Session 3: New to NTI
Facilitator’s Guide: Building a Whole Approach
to Reading
Sequence of Sessions
Targets for this Session



I can effectively guide elementary teachers to use EL’s Recommendations for Reading Foundations and Language
Standards to provide a whole ELA program in grades 3-5.
I can effectively guide middle school teachers to use research-based interventions in Academic Support and the resource
room in grades 6-8.
I can support and encourage the use of Independent Reading and the Recommended Text Lists build students’ volume of
reading.
IMPORTANT FACILITATION NOTE: This session is designed for principals of grades 3-5 to work together, and principals of
grades 6-8 to work together. Please use table tents to show where elementary and secondary principals should sit so that
they are grouped accordingly.
High-Level Purpose of this Session

This session will introduce participants to three important supplements to the modules: the Foundational Reading
Supplemental Materials for Grades 3-5, the Common Core Aligned Interventions for Adolescent Readers, and the
Independent Reading Sample Plans. These supplemental materials are intended to support literacy instruction beyond
module instruction and ensure that students meet all of the Common Core standards. Accountable independent reading,
fluency practice, grammar, word study, vocabulary and additional work with complex and/ or relevant texts will be addressed.
Principals will work together to compare and contrast the work recommended in these resources to what is currently
happening in their schools and discuss opportunities for change.
Related Learning Experiences
 Session 1 in the New to NTI Principals’ Strand.
Key Points


The Recommended Text list is an excellent resource to support and enhance Module lessons.
Elementary students need additional literacy instruction beyond that which is built into the actual modules.

Interventions in middle school should be research-based and ensure that students receive supplemental support into addition
to the curriculum described in the modules.
Session Outcomes
What do we want participants to be able to do as a result of
this session?



How will we know that they are able to do this?
I can effectively guide elementary teachers to use 
EL’s Recommendations for Reading Foundations 
and Language Standards to provide a whole ELA 
program in grades 3-5.
I can effectively guide middle school teachers to
use research-based interventions in Academic
Support and the resource room in grades 6-8.
I can support and encourage the use of
Independent Reading and the Recommended
Discussion
Creation of anchor charts
Current State/Desired State Notecatcher
Text Lists build students’ volume of reading.
Session Overview
Section
Time
Overview
Prepared Resources
Introduction and
Overview of
Materials
25 min
Participants will be
Elementary and Secondary Table Tents
introduced to the learning
targets and to the materials PPT_ Building Readers_ 3NP_ NTI714
for this session.
Current State/Desired State Notecatcher
Participants will write and
discuss, at tables, how they
currently, either:
 Teach students the
foundational
practices of reading
(grades 3-5).
 OR How and what
they provide as
literacy intervention
in middle school
(grades 6-8).
Components of
Resources
50 min
Participants will engage in Recommendations for Teaching RF and
an activity in which they
LS_6N_NTI714
become experts on one
CC Aligned Interventions for Adolescent
component of either
Facilitator’s Preparation
Use table tents to ensure
that participants are
seated in either
elementary or secondary
groups, depending on
their preference.
Recommendations for
Readers_6N_NTI714
Teaching Reading
Chart paper
Foundations and
Language Standards or
Markers
Common Core Aligned
Interventions for
Current State/Desired State Notecatcher
Adolescent Readers.
They will share their
knowledge through a Silent
Gallery Walk and capture
key ideas on their
notecatchers.
The Power of
Independent
Reading
20 min
Participants will use a Task Current State/Desired State Notecatcher
Card to learn the
importance of increasing a Recommendations for Teaching RF and
student’s volume of reading LS_6N_NTI714
and strengthening fluency. CC Aligned Interventions for Adolescent
Readers_6N_NTI714
Recommended Texts_ Gr 3_6N_NTI714
Recommended Texts_ Gr 4_6N _NTI714
Recommended Texts_ Gr 5_6N _NTI714
Recommended Texts_ Gr 6_6N _NTI714
Recommended Texts_ Gr 7_6N _NTI714
Recommended Texts_ Gr 8_6N NTI714
Determining
10 mins Participants will determine
what gaps they have in
Action Steps
their current practices
name some action steps
based on what they have
learned.
Session Roadmap
Section 1: Introduction and Overview
Time: 1:30 to 1:55
[25 min] In this section, participants will be introduced to the
Materials
learning targets, react to a quote and be introduced to the
session’s materials. They will begin their Current State/Desired PPT_ Building Readers_ 6N _ NTI714
State notecatchers by capturing and sharing their current
Current State/Desired State Notecatcher
approaches to teaching the reading foundations in grades 3-5 or
providing interventions in grades 6-8.
Time
5 min
Slide #/Pic of Slide
PPT slide # 2-3
Script/Activity directions
Note to facilitator: Use table tents to ensure that participants are
seated either in elementary groups or secondary groups.
Introduce the three learning targets for this session:


