The Reading League Michigan

08/13/2026

Join Us TONIGHT for Our Summer Book Study Wrap-Up! 📚✨

Whether you’ve read every single page, just skimmed a few chapters, or haven't even had a chance to open the cover yet—you belong in this conversation!

Tonight, our state chapter is hosting a special wrap-up session for the National Summer Book Study of Reading Isn’t Optional: Fulfilling the Promise of Literacy for Secondary Students. We are so excited to connect with fellow educators and literacy advocates to discuss how we can better support our adolescent readers.

What we'll be chatting about tonight:
*What does adolescent literacy currently look like in our state? *What resources and supports are available to educators?
*How can our chapter community help advance literacy implementation efforts?

This is a stress-free, welcoming space to share ideas, ask questions, and build community. Bring your favorite evening beverage, come as you are, and let’s talk about fulfilling the promise of literacy for our older students!

The Details:
*When: TONIGHT from 7:00 - 8:00 pm EST
*Where: Live on Zoom!Register / Join Here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/7zObIk-DQMWk8DfSh9Iq3g

We can't wait to see you there! 💙

07/14/2026

📚 Continue the Conversation: Statewide Book Study Discussion with The Reading League Michigan

As we continue our Summer Book Study of Reading Isn't Optional: Fulfilling the Promise of Literacy for Secondary Students, we invite you to join educators from across Michigan for our statewide wrap-up discussion.

Together, we'll reflect on key insights from the book, share practical takeaways, and explore how we can effectively support adolescent literacy in our unique school and district contexts.

🗓 Thursday, August 13, 2026
🕖 7:00–8:30 p.m. ET
💻 Live Virtual Event

🔗 Register here:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/7zObIk-DQMWk8DfSh9Iq3g

Whether you've participated throughout the book study or just want to join the conversation, we hope you'll join us for this opportunity to learn, connect, and celebrate our shared commitment to literacy.

07/13/2026

📚 It's not too late to join The Reading League Chapter Network Summer Book Study!

Registration is still open for this free, guided study of Reading Isn't Optional: Fulfilling the Promise of Literacy for Secondary Students.

Designed for educators and literacy leaders working with students in grades 4–12, this book study explores evidence-aligned practices to strengthen adolescent literacy.

You'll also have access to the remaining optional live sessions:
📅 July 14: Reading Comprehension
📅 July 21: Oral Language and Writing
📅 July 28: Teaching Literacy to Multilingual Learners

Whether you're just getting started or joining mid-study, there's still plenty of time to participate and learn alongside colleagues from across the Chapter Network.

🔗 Register here:

Join The Reading League for a free, virtual book study on Reading Isn’t Optional: Fulfilling the Promise of Literacy for Secondary Students by Jeanne Schopf.

06/28/2026

🚨 HUGE NEWS FOR MICHIGAN MIDDLE SCHOOLS! 🚨

The Reading League Michigan is thrilled to announce our partnership with Literacy IO to help bring a game-changing, evidence-based literacy framework right here to our home state!

✋📚If you’ve been looking for a proven way to boost reading comprehension for Grades 6–8, this is your moment. We are looking for Michigan school districts to participate in a fully funded pilot of the EMPOWER program (built on the KAT Framework) for the upcoming 2026–27 school year.

Developed by researchers at Texas A&M University, EMPOWER pairs elite professional development for teachers with an adaptive, web-based tutoring platform that takes just 15 minutes a day.

📈 The Proof is in the Data:

*What Works Clearinghouse Approved: Four independent studies reviewed by the WWC show strong positive effects on reading comprehension.

*Real Skill Growth: 7th graders demonstrated massive gains in general comprehension, main idea generation, and summarization.

* Closing the Gap: Implementing schools have reported pass rates of up to 100% on state accountability tests—and yes, that includes special education students!

💰 What’s in it for your District & Teachers?
*Zero Cost: The pilot is entirely free to participating districts, funded by a U.S. Department of Education EIR Expansion Grant.

*Teacher Stipends: Participating teachers receive a $1,000 stipend for study activities.

*World-Class Support: Two days of practice-based professional development connected directly to your current curriculum, plus ongoing classroom coaching.

*Massive Resource Library: Access to over 9,000 classroom materials, lesson guides, graphic organizers, podcasts, and videos.

🏫 What it Takes to Partner:
To join the study, districts must commit to enrolling at least two implementation schools and two control schools for the 2026–27 school year. (Don't worry—control schools are guaranteed to receive the free intervention the following year! )

Let's make Michigan a leader in evidence-based middle-grade literacy. Spaces for this nationally representative sample are limited!

🔗 Learn more and apply today: Visit www.literacy.io or reach out directly to the research team at [email protected].

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05/06/2026

Michigan had a strong showing at The Reading League Summit with attendees benefiting from the wisdom and brilliance of both Kim St. Martin and Adrea Truckenmiller.

04/24/2026

Please join the National Chapter Summer Network Book Study.

