Latest Content
Minilesson on Facts and Sources

Katherine Sokolowski presents a minilesson on ferreting out facts while completing independent research projects.

Rhyming Words and English Language Learners

Stella Villalba explains why focusing on rhyming words is crucial for young English language learners.

The Big Fresh February 4, 2017 Branding

Is it time for a routines refresh in your classroom? We share some possibilities in this week’s Big Fresh.

Life in a Single Breath

Shirl McPhillips says hello to autumn and explores the power of haiku.

Minilesson: Tips for Book Talks

Gigi McAllister gives a minilesson on engaging book talks to her fourth graders.

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.

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.

The Big Fresh January 28, 2017 Kickball

Is it time for a routines refresh in your classroom? We share some possibilities in this week’s Big Fresh.

The Big Fresh January 21, 2017 What Motivates You?

We consider stamina and independence in this week’s Big Fresh.

The Big Fresh January 14, 2017 Whispers

We continue to look at student self-assessment in this week’s Big Fresh. This is the second installment of a two-part newsletter series.

Quick Take: Evolving Beliefs About Goals

Gigi McAllister gives a brief explanation of how her thinking on goal setting has changed, as well as the ways she uses student goals to connect with parents.

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.

Minilesson: Measurable Reading Goals in Fourth Grade

Gigi McAllister has her fourth graders consider what makes a reading goal measurable.

The Big Fresh January 7, 2017 Lemonade Stand

Student self-assessment is the focus of this week’s Big Fresh. This is the first installment of a two-part newsletter series.

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.

Quick Reading Reflection in First Grade

Bitsy Parks has her first graders complete a quick reading reflection before a share session early in the school year.

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.

Mini-Breaks for Reading Engagement

Heather Fisher works with first graders to teach them the strategy of taking “mini-breaks” to sustain reading during workshops.

Celebrating Completed Books and Presenting New Ones

Gigi McAllister shares a quick daily routine of asking students to celebrate books they have finished reading before she introduces a new book to the class.

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.

Growing Writing Stamina

Tara Barnett and Kate Mills have a confession to make: in the first weeks of school, many of their fourth-grade students didn’t write much at all in workshops. It was only after tackling the issue of writing stamina head-on that they saw rapid progress.

Building Better Book Baggies

What happens when you establish a routine early in the year, only to discover students aren't using it a few months later? Shari Frost mentors a teacher who is helping his young students improve their book selection skills.

The Big Fresh December 17, 2016 Changing Our Focus

Audio and visual tools are the focus of this week’s Big Fresh.

Visual Essays

Gretchen Schroeder finds visual essays are a fun option for her high school students to present what they have learned just before Christmas break.

Getting Started with Voice Recorded Responses

Gigi MicAllister gives step-by-step advice on how she set up voice-recorded response as an option in her fourth-grade classroom.

Getting Started with Student Podcasting

If you’re interested in launching student podcasts, Matt Renwick has resources and tips for getting started.

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