I can effectively guide elementary teachers to use
EL’s Recommendations for Reading Foundations
and Language Standards to provide a whole ELA
program in grades 3-5.
I can effectively guide middle school teachers to
use research-based interventions in Academic
Support and the resource room in grades 6-8.
Grouping
Whole group

I can support and encourage the use of
Independent Reading and the Recommended Text
Lists build students’ volume of reading.
Let participants know that this session is about what schools should
be doing in addition to the models to ensure that students fully
develop the expected literacy skills.
15 min
PPT slides #4-5
Ask participants to spend 5 minutes completing the “current
state” portion of their Current State/Desired State
Notecatchers (two versions are provided – one for elementary
level principals and one for middle level principals). In this
section, participants will write about what their school is doing
to either:
 Teach students the foundational practices of reading
(grades 3-5).
 OR How and what they provided as literacy
interventions in middle school (grades 6-8).
Split tables
Participants should be as specific as they can. For example, they
should not say, “We use Fountas and Pinnell” or “We use Read
180,” but say:
 Fountas & Pinnell daily.
 Students benefit from close addition to details from the
leveled texts.
 All students have 20 mins daily, etc.
Once participants have captured their own notes for 5
minutes, they should split tables (4-5 people per group) and
share their “current state” with the others in their group. Each
person should take 2 minutes to share. If there is additional
time, they should discuss the concerns they have about their
current state.
5 min
PPT slides # 6-10
Participants will view PPT slides regarding the structure of the
foundational reading and language standards materials and the
Whole group
suggested interventions for adolescent readers. It is imperative for
participants to understand that the Recommendations for
Teaching Language Standards and Reading Foundations for
Grades 3-5 is meant to supplement the module lesson in order
to create a cohesive literacy experience for ALL students. The
module lesson at this level is designed for 60 minutes of
instruction. These materials advise teachers how to structure
the remaining literacy block. Conversely, The Common Core
Aligned Interventions for Adolescent Readers is a resource of
recommendations to be used to support students who are
having difficulty meeting the standards during the module
lesson. Some of the recommendations from this resource are
most appropriate for AIS, RTI, Resource, or other intervention
time.
Important points:
 The 3-5 resource booklet includes an Overview and 5
components: Word Study Criteria; Additional Work with
Complex Text; Fluency Resources; Show the RuleTM
Strategy (grammar and usage strategies); Independent
Reading
 The 6-8 resource booklet includes an Overview and 5
components: Word Study and Vocabulary; Additional Work
with Related Texts; Creating a Fluency Routine; Syntax and
Mechanics; Independent Reading
Section 2: Components of Resources
Time: 1:55 to 2:45
[50 minutes] In this section, participants will engage in an
activity in which they will become experts on one component of
either The Recommendations for Teaching Reading
Foundations and Language Standards or Common Core
Aligned Interventions for Adolescent Readers. They will
Materials:
Recommendations for Teaching RF and LS_6N_NTI714
CC Aligned Interventions for Adolescent Readers_6N_NTI714
share their knowledge through a silent gallery walk.
Chart paper
Markers
Current State/Desired State Notecatchers.
Time
20 min
Slide #/Pic of Slide
PPT slides # 11-12
Script/Activity directions
Tell participants that they will be working in split table groups (4-5
members per team.) Assign ELEMENTARY teams one of the
following tabs in either the 3-5 booklet: (1) Overview AND Word
Study (2) Additional Work with Complex Text (3) Fluency
Resources (4) Show the Rule AND subsequent lessons
AND
Assign the SECONDARY TEAMS the 6-8 booklet (1) Overview
