Introduction to STIR
The Strategies to Improve Reading (STIR) approach is a professional learning series to improve early literacy achievement by increasing educators’ effective use of evidence-based instructional strategies. The activities offer a practical, scalable approach to improving reading skills in kindergarten through grade 2 (K–2) by helping educators, coaches, and instructional leaders integrate evidence-based literacy strategies, use data effectively, and implement strengths-based, language-focused practices.
STIR provides a flexible, sequenced structure that helps schools translate research into effective K–2 literacy practices. Grounded in adult learning principles, STIR guides educators through a gradual, supportive process: first introducing new strategies, then creating opportunities to practice them, and finally offering constructive feedback and ongoing coaching support. This approach ensures that instructors can confidently and effectively implement those strategies in their work.
The STIR implementation guide highlights the four professional learning activities within the yearlong STIR approach that provide resources and tools for educators, administrators, and literacy leaders:
- Pre-Institute and Institute
- Coach communities of practice (CoPs)
- Educator professional learning communities (PLCs)
- Coaching walkthroughs
STIR Summer Institute
The STIR Institute is the foundational activity in which STIR facilitators lead an interactive, multisession day of learning for K–2 educators. During the Institute’s four sessions, participating educators and STIR coaches are introduced to the STIR approach and preview the foundational content covered across the approach.
Summer Institute objectives:
- Explore the intersection of strengths-based, language-focused, and evidence-based literacy practices to inform systematic and explicit instruction that benefits all students.
- Learn key teacher facilitation practices to embed instructional strategies into phonological awareness and phonics instructional routines using data.
Session objectives:
- Define evidence-based literacy and strengths-based practices.
- Explore the intersection of language-focused practices and evidence-based literacy practices to inform instruction.
- Use self-directed strategies to support and sustain professional learning.
Session materials:
- Summer Institute: Session 1 – Slide Deck (4.76 MB)
Session objectives:
- Learn about the importance of instructional routines, and observe high-quality models of their use in phonological awareness and phonics instruction.
- Learn about high-impact instructional strategies: opportunities to respond, signal and wait time, corrective and affirmative feedback, and reduce teacher talk.
Session materials:
Session objectives:
- Connect the instructional routines and strategies to current district-supported instructional routines and curricula.
- Reinforce and supplement district-supported curricula with instructional strategies.
- Implement district-supported curricula as intended daily using the STIR-supported instructional routines and strategies.
Session materials:
- Summer Institute: Session 2b – Slide Deck (859.02 KB)
Session objectives:
- Differentiate between types of assessments used to inform instruction.
- Set priorities for using mastery databased on universal screening data and students’ linguistic assets.
Session materials:
- Summer Institute: Session 3 – Slide Deck (3.34 MB)
STIR Professional Learning Communities (PLC)
The PLC is the foundational activity were the facilitators lead an interactive, sessions for a year of learning for K–2 educators. During the Professional Learning Communities' eight sessions, participants will:
- Use screening data to reflect on student proficiency across a grade level at the beginning, middle, and end of the year.
- Identify lesson sections/practices during which they can increase response opportunities and provide immediate corrective feedback to students.
- Learn a procedure to support effective fluency practice and develop a plan for implementation in the classroom.
Session objectives:
- Use screening data to reflect on student proficiency across a grade level at the beginning of the year (BOY) at Tier 1.
- Determine an instructional focus area for Tier 1.
- Determine which strategies can be leveraged to address the instructional focus area.
Session materials:
- PLC Session 1 – Slide Deck (2.91 MB)
- PLC Session 1 – Agenda (192.5 KB)
- PLC Session 1 – BOY Screening Data handout (180.66 KB)
Session objectives:
- Identify lesson sections/practices during which they can increase response opportunities and provide immediate corrective feedback.
- Practice and receive feedback on the execution of multiple opportunities to respond and immediate corrective feedback.
- Differentiate between clear and unclear teacher feedback in word-reading skills instruction.
- Practice scripting and delivering their teacher talk and receive feedback on execution.
Session materials:
- PLC Session 2 – Slide Deck (2 MB)
- PLC Session 2 – Agenda (196.49 KB)
Session objectives:
- Understand the importance of instructional routines and the role that signaling plays to support phonological awareness, phonics, and fluency.
- Learn the four features of an effective signal.
- Understand the value of productive wait time
Session materials:
- PLC Session 3 – Slide Deck (2.77 MB)
- PLC Session 3 – Agenda (189.88 KB)
Session objectives:
- Use screening data to reflect on student literacy proficiency from the beginning of the year (BOY) to the middle of the year (MOY) at Tier 1.
- Reflect on which instructional strategies were implemented after BOY screening and their relation to student progress at Tier 1.
- Determine if any changes need to be made to the instructional focus area and instructional strategies.
Session materials:
- PLC Session 4 – Slide Deck (2.63 MB)
- PLC Session 4 – Agenda (194.28 KB)
- PLC Session 4 – MOY Screening Data handout (194.05 KB)
Session objectives:
- Learn an instructional routine to use with connected texts.
- Practice and receive feedback on executing the connected text routine.
- Understand how to retrieve and select connected texts that align with phonics lessons and enable mastery data collection.
Session materials:
- PLC Session 5 – Slide Deck (3.05 MB)
- PLC Session 5 – Agenda (191.1 KB)
- PLC Session 5 – Sample Connected Text (128.04 KB)
Session objectives:
- Learn how to use data to guide scaffolding strategies that strengthen phonological awareness and phonics skills.
- Identify language variation in their classroom to determine strengths to expect and use as well as specific areas to target for explicit instruction.
Session materials:
- PLC Session 6 – Slide Deck (2.53 MB)
- PLC Session 6 – Agenda (191.67 KB)
- PLC Session 6 – Data Tracker handout (143.27 KB)
Session objectives:
- Identify opportunities in their instruction to build students’ fluency skills.
- Learn a procedure to support effective fluency practice and develop a plan for implementation in the classroom.
- Identify ways to integrate authentic texts into their reading instruction
Session materials:
- PLC Session 7 – Slide Deck (2.39 MB)
- PLC Session 7 – Agenda (245.06 KB)
- PLC Session 7 – Data Tracker handout (145.36 KB)
Session objectives:
- Use screening data to reflect on yearlong student progress at Tier 1.
- Reflect on what instructional strategies were implemented after the beginning-of-year (BOY) and/or middle-of-year (MOY) screening and their relation to student progress at Tier 1.
- Reflect on continued instructional needs for their students as they progress to the next grade level.
Session materials:
- PLC Session 8 – Slide Deck (1.95 MB)
- PLC Session 8 – Agenda (173.58 KB)
- PLC Session 8 – EOY Screening Data handout (199.07 KB)
- PLC Session 8 – Screener Data Review handout (192.33 KB)
