📚Curriculum Corner: ELA

ELA Networking Events

We’re excited to announce that our next ELA (English Language Arts) Networking Event will take place on January 7, 2026, and March 19, 2026! This time is a valuable opportunity for ELA educators across the region to come together, share best practices, explore new resources, and collaborate on strategies that support student success in literacy.

Whether you're a classroom teacher, instructional coach, or curriculum leader, this event is designed to spark meaningful conversations around instructional trends, standards alignment, assessment strategies, and innovative classroom practices.

Event Details:
Time & Location: 8:30-3:00 @ ARIN IU, 2895 West Pike, Indiana, PA 15701

Audience: ELA teachers

We look forward to a productive and inspiring day of learning and connection!

If you have questions, please contact Katie Monsour, kmonsour@iu28.org

Mark your calendars for January 7, 2026, and March 19, 2026, for more networking opportunities.

Upcoming Text Dependent Analysis (TDA) Networking Event – Thursday, November 20, 2025

We are pleased to invite you to our next Text Dependent Analysis (TDA) -Level 3 on January 21, 2026. This event is designed to bring ELA educators together to deepen understanding of TDA instruction and assessment, share effective strategies, and collaborate on ways to support student growth in evidence-based writing.

This session will focus on building instructional capacity around TDA.

Event Details:

Time & Location: 8:30-3:00 @ ARIN IU, 2895 West Pike, Indiana, PA 15701
Audience: ELA educators, instructional coaches, and curriculum leaders

Whether you’re new to TDA or looking to refine your approach, this is a great opportunity to connect with colleagues, gain practical resources, and strengthen classroom practice.

For more information, please contact Katie Monsour, kmonsour@iu28.org.

Act 135 of 2024

The lists and resources associated with Act 135 of 2024 are now available on the Structured Literacy webpage on PDE's website. The lists include evidence-based reading curricula, intervention materials, and professional development opportunities around Structured Literacy.

A list of approved universal screeners will be forthcoming, pending a review of Act 47 of 2025.

• Participate in the Summer Institute for Teachers! The WPWP is pleased to offer a restorative and explorative four-week seminar for educators. If you are a classroom teacher, community educator, or education leader looking to have dedicated time for writing, improve your practice, and/or influence the writing culture in your school or organization, the WPWP Summer Institute is for you! The 2026 Summer Institute will be held July 7-30 at the University of Pittsburgh! Sessions are held Monday-Thursday from 10am-3pm with parking covered for the duration of the program. Register here.

The Learning Network is a free resource that has been bringing the world into classrooms for 26 years. Through features such as writing prompts, contests, discussion forums, and lesson plans, the site provides daily opportunities for teenagers to both learn more about current events and raise their voices in response to them. Here are four quick facts about the site:

• The Learning Network publishes hundreds of teaching resources each school year. These resources all use content from The New York Times — articles, essays, images, videos, graphics, and podcasts — as teaching tools across subject areas.

• The regular daily and weekly features run from September through May, with special resources published throughout the summer.

• The intended audience is middle and high school teachers and students (age 13 and up). That said, we know that our content is also used in elementary schools and colleges, and much of it is appropriate for both.

• All of the resources are free — and everything linked to in The Times is free as long as you access it from the site. You do not need a Times subscription to use The Learning Network.

• Remake Learning Days Ambassador Applications Are Open!

• Remake Learning Days is back May 1–23, 2026! RLD is recruiting 250 amazing Ambassadors across Pennsylvania, including youth, parents, and teachers who want to help families discover the joy of hands-on learning. Remake Learning Days is a joyful celebration where families learn together and explore new types of learning across PA.

• As a Remake Learning Days Ambassador, you’ll:

• Attend two Remake Learning Days events of your choosing in May

• Share before/after reflections on social media or within your networks

• Help families explore new passions at libraries, parks, museums, tech centers, maker spaces, and more

• Earn up to $250 for your participation

• 2026 RLD Parent/Teacher Ambassador application form (any adult teacher, parent, or caregiver)

• 2026 RLD Youth Ambassador application form (high-school students)

• Applications Due February 13, 2026 with notifications by early March

• Interested in hosting an event? Organizations, schools, libraries, museums, parks, and community groups are also invited to become RLD Event Hosts. Hosts create hands-on learning experiences for families during the festival - and many regions offer mini‑awards to support new or expanded events. It’s a great way to showcase your work, welcome families into your space, and spark curiosity across your community.

