This resource, Overview of thinkSRSD, provides an introduction to the underlying framework and guiding principles of the thinkSRSD approach to teaching writing. Self-Regulated Strategy Development, or SRSD, is a structured and explicit instructional model designed to help students improve their writing skills by teaching them both writing strategies and self-regulation skills. The SRSD model focuses…
These Five-Minute Focus slide decks were designed with busy staff meetings in mind. Each deck highlights an important literacy topic and follows a practical, easy-to-use structure: Complete with speaker notes to support presentation delivery, these short slide decks are an effective way to build educator knowledge, strengthen instructional capacity, and spark meaningful professional learning conversations….
Dig into how morphological awareness helps students unlock the meaning of words by understanding bases, prefixes, and suffixes. This Five-Minute Focus slide deck provides classroom-ready approaches that help build vocabulary, improve reading comprehension, and strengthen spelling and word analysis skills across the curriculum. These Five-Minute Focus slide decks were designed with busy staff meetings in…
Explore how dialogic reading, a lively and interactive read-aloud technique, uses structured, interactive questioning to actively engage students in rich oral language and comprehension development. This Five-Minute Focus slide deck offers a practical routine for using dialogic reading to strengthen vocabulary, listening skills, and early literacy growth. These Five-Minute Focus slide decks were designed with…
Learn practical ways to use sentence combining as a writing strategy to help students create more complex, varied, and effective sentences. This Five-Minute Focus slide deck provides examples that support stronger writing fluency, clarity, and overall composition skills. These Five-Minute Focus slide decks were designed with busy staff meetings in mind. Each deck highlights an…
Examine the key differences between explicit instruction and discovery learning and their impact on student learning outcomes. This Five-Minute Focus slide deck highlights how explicit instruction supports clarity, reduces cognitive load, and helps students build knowledge and skills more efficiently and confidently. These Five-Minute Focus slide decks were designed with busy staff meetings in mind….
Learn practical, evidence-informed approaches for teaching students how to read and decode multisyllabic words with confidence. This Five-Minute Focus slide deck explores instructional routines and strategies that support word reading, fluency, and overall reading comprehension. These Five-Minute Focus slide decks were designed with busy staff meetings in mind. Each deck highlights an important literacy topic…
Explore how Partner Reading and Paragraph Shrinking can strengthen fluency, comprehension, and student engagement through structured peer collaboration. Because this topic includes multiple routines, this Five-Minute Focus slide deck is larger than usual and will require more time to work through. These Five-Minute Focus slide decks were designed with busy staff meetings in mind. Each…
Discover how the Instructional Hierarchy can help educators match instruction to students’ stages of learning for greater success and independence. This Five-Minute Focus slide deck highlights teachers can support students as they move from acquisition to fluency, generalization, and adaptation. These Five-Minute Focus slide decks were designed with busy staff meetings in mind. Each deck…
Learn how the GIST summarization strategy helps students identify key ideas and synthesize information in a clear, concise way. This Five-Minute Focus slide deck provides practical classroom tips for teaching the GIST across a variety of texts and subject areas. These Five-Minute Focus slide decks were designed with busy staff meetings in mind. Each deck…
Explore the power of Tier 2 vocabulary in strengthening students’ comprehension, communication, and academic success across subjects. This Five-Minute Focus slide deck offers practical strategies for teaching, and reinforcing high-utility words in everyday instruction. These Five-Minute Focus slide decks were designed with busy staff meetings in mind. Each deck highlights an important literacy topic and…
A strong start to the school year begins with thoughtful planning. At Camp ONlit 2026, Melissa Monette Smith shared practical approaches to instructional routines and schedules, screening, long-range planning, and classroom systems, with ideas for simplifying planning and creating a strong foundation for instruction across the year.
