Core literacy programs: Strengthen sessions
Professional development sets teachers and leaders up for success, whether they are new to or experienced with a program. Each Strengthen session promotes a deeper understanding of the program through targeted instructional practices.
Explore literacy Strengthen sessions by program below.
About Strengthen sessions
Support ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿implementation with sessions that target specific instructional practices for teachers and leaders who are in year one and beyond. When you’re ready to schedule your Strengthen session, contact us. An ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿expert will support you in selecting the session that best fits your needs in order to push student results forward.
Each package includes one Strengthen session. Additional sessions can be added as enhancements.
ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA and ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Caminos
Built on the Science of Reading, ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) sequences deep content knowledge with research-based foundational skills. ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA is a PreK–5 literacy curriculum that inspires curiosity and drives results, empowering all students with rich background knowledge.
ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Caminos serves as the ideal Spanish language arts partner to ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA for grades K–5. These aligned programs combine deep content knowledge with systematic foundational skills instruction grounded in the Science of Reading. They adhere to biliteracy principles and support multiple teaching models.
The table below lists ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA and ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Caminos Strengthen sessions by package for Begin and beyond. Click the session title or scroll down to learn more about each session.
Begin packages
| Strengthen sessions |
| Ìý | On-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid on-site package (15 hr.) | Hybrid 10 package (10 hr.) |
Hybrid virtual package (15 hr.) |
VirtualÌý package (7 hr.) |
| One session per package | On-site,Ìý Ìý3 hr. sessions | On-site,Ìý Ìý3 hr. sessions | Virtual,Ìý Ìý Ìý1 hr. session | Virtual,Ìý Ìý 3 hr. sessions | Virtual,Ìý Ìý Ìý1 hr. session |
| Enhancing planning |
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| Enhancing practice |
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| Enhancing observations for leaders |
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| Supporting all learners |
Ìý | |
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| Pacing |
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| Student engagement |
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Begin: Enhancing planning for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Deepen your understanding of your next unit by engaging in a step-by-step unit and lesson-planning protocol. Leave prepared to implement your next unit with a completed unit plan and internalized lessons for your particular biliteracy model.
Session options: ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA, ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Caminos, or ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA/Caminos biliteracy
Audience: PreK (ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA), K–2, or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA session is facilitated in English. The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Caminos session is facilitated in Spanish. ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA/Caminos biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Begin: Enhancing practice for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Practice implementing key lesson routines to strengthen your instruction. Leave with guidelines for routines you can implement in your biliteracy classroom tomorrow.
Session options: ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA, ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Caminos, or ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA/Caminos biliteracy
Audience: K–2 or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA session is facilitated in English. The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Caminos session is facilitated in Spanish. ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA/Caminos biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Begin: Enhancing observations for leaders
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Sharpen your program knowledge to support educators with effective program implementation. Observe a lesson in action and practice providing high-leverage feedback. Walk away prepared to provide educators with actionable feedback during your next classroom observation.
Session options: ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA, ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Caminos, or ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA/Caminos biliteracy
Prerequisite: Participants must complete the Program overview for leaders before attending this session.
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Language: This session is facilitated in English.
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Supporting all learners
Virtual, 1 hour
Dig into embedded supports offered in the ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿curriculum and prepare to support all learners in your next lesson.
Session options: ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA, ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Caminos, or ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA/Caminos biliteracy
Audience: K–2 or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA session is facilitated in English. The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Caminos session is facilitated in Spanish. ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA/Caminos biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Pacing
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn five specific strategies to support pacing in your next lesson.
Session options: ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA, ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Caminos, or ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA/Caminos biliteracy
Audience: K–2 or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA session is facilitated in English. The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Caminos session is facilitated in Spanish. ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA/Caminos biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Student engagement
Virtual, 1 hour
Explore engagement strategies that cultivate a student-centered classroom. Leave with a plan to incorporate these strategies in an upcoming lesson.