Join the Outdoor Learning School in February for this 4 x 1 hour online storytelling course. It's open to everyone, and Richard creates such a welcoming and engaging space. He will share 4 of his passions: Writing, Storytelling, Reclaiming Family Medicines, and Sharing Miracle Stories. Richard is a proud member of the Dogrib (Tłı̨chǫ) Nation from Fort Smith, NWT, Canada. He is a graduate of the En’owkin International School of Writing, the University of Victoria’s Creative Writing BFA Program, and the Master’s Degree in Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia. He is an internationally renowned storyteller and best-selling author, including the co-author of The Journey Forward: 2 Novellas on Reconciliation. View more info and register here.

• LitCon is a literacy instruction conference that will go completely online in 2026. Attendees can attend as many of 75 online sessions as they want and learn about the latest in literacy research and instruction. Classroom teachers, literacy coaches, specialists, Title I teachers, coordinators, and Reading Recovery professionals who attend will find the content particularly beneficial. This event is designed to support these roles with effective strategies and innovative approaches in teaching literacy.

• February 1-28, 2026

• Website: https://literacyconference.org/

This March, Teen Screen and Classrooms Without Borders are partnering to offer free educational screenings of The Cure for Hate with special guest speakers director Peter Hutchinson and film subject Tony McAleer.The Cure for Hate documents now-reformed white supremacist gang member Tony McAleer’s journey to Auschwitz, Poland. It explores the conditions that allowed for the rise of fascism in the 1930’s, shines a light on how men get into, and out of, violent extremist groups, and underscores the danger of allowing hate to be go unchecked. This presentation of The Cure for Hate can include a screening of either the 82- or 55-minute versions of the film as well as a conversation, led by Tony McAleer and Peter Hutchinson, about how to combat violence and radicalization in school and online. Tony and Peter will be available to bring this special presentation to either your school or a nearby movie theater on March 18th and 19th. If you are interested in scheduling this valuable presentation for your school or booking a field trip to a nearby theater, please email teenscreen@filmpittsburgh.org.

• Invite your students to participate in the WPWP Young Writers Institute! WPWP is offering a summer writing camp for students at Pitt University on weekdays from June 22-30, with a closing ceremony held on July 1. The camp will run from 9am-1pm. View the website for more information.

Alliance for Decision Education is helping students develop critical decision-making skills in media literacy on a national level and is currently seeking Pennsylvania schools to partner with to pilot this program. With funding from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Alliance for Decision Education co-designed instructional models and teacher resources that integrate Decision Education with media literacy through our Media Literacy Incubator and is now seeking four districts to join us in a pilot program to co-design new student tools. Training is set to start in Spring/Summer 2026, with lesson implementation beginning in Fall 2026. This program is open to all teachers who teach students in grades 7-10, with flexibility for teachers who teach mixed-grade-level courses. See more information and details below!

Partnering districts will receive:

• Access to all student tools, free of charge

• Professional learning, coaching, and support

• $3,000-$10,000, depending on the number of participants, to provide coverage or stipends for professional learning

• Opportunities to share insight, provide feedback, and inform innovative new tools

• Potential media coverage, including features on schools, staff, and students

• An opportunity to empower students with critical decision-making skills to guide their interaction with media

NCTE is thrilled to welcome Reading Rainbow host and author Mychal Threets for the National African American Read-In event on February 12 at 1:00 p.m. ET. What is a Read-In? For 37 years, during the month of February, NCTE has urged schools, churches, libraries, bookstores, community and professional organizations, and interested citizens to make literacy a significant part of Black History Month by hosting an African American Read-In. Educators, their students, and preservice teachers are invited to a 45-minute conversation with Mychal.

