3rd
Latest Content
3rd Grade Meeting Area Makeover
Are your meeting area wall displays too cluttered? "The Sisters" (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) help a 3rd grade teacher rethink her wall displays and meeting area in this ten-minute video.
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.
“If You Like Matt Christopher” Student Book Share
In this video from Franki Sibberson’s grades 3-4 classroom, boys share books that are similar to ones written by Matt Christopher.
Helping Struggling Writers
How can we help students who are stuck when it comes time to write? Franki Sibberson shares a couple new strategies, including a book basket of texts selected by students themselves as useful for sparking writing topics in this photo essay.
Linking Math and Writing Through Word Problems
In this six-minute video, Franki Sibberson demonstrates how she helps her 3rd and 4th grade students make connections between writing workshop and math problem solving.
Grade Level Team Meeting: Test Preparation
In this video of a 3rd grade team meeting, literacy coaches Janet Scott and Gail Boushey help third-grade teachers think through what is going well with test preparation, and what might be adapted before the tests begin in a few weeks.
Sports Writing Group Discussion
Franki Sibberson finds sports writing is a powerful motivator for boys in her grades 3-4 classroom.
Talking About Tests
Franki Sibberson prepares her grades 3-4 students for state examinations by helping them observe attributes and patterns in test questions.
Nonfiction Word Hunt Part I
Word study and nonfiction reading are combined in Franki Sibberson's nonfiction word hunt activity.
Nonfiction Word Hunt Part II
Franki Sibberson explains the value of the nonfiction word hunt activity.
Case Studies in Professional Learning Communities
In this brief video, Literacy Coach Pam Hahlen and Principal Karen Szymusiak meet with two teachers in a professional learning community group to discuss ongoing case studies.
Managing Book Boxes
In this first video in our “Organizing Book Boxes” series, Joan Moser (of “The Sisters”) explains three strategies she uses to help students pick books for their book boxes.
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.
Book Boxes Nuts and Bolts
In this third video in our "Organizing Book Boxes" series, Joan Moser (of "The Sisters") tackles the issue of what types of books and what levels are appropriate for student book boxes.
Tiger Teams: Mixed Age Student Groups
In this video, Karen Szymusiak (the principal at Glacier Ridge Elementary School in Dublin, Ohio) explains how “Tiger Teams” work. Tiger Teams are mixed age groups of K-5 students who meet regularly to talk about their learning and the school community.
Supporting Thoughtful Book Choice
In this video filmed in the spring, Franki Sibberson helps her 3rd and 4th grade students think through what books they might select for independent reading.
Helping Young Readers Become Independent: The “Next-Read” Stack and Peer Groups
Franki Sibberson explains how "next-read" stack conferences work in her grades 3-4 classroom.
Helping Students Set Nonfiction Reading Goals
Franki Sibberson finds nonfiction reading goals elevate the value of nonfiction in her grades 3-4 classroom.
Book Choice and Planning Lesson
Franki Sibberson teaches her students about book choice in this video from her grades 3-4 classroom.
Crafting Characters in Writer’s Workshop
If you are looking for a “peppery” heroine, Mary from The Secret Garden is one for the ages. In this video of a lesson in writer’s workshop, Franki Sibberson shows how shared text can be used to help young writers understand character traits and development.
Rule of 3: Conferring
In this final video of a three-part series showing a teaching progression for “Rule of 3,” Aimee Buckner confers with individual students during writing workshop, checking in to see how they are applying the concept to their writing.
The “All About Us” Board: Linking Literacy and Community Building All Year Long
Suzy Kaback has terrific tips for an ever-evolving “All About Us” bulletin board to use from the first day of school to the last.
Comprehending Graphic Novels: A Primer for Teachers
Mary Lee Hahn provides a quick primer for teachers new to graphic novels, as well as suggestions for using these novels to teach comprehension.
Writing Workshop Share: Talking About Revision Tools
In this video of a discussion after writing workshop in Franki Sibberson’s classroom, intermediate students share the tools they used in revision.
Organizing Writing Groups
Franki Sibberson describes how she organizing writing groups in her grades 3 and 4 classroom, and shares a video of a writing group considering leads.
Using Foam Boards in Writer’s Workshop
Franki Sibberson explains how she extends the wall space in her classroom for instruction through the use of foam boards.
Reflection Sheets: A Tool for Assessment and Conferring
Franki Sibberson explains how “reflection sheets” work as an assessment tool in her classroom, replacing detailed notes from conferences.
Fonts Lesson: A Revision Strategy for Transitional Writers
Franki Sibberson teaches a minilesson on fonts as a revision strategy for her grades 3 and 4 students.
Fonts: Small Group and Conferring with Intermediate Writers
In this follow-up to a whole class lesson and discussion of fonts, Franki Sibberson pulls together a group of 3rd and 4th graders from her class who have asked to be a part of a small group on fonts.
Chapter Book Read Alouds in the Primary Classroom
Shari Frost considers selection, preparation, and pacing in choosing books that work well as read alouds in the primary classroom.
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
- Ruth Metcalfe
- Becca Burk
- “The Sisters” (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser)
- Stephanie Affinito
- Jennifer Allen
- Ruth Ayres
- Max Brand
- Aimee Buckner
- Katie Doherty
- Leigh Anne Eck
- Katrina Edwards
- Heather Fisher
- Shari Frost
- Mary Lee Hahn
- Julie Johnson
- Suzy Kaback
- Clare Landrigan
- Mark Levine
- 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
- Kathy Provost
- 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
