Events

2019 NWP Leadership Institute: Kid Writing

June 17–20, 2019

Philladelphia, Pennsylvania

What It Is

A 3-day face-to-face advanced institute for Writing Project sites interested in developing or strengthening early literacy leadership and professional development, limited to teams from 12 Writing Project sites, first-come, first-served.

What You Will Learn

This institute is designed to support NWP sites that want to develop or strengthen their early literacy professional development offerings. This institute is designed to help teacher leaders support early-grade teachers to fill the gap between students being able to write with "squiggles and diamonds" and with full, proficient alphabetic writing. Based on Kid Writing in the 21st Century, a process for supporting early literacy first developed in 1999 by Philadelphia Writing Project teacher-consultants Eileen Feldgus and Isabel Cardonick, and used across the country over the last 20 years, this institute will focus on thinking together about how professional development can move K-2 teachers from saying "write as best you can" to showing students how.

NWP Leadership Institute: Kid Writing will support Writing Project site teams in thinking about professional development that supports teachers to:

• Scaffold early invented spelling with research-based techniques.
• Make the writing–reading connection explicit.
• Use formative assessment to monitor each child's progress through research-based developmental phases.
• Engage writers creatively in standards-based genres and content areas.

Who Should Attend

• Teams from Writing Project sites interested in launching or refreshing K-2 literacy work at their sites.
• Teams should include a site leader and at least one kindergarten and one first-grade teacher. The fourth team member should be chosen based on site priorities (another site leader, professional development organizer, K-2 teacher from a partnership school, etc.).

Cost

• $832.19 for teams of four.

What is Included

• Airfare to Philadelphia.
• Double-occupancy hotel accommodations for a team of four.
• Breakfast and lunch, Tuesday through Thursday.
• Copy of the book Kid Writing in the 21st Century.

How to apply

• Get commitments from your team.
  • At least one site leader.
  • One Kindergarten teacher.
  • One first-grade teacher.
  • Wildcard
• Collect the following information from each team member:
  • Name
  • Role at Writing Project site
  • Teaching assignment
  • Email address
  • Dietary Restrictions

Sign up to submit information about your team members.

Questions

For more information, contact Kathleen Riley at kriley@nwp.org.