Are your students buried in post-its? Oversharing with those text-to-self connections? Parroting back comprehension tips but rarely applying them when they are actually reading? Our contributors sort through what works with strategy instruction, and have wise advice for avoiding superficial approaches to developing comprehension skills.
Melissa Styger rethinks the way she teaches reading strategies, emphasizing putting them to use over defining them.
It’s never too early to help students learn to make wise choices for independent reading. Mandy Robek reviews the I-Pick strategy for choosing appropriate books with her kindergarten students.
Heather Rader shares the second installment in our primary research series.
Sean Moore uses the poem “The Busy Ant” for partner work and discussion of fluency and vocabulary with his second graders.
Gretchen Taylor explains how she uses that old chestnut The Outsiders with her sixth graders for shared reading and to build skills in annotating text. The article includes a video example of a small group.
In this conference with second grader TJ from Sean Moore’s classroom, the strategies of backing up and rereading as well as attending to the “bossy e” are discussed.
Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan manage to synthesize workspace cleanup, student independence, and a concrete analogy for strategy work in classrooms.
Melissa Styger confers with a fourth-grade student using a template to help students track thinking and comprehension.
Aimee Buckner confers with Brendan, who is rereading Hoot and needs some strategies for holding his thinking.
In this second video in a two-part series, Sean Moore invites second grader Isaiah to present his learning to the class.
In this first video in a two-part series, Sean Moore confers with second grader Isaiah. Sean prepares Isaiah to share what he is learning later in the writing workshop.
Gretchen Taylor helps her middle school students analyze their needs as readers and set benchmarks for growth.
In this video from a 4th grade classroom, Aimee Buckner confers with a student who is reading The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson.
When to let a child guess, and when to give the correct answer in a reading conference? That's the struggle for 2nd grade teacher Sean Moore as he confers with Conner.
Sean Moore confers with 2nd grader Emily about the strategy of rereading for comprehending reading and writing.
Sean Moore demonstrates how he helps students focus their independent reading with preparation and then with discussion after reading.
Karen Terlecky meets with a small group in her 5th grade class to discuss the strategy of inferring.
In this video from Katie Doherty’s sixth-grade classroom, Katie confers with a student who has returned to a series book she had previously rejected. Katie weaves in talk about strategies, particularly inferring (a focus of whole-class minilessons).
This reading conference from Katie Doherty’s middle school classroom builds on the whole-class lesson, and demonstrates the value of partner reading for older students.
In this video from Sean Moore’s second-grade classroom, Sean confers with a student who comprehends text well but has some issues with accuracy.
Franki Sibberson explains the value of "Next-Read Stack" conferences for fostering independence, and includes a video example.
Gail Boushey confers with Jake, a seven-year-old who is setting a reading goal of developing fluency. After the conference, she debriefs with Joan Moser.
Sean Moore confers with a 2nd grader who is learning the strategy of chunking words in reading. Notice how Sean focuses the student, refers to previous conferences, and previews an upcoming whole-class reading.
In this conference with a 5th grader, Aimee Buckner shares two strategies — one to use when putting a book away between readings, and another to help keep track of characters in a complex narrative where the point of view is constantly shifting.
In this video from a K-2 multiage classroom, Joan Moser and Gail Boushey ("The Sisters") present a fluency lesson to the whole class.
Beth Lawson shows how to get the most from a conference about series books in 3rd grade. Inferring and synthesis are discussed, as well as the use of written notes for making meaning from texts.
In this first installment of a video series, Clare Landrigan takes a team of grades 3-5 teachers through the steps of planning for a demonstration lesson.
Beth Lawson helps one of her 3rd grade students write in response to a complex text he is reading, talking through how the writing might help him synthesize the plot of the story.
Cathy Mere puts guided reading in perspective, explaining how it works as one piece of the puzzle when it comes to fostering a lifelong love of reading in students.
In this conference with a 4th grader, Aimee Buckner tackles text choice, notes, and main ideas all in less than five minutes. You’ll notice teachers observing in the background – the conference is part of a demonstration lesson sequence.
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