The event will include:

• A reading of his forthcoming book, I’m So Happy You’re Here: A Celebration of Library Joy, an illustrated look at the library and all the wonders it contains

• A positive mental health exercise led by Mychal

• A Q&A session with pre-selected questions that teachers can submit through the website

• A special opportunity for NCTE members to receive a free copy of the book NCTE can’t wait to see you online at this special NCTE National African American Read-In event!

Visit the website for more details. This event is free for NCTE members and nonmembers. Registration is required. Only NCTE members are eligible for the book giveaway.

Become a member today!

It is FREE and open to all to be a member of the Western Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of English (WPCTE). Although our in-person events take place in the western Pennsylvania area, we offer many virtual events as well! Membership is available to anyone interested in literacy; it is not limited to only teachers or only western PA.

Click here to enroll.

The Western Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of English (WPCTE) and the Education Department at Saint Vincent College are cosponsoring a spring conference with the theme inspired by conference keynote Penny Kittle–Literacy Love: Reading and Writing Beside Our Students. This day-long conference is on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at the Fred Rogers Institute at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA. This event will feature informative, interactive, and trendsetting professional learning sessions. Visit this link for more information.

• How did you do on the 2025 WPCTE Reading Challenge? Share your completed list on the WPCTE Reads Padlet to be entered to win a prize!

• The 2026 WPCTE Reading Challenge will be announced soon!

• Intellectual Freedom Advocates: Intellectual Freedom Advocates are WPCTE members who have a passion for everyone to have the right to read books/written materials of his or her choosing. The Intellectual Freedom Advocates for WPCTE will not only support the right to read and the right to teach texts, but they will also support others in this noble cause. Finally, Intellectual Freedom Advocates will assist in honoring those who do such valuable work in our communities. Join today!

• Intellectual Freedom Award: The Intellectual Freedom Award honors individuals, groups, or institutions that merit recognition for advancing the cause of intellectual freedom. Any WPCTE member may nominate an individual, group, or institution who has contributed to the work outlined above by completing the Intellectual Freedom Nomination Form. Self-nominations are accepted. Learn more and nominate here!

• Intellectual Freedom Resources: WPCTE formally stands alongside the National Council of Teachers of English to champion the cause of intellectual freedom, specifically in Western Pennsylvania schools. View resources here.

Read about the English Festival that will be hosted by La Roche University.

• Join us for the WPCTE 2026 English Festivals! The Grades 4-6 event is on Wednesday, May 20 with featured author Gennifer Choldenko! The Grades 7-12 event is on Thursday, May 21 with featured author Patricia Park!

• View the website for the full book list, book order form, and registration forms!

• Book bundles are still available for anyone to purchase! Please order on the WPCTE website.

• Join the new WPCTE Poetry Slam for students! There will be an information session on Tuesday, January 13 from 7-8pm! Learn from WPCTE Slam Poetry Coordinator Katie Katkich about the details of the event and how to prepare your students! Sign up here.

• When: Thursday, April 9th 2026

• Where: Beaver Area High School

• Who: Students in grades 7-12 (limit to 5 per school)

• Registration Fee: $25 per school

• Sign-Up Deadline: Friday, February 6th 2026

• Contact: kkatkich@centralvalleysd.net

• View more information on the website!

A kindergarten teacher at Homer, Mrs. Tanya Hirsch, recently started a creative Gingerbread Men project with her students. After the children crafted their gingerbread men, they escaped the classroom, prompting Mrs. Hirsch to post a fun update on Facebook asking friends and family to keep an eye out for them.

What happened next has been nothing short of magical. The post gained traction, and the classroom has since been flooded with letters and photos from people all over the world claiming to have "spotted" the gingerbread men in their own cities. The students have received mail from across the United States, and the globe - coming from as far away as Australia!

This project has transformed a simple classroom lesson into a global geography and literacy experience for these young learners. Seeing the excitement on the students' faces as they open mail from different continents is a wonderful testament to the power of community and imagination.

New Blog Post:

• Check out this month’s blog post: “Falk Family Book Club” by Emma Kagan. Read the blog post here.

• Reach out to the WPCTE Blog Coordinator Emily Malovich at emalovich@sasdpride.org with any questions about contributing to the blog. All are welcome and encouraged to contribute! We are looking for writers for the second half of the 2025-2026 school year! Consider submitting a blog pitch!

