About the Program
Learning to read and write in the elementary grades is the foundation for developing content-area knowledge in later grades. However, ongoing achievement gaps between students speaking different dialects continue to impact the literacy rates of different student groups.
Literacy ReclaimEd is a no-cost, grant-funded professional development opportunity that addresses the achievement gap in elementary literacy for students with specific language variations. This initiative equips second- through fifth-grade classroom educators to improve literacy instruction and better meet the unique needs of their students.
We are recruiting schools to participate in this initiative during the 2026-2027 and 2027-20208 school years.
Teachers will:
- Increase their knowledge and efficacy in teaching students foundational literacy skills
- Expand their understanding of general linguistic concepts and dialects
- Build their understanding of how to celebrate and draw on students’ multiple dialects in the classroom.
Students will improve their:
- Proficiency towards mastery of basic early literacy skills to access complex text and think critically
- Proficiency in grade-level standards
- Ability to shift between their home dialect and academic language
Literacy ReclaimEd weaves together three promising strategies that build on existing evidence-based literacy supports:
Foundational skills in literacy instruction grounded in the science of reading
Practices for leveraging students’ multiple dialects as reading strengths
Classroom-based coaching, both in-person and virtually
FAQs
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How long is the commitment?
We’re recruiting schools during 2026-2027 for two cohorts—one starting in 2026-2027 and another in 2027-2028. You’ll partner with UnboundEd for one full school year based on which cohort you’re selected for.
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How many hours of professional learning and instructional coaching will UnboundEd provide?
Teachers will complete 24 hours of synchronous, virtual learning focused on research-based Structured Literacy practices and instruction for students who speak specific dialects.
Additionally, UnboundEd will provide 2-5 days of in-person instructional coaching to each school.
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What supports will teachers receive?
Teachers participating in Literacy ReclaimEd will be prepared to provide differentiated literacy instruction that includes:
- Contrastive analysis of specific dialects with Standardized American English
- Explicit instruction in dialect shifting
- Instructional techniques and assessments responsive to students’ linguistic backgrounds