Join the summer book study of Reading Isn’t Optional: Fulfilling the Promise of Literacy for Secondary Students. Do not be misled by the title. While the focus is on middle and high school educators and leaders, the content applies across all grade levels.

If you are interested in literacy transformation and high-quality instructional practice that serves all students, this book study is for you.

The kickoff event will feature a panel of chapter leaders who work with adolescent readers and will share their experiences, insights, and the impact of this work in schools.

We will also hear from literacy expert Dr. Louisa Moats, who wrote the foreword to Reading Isn’t Optional, bringing her research and perspective to the discussion.

Register today using the QR code.

04/14/2026

Headline: 100% Pass Rates. 🚀

Still on the fence about joining The Reading League Michigan, MSU, and MAISA for our upcoming session with the incredible Dr. Wijekumar?

The results speak for themselves: The KAT Framework has led to 100% pass rates on state testing for every student in supported schools—including those receiving special education and bilingual support.

With the online modules currently unavailable, this in-person training is your exclusive chance to bring these life-changing strategies to your classroom and community. Join us at MSU June 22nd-23rd.

Can 100% pass rates really wait for another day?

🗓️ Secure Your Spot (New Deadline: May 15th!)
Don't miss the chance to learn from a titan in the field. Ensure your team is equipped with the most powerful literacy tools for the upcoming school year.
🔗 Individual Registration: https://bit.ly/KATIndiv
🔗 Group Discounts: https://bit.ly/KATGroup

For more information, please check out this embedded video.

Dr. Kay Wijekumar featured on The Reading League Journal Cafe on July 29, 2023 where she shared her personal reading journey and why the KAT method was created.

04/12/2026

🚨 THE GOLD STANDARD IN LITERACY TRAINING: EXTENDED! 🚨
If you are an elementary literacy educator, this isn't just another professional development workshop—this is the definitive training on reading comprehension. While many programs focus on the "what," Dr. Kay Wijekumar’s research-backed approach focuses on the "how," providing the most critical instructional shift a teacher can make.

We are thrilled to announce that due to overwhelming demand, the registration deadline has been EXTENDED to May 15th!

Why is this the "Top Tier" of Literacy PD?
Most comprehension strategies ask students to "find" information. Dr. Wijekumar’s KAT (Knowledge Acquisition & Transformation) framework teaches students to generate meaning through logical text structures. The results aren't just good; they are industry-leading.

Unrivaled Impact: Recent trials showed effect sizes as high as 1.32—shattering standard growth expectations.

WWC Validated: This framework is featured by the What Works Clearinghouse and meets the highest standards of evidence-based practice.

The Missing Link: This is the bridge between phonics and true deep-reading mastery that every K-5 classroom needs to close the achievement gap.

What You’ll Master:
The KAT Framework: Deep-dive into the strategies that move the needle for all learners.

Bilingual Excellence: Actionable tools specifically designed for both English and Spanish learners.

Structural Mastery: Stop hunting for the "main idea" and start building it.

🗓️ Secure Your Spot (New Deadline: May 15th!)
Don't miss the chance to learn from a titan in the field. Ensure your team is equipped with the most powerful literacy tools for the upcoming school year.

🔗 Individual Registration: https://bit.ly/KATIndiv
🔗 Group Discounts: https://bit.ly/KATGroup

TRL Members & Friends: If your team registers, drop a comment below! We are organizing an exclusive gathering on the evening of June 22nd to connect, collaborate, and celebrate our progress.

https://it.literacy.io/TeacherLibrary/Files/ViewPublicFile/5bd60932-0f71-43e9-9cd9-0d7d7a30069a

03/12/2026

🚨 URGENT: Registration Ends March 30th! 🚨

Transform your literacy instruction with evidence-based strategies that actually move the needle! 📈 Join us this June for an exclusive training session with the renowned Dr. Kay Wijekumar to dive deep into Literacy.io outcomes and the powerful KAT (Knowledge Acquisition & Transformation) framework.

Why join? Dr. Wijekumar’s KAT Framework has shown massive gains in reading comprehension—with effect sizes as high as 1.32 in recent trials! Stop teaching students to just "find" the main idea and start teaching them how to generate it using logical text structures.

What you’ll gain:
✅ Proven strategies to boost comprehension in Grades K-5.
✅ Insights into the KAT framework (as featured by What Works Clearinghouse).
✅ Actionable tools for English and Spanish learners.
✅ Evidence-based methods to close the achievement gap.

Don't wait—secure your spot before the March 30th deadline to ensure your team is ready for the new school year!

🔗 Individual Registration: https://bit.ly/KATIndiv
👥 Group Discounts Registration: https://bit.ly/KATGroup

Please let us know in the comments if your team registers. We'd like to organize a gathering of TRL members and friends the evening of June 22nd!

Want to transform reading comprehension for ALL students? Join us this summer as we partner with The Reading League Michigan, Michigan State University College of Education, and the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators to bring the powerful Knowledge Acquisition & Transformation professional development to Michigan!