Latest Content
The Power of Wonder Questions

Andrea Smith writes about how she uses wonder questions in her science curiculum.

Using Student Conferences to Build Book Choice Skills

Franki Sibberson provides focus questions and a template to help choose books with students for independent reading.

New Notebook Essentials

We’ve all had the experience of reading a professional book and disagreeing with some of the ideas from the author.  It’s just a little more surreal when you wrote the book!  Aimee Buckner participates in her school’s study group reading of Notebook Know-How, and finds some of her thinking about notebooks has changed over the past few years.

A Sponge is a Summary

Heather Rader shares a concrete analogy that students (and teachers) love for understanding how summaries work.

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.

Character Study in Grades 3-6

A character study unit is a terrific choice early in the school year, since it taps into students' reading histories and favorites from years past. Franki Sibberson has suggestions of books and questions for use in read-alouds.

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.

Mentor Texts for Urban Students

What texts work best for students with urban backgrounds? Shari Frost has suggestions for teachers.

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.

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.

Expedition Mondays: Launching the Week with Nonfiction

Expedition Mondays launch every week in Andrea Smith's classroom with a healthy dose of nonfiction.

Sarcasm Is a Useful Teaching Tool — NOT

How does sarcasm hurt students? Heather Rader counts the ways.

There’s Been a Misblunderstanding

We're teachers and we have a tendency to talk too much. Heather Rader explains how she coaches a teacher through the problem.

Getting and Giving Student Feedback

How can we help students be more reflective in our classrooms, giving us the feedback we need to make them better places for learning? Heather Rader has suggestions.

Our Daily Question: Building a Community Through the Data We Collect

If you’re looking for routines that meld community building and learning essential skills, you might enjoy Andrea Smith’s “Our Daily Question” activity with her 3rd and 4th grade students.  Classmates share interests and build data gathering and analysis skills together.

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.

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.

Word Storms: Integrating Nonfiction, Word Study, and Technology

Word Storms help students see the power of rich vocabulary for describing the natural world around them.  While Andrea Smith is working with 4th graders, the activities can be adapted for older or younger students.

Writing Like a Scientist: Launching a Scientist’s Notebook

Andrea Smith explains how she launches a unit on science writing with logs, writing samples from scientists, and mentor texts.

Characters We Love (BOOKLIST)

Nothing hooks kids on books more than a favorite character. Franki Sibberson presents some series books with intriguing characters that will delight your students.

Rethinking a Study of Nonfiction Writing

Franki Sibberson reflects on her nonfiction writing unit, and realizes she emphasizes research skills at the expense of the craft of nonfiction writing.

Free Rice: Tools for Web-Based Vocabulary Learning

Mary Lee Hahn shares how she uses Free Rice in her classroom, as well as other online vocabulary learning tools.

Books to Get Us Ready for Summer Vacation

Franki Sibberson finds preparing students for summer reading is a little different this year, now that she has moved from classroom teaching to work in the school library. Here are some terrific books to get students excited about summer.

Reflections on Our Year of Read Alouds (BOOKLIST)

if you're moving from thinking about read alouds for the first days of school, to plotting out a plan for read alouds all year long, you might want to read Franki Sibberson's booklist of read-alouds used for the entire year with her 3rd and 4th grade students.

Novels in Verse (BOOKLIST)

Franki Sibberson provides a booklist of "novels in verse" – a genre intermediate readers enjoy, especially those who struggle with longer texts.

Just Because It’s Skinny, Doesn’t Mean It’s Easy: Matching Books to Transitional Readers in Grades 2-4

Franki Sibberson writes about her evolution in choosing books for transitional readers in grades 2-4. Franki includes a handy list of criteria for evaluating whether new short chapter books are appropriate for young readers.

Models, Coaches, Shepherds, or Rock Stars? Our Reading Roles in the First Few Weeks of School

Cheerleader? Shepherd? Rock Star? Coach? Andrea Smith considers her changing reading “roles” early in the school year as she tries to build a classroom community that shares her passion for literacy.

Knitting, Independence, and Small Group Routines for Intermediate Readers

Franki Sibberson uses a knitting analogy to reflect upon alternatives to guided reading in the intermediate grades that promote more student independence.

Animals as Ambassadors: Using Class Pets to Reach an English Language Learner

When a student is struggling, language barriers can make it even harder for teachers to connect. Andrea Smith finds webbing during conferring is an excellent strategy for assisting a young English language learner in her writer's workshop.

New Versions of Old Favorites (BOOKLIST)

Recently there has been less interest in retelling of classic tales by children’s book authors. Franki Sibberson’s booklist highlights some of the best new twists on favorite children’s stories.

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