About Us

What we explore

Disciplinary Literacy

  • Explicitly teaching discipline-specific close reading strategies within science, math, history and social studies to scaffold and support students as they tackle complex texts

  • Writing across text types within the content areas to increase engagement, comprehension and retention of information

  • Using AI responsibly for the real-world disciplinary writing tasks

  • Utilizing multi-media text sets to build knowledge and interpret visual media

  • Developing a lens for bias and misinformation

  • Bringing awareness to theory of mind in reading comprehension and understanding of diverse perspectives

  • Increasing engagement and relevance through connected current events

  • Employing the situation model in comprehension by planning for transfer through conceptual knowledge building

  • Ensuring standards-aligned teaching for disciplinary literacy

  • Implementing reciprocal teaching strategies to increase engagement and comprehension of disciplinary texts

  • Unlocking the power of interactive read aloud, whole class conversation and debate

  • Presenting newly-developed knowledge through collaborative projects, performances, and celebrations using various mediums

Writing

  • Understanding writing process across text types to support independence 

  • Supporting emergent writers through oral language development, shared writing, guided writing, and interactive writing & drawing

  • Teaching grammar and word study to support foundational skill development and transfer into writing

  • Establishing a Writing Workshop that fosters volume and independence

  • Authoring genre-based units of study for Writing Workshop

  • Assessing writers on process and the qualities of good writing

  • Using mentor texts to teach students how to identify and analyze qualities of good writing and apply them with independence 

  • Conferring with writers to set goals and support skill development across genres

  • Establishing partnerships to support cooperative learning and lift the level of student writing

  • Supporting research-based informational and argument writing

  • Incorporating writing into the content areas

  • Writing for a variety of purposes and audiences

Reading

  • Auditing curriculum and resources for high-impact literacy practices, culturally responsive-sustaining education, and social emotional learning

  • Tailoring resources to meet the needs of students and align with current standards

  • Developing multi-media text sets across genres to build knowledge

  • Fostering skilled reading through rich read aloud and shared reading with dialogic conversation, robust vocabulary instruction, fluency development, and explicit instruction in phonological awareness, phonics, and morphology

  • Implementing explicit, multi-sensory instruction in systematic phonological awareness, phonics, and word study using structured literacy strategies with deliberate practice in connected texts

  • Establishing comprehensive reading instruction that fosters rigor, independence, and agency through whole class, small group, and individualized instruction

  • Authoring knowledge building curriculum that supports reading skills and conceptual understandings

  • Administering and analyzing benchmark assessments, commercial screeners, diagnostics, and progress monitoring to plan for data-based instruction and goal setting

  • Utilizing effective structures in conferring, guided reading, strategy lessons, foundational skills lessons, and whole-class mini lessons using both trade books and decodable texts to propel readers forward

  • Deepening comprehension through text-based discussion and writing opportunities

  • Utilizing partnerships and book clubs to foster student engagement and accountability

  • Creating units for content area literacy and interdisciplinary studies

  • Raising awareness in dyslexia and utilizing structured literacy practices to meet student needs

MTSS

  • Collaborate with leadership to review and evaluate existing structures

  • Identify areas of growth in instructional practices across systems

  • Create protocols for data analyses

  • Establish entry and exit criteria for interventions

  • Match appropriate resources for implementing need-based instruction

  • Develop norms for progress monitoring

  • Design professional learning for systematic implementation

  • Monitor and revise systems, processes, and structures of implementation

Teaching Methods & Curriculum Development

  • Aligning curriculum and practice with portrait of a graduate

  • Embedding culturally responsive and sustaining teaching practices across the curriculum

  • Understanding the Science of Reading and how it informs our instruction

  • Developing interdisciplinary curriculum and skill alignment across subjects

  • Using gradual release of responsibility to support student skill acquisition

  • Teaching for conceptual understandings and transfer

  • Explicit teaching based on best practices of demonstration, explanation, guided practice, and inquiry for adequate scaffolding

  • Planning effective interactive read alouds, minilessons, strategy lessons, reading groups, conferring, shared reading, shared writing, interactive writing, and systematic, multi-sensory phonics instruction

  • Using a variety of teacher resources and programs to effectively plan for instruction 

  • Incorporating strategies for social and emotional learning into every day teaching

  • Providing scaffolding and support for English Language Learners

  • Accommodating all learners

Who we are

Erik

Erik Lepis is a regional, national, and international presenter and literacy consultant based in New York City, specializing in literacy learning across the K–12 continuum. He works closely with building and district leaders to help administrators develop a vision for literacy instruction, design coherent systems of practice, raise student achievement, and lead school-wide change through the teaching of reading and writing.… (more)

