The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Office of Teaching and Learning invites educators from across the state to engage in literacy learning opportunities that are thoughtfully aligned to Maine’s statewide Action Plans.
The quieter winter season often offers a natural moment for reflection and growth. These literacy professional learning opportunities are designed to be supportive, practical, and inspiring—an invitation for educators to use the winter months to strengthen their practice, build shared understanding, and invest in the essential work of literacy.
Together, the below offerings form a menu of literacy learning opportunities available throughout the winter and spring of 2026. Educators are encouraged to engage in the experiences that best meet their interests, roles, and local contexts, whether that means participating in a cohort, attending a single workshop, joining virtual support hours, exploring modular professional learning, or taking part in statewide literacy initiatives.
Winter/Spring 2026 Literacy Professional Learning Opportunities:
Maine Solutionaries Project Literacy Cohort
This professional learning opportunity equips middle and high school teachers with training in four high-impact, interdisciplinary literacy practices that foster lifelong literacy and support successful Solutionary Inquiry-to-Action projects. Through engagement with complex texts, text-based discussion and writing, word study, and collaborative performance tasks, this cohort strengthens students’ reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language skills across content areas.
- Audience: Grades 4-12 educators
- Format:
- In-person kickoff session on January 27, 2026, from 8:30-3:30 p.m. at Maple Hill Farm in Hallowell
- Weekly virtual learning sessions on Tuesdays from 4-5:30 p.m. from February 3 through March 31 (four weeks focused on Solutionary Learning and four weeks focused on literacy integration)
Participants may earn up to 45 contact hours. Educators are encouraged to attend these sessions in pairs. Please use this link to register.
Spring Integrated Literacy Workshops
Please use this link to register for any of the following integrated literacy workshops:
Integrating Literacy with Mapmaking: Renee Keul will explore the connection between literacy and mapmaking by engaging educators in analyzing and creating maps. This workshop models how spatial reasoning, data visualization, and critical thinking support reading, writing, and communication across content areas, reinforcing literacy as a shared responsibility. This workshop strengthens foundational literacy skills such as decoding symbols, building vocabulary, sequencing ideas, and making meaning across texts through hands-on, interdisciplinary learning.
- Audience: Pk-12 Educators
- Date: March 6, 2026, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
- Location: Osher Map Library in Portland (or virtually via Zoom)
- Contact Hours: seven hours available
Integrating Literacy with Objects and Writing: Deb Johnson and Ronni Blaisdell will share strategies for using real-world artifacts and natural materials to support foundational reading and writing skills. By modeling object-based learning grounded in authentic texts and materials, this workshop demonstrates how interdisciplinary, hands-on instruction strengthens literacy development across grade levels and content areas. This workshop builds vocabulary, comprehension, and writing stamina through close observation and inquiry.
- Audience: pre-K-12 educators
- Date: April 10, 2026, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
- Location: Maine Mineral and Gem Museum in Bethel (or virtually via Zoom)
- Contact Hours: seven hours available
Reaching Reluctant Readers: Cris Tovani will explore why students disengage from reading and how educators can remove barriers to learning. Grounded in research-based strategies for knowledge building and comprehension, the session equips educators with practical tools to support confident, independent readers across content areas. This workshop addresses engagement, motivation, and access as essential components of effective literacy instruction, particularly for students who are reluctant or struggling readers.
- Audience: pre-K-12 educators
- Date: May 15, 2026, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
- Location: Camp Chamberlain in Augusta (or virtually via Zoom)
- Contact Hours: seven hours available
Virtual Support Hours: Virtual support will be available on Thursdays following each workshop. These sessions are open to all educators, regardless of whether they attended the corresponding workshops, and are designed to support the application of learning through collaboration, reflection, and shared problem-solving.
- Graphic Novels for Literacy (workshop already occurred)
January 8 through February 19, 2026, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. – Zoom registration link
This is an open, collaborative space to explore how graphic novels support comprehension, vocabulary development, and visual literacy across grade levels and content areas. Participants are encouraged to bring questions, classroom experiences, and ideas aligned with the statewide Action Plans’ interdisciplinary vision. - Integrating Literacy with Mapmaking
February 26 through April 9, 2026, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. – Zoom registration link
This is an informal space to explore how map analysis and creation can strengthen vocabulary, comprehension, and meaning making across content areas, reinforcing literacy as a shared responsibility. - Integrating Literacy with Objects and Writing
April 16 through May 7, 2026, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. –Zoom registration link
This is a supportive forum to reflect on and apply hands-on strategies that build engagement, motivation, and access to literacy through object-based learning and writing. - Reaching Reluctant Readers
May 14 through June 4, 2026, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. – Zoom registration link
This is an open forum to extend learning from Cris Tovani’s strategies for engagement and comprehension. Educators can share challenges and explore ways to remove barriers to reading and support confident, independent literacy development.
Additional Literacy Learning Opportunities
- Literacy Modules for Professional Learning: School administrative units (SAUs) may purchase licenses for AIM Steps to Literacy modules or Keys to Literacy modules at reduced costs and then seek reimbursement once educators have successfully completed the modules. Find additional details here.
- For ME Instructional Programs: An informational session will be held on January 26, 2026, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. for schools interested in adopting the For ME Instructional Programs (Pre-K for ME, K for ME, 1st Grade for ME, and/or 2nd Grade for ME). These programs are grounded in evidence-based literacy practices, are interdisciplinary and play-based, and are aligned with Maine’s learning standards. Additional details and the Zoom link will be shared in January 2026.
- Read to ME Challenge 2026: Get ready for this year’s Read to ME Challenge, running throughout the month of February! Details will be shared in January 2026.
For more information about these professional learning opportunities, please contact Maine DOE Interdisciplinary Instruction Team Coordinator Kathy Bertini at Kathy.Bertini@maine.gov.
Titles II-A and IV-A funds received from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) support the implementation of these projects. These projects have an award totaling $99,569.00 of which 38% is federally funded and directly attributed to project implementation. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, ED or the U.S. government.
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