Colson Whitehead will be the keynote speaker this weekend at the 36th annual Printers Row Lit Fest (PRLF). The festival is an opportunity to celebrate and support Chicago’s independent bookstores, … Read More
Rochelle Lee Teacher Award Study Group
In early June, Rochelle Lee Teacher Award (RLTA) Study Group leaders and members join their coaches and WITS staff to share what they learned and discuss their group projects at … Read More
The Virtual Program Year
The 2020-2021 WITS Virtual Program year brought together students and volunteers for shared reading, mentorship, and community building. These are the staples of a traditional WITS program! Each week, students … Read More
Utilizing an Equity-Literacy Framework
WITS celebrates the strengths of our students and the communities we partner with. We commit to taking the structural view rather than the deficit view of educational disparities. It is … Read More
WITS Kindergarten: We Did It!
WITS is proud to celebrate the culmination of WITS Kindergarten Online for the 2020-2021 school year. Kindergarten is a great time to introduce students to the benefits of online learning. … Read More
Mixing-It-Up with Reading Challenges
WITS created reading challenges as a way for reading teams to discover new genres of books. Epic! has a vast selection of awesome, diverse books. It can be difficult narrowing … Read More
WITS Kindergarten: The Power and Magic of Interactive Read Alouds
Story time is sacred. When I was a kindergarten teacher, one of my favorite parts of the day was interactive read alouds. I would sing our jingle to signal to my students to … Read More
What is a Book Talk?
A Book Talk is like a very short “commercial” for a book. The goal of Book Talks is to share favorite books so that students can learn about titles recommended … Read More
How WITS Programs Align with the New CPS Reading Plan
Over the last two years Jane Fleming, Chicago Public Schools Director of Literacy, has led the creation of a robust vision for literacy in CPS. WITS was excited to have … Read More
Providing Consistent, Positive Support for WITS Students
Last month, WITS began its virtual program, a space for students and mentors to engage in shared reading and community building. This program has been months in the making, involving … Read More