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Literacy

The Ambitious Instruction: Accelerating Learning plan brings the district back to the basics of quality learning and teaching. It unites all content areas around (1) formative practices, (2) explicit instruction, and (3) meaningful student engagement. Each grade level and content area will embrace specific instructional practices around these areas.

The following equity-oriented practices provide the framework for Ambitious Instruction: Accelerating Learning.

  • Using high-quality, standards-aligned, district-adopted instructional materials
  • Focusing on culturally and linguistically responsive teaching practices that promote learning
  • Leveraging technology to empower students to create, collaborate, communicate, and think critically

MPS Reads

In support of our Ambitious Instruction Plan for reading, each month we will feature below suggested titles for pre-kindergarten through grade 12 students. The goal is to

  • assist teachers, librarians, parents, and others in finding interesting books that will encourage and excite students to read more literature and informational text;
  • suggest titles that allow students to see themselves, explore other cultures, and discover more about the world in which they live;
  • increase the volume of books that students are reading independently to ignite a passion for reading.
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August 2022 Selections

Learn about the selections for August 2022. Titles include I Got the School Spirit; We Can: Portraits of Power; Flight of the Puffin; Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, El increíble niño comelibros, and Roxy, the Last Unisaurus Rex.

July 2022 Selections

Learn about the selections for July 2022. Titles include Yummy: A History of Desserts; Juliet Takes a Breath; The Lion of Mars; Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophesy; Let Me Fix You a Plate: A Tale of Two Kitchens; and Blackout.

June 2022 Selections

Learn about the selections for June 2022. Titles include Pink Is for Boys, Antonio's Card/La tarjeta de Antonio, When We Love Someone, We Sing to Them: Cuando Amamos Cantamos, The Inexplicable Logic of My Life, and We Are Family.

May 2022 Selections

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! Learn about the book selections for May 2022. Titles include A Big Mooncake for Little Star, Cuba in My Pocket, Finding Junie Kim, Wrong Side of the Court, Todas las hadas del reino, and Eyes that Kiss in the Corners.

April 2022 Selections

April is National Poetry Month! Learn about the selections for April 2022. Titles include Lailah's Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story; Blancaflor, the Hero with Secret Powers: A Folktale from Latin America; Muted; Todo es canción: Antología poética, and Hair Twins.

March 2022 Selections

Learn about the book selections for March 2022. Titles include ABC What Can She Be?; Dress Coded; Hear My Voice/Escucha mi voz; Wake: The Hidden Story of Women-Led Slave Revolts; and Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer.

February 2022 Selections

Learn about the book selections for February 2022. Titles include Tiny T. Rex and the Perfect Valentine; Grandpa Cacao: A Tale of Chocolate, from Farm to Family; Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party's Promise to the People; Copo de Algodón; and Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre.

January 2022 Selections

Learn about the book selections for January 2022. Titles include Omar Rising, The Stars Will Still Shine, The Crossroads/La encrucijada, and Every Month Is a New Year: Celebrations Around the World.

December 2021 Selections

Learn about the book selections for December 2021. Titles include Playing the Cards You're Dealt; The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez; Fat Chance, Charlie Vega; and 'Twas Nochebuena (A Christmas Story in English and Spanish).

November 2021 Selections

Learn about the book selections for November 2021. Titles include Flying High: The Story of Gymnastics Champion Simone Biles; Elvis and the Underdogs; The Unteachables; and Recuerda aquella vez.

October 2021 Selections

Learn about the book selections for October 2021. Titles include Milo Imagines the World, Root Magic, My Secret Bully/Mi enemiga secreta, Wolf Mark, and Thunder Boy Jr.

September 2021 Selections

Learn about the book selections for September 2021. Titles include Outside, Inside; Maybe: A Story about the Endless Potential in All of Us; Home Is Not a Country; and The Ants' Secret/El secreto de las hormigas.

Wisconsin Literacy StandardsMission

The mission of the Milwaukee Public Schools Department of Curriculum and Instruction is to develop students’ understanding and thinking through the integration of reading and writing, which will prepare all students to become critical consumers of information as well as to convey sophisticated and complex ideas. The district will achieve this by implementing the following practices:

  • Creating a culture for learning that engages all communities of culturally and linguistically diverse individuals
  • Using culturally and linguistically responsive dispositions that honor our students’ native languages to build bridges to standardized English
  • Building socially and emotionally safe environments that promote risk taking and a diversity of perspective
  • Designing and engaging students in rigorous and relevant lessons that are aligned to the curriculum
  • Implementing research-based instructional practices and instructional frameworks grounded in a high-quality, balanced assessment system that offers a tiered system of support for all students

Vision

The vision of the Milwaukee Public Schools literacy department is to educate all students to proficiency and beyond in order to prepare them for success in higher education, careers, and responsible citizenship. The ultimate goal of literacy education is to celebrate and utilize the language and literacy practices of our culturally and linguistically diverse learners as a tool to bridge, foster, and add academic literacy to students’ repertories.

 

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  What is the Ambitious Instruction Plan?

The Ambitious Instruction Plan outlines the goals, vision, essential skills, strategies, and professional development in the areas of reading, writing, and mathematics. All classrooms will ensure that student learning experiences are aligned with high-quality instruction that prepares all learners for proficiency.  

  Should all teachers be implementing the Ambitious Instruction Plan?

It is recommended that all teachers follow the best-practice frameworks that are outlined in the plan. The plan fits nicely with many different approaches, is flexible to accommodate a variety of teaching and learning styles, and ensures a high standard of care for every learner.  

  What does the Ambitious Instruction Plan mean for my child?

The Ambitious Instruction Plan ensures that all students are receiving high-quality instruction to support their academic growth in literacy. The plan guarantees that teachers plan for multi-layers of support based on individual student need.

  Where can I find out more information about the Ambitious Instruction Plan?

There is detailed information by grade level on the MPS website, including a copy of the plan. Additional resources can be accessed on the MPS website, in district offices (contact information is listed on this page), or by contacting your child's teacher. The school principal or classroom teacher is able to provide further information and resources if requested. 

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