Professional Development

Supporting literacy proficiency, district-wide

We know that high-quality, ongoing professional development for teachers is one of the most effective ways to impact student achievement in reading and writing.

But we’ve probably all participated in isolated workshops or webinars in the past that left us feeling confused about next steps, anxious about upcoming challenges, and frustrated about the lack of practical strategies for real classrooms. 

My colleagues and I support educators—teachers, coaches, and administrators alike—with ongoing, research-based professional learning experiences that are driven by educator goals, build readily-transferable knowledge and skills, and positively impact student learning in literacy.

The books and resources I’ve authored provide the foundation for our learning together.  And one of my approved consultants or I facilitate every learning experience.

No matter your curriculum, approach to literacy instruction, or the student population you support, we offer customized professional development opportunities and virtual events to meet your needs, aligned to my books and materials.

Customized literacy consulting

We tailor experiences for professional growth to match both the big-picture vision of your district, as well the individual goals of educators and students in your building.

Customize the format of delivery (in-person or online), language of instruction (English or Spanish), and instructional focus.  With literacy consultants skilled in scaffolding learning for students with a range of backgrounds, needs, and abilities, we can support your school with any literacy topic from my books and publications. 

Instructional focuses could include assessment, one-on-one or small group teaching, bilingual or dual language instruction, content area literacy, interventions and supports for students with specialized needs, and more.  

To support teachers, coaches, and administrators in transferring knowledge and strategies to real classrooms, we apply differentiated structures for best practices in adult learning.  Side-by-side modeling in classrooms, one-on-one coaching, and small group reflections are formats that might be used.

Jennifer Serravallo and literacy consultant work with school leaders to develop PD plan

Our Process

  1. We get to know all of the learners in your school. From a conversation with a professional learning specialist to on-site evaluations, we work with you to identify opportunities for growth.

  2. We work together to analyze your data and set goals that honor your budget and time constraints.

  3. Your goals then inform how we craft a customized, purposeful, ongoing (ideally, multi-year) professional learning plan.  

  4. We get to work implementing our plan! We continuously monitor progress and respond to the specific needs of students, teachers, coaches, and administrators along the way.  

  5. In between our visits and as our work together comes to an end, we offer clear guidance on how to continue making progress toward ongoing goals.  

  6. We celebrate your successes and continue to look forward, as we know the journey of reading, writing, teaching, and learning is a neverending one.

Literacy consultant working one-on-one with educator to analyze student data

Online open-enrollment workshops and webinars

If you’re looking to energize your literacy instruction with educators from around the world, join me for an upcoming virtual learning opportunity. 

Grow in your understanding of research-driven practices, interact with a global community of learners, and get immediately practical strategies while learning from your home or school. Together, we’ll explore a wide range of critical, high-interest reading and writing topics, with all professional learning grounded in the research and strategies from my books, led by me and/or with colleagues.

Check out my calendar below to see upcoming events that teachers, coaches, and administrators can register for today.

January 2023

24. MAIS Conference (online)

25. Full-Day Workshop: Reading Strategies (TX, online)

February 2023

16. Tulare County (online)

27. GA Association of Curriculum & Instruction Supervisors

March 2023

1, 8. Webinar Series (Parts 1&2/3): Reading Strategies

Canadian Registration

Outside Canada Registration

7. MAIS Conference (online)

28. National Louis University Webinar Series (online)

April 2023

5. Webinar Series (Part 3/3): Reading Strategies

Canadian Registration

Outside Canada Registration

12. IL ASCD virtual conference: Reading Strategies

14 & 21. Hong Kong International School Web Series (online)

May 2023

9. MAIS Conference (virtual)

22. Full Day Workshop (WIN Ntwk): Reading Strategies

June 2023


July 2023


August 2023


September 2023

22. Oklahoma Reading Association (virtual)

  • “You did an absolutely outstanding job today. Your energy and enthusiasm are contagious! I was blown away by your ability to personally connect with people via chat and the Q and A section. Did I hear right… you answered over 40 questions during one of our work sessions this afternoon?! Wow! Today was the type of motivation and guidance our teachers needed to push through the next few months.”

    Ryan Nevius, Executive Director, IL ASCD

  • “Molly has a realistic approach as she helps us reach the needs of our students. She models the lessons and strategies that we can replicate with our students. During our meetings, we have the opportunity to discuss our needs and progress. Each time, Molly has offered suggestions and interest in our work. She is absolutely lovely and we look forward to additional learning as the year progresses.”

    Shannon Ticali, 2nd Grade Teacher

  • “Working with Lainie has been so impactful on student writing at Gaines! She has helped to determine needs and goals for the whole school, teams of teachers, and individual teachers. Her work is differentiated and ‘just in time.’ For example, as a result of Lainie's first week with us, students in 2nd grade went from writing very little to writing every day. She has a way of helping teachers move from a deficit mindset to a "what are the students ready for" mindset. She has also had a huge impact on me as a coach, helping me become more intentional with my time and helping me set goals for coaching work.”

    Elisa Beth Trotter, Instructional Coach

  • “Dr. Maraia has been a pleasure to work with. He has established a great rapport with our teachers and specialists. The work in the classroom is beginning to take form, as teachers are becoming more and more familiar with their students as readers. We hope that we are able to continue this work with Dr. Maraia, as he has had a positive impact in our teachers growth.”

    Vanessa Proietto, Vice Principal

  • “Leah was a fantastic source of knowledge! My colleagues and I have learned so much from her! Her feedback is to the point and makes sense.”

    Renee Hynes, ELA (English Language Arts) Instructional Coach

  • “Darren is a super-clear communicator. I appreciate that he shared the nuts and bolts of the program while also embedding the big WHY (why this work can be a vital component in our reading support--and HOW it can be implemented).”

    Liz Lueras, MTSS TOSA (Multi-Tiered System of Support, Teacher on Special Assignment)

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Who leads the professional learning?

    All professional learning is led by me (Jen) or one of my approved literacy consultants. Each consultant works closely and regularly with me, to grow in their own professional learning and collaborate on school planning.

  • Are you able to address the needs of schools with diverse populations, including multilingual students and students with IEPs?

    Yes. Our team is equipped with the knowledge and skills to support diverse educators and students, in a variety of unique situations and settings. We are skilled in aligning teaching and learning to language goals, students with IEPs, advanced students in need of challenge, and/or multilingual learners (English Language Learners).

  • We need to improve test scores. Do you teach student test-prep?

    No. While we firmly believe that assessing student learning is critical for planning and delivering differentiated instruction, we do not use our time together to prepare students for test taking achievement specifically. We believe strong literacy and content instruction year round is the best preparation for literacy assessments.