Learn with Zinc
Whether you’re just getting started or looking to deepen instruction,
you’ll find opportunities to learn at your own pace or alongside the Zinc team.
Foundations of Adolescent Literacy
Get the most out of Zinc. Explore simple strategies that help students build meaning from any text.
Learn the instructional approach behind Zinc
See what students experience
Get practical classroom implementation ideas
~1 hour total, self-paced, online learning
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After completing this 10- to 12-minute module, you will:
Understand the obstacles that decoding and vocabulary pose for secondary readers
Identify Tier 2 words and understand how to help students learn them through multi-modal and spaced repetition strategies
Recognize common decoding gaps among adolescent readers and learn how to address them with simple, everyday classroom practices
Create a classroom environment where all students know to look for and correct reading mistakes
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After completing this 20-minute module, you will:
Understand the obstacles that hold students back from comprehending when reading
Learn a simple reading protocol that teaches students what to DO when they read
Acquire tactics to apply these strategies to any text, making class discussions more inclusive and alive
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After this 20-minute module, you will be able to:
Plan effective integration of Zinc activities
Understand the components and intended outcomes of Zinc Journeys
Assign course-aligned activities in Zinc
Identify key information in Zinc reports to inform classroom instruction
Or download our PDF course guide.
Upcoming Webinars
Beyond “I Don't Like to Read”: Building a Classroom of Readers Through Love-Powered Effort
📆 Thursday, September 24
⏰ 4:00 pm ET or 7:00 pm ET
When a student says, “I don’t like to read,” it’s easy to interpret the response as a lack of motivation. But reluctance to read reflects something deeper. Students who struggle to stay connected to a text can lose both interest and confidence—especially when reading gets hard.
Join us for Beyond “I Don't Like to Read”: Building a Classroom of Readers Through Love-Powered Effort, a free, interactive one-hour webinar from Zinc Learning Labs. Explore how teachers can intentionally build the conditions that help students engage with text, persist through confusion, and grow into more confident, motivated readers.
Monthly Office Hours
Meet with the Zinc team to ask questions, explore new features, and hear practical classroom ideas from fellow educators.
We focus on a new topic each month. View the current calendar here.
Can’t make it live? Register and we’ll send you a link to the recording.
Office Hours Library
Building Reading Culture
⏱️ 24 min | Recorded August 2026
Building a Shared Vision for Reading:
2026-2027
Explore how a shared literacy vision can shape reading culture, motivation, and instruction in your classroom and school. Engage with other Zinc teachers and leaders by watching this 24-minute video of our Zinc Office Hours and contributing to this Padlet.
Getting Started
⏱️ 38 min | Recorded September 2026
Getting Started with Zinc Part 1
Learn the basics from assigning your first activities to reviewing reports in Zinc in this 38-minute video. You’ll also get insight into what students see and do in the app.
Classroom Strategies
⏱️ 22 min | Recorded October 2025
Using Zinc to Support Writing
Learn more about Zinc’s resources to support writing, including our NEW AI Writing Coach, by watching this 22-minute video of our Zinc Office Hours.
⏱️ 40 min | Recorded November 2025
Supporting Diverse Learners with Zinc
Looking for an overview of Zinc resources and how they support the diverse learners in your classroom? Watch this 40-minute video of our Zinc Office Hour.
Test Readiness
⏱️ 35 min | Recorded March 2026
Using Zinc to Support Test Prep
Watch this 35-minute video to learn about Zinc programs, dashboards, and individual activities to ready your students for an upcoming assessment.
⏱️ 30 min | Recorded September 2025
Zinc Office Hours - STAAR Mastery for Fall Retesters
Get an overview of the STAAR Mastery program components and implementation suggestions by watching this 30-minute video of our Zinc Office Hours.
Ready to Put It All Together?
We’ve put together a set of teacher resources to bridge classroom instruction
with the comprehension skills students practice in Zinc.
Mini-Lesson Library
Classroom printables
Vocabulary resources
Flight Independent Reading Mission kit
Go Deeper with In-Person or Virtual Workshops for Your Team
Whether you’re looking to get everyone up to speed with Zinc or ready to deepen literacy instruction across the curriculum, Zinc meets educators where they are.
Choose from our menu of full- or half-day workshops or customize your own.