Joyful Literacy Foundations
Setting the Stage for a Successful Start in PreK, TK, and K Classrooms
A comprehensive literacy institute designed for prekindergarten, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten teachers with a focus on creating a joyful classroom environment that incorporates reading, writing, and learning about letters, sounds, and words.
- Classroom Teachers PreK
- Classroom Teachers TK
- Classroom Teachers Kindergarten
- Graduate Credit Participants, please see “Graduate Credit Options” tab for pricing information
- 10% Discount through May 16 with code: ELI-EARLYBIRD (does not apply to graduate credit pricing)
- Literacy Collaborative Affiliation Discount available
During this four-day institute we will use the text, Literacy Beginnings, 3rd Edition: A PreK Handbook, to explore evidence-based strategies, hands-on activities, and resources that foster early literacy skills in young learners. You will walk away with effective teaching strategies to build a strong foundation for early literacy development.
Topics:
- Building a community of readers and writers
- Creating a classroom environment that supports early literacy development
- Language learning as the foundation for understanding letters, sounds, and words
- Harnessing children’s natural curiosity through inquiry
- Early reading experiences and the reading process
- Teaching structures that support phonological awareness and phonics learning
- Authentic and systematic assessment of early literacy skills
- Early writing strategies and concepts about print
- Bookmaking, interactive writing, and other invitations to write across the day
- Supporting multilingual learners in the classroom
You’ll earn 24 clock hours for this training or you can register for 3 graduate credits through Lesley University.
Heather Rodman, Literacy Trainer
Prior to joining the Center for Reading Recovery and Literacy Collaborative as a Primary Trainer, Heather was a Kindergarten, first, second, third, and fourth grade classroom teacher in Middletown, CT for 16 years. She was also a Primary Literacy Coordinator for five years where she provided literacy training and coaching to K-5 teachers. In addition, she was a member of the Connecticut Department of Education Common Core State Standards Curriculum Design Team for English Language Arts.
Wendy Vaulton, Associate Director for Reading Recovery & Early Interventions 
Wendy Vaulton is the Associate Director for Reading Recovery and Early Interventions at Lesley University’s Center for Reading Recovery and Literacy Collaborative. Wendy serves as the Center’s Reading Recovery trainer, supporting teacher leaders in five states. She has experience as an educational researcher, professional developer, and teacher of Reading Recovery. Wendy’s recent research interests include the capacity of improvement science to support systematic, data-informed decision-making for all levels of educational improvement.
Cynthia Downend, Associate Director, Literacy Programs
Cynthia Downend has worked at the Center for Reading Recovery and Literacy Collaborative for 15 years, serving in the roles of primary level literacy trainer and currently as the Assistant Director for Primary Literacy Programs.
Cynthia has worked with many school districts across the United States to train and develop district level literacy staff developers, literacy coaches, classroom teachers, literacy interventionists and school administrators on a variety of topics related to improving literacy instruction.
Prior to her work at Lesley University, Cynthia held positions as a literacy coach, Reading Recovery teacher, and classroom teacher for over 20 years working in a variety of school settings including urban, suburban, and international schools.
Required Materials
- Literacy Beginnings: A Prekindergarten Handbook (mailed to you as part of registration)
Cancellation Deadline & Refund Policies
You have until one week before the first day of this offering to cancel your registration. The cancellation deadline is Tuesday, June 17, 2025. There is a $50 cancellation fee. If you request a cancellation after the deadline, you will not be issued a refund. Substitution requests are acceptable. Please email CRRLC@lesley.edu if you have a cancellation or substitution request.
Registration Deadline
The registration portal closes at 5pm ET on June 23, 2025. If you register within the week before the start of this training, you may experience delays in receiving the required professional text included with your registration and you may incur additional fees for expedited shipping.
Requirements for Participation
After the training, you will receive a certificate of attendance for your participation. To receive a complete certificate, participation during the specified times is required. Additional work may be assigned to meet the clock hours.
In-Person or Virtual Attendance
You may choose to attend this training in-person at Lesley University or virtually in real time. Should any of the conditions change and it is determined the training will be offered virtually only, you will be notified as soon as possible. We recommend that you contact us before reserving travel and lodging.
If you choose to attend in-person, the training room will have Lesley University’s HyFlex Classroom Technology to support an engaging learning environment for in-person and virtual participants. If you have questions about in-person or virtual attendance, please email us at CRRLC@lesley.edu.
Graduate Credit Options
With additional assignments, this institute can be taken for 3 graduate credit hours. During the registration process, you will have the option to register as a Graduate Credit attendee and you will only be charged the graduate credit fee listed below.
When your registration is complete, contact CRRLC@lesley.edu to finish the required secondary registration process for grad credits through Lesley University.
Course Number: LEDUC 6054
PRICING:
- 3 Credits: $2,700 ($875*/credit + $25*/credit comprehensive fee) *subject to change
On-Site Professional Development
We can deliver this training to your school/district. This option can be delivered virtually or in-person for a group within your school/district. For detailed costs, complete our online form to request this training for your school/district and we will contact you.
Interested in professional learning at your school or district? Schedule a meeting with one of our faculty trainers
Leveled Literacy Intervention in Grades K-2
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The New Benchmark Assessment System 2.0 (System 2, Levels K-Z)
In this two-day institute learn how to use BAS 2.0 to pinpoint students’ reading behaviors and instructional needs with word-solving, fluency, and comprehension.
The New Benchmark Assessment System 2.0 (System 1, Levels A-P)
This two-day workshop will help you learn how to use the new BAS 2.0 system to pinpoint student strengths and needs as readers, including oral reading behaviors, fluency, comprehension, writing about reading, and phonological awareness and early phonics skills.