Articles
Here is where you’ll find all the latest print features from our contributors. If you’d like to browse specifically by grade level, topic, or contributor, you can use the links in the right sidebar.
Latest Content
News from the Interior
Shirl McPhillips shares a new poem, as well as some practical tips on moving from random observations to vivid details to poetry.
Easing into Writing Poetry
Tara Smith describes how she eases her sixth-grade students into writing poetry through careful selection and analysis of mentor poems.
Beyond the Acrostic Poem
Megan Skogstad finds the right mentor texts can help her fourth graders move beyond acrostic poems.
Supporting Introverts at Any Age
What many school leaders, teachers, and students have in common is that they are introverts. Matt Renwick remembers exhaustion from his first year of teaching because of introversion, and offers suggestions for meeting the needs of introverts in any school community.
Supporting Introverts in Fifth Grade
Katherine Sokolowski was that shy child hiding behind a tall classmate in the back of the room when she was a student. As a teacher, she makes sure there are many ways she helps bring out the voices of introverts in her fifth-grade classroom.
A Booklist for Women’s History Month
In honor of National Women’s History Month, Sarah Klim presents a booklist that features biographies of some of the lesser-known women who quietly made history, as well as little-known details from the lives of well-known historical figures.
Teaching Students to Start at the Right Place
Melanie Meehan uses focus questions for teaching students to start at the right place in their writing, moving them beyond the bed-to-bed stories that plague so many literacy workshops.
Literacy Routines for Applying See-Think-Wonder
Shari Frost finds that the See-Think-Wonder activity is great to use as a “bell-ringer,” as well as throughout the day to promote deeper thinking and engagement.
Starting the Day with Literacy
Bitsy Parks shares how she starts the day with literacy in her first-grade classroom.
Do I Really Have to Keep Conferring Notes?
Ruth Ayres answers a question from teachers, Do I really have to keep conferring notes? Spoiler alert: The answer is yes.
Reminder Notes
Bitsy Parks teaches her first graders to write sticky note reminders throughout the day, and is delighted by the learning and community building that ensues.
The Ins and Outs of Using a Jot Lot
Tara Barnett and Kate Mills use a jot lot to turn students’ notes on their learning into instructional plans and assessment.
Increasing Read Alouds in the Primary Grades
Bitsy Parks describes her process over the years in increasing both the quality and quantity of read alouds in her first-grade classroom.
Read-Aloud Gone Awry
Jennifer Schwanke shares her experience of having read-aloud go awry in a middle school classroom.
Poetry Read-Alouds During Transitions
Mandy Robek finds that quick poetry read-alouds are a great way to transition between activities in her second-grade classroom and build a love of poems.
Student-Generated Vocabulary Discussions
Tara Barnett and Kate Mills find the key to middle school students attending to new vocabulary during read-alouds is to have students choose the words.
Free-Range Learning with Nonfiction Part 2: Infographics and Maps
Andrea Smith shares the final installment of her series on the value of free-range learning in helping students explore nonfiction.
Getting the Ball Rolling in a Realistic Fiction Unit
Melanie Meehan helps elementary students move from narratives to realistic fiction by beginning with “facts” about their fictional characters.
Rhyming Words and English Language Learners
Stella Villalba explains why focusing on rhyming words is crucial for young English language learners.
Creating Curiosity with Story
Mark Levine finds that the secret to engaging students in what might be perceived as dry historical topics is to create curiosity with story.
Free Range Learning with Nonfiction (Part 1)
Andrea Smith's students explore nonfiction through free-range roaming. She explains how she sets up expectations and resources early in the year in this first installment of a two-part series.
Life in a Single Breath
Shirl McPhillips says hello to autumn and explores the power of haiku.
Setting Weekly Goals
Tara Barnett and Kate Mills share the process of helping students set weekly goals and then reflect on their progress every Friday.
The Daily Record
Mark Levine uses the “daily record” to encourage reflection throughout each day’s workshop in his social studies classroom.
Tracking Student Goals
Carly Ullmer transfers a messy goal-setting protocol to her seventh graders, and in the process finds they take on more accountability for individual success.
Conferring Questions
Ruth Ayres finds there can be a difference between questions in writing conferences that inspire an enthusiastic response, and those that foster more reflection and independence. Download a question list to use during your writing conferences.
Goal-Setting Ideas for Students
Melanie Meehan shares a wealth of ideas for better goal-setting with students.
Voice and Choice in the Goal-Setting Process
Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan take a child step by step through the process of creating a meaningful writing goal.
Increasing Student Engagement During Minilessons
Melanie Meehan has tips for keeping students engaged during minilessons.
In Search of Just-Right Reading Spots
If children can choose just-right reading spots, they will have more stamina for reading. Heather Fisher explains how she works with first-grade teachers and students to build this skill.
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