Region 10 ELAR March Newsletter | |
April 6, 2026
April is a month of growth, reflection, and renewed purpose in our classrooms. In this edition, we’re helping students explain their evidence in the PD in 15, celebrating National Poetry Month and Earth Day with ideas to connect literacy to real-world awareness, while also taking a moment to focus on ourselves as educators. Don’t miss this month’s Tier I Tidbit, which encourages teachers to build a “glimmer file” by collecting positive notes and messages from students and families as a reminder of the impact you make every day. As always, we hope these insights bring both inspiration and practical support to your work.
| | Region 10 ELAR Instructional Practices News | | If you would like support from the ELAR Instructional Practices Team, please fill out the Request Form or contact the Program Coordinator, Lisa Witt. | | PD in 15: Let Me Explain...Turning Evidence Into Insight | | Students often include evidence in their writing but struggle to clearly explain how that evidence supports their claim. Instead, they repeat their thesis or summarize the text, leaving the reasoning behind their ideas unclear. In this month's PD in 15, I share a sneak peek at one of the strategies from a new summer training, Let Me Explain... Turning Evidence Into Insight, which you can use to help students learn how to build strong explanations. | April is National Poetry Month! | |
Many of my participants often ask where I find the texts I use in my sessions. One source of the fantastic poems I often use is Poets.org's Poem a Day, where you can sign up to receive a new poem delivered to your inbox every day.
I also love to review the poems from the Dear Poet Project each year. This event encourages students in grades 5-12 to engage directly with award-winning poets as part of National Poetry Month. To participate, young people watch videos of award-winning poets serving on the Academy of American Poets Board of Chancellors reading one of their poems aloud. After watching the videos and reading the poems, students write letters to the featured poet of their choice. The poets write back to select letters, and the correspondence is published on Poets.org. This is how I came to know one of my favorite poems, Asi by Claudia Castro Luna, which I've used in several sessions, including this month's PD in 15.
If you'd like your students to participate in Dear Poets 2026, you still have time. For more information, click on the following button.
| Earth Day Celebration Ideas | |
As a teacher, I loved to incorporate real-world events into the classroom. These types of activities can easily be tied to grade-level standards and often provide a much-needed boost to student engagement and motivation by offering a chance to increase our audience outside of the classroom. The following ideas come from a recent post from Mobile Ed Productions, Inc. It provides some fantastic ways to celebrate Earth Day in schools.
- Take Learning Outside. Move a lesson outdoors, even if it is just for one class period. Try a quick nature scavenger hunt or simple observation activity. Short on time? Just take your usual lesson outside. Reading under a tree or doing math in the grass instantly changes the energy and helps students feel more connected to the world around them.
- Create Recycled Projects. Have students bring in recyclable materials and challenge them to build something new. It taps into creativity while reinforcing the idea that not everything has to be thrown away. Also, it is a great way to finally use that random pile of supplies you have been holding onto “just in case.” You know that stack!
- Launch a Class or Schoolwide Challenge. Encourage small changes like turning off lights, reducing paper use, and recycling more. You can even turn it into a friendly competition between classes to build excitement. Have classes make signs and posters to put around the school. Your admins will love it!
- Create an Earth Day Pledge Wall. Have students write down one thing they will personally do to help the environment. Display their commitments (like this one) as a visual reminder that small actions add up. It is simple, meaningful, and gives students ownership of their choices.
- Plant Something Together. Whether it is flowers, herbs, or even a small tree, planting gives students something tangible to connect to. Planting together builds a sense of responsibility and gives you a built-in “remember when we planted this?” moment later on.
I'd often paired these creative activities with some test prep during this time of year. By using a grade-level text from a site like CommonLit, you can easily provide students with opportunities to show what they've learned about this holiday while still focusing on assessment skills. Take a look below at a 3rd-grade Text and Writing Choice Menut activity:
| | Ep. 20: The "Glimmer File" Data for Your Heart! | | |
Tier 1 Tidbits delivers bite-sized, evidence-based tips that boost engagement, strengthen routines, and support positive classroom culture—without adding more to your plate.
💡 Fast. Practical. Classroom-ready.
📄 Free printables: 👉 https://esc10.link/Tier1TidbitsPrintables
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The testing season is upon us, and if there is anything that can bring you down, it's testing and data. That's why this Tier I Tidbit is very timely! Do YOU have a Glimmer File? Have you looked at it lately? | | Education Insights & Hot Topics | | | | |
One Reading Skill Might Be Responsible for Many Older Students’ Struggles
This month's Education Insights article comes from Education Week. In it, you'll read about new research from the Advanced Education Research and Development Fund that challenges a common assumption in literacy instruction: that foundational reading skills end in the early grades. The article explores why many students begin to struggle with reading after 4th grade and highlights the critical role of advanced decoding skills, including multisyllabic word reading and morphology.
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Literary Works List Information
***Literary Works List Vote is scheduled for this month's SBOE meeting***
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State Board of Education
TEA Proposed Literary Works List
The TEA proposal establishes a minimum reading list. Local school systems will continue to select additional texts to incorporate.