WPCTE Reads

• Help us normalize reading for pleasure–and get some new book recommendations along the way! Add your current reads to our WPCTE Reads Padlet and check out what others are reading. Maybe you can connect with a new colleague over a shared book! Your entries may even be spotlighted on the WPCTE social media pages!

Social Media:

• Follow WPCTE on Facebook (facebook.com/WPCTE) and X (x.com/WPCTEtweets)!

TDA Level 3 Training will be held at ARIN IU Central Office, from 8:30 - 3:00, on:

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Click on the links above to register.

Did you know PA educators play an important role in reviewing items for the PSSA and Keystone tests?

Each summer, educators from all over the Commonwealth engage in setting ranges for open-ended questions, reviewing new test items and reviewing data from field-tested items.

If you are interested in participating, complete the Educator Application: PSSA & Keystone Exams Assessment Committee Reviews.

Your application will be evaluated, and your name will be placed in a pool of educators.

You will receive an availability survey in the winter, and committees will be formed in early spring. Contact Dr. Beth Gannon, ELA Assessment Advisor, with questions at egannonrit@pa.gov.

Teach online and have trouble connecting with other teachers during the work day? Join WPCTE Vice President Hannah Lewis for Cyber Teacher Coffee Hour on Zoom!

As of January 2025, these informal drop-in virtual lunch meetings will take place on the third Tuesday of each month (except in the event of a holiday) .

Click here to enroll.

National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention 2026

• Location: Philadelphia, PA

• Dates: November 19-22, 2026

• Theme: Ideas that Illuminate

• Proposals Accepted by January 27, 2026 9:00 am EST - https://convention.ncte.org/cfp/cfp-instructions.html

City Theater

• NEW at City Theatre Company: Virtual Screening of LOUISA MAY ALCOTT'S LITTLE WOMEN by Lauren Gunderson! Join us for this world premiere adaptation of a beloved classic from the comfort of your classroom! WPCTE members receive a 20% off discount, making access to the screening $60/classroom. Educator resource guide with historical context, writing activities, and reflections included. For more information and to sign up, please use this link. Feel free to email Katie Trupiano, Director of Education and Accessibility, at ktrupiano@citytheatrecompany.org

LitCon 2026

• LitCon is a literacy instruction conference that will go completely online in 2026. Attendees can attend as many of 75 online sessions as they want and learn about the latest in literacy research and instruction. Classroom teachers, literacy coaches, specialists, Title I teachers, coordinators, and Reading Recovery professionals who attend will find the content particularly beneficial. This event is designed to support these roles with effective strategies and innovative approaches in teaching literacy.

• February 1-28, 2026

• Website: https://literacyconference.org/

Join author and professional learning coach April Smith as she explores research and insights into effective writing instruction in K-12 classrooms. She delves into methodologies, interviews experts, and shares practical strategies to support our students – all backed by evidence and research. Whether you're an educator, parent, or simply curious about literacy development, tune in to discover practical strategies that foster confident and successful writers.

In his second budget address, Governor Josh Shapiro charged the Department of Education and our Office of Commonwealth Libraries with developing resources to help schools incorporate information literacy into all aspects of learning so that our youngest Pennsylvanians have the skills to navigate the world around them. As more and more Pennsylvanians turn to digital sources for news and information, it’s more important than ever that students be equipped with the skills to discern between fact and fiction online. Information literacy is a vital component of the high-quality academic standards taught across the Commonwealth. These new resources will not replace those standards. Rather, PDE will provide tools that schools can use to enhance existing lessons and empower the next generation of Pennsylvanians.

JustWrite Pennsylvania

• Interscholastic creative writing program for students in grades 6-12. View the website for more information.

The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) and Keystone Exams are available for schools to administer online. In Spring 2026, all PSSA and Keystone test administrations will be conducted online, with the exception of students who require paper-and-pencil testing as an accommodation. The following resources have been compiled to familiarize students and teachers with the testing platform.

