Embracing Literacy 2025 Events

In this hands-on session, teachers will explore proven strategies to plan authentic disciplinary inquiry with curated text sets that promote reading comprehension. Authentic inquiry is essential for all students, as it is proven to develop critical thinking and language skills that are requirements in the classroom and in life. Investigating authentic disciplinary concepts through text sets supports growth in both fluency and comprehension, encourages increasing levels of reading stamina, and increases both motivation to tackle and engagement with stretch text. In this session we will unpack the strengths and challenges of curating useful text sets and planning authentic inquiry as we scrutinize effective strategies to help our students benefit from these inquiries to amplify their understanding of important disciplinary concepts.

Goals:
1. Describe the ways in which authentic inquiry with curated text sets promotes reading comprehension
2. Identify the key elements of curating text sets for inquiry in diverse disciplines.
3. Model and share a variety of protocols proven to support text engagement that promotes reading comprehension.

Outcomes:
1. Brainstorm curated text set and text engagement strategies to support an authentic inquiry that would be appropriate for your context.
2. Apply tools to continue to investigate ways to engage students in curated text sets.
3. Apply tools to continue to investigate ways to engage students in authentic inquiry in your context.

The follow-up to this session will be Round-Table Presentations by a team of core and elective teachers from Cody Middle and High Schools. Stephany’s team will discuss how they plan authentic inquiry in their different disciplines and support that inquiry with targeted vocabulary instruction, text-based student-to-student discussion, and engagement with curated text-sets.


Credit Reflection Questions: Applying Learning to Practice

• What new insights did you gain from the presentation, and how did they connect to your existing knowledge or experience?
• In what ways did the presentation deepen or enhance your understanding of the topic?
• How do you plan to apply what you learned in your work? Who will benefit from it, and what changes or improvements do you expect to see?