At CommonLit, we've always believed that great curriculum is only part of the equation. The research is clear: materials alone are not enough. What truly moves the needle for students are empowered, confident teachers who understand the why behind every instructional decision, not just the what.
That's why professional learning is baked into the CommonLit 360 experience from day one. Our approach to professional development is rooted in curriculum-based professional learning (CBPL), meaning every session, module, and resource is directly connected to the lessons teachers are actually teaching.
CommonLit 360 professional development comes in multiple formats to meet teachers and leaders wherever they are. Here's a look at everything that's available.
A note on access: The professional development offerings below, including the Professional Development Portal, Unit-Specific Internalization Modules, Professional Development Webinars, and Virtual Professional Development sessions, are all included with School Essentials PRO Plus. On-Site Professional Learning is available as an add-on for schools and districts, and strongly recommended.
Virtual Professional Development
For teams that benefit from live, facilitated learning together, CommonLit 360 Virtual Professional Development sessions deliver exactly that. School Essentials PRO Plus includes up to four virtual PD sessions per year, facilitated live by CommonLit experts just for your team and scheduled in partnership with your CommonLit account manager to match your implementation stage and goals. Unlike other literacy programs, it's all included in your base package.
Here’s a sample of what a multi-year arc of CommonLit professional development can look like:
- Year 1 is about building the foundation. Sessions focus on introducing teachers to the design and guiding principles of CommonLit 360, then deepening their skills with best practices for reading lessons, writing lessons, and beyond.
- Year 2 shifts toward instructional responsiveness and student independence. Teachers refine routines, plan purposefully for scaffolded instruction, and build skill in using CommonLit’s formative assessments to drive instruction forward.
- Year 3 emphasizes strong writing and student ownership. Teachers analyze student work, plan for leveraging short responses to build writing skills, and use data to guide continued growth.
Additional sessions are also available for partners who have completed Year 1, including topics like Supporting Multilingual Learners in CommonLit 360, Fostering Strong Engagement in CommonLit 360 Reading Lessons, Using Independent Reading and Book Clubs to Support Students’ Work in CommonLit 360, and Data-Driven Instruction for Instructional Leaders.
Professional Development Portal
Sometimes teachers need support on their own schedule, before school, during a prep period, or over the summer. That's exactly what the CommonLit Professional Development Portal is designed for.
The portal gives teachers and leaders access to dozens of self-paced, asynchronous modules they can complete anytime. Topics include:
- Getting Started with CommonLit 360
- Best Practices for CommonLit 360 Reading Lessons
- An Overview of Writing in CommonLit 360
- Strategies for Facilitating CommonLit 360 Discussion Lessons
- Best Practices for CommonLit 360 Vocabulary Sets
- Using CommonLit Data to Determine Instructional Next Steps
- Scaffolding Reading Instruction Using CommonLit
Whether a teacher is brand new to CommonLit 360 or looking to deepen their practice in a specific area, the portal makes it easy to access learning materials without waiting for the next scheduled session.
These modules can also be a helpful resource to explore within Professional Learning Communities.
Unit-Specific Internalization Modules
Before a teacher begins a new unit with their class, it’s important for them to internalize it, understanding how each lesson connects to the next, where students might struggle, and what the end goal looks like. That's what Unit-Specific Internalization Modules are for.
Also included with School Essentials PRO Plus, these modules are available for every unit in CommonLit 360. Each module includes short videos that walk teachers through the order and purpose of each lesson in the unit, pacing and planning resources, and annotated exemplars for the unit's culminating task.
Professional Development Webinars
With School Essentials PRO Plus, teachers and leaders have unlimited access to live webinars. These webinars offer support both for educators who are just getting started with CommonLit 360, as well as best practices and tips for experienced users. While the topics rotate monthly, recent webinars have included:
- Meaningful Work: Supporting All Students with the Culminating Task
- Practical Tips for CommonLit 360 Novel Units
- Practical Tips for CommonLit 360 Research Units
- Using CommonLit 360 Data to Finish the Year Strong
Educators can sign up for sessions and times that work best for them, and connect with colleagues from across the country in the process.
On-Site Professional Learning
(Recommended as an add-on to School Essentials PRO Plus)
CommonLit's On-Site Professional Learning brings curriculum-based PD directly to your school or district, with expert facilitators who understand both adolescent literacy and the CommonLit 360 curriculum deeply.
For schools entering their first full year of CommonLit 360 implementation, we strongly recommend the Foundations Jumpstart (available as a one- or two-day experience). Teachers engage in CommonLit 360 Reading Lessons and Writing Lessons as learners, analyze facilitation best practices through a teacher lens, and leave with concrete strategies and plans for Unit 1 instruction. By the end of the two days, teaching teams feel aligned, confident, and ready to launch.
For schools entering Year 2, the Year 2 Jumpstart: Reflect, Refocus, and Refine gives educators a chance to celebrate what's worked, address lingering challenges, and sharpen instructional routines that build student independence before planning intentionally for the year ahead.
We also offer Advanced On-Site Sessions for schools looking to go deeper, covering topics like data-driven instructional decision-making, scaffolding for success with complex texts, and unit-long planning for strong Culminating Tasks.
Hear It from Educators Who've Been There
The educators at Sunnyside Unified School District in Arizona wrapped up their first year of CommonLit 360 implementation after participating in two days of on-site PD before the school year began. Here's what ELA teacher Sharreen Mortensen shared about the experience:
"After the PD I didn't just feel confident about my ability to teach it, I felt confident that the students were going to get it. And I think that's a really important distinction to make… I felt like we're gonna do this, and it's gonna be a struggle at first, because it's new, and there's new routines to learn, but they're going to get this. And, you know, going through the year, I've seen it. I've seen that the kids get it. The amount of growth that I've witnessed has been just phenomenal."
— Sharreen Mortensen, ELA Teacher, 10 years at Sunnyside Unified School District
The Bottom Line
Adopting a new curriculum is a significant investment, for teachers, leaders, and students alike. CommonLit's curriculum-based professional learning is designed to make that investment pay off, building the vision, skills, and confidence your whole team needs to implement CommonLit 360 with integrity and momentum from day one.
Ready to bring CommonLit 360 professional learning to your school or district?
Connect with the CommonLit team to learn more about School Essentials PRO Plus and explore on-site professional development options.