Session options: ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA, ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Caminos, or ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA/Caminos biliteracy
Audience: K–2 or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA session is facilitated in English. The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Caminos session is facilitated in Spanish. ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA/Caminos biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Practice packages
| Strengthen sessions |
| Ìý | On-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 15 package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 13Ìýpackage (13 hr.) |
VirtualÌýpackage (9 hr.) |
| One session per package | On-site,Ìý Ìý Ìý 3 hr. session | Virtual,Ìý Ìý Ìý 3 hr. session | Virtual, 1 hr. session | Virtual, 3 hr. session |
| Enhancing planning |
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| Enhancing practice | |
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| Enhancing observations for leaders | |
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| Maximizing impact: Data-informed remediation with the ARG/DERG |
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| Writing |
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| Supporting all learners |
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| Pacing |
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| Student engagement | |
Practice: Enhancing planning for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Deepen your understanding of your next unit by engaging in a step-by-step unit and lesson-planning protocol. Leave prepared to implement your next unit with a completed unit plan and internalized lessons for your particular biliteracy model.
Session options: ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA, ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Caminos, or ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA/Caminos biliteracy
Audience: K–2, or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA session is facilitated in English. The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Caminos session is facilitated in Spanish. The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA/Caminos biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Practice: Enhancing practice for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Practice implementing key lesson routines to strengthen your instruction. Leave with guidelines for routines you can implement in your biliteracy classroom tomorrow.
Session options: ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA, ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Caminos, or ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA/Caminos biliteracy
Audience: K–2 or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA session is facilitated in English. The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Caminos session is facilitated in Spanish. The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA/Caminos biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Practice: Enhancing observations for leaders
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Sharpen your program knowledge to support educators with effective program implementation. Observe a lesson in action and practice providing high-leverage feedback. Walk away prepared to provide educators with actionable feedback during your next classroom observation.
Session options: ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA, ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Caminos, or ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA/Caminos biliteracy
Prerequisite: Participants must complete the Program overview for leaders before attending this session.
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Language: This session is facilitated in English.
Practice: Maximizing impact: Data-informed remediation with the ARG/DERG
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Walk away with a deeper understanding of the Assessment and Remediation Guide (K–3) and Decoding and Encoding Remediation Supplement (4–5), as well as a clear instructional plan for your intervention groups. Please note that for grades K–2, this would only apply if you are using both strands or the Skills Strand only.
Session options: ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA
Audience: K–2 or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: This session is facilitated in English.
Practice: Writing
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Deepen your understanding of how to support students as they build writing skills. Leave this session prepared to teach an upcoming writing lesson based on your student work analysis. Bring samples of your students' writing responses from your ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿programs to this session.
Session options: ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA, ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Caminos, or ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA/Caminos biliteracy
Audience: PreK K–2 or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA session is facilitated in English. The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Caminos session is facilitated in Spanish. The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA/Caminos biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Supporting all learners
Virtual, 1 hour
Dig into the many embedded supports offered in the curriculum and prepare for specific ways to bolster all learners in your next lesson.
Session options: ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA, ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Caminos, or ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA/Caminos biliteracy
Audience: K–2 or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA session is facilitated in English. The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Caminos session is facilitated in Spanish. The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA/Caminos biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Pacing
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn five specific strategies to support pacing in your next lesson.
Session options: ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA, ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Caminos, or ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA/Caminos biliteracy
Audience: K–2 or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA session is facilitated in English. The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Caminos session is facilitated in Spanish. The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA/Caminos biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Student engagement
Virtual, 1 hour
Explore engagement strategies that cultivate a student-centered classroom. Leave with a plan to incorporate these strategies in an upcoming lesson.
Session options: ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA, ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Caminos, or ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA/Caminos biliteracy
Audience: K–2 or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA session is facilitated in English. The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿Caminos session is facilitated in Spanish. The ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿CKLA/Caminos biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿ELA
ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿ELA is a blended English language arts curriculum designed specifically to support students in grades 6–8 and prepare them for high school and beyond. With ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿ELA, students learn to tackle any complex text and make observations, grapple with interesting ideas, and find relevance for themselves. The table below lists ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿ELA Strengthen sessions for Begin and beyond by package.
Click the session title or scroll down to learn more about each session.
