1st

Helping Young Writers Make Plans

Tammy Mulligan promotes independence in her student writers by supporting them in creating writing plans. A download of a planning template is included so your students can create writing plans, too.

Ten Ways to Celebrate Writers

Jen Court gives 10 ways for students to share and celebrate their work as writers. Two downloads are included for you to use in your classroom.

Picture Books that Help Construct a Wider Definition of Home

Stella Villalba compiles a book list about the topic of home. She shares the way she allows students to co-construct their own understanding of home by using picture books that provide a variety of lenses through which to view the topic.

Four Keys to Making Workshop Work

Bitsy Parks reminds us of four key components of running a workshop and offers advice for making workshop work.

Bring In the School Year Like a Grandma

Julie Johnson reflects on how to help students know they belong and are valued in a classroom community.

Reading Partners in First Grade

One Instructional Strategy Changes a Reading Community: Status of the Class

Mandy Robek reminds us of the power of a status of the class to build a reading community.

A Roving Student Conferrer

Tammy Mulligan encourages students to support their peers as writers by being a “roving student conferrer.” When we enable students to take on the role of the teacher, it helps solidify what they know, as well as take pride in their writing skills.

Reasons to Launch Writer’s Notebooks with Primary Writers

Mandy Robek shares keys to knowing when to launch writer’s notebooks with primary writers.

Supports for Our Youngest Writers

Cathy Mere identifies ways to support our youngest writers.

Offering Playful Choice to Show Learning

Tammy Mulligan shares her quick thinking when students are bored with book clubs and reminds us all of the importance of offering playful choice for students to show their learning.

Mother Language Day and Tradition Presentations

Bitsy Parks shares special events that help students widen their scope of acceptance and appreciation for the differences among us.

Finding a Way to Make Heterogeneous Grouping a Reality

Tammy Mulligan shares the vulnerable process of forming heterogeneous groups for book discussions.

A Complete Circle: Identity, Growth, and Community

Bitsy Parks offers key end-of-the year activities that allow students to reflect and notice their identities, growth, and community as readers and writers.

Importance of Talk in Writing Workshop

Julie Johnson reminds us of important mindsets to adopt to allow students the space and permission to talk while composing. When students talk as writers, they have opportunities to create new understandings, build relationships, and validate each other.

Writing Work Plans

Brian Sepe empowers students to make their own plans during writing workshop.

First-Grade Writing Conference: Beginnings, Middles, and Ends

In this first-grade writing conference, Katrina Edwards helps Brooklyn order and stretch out her writing with a beginning, middle, and end. She uses long pages and scissors as tools.

Assessing Students Online: Small and Powerful Moves

Tammy Mulligan shares small and mighty moves when assessing students online.

Guided Reading in a First-Grade Group

Melissa Atwood leads a first-grade guided reading group. This is the second video in a two-part series.

Small-Group Instruction: Bookmaking

Brian Sepe shares one of his favorite activities for small groups of young learners: making books together.

Book Series Joy

Bitsy Parks shares the way a series study enriches the reading lives of students and serves as an intervention to help readers grow.

Guided Reading in First Grade: Blends

Melissa Atwood leads a first-grade guided reading group. The focus at the start of the lesson is on blends in words. This is the first video in a two-part series.

First-Grade Reading Conference: Coaxing and Supporting

Bitsy Parks helps first grader Sophia tackle the tough job of making meaning and decoding words early in the year with lots of encouragement and good humor.

Guided Reading Part 1: Previewing and Skills

This is the first guided reading group in September for Cheryl Miller. She begins the lesson by previewing the book and reminding students of the skills they are working on. This is the first video in a three-part series.

Picture Books for Mental Wellness

Mandy Robek learns a lot about worry from her daughter, and discovers a treasure trove of picture books to promote mental wellness and help students cope with difficult emotions.

Using Pictures to Decode in First Grade

Bitsy Parks helps first grader Zac work on his decoding skills by using a fun picture book.

Using Photographs in Remote Learning Communities

Bitsy Parks shares how she and her first-grade students used photography to bridge the distance between home and school this spring, learning lessons she is using this fall in remote learning contexts.

First-Grade Conference: Information Writing

Stella Villalba confers with Esmeralda about her information writing on blue jays.

Letting Students Organize Informational Books

Mandy Robek is a little nervous about setting her students loose to organize informational texts, but she couldn’t be more pleased by what they learn in the process.

Routines for Building Gratitude

Bitsy Parks finds even the dreariest days in her first-grade classroom are infinitely more enjoyable because she’s built in routines for expressing gratitude.