State Superintendent Tony Thurmond and Governor Gavin Newsom Announce New Resources to Strengthen Literacy-Biliteracy Instruction Statewide

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent Tony Thurmond and Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the release of the California Literacy-Biliteracy Professional Learning Pack, a comprehensive suite of resources designed to enhance literacy instruction and support educators across the state in improving student outcomes, especially for young readers.

“Literacy is foundational to lifelong learning and academic success,” said Superintendent Thurmond. “With this release, California takes a significant step forward in providing educators with the tools they need to foster strong literacy and biliteracy development from the earliest years of learning as we move the needle on student achievement, particularly for our youngest readers.”

“In California, we know that learning to read is the start of the pathway to success. The Literacy Roadmap highlights our multifaceted approach to improving literacy for California’s students, including current and proposed initiatives,” Governor Newsom said. “When added to our other investments in literacy coaches and reading specialists at high-needs schools and professional development for teachers, we are doubling down on our commitment to ensure no student falls behind in their reading.”

The new Professional Learning Pack includes two crucial literacy guidance documents. The first is the California Literacy Roadmap’s Literacy Content Blocks for English-Medium Classrooms (Transitional Kindergarten through Grade Five). The Literacy Roadmap Content Blocks provide instructional recommendations that educators can use to support students as they develop across all areas of literacy and biliteracy. The blocks reflect an intentional approach to literacy that promotes carefully sequenced initial instruction, appropriate practice and reinforcement, intervention as necessary, and meaningful application in English language arts and other content areas.

The second document is the Preschool Through Third Grade (P–3) Learning Progressions for Language and Literacy Development. The P–3 Learning Progressions outline key developmental milestones and offer examples of play-based, inquiry-based instruction to support early literacy in both English and students’ home languages.

“In California, we’re focused on an approach to literacy that supports evidence-based instruction and high-quality professional learning,” said State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond. “The Literacy Roadmap and the Literacy Learning Progressions provide teachers with key resources and tools they can use to support every child in learning to read with comprehension, write with expression, and explore the world of books with excitement.”

These professional learning tools have been endorsed by a broad coalition of experts in literacy and biliteracy instruction, including The Reading League, the California Association for Bilingual Education, and Californians Together.

Educators are encouraged to incorporate the materials into their summer and school-year professional development plans. The full Professional Learning Pack is available now on the CDE California Literacy web page.

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Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100