Knowledge Building Through Read Aloud and Small Groups; Create and Develop Resources for Topic-Based Units with Fiction and Nonfiction Texts to Enhance Vocabulary Grades 3-8 | Teachers College Advancing Literacy

Knowledge Building Through Read Aloud and Small Groups; Create and Develop Resources for Topic-Based Units with Fiction and Nonfiction Texts to Enhance Vocabulary Grades 3-8

Nov 9, 2026 - Mar 15, 2027

3-8

$600

Online via Zoom

Dates: 11/9/2026, 1/11/2027, 3/15/2027 Grades: 3-8 Venue: Online via Zoom Time:  9:00am - 2:30pm ET (with a 45 minute break for lunch) Presenter(s): TBA Early Bird Discount Price: $480 (Until September 1, 2026) Regular Price: $600

Course Overview

This course equips participants with strategies to develop comprehensive knowledge-building units that integrate read aloud and small group instruction. Participants will work to design new units and/or refine and adapt existing knowledge-building curricula to better meet the needs of their students. The course emphasizes selecting and sequencing a variety of texts including fiction, nonfiction, and complex media, to build deep understanding of essential topics while expanding academic vocabulary and building knowledge.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

  • Unit Design and Adaptation: Design cohesive, topic-based units or refine existing curricula to systematically build knowledge through strategic text selection and sequencing across diverse genres.

  • Vocabulary Development: Create visual tools and instructional resources that support explicit vocabulary development and the activation of student background knowledge.

  • Instructional Engagement: Implement evidence-based practices that deepen students’ comprehension through purposeful discussion and text-based inquiry during read aloud and small group work.

  • Content Integration: Develop practical tools for planning knowledge-building units that bridge literacy instruction with science, social studies, and other disciplinary content.

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Contact

Teachers College, Columbia University

525 West 120th Street

Mailbox #77

New York, NY 10027

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