Evidence-Based Writing Instruction Summer Course

Course description

NUMBER OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HOURS: 45

Are you looking for ways to make writing instruction more explicit, systematic, and engaging? Oftentimes, our curriculum materials include writing tasks and prompts, but don’t include how we should teach students the skills necessary to produce proficient writing. This course provides a comprehensive foundation in writing instruction grounded in the Science of Reading, the Science of Learning, and evidence-based practices. Through interactive learning and practical application, you will deepen your understanding of how to integrate evidence-based writing into your existing curriculum materials and content areas. We’ll learn how reading and writing are reciprocal processes, and how to use writing as a vehicle for enhancing student learning. Emphasis will be placed on explicit instruction, gradual release of responsibility, and targeted scaffolding to meet diverse learner needs.

Key topics include:

• The importance of oral language in writing development
• The role of executive function in planning, organization, and revision
• Sentence-level instruction: comprehension, structure, and expansion
• Using decodable, grade-level, and content-area texts for sentence-level comprehension
• Ensuring horizontal and vertical alignment
• Teaching paragraph development, transitions, and cohesion
• Using Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD)
• Writing as a tool for learning and comprehension
• Providing effective feedback and assessing writing

Participants will apply course concepts by analyzing student writing, designing scaffolded lessons, and bringing texts from their own classrooms to develop sentence- and paragraph-level writing activities. By the end of the course, teachers will be equipped with a robust toolkit for teaching writing explicitly and systematically across grade levels and content areas.

This course is designed for educators across grades K–12, specifically classroom teachers, special educators, reading specialists, literacy coaches, private tutors, and interventionists seeking to strengthen their writing instruction through evidence-based, developmentally informed approaches. Assignments, resources, and readings will be differentiated to meet the needs of participants at any grade level. Throughout the course, we will explore basic and advanced writing and compositional strategies, giving teachers practical tools to support writing development.

This is a virtual, live course held over Zoom that blends synchronous learning with asynchronous assignments. In addition to the live sessions, there will be a mix of recorded material, interactive practice, and curated resources for exploration. No additional texts or books will need to be purchased.

This course bridges research and classroom practice, equipping you with the knowledge and strategies to elevate literacy instruction and better support your students’ writing development.

Synchronous Class Schedule:

1. Class 1: Monday, July 13, 2026 –9:00 – 3:00 PM
   Intro, writing models, sentence-level comprehension, sentence types & activities
   
2. Class 2: Monday, July 20, 2026 – 9:00 – 3:00 PM
   Sentence expansion, paragraph writing, transitions
   
3. Class 3: Monday, July 27, 2026 –  9:00 – 3:00 PM
   SRSD Part I
   
4. Class 4: Monday, August 3, 2026 – 9:00 – 3:00 PM
   SRSD Part II and writing across content areas
   
5. Class 5: Monday, August 10, 2026 –  9:00 – 3:00 PM
   Writing feedback, goal setting, scaffolding and assessment

Between synchronous classes, participants will be expected to apply what they have learned in their practice, reflect, and continue with asynchronous learning.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Apply evidence-based instructional models and strategies, including explicit instruction, the use of a gradual release model, and SRSD, to scaffold writing from sentences to paragraphs.
2. Design and implement sentence- and paragraph-level activities, using a range of texts and syntactic strategies to strengthen comprehension and composition.
3. Integrate writing across content areas as a tool for learning and comprehension, aligning instruction horizontally and vertically.
4. Assess, provide feedback, and differentiate writing instruction to meet diverse learner needs and support students’ ongoing growth.

This training aligns with Standards 4E and 4F of the Knowledge and Practice Standards (KPS) from the International Dyslexia Association and may count toward continuing education requirements for educators certified through the Center for Effective Reading Instruction.