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Our Services

The Borg Center provides a variety of services to PK-12 students, teachers, preservice teachers, and the broader community.

Literacy Resources

Professional Development

The Borg Center offers professional development on a variety of topics. Professional development formats are offered as either scheduled short courses or customized, site-based learning opportunities.

Short Courses

Borg short courses are six-week mini-courses in which College of Education faculty facilitate extended learning opportunities on topics relevant to educators. Each course includes six virtual meetings with readings and assignments between meetings. Illinois teachers can earn professional development hours upon the successful completion of any course. See below for currently scheduled short courses; more courses will be added as they are finalized.

Customized Learning Opportunities

Customized learning opportunities can be created across a wide range of literacy topics for educational institutions who serve pre-K through high school learners. Our services are site-based and collaborative. We will work with you to design a structure and develop content that will meet your district or school professional development goals.

Our professional development providers are School of Teaching and Learning faculty who have a wide range of expertise in literacy teaching and learning.

Core Knowledge Language Arts Curriculum

Interested in how to implement the the Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) curriculum in a culturally responsive/equity-oriented way? Dr. Jones draws upon her CKLA research to provide professional development that includes topics such as reviewing units/materials through a culturally responsive teaching lens and/or adapting and extending materials to be more culturally and linguistically responsive. Interested schools/districts are invited to co-create sessions.

Developing Integrated Units of Study in the Early Grades (K-3)

Literacy development doesn’t occur in isolation. In these sessions, you will learn how to integrate across the disciplines to support early learners.

Reading Assessment

Learn more about how to effectively design reading assessments.

Family Engagement

Families are a vital part of literacy development. Dr. Hao introduces various ways to engage families, particularly those of emergent bilinguals.

Illinois Literacy Plan

Get support for implementing the new Illinois Literacy Plan.

Reading Instruction

Reading is a complex process. We can provide support for different aspects of the process including phonics and phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, cue systems, and comprehension. We can also offer guidance for implementing critical reading workshops.

Multilingual Learners

Dr. Handsfield shares her vast experience working with language learners by providing 1-1 coaching and offering workshops or series of workshops focused on teaching multilingual elementary learners, including translanguaging practices and biliteracy instruction.

Learning to Be Literate: More than a Single Story

Join a book club with the author, Dr. MacPhee. This is your chance to get your questions about the concepts in the book answered.

Writing Instruction

Like reading, writing is a complex process. Literacy faculty can provide development in how to each writing in a critical and humanizing way.

Questions?

Please contact Robyn Seglem with any questions or to schedule sessions.
(309) 438-3969
TheBorgCenterforReadingandLiteracy@ilstu.edu