Strengthening Early Literacy with the New REL Writing Toolkit

The Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Program has released a powerful new resource: the Toolkit to Support Evidence-Based Writing Instruction in Grades 2–4. This free professional development package is designed to help teachers build stronger writers and readers by embedding proven instructional practices into everyday classroom life.

What sets this toolkit apart is that it is rooted in decades of research-proven professional development. It draws on the What Works Clearinghouse practice guide Teaching Elementary Students to Be Effective Writers and organizes the recommendations into practical, teacher-friendly modules.

Inside the Toolkit: A Roadmap for Teacher Growth

The toolkit is organized into three modules with a series of structured sessions, each designed for use in a professional learning community (PLC). Across these sessions, teachers learn, reflect, and practice strategies together before applying them in their own classrooms.

• Orientation SessionTeachers explore the importance of writing, review the practice guide recommendations, and complete an initial self-reflection to set high-level learning goals.

• Module 1: Creating Classroom Conditions for Writing

  • Session 1.1: Facilitate Writing Every Day – Teachers identify opportunities to integrate writing throughout the day and plan for daily writing time.

  • Session 1.2: Build a Writing Community – Teachers learn how to create a classroom culture where students collaborate, provide feedback, and make meaningful choices in their writing.

• Module 2: Teaching Students to Use the Writing Process

  • Session 2.1: Introduction to the Writing Process – Teachers review each stage of the writing process and select strategies that fit their classroom.

  • Session 2.2: Teach Planning and Drafting – Focus on student strategies for brainstorming, organizing, and composing early drafts.

  • Session 2.3: Teach Sharing, Evaluating, Revising, and Editing – Teachers plan lessons that model revising and editing while building peer- and self-feedback skills.

  • Session 2.4: Build Student Independence – Teachers explore ways to help students take ownership of their writing through flexible strategies and goal-setting.

• Module 3: Sustaining Evidence-Based Writing Instruction

  • Session 3.1: Sustain the Practice – Teachers create a long-term vision for writing instruction and set goals for continued growth.

At NovaEventus ECM, we specialize in helping education leaders put research into practice. If you’re looking for a partner to support implementation of this toolkit in your district, we can help you maximize its impact. 📩 Contact us today for a free consultation: eric@NovaEventus.com

Why This Toolkit Matters

This toolkit does more than provide strategies—it creates a sustainable cycle of professional learning. Teachers move from reflection, to practice, to classroom application, and back again with structured support. The inclusion of self-reflections, independent work, and coaching meetings ensures that changes in instruction stick and translate into real improvements in student outcomes.

Bringing Research to Practice

For school and district leaders, this toolkit represents an evidence-based, cost-effective way to support teachers as part of a school improvement plan. Unlike one-off workshops, it builds lasting capacity for strong writing instruction.

At NovaEventus ECM, we specialize in helping education leaders put research into practice. If you’re looking for a partner to support implementation of this toolkit in your district, we can help you maximize its impact.

📩 Contact us today for a free consultation: eric@NovaEventus.com