Library
Choice Literacy Articles & Videos
The Choice Literacy library contains over 3,000 articles and 900 videos from 150+ contributors. Classic Classroom and Literacy Leadership subscribers have access to the entire library. Content is updated continuously, with five to six new features published each week.
Latest Content
Reflective Transitions
Christy Rush-Levine helps her eighth-grade students launch the work period with a reflective question that sets a tone for productivity, and then returns to it throughout the morning during transition times.
The Big Fresh July 30, 2016 Cheetos and Tofu
We highlight student-centered classroom design in this week’s Big Fresh.
Student Interest Board
Katherine Sokolowski shares a wall display from her fifth graders that students build to celebrate who they are and people they love from home.
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.
Student-Centered Room Setup
Tara Barnett and Kate Mills describe the principles they use to design a student-centered classroom.
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.
The Big Fresh July 23, 2016 Time Savers
We consider the youngest learners in this week’s Big Fresh.
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.
Conferring with Ashley: Pink Hair
Ruth Ayres confers with a first-grade writer early in the year. This brief conference with a simple text is all about building a rapport in September and celebrating illustrations.
Thinking About Fluency
Cathy Mere finds that with young learners, not all issues with fluency are created equal—different needs require different strategies.
The Big Fresh July 16, 2016 A Better Mousetrap
Baseline assessments are the focus of this week’s Big Fresh.
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.
The Living: Book Talk
Christy Rush-Levine introduces The Living to her eighth graders.
The Big Fresh July 9, 2016 A Fork in the Road
Teaching procedural writing is the focus of this week’s Big Fresh.
Laying the Foundation for Genre Writing
Shari Frost helps a teacher dealing with dreadful how-to drafts from her students by sharing quality mentor texts.
A Joyful Mess
Ruth Ayres writes about the messiness of analyzing needs, celebrating achievements, and thinking about what’s next with writers in workshops.
The Big Fresh June 25, 2016 Repurposed
Repurposing materials for literacy instruction is the focus of this week’s Big Fresh.
Old-Fashioned Resources
Jennifer Schwanke cleans out a school storage area, and with advice from teachers discovers new purposes for old items she was about to discard.
Fostering Thinking Through Play
Katie DiCesare repurposes materials for her first graders to play with, and finds that encouraging play early in the year is a great tool for building reflection skills.
Getting to Know Writers: The Writing Process Survey
Dana Murphy continues her series on getting to know writers early in the year. In this installment, she explains how to use a simple six-question survey to help teachers and students explore differences in writing routines and habits.
Book Talk: Trouble
Christy Rush-Levine previews the book Trouble by Gary D. Schmidt.
The Big Fresh June 18, 2016 What We Brew
Writing routines are the focus of this week’s Big Fresh.
Last Chance Workshop
Christy Rush-Levine breaks her routine of responding to student writing, and instead calls on students to guide and support peers. She shares some surprising results.
Conferring with Ben: Brainstorming Writing Topics and Genres
Katherine Sokolowski helps fifth grader Ben brainstorm ideas for writing, and in the process encourages him to try a new genre.
Getting to Know Writers: Introduction
Dana Murphy writes about the litmus tests we give writing teachers to analyze whether or not they are teaching the "right" way, when we might better serve students by focusing on the six truths of writing.
The Big Fresh June 11, 2016 New Tires
Creative possibilities for nonfiction is the focus of this week’s Big Fresh.
Nonfiction Research Group in Fifth Grade
Katherine Sokolowski meets with a group of fifth graders who are all researching the use of nets in fishing and the environmental effects of the process. She works to build connections among classmates as well as research skills.
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