Presentation Link
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Watch the Recording of the January SBOE Committee Meeting Discussions
Wednesday, January 28, 2026 - Committee of Full Board
Item 3: Discussion of Vocabulary Lists for Kindergarten-Grade 12 Reading Language Arts
Start Time: 2:26:00
Item 4: Proposed New Literary Works Lists for Kindergarten - 12 Reading Language Arts
Start Time: 3:12:00
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Proposed Review the Amended List
SBOE Member Will Hickman has proposed a shortened, amended version of the list below.
| | Region 10 Literacy Spark Speaker Series Save the Date! | | This event is FREE to any teacher! If you are out of the region/state, simply create a Region 10 account and Register Today! | | |
TEKSCon 2026
Conference Information: June 9-11, 2026 • Frisco, Texas • Embassy Suites by Hilton Dallas Frisco Hotel & Convention Center
| | All Systems Go: Teaching & Learning Conference R11 | | |
Join us for All Systems Go: A Teaching and Learning Conference, a premier event designed to recharge your practice and provide you with actionable strategies for your classroom. Whether you are looking to refine your core instruction or explore new digital frontiers, this conference is for you! What to Expect: Core Content Excellence: Discover evidence-based best practices in Math, Literacy, Social Studies, and Science. Innovation in Action: Engage in learning experiences that seamlessly incorporate Digital Learning and modern Pedagogy sessions. Customized Learning: With a wide variety of sessions to choose from, you can tailor your experience across various topics and specialized strands. Inspirational Voices: We have amazing keynote speakers lined up to share insights that will challenge and inspire you.
Location: Region 11 ESC, 1451 S. Cherry Lane - White Settlement, Texas 76108
| | The Title III Symposium provides valuable instructional tools and research-based strategies to ensure that emergent bilingual students attain English proficiency while learning academic content that will ensure they meet the state’s academic achievement standards. Statewide practitioners, including TEA staff, will offer sessions on innovative approaches for supporting our emergent bilingual students. | | What books are we reading? | | | |
The Digital Delusion: How Classroom Technology Harms Our Kids' Learning--and How to Help Them Thrive Again
by Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath
This month’s featured book, The Digital Delusion by Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, challenges the belief that more technology equals better learning. Drawing on neuroscience and classroom research, Horvath reveals how digital tools can hinder thinking and offers practical ways to restore human-centered, meaningful learning experiences.
Grab your copy of the book here.
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Let us know what you're reading!
Submit a book recommendation.
| | ELAR Curriculum Management (TCMPC) | | If you would like support from the TCMPC Team, please fill out the Request Form or contact the Program Coordinator, Angela Greca. | | |
Big News for Grades 3–English II: A brand‑new STAAR Assessed Curriculum tool is here.
(Grades 3–English II)
We’re excited to unveil TCMPC ELAR STAAR Assessed Curriculum & Performance Analysis, a brand‑new interactive tool designed to make STAAR‑aligned planning clearer, faster, and more strategic than ever. This digital resource brings together TEKS eligibility, assessment trends, instructional frequency, and question‑stem patterns—all in one easy‑to‑navigate place.
If you’ve used the TCMPC Math Blueprints, you’ll love this ELAR version. It’s the first of its kind for literacy, built to help educators make confident, data‑informed decisions.
Inside the tool, you’ll find:
- Question Stems & Percentages: High‑value stems, genres, and trends at a glance
- TVD & Assessed Curriculum: Instructional frequency + STAAR eligibility in a familiar format
- Help Tab: Embedded PD and quick tips for maximizing the tool’s impact
| | New Cross‑Curricular Integration Guide (K–5) | | Strengthen connections between Social Studies and ELAR with TCMPC brand‑new Cross‑Curricular Integration Guide for Grades K–5. Each grade‑level guide highlights aligned resources and Performance Assessments, includes 6‑ and 9‑week unit alignment documents, and offers practical recommendations for meaningful, intentional cross‑content planning. | | New 4QM + ECR Integration Guide (Grades 4–12) | | |
Strengthen cross‑content thinking with our new Guide for Integrating the 4QM Q2 Primary Source Analysis with the TEKS RS ELAR ECR Analytical Writing Process. This resource bridges Social Studies and ELAR by aligning historical inquiry with evidence‑based essay writing.
The guide offers a streamlined framework that supports stronger comprehension, purposeful notetaking, and clear analytical writing—helping students produce high‑quality historical analyses and effective written responses.
Click here for directions on where to find these new resources.
| | Latest Episode: Power Up TCMPC | |
Explore our newest video, featuring Jennifer Culver and Daniela Gatlin, as we guide districts through administrating calendars in TCMPC. Click here to watch our latest episode.
| | Reminder to access K-5 Bluebonnet ELAR Planning Tools to support you with lesson/unit internalization. Planning tools are linked directly into TCMPC website under resources. | |
Bluebonnet Learning & Strong Foundations News | | |
Bluebonnet Learning, developed by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and approved by the State Board of Education (SBOE) as official curriculum resources, offers state-developed instructional materials that are 100% aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).
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Strong Foundations Implementation (SFI) provides direct grant funds to local educational agencies (LEAs) for technical assistance to support the high-fidelity implementation of the Bluebonnet Learning Instructional Materials.
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We are here to support you in the implementation of your curriculum. If you have specific questions related to the Strong Foundations grant, please reach out to Ben Dickerson
LIFT ESC Lead, Teaching & Learning Services.
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