Library
Choice Literacy Articles & Videos
The Choice Literacy library contains over 3,000 articles and 900 videos from 150+ contributors. Classic Classroom and Literacy Leadership subscribers have access to the entire library. Content is updated continuously, with five to six new features published each week.
Latest Content
Quick Take: Advice from Katie Doherty on Starting a Middle School Reading Workshop
In this one-minute quick take video, Katie Doherty has advice for middle school teachers who are thinking of launching a reading workshop in their classrooms.
Running and Reading Logs Part II
In this second video in a two-part series, Clare Landrigan meets with a group of 4th graders to talk about reading logs and goals. In this excerpt, Clare confers with students over their logs and debriefs with their teacher.
The Language of Coaching Part II: The Leading Edge
Jan Miller-Burkins explores the “how” of shifting language so that it is less judgemental in discussions with colleagues.
Notetaking Strategies Part I: “In the Midst” and “After the Fact” Notes
There is a difference between “in the midst” and “after the fact” notes, and different methods might work better in different observation contexts once you know your options.
New Teacher Conversations: Breaking Through Roadblocks and Sustaining Support
The roadblocks activity can easily be adapted for study groups looking at almost any topic.
Mentor Interviews — A Protocol of Questions
This series of over 30 questions for mentors or novice teachers can be used to plan a mentoring program, match mentors and novice teachers, or launch partnerships early in the fall.
Finding Words: Linking Community and Classrooms
Principal Karen Szymusiak and 3rd Grade Teacher/Literacy Coach Pam Hahlen do a quick word search activity using dictionaries donated to the classroom by a local service club.
Poets on Notebooks Quote Collection
Whether you love to read, write or teach poetry, these quotes will give you something to think about and inspire you.
On Board with Literacy Leadership
Wisconsin literacy coaches Jennifer Jones and Charity Meyer were inspired by Jennifer Allen’s “Literacy Room” to try out “Literacy News” resource boards in their schools. They provide helpful tips for starting these boards in your school, as a way to give continuous and timely support to teachers at any level.
Establishing a Routine for Notetaking
We close out the notetaking series with advice on setting notetaking goals.
Learning Curves and Dips: Planning and Goal-Setting for Writing Workshop
Aimee Buckner describes a simple summer planning and goal-setting process she uses to get ready for launching writer's workshop in the fall.
Rethinking Writing Centers
Shari Frost finds writing centers are beloved by many teachers and students. There’s only one problem – very little writing appears to be going on in the centers.
Bookroom Tours Part III
In this six-minute video, The Sisters (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) give a tour of a “choice” bookroom. Unlike many bookrooms organized by level and maintained by teachers, this room of chapter books is organized by author.
Weekend Headlines: Introduction
In this first of a three-part video series, Katie Doherty and her sixth grade students begin the Weekend Headlines activity. Each Monday, students listen to Katie share some of the headlines from the local newspaper and then share their "headlines" from the weekend.
Two or Three Things I Know for Sure: A Teacher Workshop Activity
"Two or Three Things I Know for Sure" is a terrific short workshop activity for study groups or faculty meetings, and it also can be used in partnership discussions with mentors, literacy coaches, and colleagues. The activity gets everyone to explore their bedrock beliefs about teaching – as well as what it takes to change them.
What Are Reading Centers?
Kathy Collins gives a detailed definition of how reading centers are connected to the goals of different reading units of study.
Worth a Thousand Words: Teaching with Wordless Picture Books
Shari Frost and her literacy coaching colleagues explore together how wordless picture books can change the landscape of literacy teaching in K-6 classrooms throughout a school.
The Books We Can’t Live Without in Our Teaching: Resource Round-Up
Literacy experts share their well-loved and well-worn children's and professional books.
Old Elm Speaks Conclusion: Connecting Poetry, Observation, and Reading
In this second installment of a three-part video series, Aimee Buckner shows how observation skills, poetry, and reading instruction come together with the mentor text Old Elm Speaks by Kristin O'Connell George. In this final excerpt, students share what they wrote after browsing the book and completing some observations.
Weekend Headlines: Peer Response
In this second part of a three-part video series, Katie Doherty and her sixth grade students continue the Weekend Headlines activity. In this installment, Katie sets up a peer response procedure.
The Conversations Inspired by the Questions We Ask
Principal Karen Szymusiak shares her reflections and questions that cause her teachers to question their current practice and lead them to consider authenticity in the reading workshop.
Notetaking Series Part III: “Raw” and “Cooked” Notes
In "Raw and Cooked Notes," the value of uncensored notes is presented, as well as a simple strategy for beginning to code and analyze the observations you are jotting down.
Where Have All the Picture Books Gone?
Franki Sibberson shares ways to foster continued enjoyment of picture books with intermediate readers, and highlights some texts with special appeal for older readers in this article which includes a booklist.
Staying Focused in Literacy Workshops
Clare Landrigan meets with a group of fifth graders to talk about what’s going well in literacy workshops, and to set individual goals.
Solving Problems Quote Collection
If you need reminders that every problem is an opportunity, check out this stellar quote collection.
The Power of Layered Coaching
Jennifer Allen presents her coaching model for varied and rich support of teachers.
Evaluation Quotes
From Winston Churchill to Shelley Harwayne, there's a range of opinions on evaluation and goal setting in this quote collection.
Rethinking Centers
Are centers essential in classrooms? Katie DiCesare rethinks the centers program in her primary classroom.
Chatting About Coaching Collaboration
Gail Boushey and Janet Scott discuss how they collaborate as coaches, sharing strategies and common goals across the classrooms they work in.
Differentiating Book Boxes
In this second video in our "Organizing Book Boxes" series, Joan Moser (of "The Sisters") explains how she differentiates the content of book boxes for students with different skills and needs.
Browse Content By
Type
Category
- Assessment Tools
- Big Fresh Archives
- Booklists
- Choice Numeracy
- Classroom Design
- Common Core
- Community Building
- Conferring
- Content Literacy
- Digital Literacy
- English Language Learners
- Equity
- Family Relations
- Free Samples
- Guiding Groups
- Leadership
- Literacy Coaches
- Mentor Texts
- Minilessons
- New Teacher Mentors
- Podcasts
- Poetry
- Quote Collections
- Reading Strategies
- Self Care
- Struggling and Striving Learners
- Talking and Listening
- Teacher Study Groups
- Teaching Reading
- Teaching Writing
- Word Study and Vocabulary
Author
- Melissa Quimby
- Nawal Qarooni
- Gwen Blumberg
- Julie Cox
- The Lead Learners
- Hannah Tills
- Josie Stewart
- Ruth Metcalfe
- Mallory Messenger
- Becca Burk
- Jodie Bailey
- Vivian Chen
- Mary Brower
- Tiffany Abbott Fuller
- Stephanie Affinito
- Ruth Ayres
- Leigh Anne Eck
- Heather Fisher
- Shari Frost
- Julie Johnson
- Suzy Kaback
- Gigi McAllister
- Shirl McPhillips
- Melanie Meehan
- Cathy Mere
- Debbie Miller
- Tara Barnett and Kate Mills
- Tammy Mulligan
- Dana Murphy
- Bitsy Parks
- David Pittman
- Brenda Power
- Heather Rader
- Matt Renwick
- Mandy Robek
- Christy Rush-Levine
- Gretchen Schroeder
- Jen Schwanke
- Brian Sepe
- Katherine Sokolowski
- Stella Villalba
- Jennifer Vincent
Grade Level
Choice Literacy Membership
Articles
Get full access to all Choice Literacy article content
Videos
Get full access to all Choice Literacy video content
Courses
Access Choice Literacy course curriculum and training
