chart

Join me as I share how teachers can help students celebrate the academic experience and all it has to offer. Learn specific ways to cultivate a not-yet classroom where productive struggle is encouraged, obstacles are valued, and students see themselves as capable learners and risk-takers.

Teach Better Conference, October 14, 2022

Not Yet…And That’s Ok: How Productive Struggle Fosters Student Learning

Crafting a quality learning intention takes planning. Often, teachers will use an activity as their learning intention. The learning intention focuses on what we want our students to know and do. Create the learning intention first, then determine the success criteria that students can use to assess their understanding, then create the activity. As you plan instruction, ask yourself: What do you want your students to know? Why is that important? Can they learn this information another way? How? Design a learning intention and success criteria that support your students’ learning and skills they can apply to their academic life.