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“What I Know Now” Workshop Activity

This icebreaker from Cindy Hatt is a terrific exercise for a staff or grade-level team meeting to bring together teachers and literacy specialists this time of year.  It combines individual reflection with whole-group brainstorming and goal setting.

Choosing New Books for Comprehension Strategy Studies with Young Children

Ruth Shagoury and Andie Cunningham share a wealth of books appropriate for comprehension study with young children. The booklist is especially useful for work with English language learners.

When Do I Launch the Writer’s Notebook?

When and how should you launch writers' notebooks in your classroom?  According to Aimee Bucker,  it depends on if you are a "wader" or a "diver."  She shares some of the ways she has slowly and quickly moved students into their notebooks in years past.

A Coach’s Perspective: No More Flying Pig Prompts


Heather Rader has advice for literacy coaches dealing with teachers who rely too much on writing prompts.

Out of the Closet and into the Classroom: Bookroom Management Tips for Literacy Coaches

Is your system for sharing books from a school bookroom or literacy closet working well? Shari Frost provides 10 practical tips for getting the best use out of shared literacy resources.

Addicted to Twitter: How Did It Happen?

Franki Sibberson documents the stages of tweetage, from avoidance to addiction.

The Reading Skills We Use When Searching the Internet

Browsing and previewing skills change when the medium is the Internet. Franki Sibberson has advice for working with tech-savvy young readers.

Books That Invite Conversations About Perspective (BOOKLIST)

Students need to understand perspective (or point of view) if they want to comprehend what motivates a character.  In this booklist, Franki Sibberson highlights some terrific children's literature for helping students grasp the concept of perspective.

Literacy Learning on Presidents Day (BOOKLIST)

Here are some books to spice up your teaching in February on Presidents Day, or any time U.S. presidents come up in your curriculum.

The Over-Prompting of Young Writers

Heather Rader shares strategies teachers at any grade level can use to become more thoughtful and flexible in their use of prompts.

What Goes in the Writer’s Notebook?

Aimee Buckner chats with colleagues about notebooks, and finds herself rethinking what she puts in her notebook (as well as what she requires of students).

Vocabrity: Fun with Words for Middle School Students

Are your students getting bored with vocabulary routines?  Katie Doherty invents a quick and fun game, Vocabrity, to help her middle school students learn words.

Implementing RTI: Keeping Students at the Heart of Our Conversations

Jennifer Allen provides some prompts for staff discussions about Response to Intervention to  help you connect long-term goals and beliefs with short-term strategies.

Living Words: Integrating Word Study, Technology, and Content Literacy (Part 1)

Living Words is a quick routine from Andrea Smith that helps students see the power of rich vocabulary for describing the natural world around them.

Creating a Model Writing School

Julie Johnson shares the professional development plan and experiences that led to her school's evolution into a model writing school.

Expectations for Grade-Level Team Meetings

Tammy Mulligan and Clare Landrigan share their top tips for improving team meetings.

Creating Data Teams

Literacy leaders are spending more and more time organizing, compiling, and storing assessment data, often leaving little time to analyze the findings with teachers.  Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan explain the value of enlisting tech support to assist with the data load.

The Joy of Letter Writing: An Integrated Unit for Intermediate Students

Letter writing isn't a lost art in Mary Lee Hahn's 4th grade classroom. This unit has timeless appeal for students of all ages.

Restless Wanderer: Lessons for Teachers from Summer Vacations

Are teachers ever really on vacation?  In “Restless Wanderer” Shelly Archer ponders moments on a holiday that aren’t much fun, and can’t help but connect them to teaching struggles.

The Importance of Book Clubs for Learners of Any Age

Karen Terlecky brings lessons from her adult book club to her structure of book clubs in her 5th grade classroom.  The article includes launching and management tips.

Creating a Model Writing School . . . Next Steps

Julie Johnson documents the continuing evolution of her learning community as a model writing school.

Understanding Students in Intervention Programs

Using data to make wise decisions about students who are struggling is one of the most important tasks in schools. In this series, Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan take you through the process of linking data to instruction plans in intervention programs.

Books That Invite Thoughtful Conversation in Grades K-2

Nothing beats an engaging and fun text to spark conversations among young children. Here are some suggestions of terrific read-alouds to get the chatter started in classrooms.

Assessment in Writing Workshops: Considering Students

What does formative assessment look like in practice? Katie DiCesare shares her assessment insights in these brief case studies of two first-grade students.

How to Use a Coach: Four Things to Consider

Teachers, are you getting the most out of your relationships with the literacy coaches and other mentors in your midst?  Heather Rader has some thoughtful back-to-school advice for building more powerful teacher-coach relationships

Are You Scaffolding or Rescuing?

How much is too much support while conferring? Terry Thompson explores the language of scaffolding and rescuing.

Ecstatic: When Words Shape Thinking

Carol Wilcox prepares her struggling intermediate readers for state exams, and finally experiences a breakthrough in linking vocabulary learning to authentic reading.

Our Living Minute: Integrating Nonfiction Study into Morning Meetings

Teachers can accomplish plenty in a minute if they want to add more nonfiction to their day. Learn how from Andrea Smith.

Changing the Learning Landscape: Organizing My 6th Grade Classroom (PHOTO ESSAY)

Ann Marie Corgill switches from a 1st to 6th grade classroom, and finds herself immersed in rethinking the “learning landscape” as she unpacks boxes and sets up her classroom.  While the room looks a little different, the principles for classroom design are the same.  She shares her process in this photo essay.

How to Be of Use: Starting Strong

"Peppers make cats cry."  If you want to understand the wise advice for literacy coaches within this mnemonic device, you'll have to read this article. 

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