Developing Readers for Life
Providing educators with EVIDENCE-BASED LITERACY TRAINING, TOOLS, AND MENTORSHIP so all students learn to read and write.
Fact: TWO-THIRDS of all students cannot read or write at proficiency.
Educators are wasting time and energy trying to implement tools and approaches to reading that simply don’t work.
Meanwhile, teacher burnout and turnover continue to rise.
Worst of all, young people are graduating from high school without the literacy skills to reach their full potential.
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Experience the joy of growing readers.
Plant the seeds of literacy and watch students blossom.
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Start each day with confidence.
With our tools and training, you can finally help your students make true reading and writing progress.
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Save tens of hours on class prep.
Our templates and resources make lesson planning and teaching a breeze.
Over the last four years, Root Literacy Design has trained HUNDREDS of educators in seven different schools across Rhode Island.
Whether you call it the science of reading, Structured Literacy, or evidence-based literacy practices, we can support you.
We offer in-person consulting and coaching support to schools in Rhode Island and virtual training for educators, coaches, school leaders, and tutors across the country.
We are the only company in Rhode Island certified to offer Right to Read Act training.
Our consulting and training is led by current educators who work in schools every day, and who understand the unique challenges of today’s school environment.
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![Victoria Lamp]()
“RLD completely changed my approach to literacy, especially for students with learning differences.”
Victoria Lamp,
Director of Special Education 6-12
North Providence, RI -
![Nikki Gardner]()
“The Roots of Literacy training helps all levels of teachers understand the foundation of the science of reading and also put that foundation to life by practicing, modeling, and creating lessons for our learners”
Nikki Gardner,
Middle School Teacher -
![Harlyn Benetti]()
“Like most teachers today, I was not trained in evidence-based literacy practices and was unsure how to help my students become stronger readers. RLD's training taught me exactly what to do in order to figure out my students’ needs. I now know what instruction to give to help my students, and have a plethora of tools I can use.”
Harlyn Benetti,
Middle School Humanities Teacher -
![Diane Randall]()
“After the Roots of Literacy training with RLD, I have a tool kit of resources and easy strategies to teach many types of learners WHY and HOW to read and write! Strategies that are intuitive, take minimal preparation, and that WORK!"
Diane Randall,
Art teacher
Get started in 3 EASY STEPS today.
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1. Schedule a free consultation
During our 15 minute call, we’ll assess your current needs and recommend the right program for you.
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2. Launch your training
Our experienced facilitators train you in the skills and tools you need to feel confident and empowered in your role.
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3. Revolutionize the way your students learn to read and write
Your students will stop struggling and start to make real progress. Share the surprise and pride with your student and their families!
School Partnerships
When students thrive, schools and communities thrive.
In a school partnership, Root Literacy Design assesses your school’s current state of literacy and works with you to design and execute a Literacy Action Plan.
But it doesn’t end there.
We then help you create long-term, sustainable ways to maintain your school’s transformation and build a lasting culture of literacy.
We serve schools nationwide on a virtual basis, and serve Rhode Island and Southern Massachusetts in-person or virtually.
Schedule a call to discuss partnering with your school.
Virtual Professional Development Offerings
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Roots of Literacy Training
For Practitioners & Coaches
Cost: $2,500
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Practicum
For Practitioners & Coaches
Cost: $2,300
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Coaches Mentorship Network
For Coaches
Cost: $4,500
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School Leaders Mentorship Network
For Administrators
Cost: $5,500
How Well Do You Know the Science of Reading?
Find out your level of familiarity with evidence-based literacy in just 2 minutes.
Ready? Let's go!
Frequently Asked Questions
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We offer training and support to individual educators and schools in the science of reading, Structured Literacy, and evidence-based literacy so that all students learn to read and write.
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We offer virtual training on a nationwide basis to the three groups of educators defined below:
Practitioner: An educator who delivers instruction directly to students. Practitioner roles include K-12 classroom teachers, special educators, teacher assistants, paraprofessionals, MLL specialists, reading specialists, interventionists, and tutors.
Coach: An educator who supports and coaches practitioners. Coach roles include instructional coaches, literacy coaches, reading specialists, facilitators, MLL directors, special education directors, deans, & lead teachers.
Administrator: An educator in an administrative role; one who leads school/district level strategic planning and implementation. School administrators roles include directors, principals, vice principals, and deans.
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RLD provides virtual support to schools nationwide. Additionally, schools in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts may opt for in-person support. Visit our School Partnerships page of our website to learn more.
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Yes. We help educators learn about and implement evidence-based literacy practices, which help ALL students learn to read and write, including multilingual learners (MLLs) and students with IEPs and 504s. We recommend taking a look at The Reading League’s Defining Guide (free) to learn more about the science of reading and evidence-based literacy practices.
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We do offer scholarships for individual educators, as we are committed to ensuring that all students learn to read and write. Please reach out to Heather Ballantine at hballantine@rootliteracydesign.com to learn more.
Sandra Berkley Literacy Grant: One scholarship of $1,000 or two scholarships of $500 each are awarded each year to educators experiencing financial hardship, regardless of geographic location.
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Yes! If you live in Rhode Island and choose to complete your Practicum with a RITES student, you are eligible for the following. scholarship:
RITES Scholarship: This is a $1,100 scholarship that pays educators to complete a literacy practicum. To learn more, contact Heather Ballantine at hballantine@rootliteracydesign.com or Lisa Bigney at lisa@ritutorial.org.
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RLD has four primary offerings:
Roots of Literacy training for Practitioners and Coaches
Guided Practicum for Practitioners and Coaches
Peer Mentorship Network for Coaches
Peer Mentorship Network for Administrators
View our detailed downloadable FAQ here [hyperlink to doc in footer] to learn more about each offering.
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Certifications are available for Roots of Literacy and the Guided Practicum.
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Yes, RLD’s Roots of Literacy is approved by the RI Department of Education for the Dyslexia/Literacy Endorsement.
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Educators may register for programs of their choice on a first-come, first-served basis. To stay up-to-date with all of our latest announcements, we encourage you to sign up for our email list here. [insert hyperlink]
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Each offering is priced as follows:
Roots of Literacy training for Practitioners and Coaches: $2,500 per person. Schools and districts receive 5% off when enrolling 5 or more people.
Guided Practicum for Practitioners and Coaches: $2,300 per person for one year ($2,000 + $300 of instructional materials)
Peer Mentorship Network for Coaches: $4,500 per person for one year
Peer Mentorship Network for School administrators: $5,500 per person for one year