Begin package
| Strengthen sessions |
| On-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 15, on-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 10 package (10 hr.) |
Hybrid 15, virtual package (15 hr.) |
Virtual package (7 hr.) |
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| One session per package | On-site, 3 hr. session |
On-site, 3 hr. session |
Virtual, 1 hr. session |
Virtual, 3 hr. session |
Virtual, 1 hr. session |
| Enhancing planning | |
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| Enhancing practice |
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| Enhancing observations for leaders | |
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| Teaching with print and digital |
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| Lesson-planning |
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| Pacing |
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Begin: Enhancing planning for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Deepen your program knowledge by unpacking learning outcomes, key assessment moments, and student engagement opportunities from an ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿ELA unit. Use backward planning to create a detailed plan for a unit of your choice and leave ready to begin the unit with your students.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Enhancing practice for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Experience a close reading lesson to increase your understanding of how close reading is taught in ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿ELA. Uncover which teacher moves will support students in tackling complex texts. Leave with a strong understanding of how to facilitate a close reading lesson that encourages student collaboration, drives analysis, and deepens understanding.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Enhancing observations for leaders
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Elevate your program knowledge to support colleagues with effective ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿ELA implementation. Leave prepared to identify key instructional elements in an ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿ELA lesson, analyze data, and conduct effective classroom observations.
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Pacing
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn how to identify and use essential activities, timing guidance, and knowledge of your students’ strengths and needs to determine pacing for individual activities and lessons within ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿ELA.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice Packages
| Strengthen sessions |
| On-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 15, on-siteÌýpackage (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 13 package (13 hr.) |
Virtual package (9 hr.) |
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| One session per package | On-site, 3 hr. sessions |
Virtual, 3 hr. sessions |
Virtual, 1 hr. session |
Virtual, 3 hr. sessions |
| Enhancing planning | |
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| Enhancing practice |
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| Enhancing observations for leaders | |
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| Writing: Improving through feedback |
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| Supporting all learners |
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| Data-informed instruction |
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| Teaching with print and digital |
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| Lesson-planning |
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| Pacing |
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| Increasing student engagement |
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| Grading and assessment |
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Practice: Enhancing planning for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Deepen your program knowledge by unpacking learning outcomes, key assessment moments, and student engagement opportunities from an ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿ELA unit. Use backward planning to create a detailed plan for a unit of your choice and leave ready to begin the unit with your students.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Enhancing practice for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Experience a close reading lesson to increase your understanding of how close reading is taught in ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿ELA. Uncover which teacher moves will support students in tackling complex texts. Leave with a strong understanding of how to facilitate a close reading lesson that encourages collaboration, drives analysis, and deepens understanding.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Enhancing observations for leaders
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Elevate your program knowledge to support colleagues with effective ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿ELA implementation. Leave prepared to identify key instructional elements in an ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿ELA lesson, analyze data, and conduct effective classroom observations.
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Writing: Improving through feedback
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Deepen your understanding of how to support students as they build writing skills in ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿ELA. Leave this session prepared to provide targeted feedback that supports student growth in writing. Bring samples of your students' writing responses from ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿ELA to this session.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Supporting all learners
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Learn how to effectively use embedded differentiated supports in ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿ELA and the Classwork app to support all students—including English language learners, students with learning disabilities, struggling readers and writers, and advanced students. Walk away with a plan for supporting specific students within your classroom.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Data-informed instruction
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Analyze your own student data and learn to turn ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿ELA data into differentiated and targeted instruction. Walk away ready to use the data provided in the Reporting and Classwork apps to align embedded support to your specific student needs. This session requires educators to analyze student data, so please bring 4–6 weeks of student data from ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿ELA's Reporting app to this session.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Pacing
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn how to identify and use essential activities, timing guidance, and knowledge of your students’ strengths and needs to determine pacing for individual activities and lessons within ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿ELA.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Grading and assessment
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn how to use key formative and summative assessments within ÐÔ°®°ÍÊ¿ELA to develop a plan for grading based on the specific requirements of your school or district.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Get in touch with a PD expert
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