AND Word Study and Vocabulary (2) Additional Work with Relevant
Text;(3) Creating Routines for Fluency Instruction; (4) Syntax and
Mechanics. [Facilitator’s Note: Participants will all look deeply
at the Independent Reading tab later in the session.]
Tell participants that their task will be to create an anchor chart that
displays the following:
 Title of assigned section
 5-7 bullet points naming important points in this section,
especially those points which represent new practices or
practices that need strengthening.
 What principals might need to do, or do differently, to
support the type of instruction outlined in the tab
Allot the entire groups 15 minutes of silent reading and independent
note-taking time in preparation for discussing their understandings
with their groups.
Grouping
Split table
groups; solo
15 min
PPT slide #12
15 min
PPT slide #13
Invite participants to begin working on anchor charts. Tell them that
they will have 15 minutes for this activity. Ask participants to hang
their charts around the space when finished.
Allow participants time to take a Silent Gallery Walk around the
space and capture key information from the different posters in
section 2 of their Current State/Desired State notecatchers. They
should hone in on ideas that represent new learning for them.
Section 3: The Power of Independent Reading
Split table
groups
Time: 2:45 – 3:05
[20 minutes] In this session, participants will use a Task Card to Materials:
determine the importance of increasing a student’s volume of
reading and strengthening fluency. They will then capture key Task Card Recommended Texts_6N_NTI714
ideas from their Current State/Desired State notecatchers.
Recommendations for Teaching RF and LS_6N _NTI714
Recommended Texts_ Gr 3_6N_NTI714
Recommended Texts_ Gr 4_6N_NTI714
Recommended Texts_ Gr 5_6N _NTI714
Recommended Texts_ Gr 6_6N _NTI714
Recommended Texts_ Gr 7_6N _NTI714
Recommended Texts_ Gr 8_6N_ NTI714
Time
15 min
Slide #/Pic of Slide
PPT slide # 14
Script/Activity directions
Revisit the target “I can support and encourage the use of
Independent Reading and the Recommended Text Lists build
students’ volume of reading.”
Grouping
Pairs
Invite participants to locate the Task Card: Recommend Texts
and High Volumes of Independent Reading in their participants’
notebooks. Tell them that they will have 15 minutes to complete
the activities listed on the card and that they should review and
discuss with a shoulder partner. Review the task card first and
clarify any questions that participants may have. Stress the
importance that this is an opportunity to skim the materials to get a
gist of the available resources. They will want to read more closely
at a later time
5 min
PPT slide # 15
Participants should return to their Desired State/Current State
notecatchers to capture new learning related to Independent
Reading.
Section 4: Action Planning
Time: 3:05 to 3:15
[10 minutes] Finally, participants thinking and write about the
action steps they should take based on what they have learned
in this session. This is their “Desired State.”
Materials:
Time
5
Slide #/Pic of Slide
PPT slide # 16
Turnkey Materials Provided


PPT_ Building Readers_ 3NP_ NTI714
Current State/Desired State Notecatcher
Table groups
Current State/Desired State Notecatcher
Script/Activity directions
Invite participants turn to the Section 3 of the Current State/Desired
State notecatcher. Ask them to imagine a “desired state” based on
what they have learned in this session. What should they help their
teachers or schools do differently? Invite participants to write some
action steps they can take to reach their desired state(s).
Grouping
Solo
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Recommendations for Teaching RF and LS_6N_NTI714
CC Aligned Interventions for Adolescent Readers_6N_NTI714
Task Card Recommended Texts_6N_NTI714
Recommended Texts_ Gr 3_6N_NTI714
Recommended Texts_ Gr 4_6N_NTI714
Recommended Texts_ Gr 5_6N_NTI714
Recommended Texts_ Gr 6_6N_NTI714
Recommended Texts_ Gr 7_6N_NTI714
Recommended Texts_ Gr 8_6N_NTI714