Pennsylvania State Assessments

The Online Training Tutorials are a series of videos designed to help students navigate the test platform. Choose the test (CDT, Firefly, PSSA, or Keystone) and subject area, then choose from the short tutorial topics on the left. In some cases, a colored box will appear to indicate which tutorials are applicable to a specific grade level. Publicly accessible versions of the PA Online Tools Training (OTTs) are available.

The online training tutorials provide teachers and students with the opportunity to experience the testing platform for CDTs, PSSAs, and Keystones before the test begins. Choose the test (CDT, PSSA, or Keystone), subject area, and grade level. Students and teachers can click through to experience the testing tools, navigation, and formatting available within the platform. For students using Video Sign Language, Color Chooser, Reverse Contrast, and Audio accommodations, choose the accommodated form.

Click here to explore.

The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) and Keystone Exams are available for schools to administer online. In Spring 2026, all PSSA and Keystone test administrations will be conducted online, with the exception of students who require paper-and-pencil testing as an accommodation. The following resources have been compiled to familiarize students and teachers with the testing platform.

Pennsylvania State Assessments

The Online Training Tutorials are a series of videos designed to help students navigate the test platform. Choose the test (CDT, Firefly, PSSA, or Keystone) and subject area, then choose from the short tutorial topics on the left. In some cases, a colored box will appear to indicate which tutorials are applicable to a specific grade level. Publicly accessible versions of the PA Online Tools Training (OTTs) are available.

The online training tutorials provide teachers and students with the opportunity to experience the testing platform for CDTs, PSSAs, and Keystones before the test begins. Choose the test (CDT, PSSA, or Keystone), subject area, and grade level. Students and teachers can click through to experience the testing tools, navigation, and formatting available within the platform. For students using Video Sign Language, Color Chooser, Reverse Contrast, and Audio accommodations, choose the accommodated form.

Click here to explore.

Click here to read about Firefly's expansion in 2025-206.

Join the English 10: AP Seminar Collaborative, a national professional learning community for English educators teaching AP Seminar as their 10th-grade English course.

AP Participant Grants cover AP Summer Institute tuition for teachers new to an AP subject. The grant request form will open March 2026. Please complete the interest form below if you would like to receive notification when it opens.

To be eligible for a grant, you must:

• Be teaching the AP course for the first time in the 2026-27 school year
• Not have attended an APSI or received College Board funding for the same AP course
• Not have received professional learning funding from your school, district, or state

AP Participants Grants cover the cost of tuition only and teachers may only be awarded one AP Participant grant.

Click here for more information.

Remake Learning Days isn't just for young kids! We are looking for events that focus on Youth Voice and Career Readiness. Whether it's a student-led panel, a career exploration fair, or a community service project, we’d love to include your school. Check out the funding options (up to $500) to help make it happen.

As we head into 2026, I am thrilled to invite you to be part of the 10th Anniversary of Remake Learning Days! This hands-on learning festival returns to Indiana and Armstrong counties from May 1–23, 2026, and we want to showcase the great work happening in our schools, libraries, museums, nonprofits, and local businesses.

Why Host an Event?

• Share what you already do with families and the community

• Showcase student work, programs, or summer opportunities

• Connect with parents and caregivers in a meaningful way

• Events can be for any age and are free or low-cost

Interested in hosting?

• Submit your event (choose Northwestern PA) — Marketing deadline: Feb 23

• Apply for funding to support your event — Deadline: Feb 13

A full preview of the host and funding applications is attached for reference.

Need inspiration? Check out some of these events from last year’s celebration.

If you have any questions or want to brainstorm an idea, please reach out. Please feel free to forward this to anyone who might be interested. Let’s make the 10th anniversary our best year yet!

As an exciting gift, Brett Pierce from Meridian Stories is offering for WPCTE members to try his digital storytelling program for middle and high schoolers for free! Check out this month's bonus blog post: “The Requisites and Raptures of Digital Storytelling" by Brett Pierce for more information. In this post, Brett shares about the value of digital storytelling for engaging students and helping them find their voices in multiple mediums. Read the blog post here.

Learn More

475 E Waterfront Dr

Homestead, PA 15120

info@remakelearning.org