Kirsten

Kirsten Widmer is a national consultant specializing in reading and writing instruction across the K–12 continuum where she works with superintendents, administrators, and teachers to develop and implement reading and writing curriculum designed to engage all learners.. Her work helps schools design literacy systems that honor both the science of how the brain learns to read and the art of how language fosters thinking, belonging, and voice… (more)

Michelle

Michelle Stone taught in New York City and Long Island public schools for over 15 years prior to consulting. In her national work with school districts, she customizes reading and writing curriculum and empowers teachers to successfully meet the ever-changing needs of their students in literacy… (more)

In partnership

Annie

Annie is an international literacy consultant who partners with schools and districts to strengthen literacy instruction across all grades. She works closely with school and district leaders to analyze data, craft responsive instructional plans, and design coherent systems of practice that support teacher development and improve student learning. Through hands-on, practical professional development, Annie helps educators translate vision into action.…(more)

Where we’ve worked

United States

New York — New York City, North Country, Long Island, Albany, Schenectady, Westchester, Putnam, Orange, Ulster, Amsterdam
Connecticut — Norwich, Trumbull, Ledyard, Hartford, Danbury
New Jersey — Passaic, Orange, Union, Monmouth, Middlesex, Sussex, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Mercer, Ocean, Somerset
South Carolina — Columbia
Illinois — Chicago Suburbs
Texas — Dallas, Houston Suburbs
Maine — Portland
Oregon — Portland

Washington — Seattle
California — San Fransisco, Los Angeles
Wyoming — Cheyenne
Wisconsin — Madison, Appleton
Maryland
Washington DC
Florida — Palm Beach County, Martin County, Clearwater
Michigan — Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor
Georgia — Atlanta, DeKalb
Louisiana — New Orleans
Tennessee — Memphis
Missouri — St. Louis
Colorado — Denver

International

Chile — Santiago
United Emirates — Dubai
Germany — Berlin China — Hong Kong, Xiamen Austria — Velden am Wörthersee Singapore

What people say

  • "I was so overcome with emotion at how hard my teachers had worked to apply all that they had learned from you this week. It was clearly evident that many of them had stayed after work to redo their walls, bringing those anchor charts back to the forefront. They also revised their schedules and established new routines to support their Workshops. I saw kids reading back-to-back; I saw teachers conferring softly with individual students; I saw interactive writing, shared writing, and more. It has been such an emotional week for all of us, Erik. Thank you for getting us recalibrated and heading back in the right direction! Eternally grateful"

    — Director of Early Childhood, Clearwater, FL

  • "I have been in the field for 19 years now and it was so refreshing to see someone so proficient, passionate, and dedicated to her craft. You were amazing to watch and I’m excited about trying the new things I took away from the session. As a former principal who returned to the classroom because it is what I love doing, I am glad to see that you truly love what you are doing. Wishing you the best always!"

    — Teacher, Jericho, NY

  • "Thank you for taking the time out of your summer schedule to come and inspire our teachers in Schenectady. Your key note and closing were amazing! I was inspired to stand up for my students and won’t soon forget the impact we have on those students who need us most."

    — 2nd Grade Teacher, Schenectady, NY

  • "Welcome back to Manhasset where both of you have cultivated a great professional relationship with our teachers and members of our admin team. The teachers involved in the Reading Pilot seemed to be off to a good start thanks to yesterday’s meeting as a significant amount was discussed."

    — Superintendent, Manhasset, NY

  • "I wanted to provide some feedback on the Conferring with Readers workshop on 12/1/15. I thought the workshop was outstanding and he was an equally strong presenter. The information was valuable, useful, and in line with what I had learned previously about reading conferences. I’ve already shared what I’ve learned with a number of teachers."

    — Principal, Medford Township, NJ

  • "A few weeks ago, I was named Elementary Principal of the Year for our district, and would not have been possible without you and the incredible work you have done with our staff. Parkwood has become a true staff development site due to the successful implementation of Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop, and you are the force behind that. I hope you realize the positive impact you have on all of the people you train…you change their teaching forever. I cannot thank you or Terri enough for all you’ve done… "

    — Principal, Deer Park, TX

  • "Thanks so much for everything. You have made a significant impact on our teachers and most importantly on our students. Thank you!"

    — Principal, Manhasset, NY