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
The Pocahontas Ewww: Writing and Inquiry for Context
Mark Levine finds his middle school students are appalled by some of the cultural differences from times gone by, and shares how he fosters more understanding.
How to Keep Conferring Notes
Ruth Ayres shares her grid notes sheet, and takes teachers step-by-step through the process of using this assessment tool in conferences and instruction.
Finding Clues in Writing Folders
Katrina Edwards looks for clues in her first-grade students’ work and conferences to help them develop more writing stamina. She analyzes her notes to develop instructional plans.
Charts as Tools, Charts as Teachers
Tara Barnett and Kate Mills give three principles they use to help avoid the “charts as wallpaper” syndrome in their fourth-grade classroom.
Collaborative Charting in First Grade
Katie DiCesare shares examples from her first-grade classroom of collaborative charting with students.
Padlet Possibilities
Katherine Sokolowski finds that electronic charting of learning with Padlet has almost endless possibilities for use in her fifth-grade classroom.
Better Mondays Through Quick-Writes
Mark Levine uses quick-writes with his middle school students to set the expectation at the start of the week for work together that is independent, thoughtful, and conversational.
Opening the Year with Optimism
Katrina Edwards shares her plans for presenting children’s literature to help her first-grade students acquire the skills they need to be positive and proactive problem solvers.
Pulling Weeds
Leigh Anne Eck works to overcome years of student reliance on a reading incentives and rewards program by fostering reflection and intrinsic motivation with her sixth graders.
Critical Thinking and Captain Underpants
Christy Rush-Levine and some struggling eighth-grade readers consider misogyny in a popular children’s book.
Embracing the Books My Students Love
Franki Sibberson explains why we need to move beyond our cherished definitions of quality when working with third graders in transition and embrace the books students love.
Books That Mirror the Children in Our Classrooms
Stella Villalba shares some of her favorite children’s books that mirror the home cultures of English language learners.
Using Mentor Texts to Craft Leads
Tara Barnett and Kate Mills carefully select the first mentor text for crafting leads in their fourth-grade classroom.
From Mentor Texts to Mentors in First Grade
Katie DiCesare uses technology in her first-grade classroom so that students can see the lives of the authors who create the texts they love.
Mentors for Process and Habits
Ruth Ayres shares some of her favorite mentors and mentor texts for developing good writing processes and habits.
Superpowers and a Middle School Classroom Library
Christy Rush-Levine explains how she gradually stocked her middle school classroom library, as well as how she uses student librarians to ensure books aren’t lost.
Introducing the Classroom Library
Andrea Smith shares a sequence of lessons she uses to introduce the classroom library to her fourth-grade students.
Prepping the Meeting Area for Success
Tara Barnett and Kate Mills describe how they set up their meeting area with the right supplies to build community and student independence.
Who Owns the Room?
Katherine Sokolowski considers how classroom design says a lot about the relationship between students and teachers.
“What Are We Learning Today?”: Transitioning with Compelling Questions
Mark Levine helps his seventh-grade students transition to the learning of the day with a "compelling question" posted on the board before each class session.
Transition Time in Middle School
Gretchen Taylor considers how she handles hard transitions as an adult, and questions how she can make transitions more efficient and valuable for her middle school students.
Making the Most of Transitions
Tara Barnett and Kate Mills share strategies for meaningful transitions in their fourth-grade classroom.
Student-Centered Room Setup
Tara Barnett and Kate Mills describe the principles they use to design a student-centered classroom.
Life Without the Big Teacher’s Desk
Are you contemplating the removal of your teacher desk this year? Shari Frost has suggestions for how to manage and house teaching materials you will need without a teacher desk.
Creating a Space for Peace
At a time of escalating violence throughout the world, children need peaceful spaces. Katie DiCesare creates a "peace table" in her first-grade classroom as a safe place for working through everything from playground squabbles to emotional distress.
Helping Young Readers Focus on Print
Shari Frost observes a teacher conferring with a first grader who is mystified at the advice to "get your mouth ready," and it leads her to consider what works best in helping young readers.
Thinking About Fluency
Cathy Mere finds that with young learners, not all issues with fluency are created equal—different needs require different strategies.
Beginnings, Middles, and Endings: The Power of Baseline Assessments
Carly Ullmer shares how much her seventh-grade students learn from examining their own growth as writers with baseline, midpoint, and final assessments throughout the year.
The Value of Pre-Assessment
Melanie Meehan explains why a baseline assessment at the start of any writing unit is well worth the time.
Getting to Know Writers: Using Quotes
Dana Murphy concludes her series on getting to know writers with an activity on responding to quotes. This activity is a great baseline for gauging attitudes and previous experiences early in the year.
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