Building Blocks of Literacy
ON DEMAND LEARNING EXPERIENCES FOR CURIOUS TEACHERS
Background: At Words in the Wild, we make learning to read and write a joyful pursuit for children and the adults who teach and love them. We invite educators, families, and students to engage together as a community of learners by fostering curiosity, excitement, and exploration.
About Our ODLEs
Phonemes, graphemes, morphemes, oh my! What are these little bits of language and how do they make meaning? We unpack those “Building Blocks of Literacy” and bring decades of research (aka the science of reading) to life through on-demand learning experiences (ODLE).
Participants build background knowledge and create concrete lessons. Each ODLE requires about 30 minutes of video time and 30-60 minutes of application.
Audience: Anyone who teaches emergent readers of any age or who wants to deepen their skills in foundational literacy. To encourage learning in community, each license includes up to 5 people.
Building Blocks of Literacy Topics
(Bonus video!) Introduction and Vocabulary Overview
Orientation and background knowledge
Introduction to Morphology
Take Away: word family game and variations (word bag game)
Early Literacy Routines in the Classroom: Phonemic Awareness Focus
Takeaway: phoneme-grapheme charts
Diving Deeper into Word Science
Takeaway: collaborative word web activity; lexical matrices
Cost
$3,800 for 5 licenses to access all four ODLES and one complimentary remote group implementation meeting with all participants (valid for up to 18 months).
Instructional coaching and train-the-trainer coaching are available for an additional fee.
About Us
Who We Are
Words in the Wild is an Oakland-based community of experienced educators (including education specialists, naturalists, and researchers/academics) and teaching fellows who serve emergent readers and the adults who support them.
What We Do
WITW develops evidence-based approaches to early reading and writing through our unique literacy lab model. Our team delivers and refines those approaches through reading support services, summer camp, and family programs. We then share them with hands-on, experiential learning opportunities for educators who want to learn the science of reading.
Impact
Children become confident, independent readers and writers by developing a deep understanding of the linguistic structure of English. Educators develop the experience and tools necessary to teach reading more effectively, filling the gaps in reading instruction courses offered through teacher training programs. Families nurture their children’s literacy development with less stress and more joy.
What We Believe
Deep learning happens by applying literacy skills to meaningful experiences, like exploring and documenting nature. Children and adults learn best in an interdependent, strengths-based environment that values diversity and individual variability.
How We Do It
Using a Structured Word Inquiry approach, we guide children to see “data” in the natural world and in spelling patterns, and to use their scientific observation skills to understand how words work, build vocabulary, and bolster their reading skills. Our young scientists investigate a word’s meaning and structure in the same ways they would investigate a maple leaf or a butterfly, connecting structured literacy with children’s innate curiosity. We also move our bodies a lot!
Through teacher education and community connection, we make evidence-based approaches to early literacy instruction widely available, emphasizing underserved populations and students with diverse learning needs with the overarching goal to promote educational equity.
*Spoiler alert: spelling is not based entirely on pronunciation, which is why there are so many ‘exceptions’ to the rules taught in many curricula. Our content is curriculum-neutral, and designed to empower teachers with knowledge and skill to evaluate or enhance their curriculum.