While tests, quizzes, and projects are common ways to assess learning at the end of a novel study, the freshmen at Friendship CSD were able to demonstrate their knowledge in a more engaging way through Breakout EDU. For those who are unfamiliar with Breakout EDU, it is a versatile tool, available in both physical and digital formats, that engages students in solving curriculum-related challenges. The physical Breakout EDU kit includes two plastic cases, a variety of locks, invisible ink paired with a “blue light” flashlight, and many other tools that allow teachers to showcase their creativity while giving students an opportunity to practice their critical thinking skills. 

In this case, Nicole Brandes, the secondary librarian at Friendship CSD, designed a hands-on Breakout EDU experience to help students convey their understanding of the classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird, which they had just finished in their English class. Using the physical kit and her own creative touch, Mrs. Brandes designed a series of challenges tied directly to To Kill a Mockingbird. For the first lock, students were asked to read passages from the novel to uncover hidden clues. Once they discovered they needed to shine the flashlight on the text, they revealed messages written in invisible ink that led them to the combination for the first lock. 

Another challenge required students to arrange pictures of key events from the novel in chronological order. Successfully sequencing the events gave them the clue needed to solve a 5-digit color lock. As students worked in teams to complete each task, they used close reading, collaboration, and inference skills all rooted in the novel’s content. After successfully unlocking all the challenges, students were able to “Break Out” by opening the final blue box, which held a sweet reward: candy that Mrs. Brandes had hidden inside.  

The students’ reaction?  Mrs. Brandes reported that, “The students enjoyed this so much!” 
Are you interested in trying out a Breakout EDU kit for yourself? Educators in the CA BOCES region can request a physical kit through the Insignia page. A digital version is also available there, offering even more flexibility for classroom use. 

If the thought of creating your own Breakout EDU challenges feels a bit overwhelming, don’t worry; you don’t have to do it alone! Alexandra Freer ([email protected]) and Brooke Neamon ([email protected]) are available to help. They can guide you through setting up a Breakout EDU activity or even assist in facilitating one with your students. Breakout EDU provides an exciting and interactive way to reinforce learning, and with the tools and support available, any teacher can confidently bring this innovative experience to their students. 

By: Brooke Neamon, Coordinator for Curriculum and Professional Development​

Over the last few months, the CA BOCES Professional Development team hosted a book study around Christopher Such’s book, The Art and Science of Teaching Primary Reading. This text is a guide to the science and research behind reading and its practical implications for classroom teaching. Teaching students to read is one of the most important tasks in elementary education and classroom practice needs to be underpinned by a secure foundation of knowledge. Teachers need to know what reading encompasses and how children learn to read and how to teach reading effectively. The book shares the importance of teaching decoding and reading fluency in elementary education.

The author also focuses on language and listening comprehension. In this text, the chapters are a short overview of the components of the science of reading. In the text, the author highlights comprehension monitoring, inferences, text structure, vocabulary and more. If your district is wanting to learn more about the science of reading and best practices, this is a great starting point. It can help build background knowledge for teachers at all grade levels.

At the end of the book study, we hosted a zoom connection with the author. He went over the ideas in the text and shared some additional concepts to think about and learn. He has just published his second book Primary Reading Simplified which has many practical teaching ideas around all the components of reading and writing.

If you are looking for texts that help teachers and leaders grow their knowledge of the science of reading and writing, these two texts would be a great start with many ideas and resources.

By: Tessa Levitt, Senior Coordinator for Curriculum and Professional Development

This summer, teachers took advantage of two different opportunities to reflect on and learn more about what goes into skilled writing. Using two different texts: The Writing Revolution and The Writing Rope, participants dove into each book exploring the writing process and strategies that promote student writing. 
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Before diving into the texts, participants explored two of the Science of Reading Literacy Briefs released by NYS in January 2024. In looking at the reading-writing relationship, participants reviewed Literacy Brief 3 and reflected how the reading-writing connection is evident in their classrooms.   ​

This model is based on the idea that writing is a complex task that requires the integration of multiple skills and emphasizes that all strands must be woven together to produce skilled writers. When teaching, by focusing on each strand, educators provide direct explicit instruction on skilled writing to help students become more proficient and confident writers.
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The Writing Rope text offers practical, hands-on activities to help educators learn how to teach these strands effectively, ensuring that each aspect of writing is developed in conjunction with the others. 

By: Jessica Schirrmacher-Smith, Senior Coordinator for Curriculum and Professional Development​

In the realm of early literacy education, the intersection of science and reading has never been more crucial. As educators and parents alike seek effective tools to nurture young readers, decodable books have emerged as a cornerstone of learning. Now, we are thrilled to announce the arrival of a new decodable book series in our warehouse, designed to align seamlessly with the Science of Reading.

The Decodables series is meticulously crafted to correspond with phonics instruction, allowing children to apply their growing knowledge of letter-sound relationships to decode words with confidence. This systematic approach not only enhances reading fluency but also builds a strong foundation in phonemic awareness and comprehension skills.

All told, there are six sets of books aligned to grade levels from Kindergarten to Second. Each book provides engaging stories that reinforce phonics principles at every turn. From simple sentences to more complex narratives, these books cater to various stages of reading development, ensuring that every child can progress at their own pace.

Why choose decodable books? The answer lies in their evidence-based approach. Backed by research in cognitive science and educational psychology, these books have proven instrumental in fostering early reading success. By offering children the tools they need to decode words independently, decodable books empower them to become proficient readers who delight in the magic of storytelling.

Explore our warehouse's newest addition, The Decodables, coming to our warehouse shelves this coming school year. Discover how this new decodable book series can make a transformative impact on young readers, bridging the gap between theory and practice.

By: Alexandra Freer, Coordinator for Media Resources

On July 16th, Dr. Pam Kastner returned to the CA BOCES region for the second time, as she presented on literacy with a focus on vocabulary and writing with a special emphasis on spelling for over 40 educators.

Dr. Kastner is an educational consultant, the literacy lead for the state of Pennsylvania, and has served on its task force for higher education. In addition, she has presented nationally at IDA, The Reading League, The National Summit for Science of Reading in Higher Ed, and has worked for PaTTAn of PA as a dedicated leader and President of The Reading League Pennsylvania.

Some of the highlights of her work include the notion of integration in structured literacy instruction: to connect word reading/recognition to world knowledge for students through high-impact routines. Her focus on the triangulation of Phonology, Orthography and Morphology helped teachers see the connections and how Reading and Writing/Spelling are integrated. 

Furthermore, thinking about how the basis for Literacy is Oral language development, she helped teachers understand that spoken language is the key; and how we can strengthen those skills in the early years to promote readers. Teachers also experienced word work scaffolds and graphic organizers to help build students' knowledge and automaticity. She also helped foster ways for teachers to build on students' Writing starting at the sentence level with expansion and combining. 

By: Sarah Cartmill, Coordinator for Curriculum and Professional Development and Tessa Levitt, Senior Coordinator for Curriculum and Professional Development.