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Connecting Read Alouds and the Literacy Curriculum at the Start of the School Year
Here are some ways to link read alouds with learning across the curriculum at the start of the year, suggested by Choice Literacy readers.
If You Like Junie B. Jones, You Might Like . . .
What young learner doesn’t love Junie B. Jones? Franki Sibberson shares great texts to recommend for readers who adore Junie and might be looking for similar characters and plots.
Fresh Books and Age-old Skills
Suzy Kaback provides a booklist of newer texts that can be used to teach multiple reading strategies.
Vocabulary, Comprehension, and the Common Core: A Conversation with Doug Fisher (PODCAST)
In this podcast, Doug Fisher discusses how vocabulary fits into the Common Core State Standards.
Every. Single. Day.
Ruth Shagoury listens in as Katie Doherty's students give advice to a new classmate, and in the process reveal the norms and expectations for reading and writing workshops.
Telling Our Stories
Ruth Shagoury and Andie Cunningham beautifully weave together poetry and storytelling in a potent professional development activity for teachers.
You’ve Got to Be Joking
A first-year teacher struggles to manage a class with boys who are cut-ups. From the lemons to lemonade department, Heather Rader helps him build on student strengths by developing a popular writing unit on joke writing.
Making Assumptions
The shift from teaching children to mentoring adults can be difficult for many educators. Ellie Gilbert chronicles the biggest assumptions that harm collaborative relationships with colleagues.
The Power of Powerpoints for English Language Learners
Erin Ocon discovers a surprising tool to help her middle school English language learners develop their writing and oral language skills — Powerpoint presentations. Erin shares some practical tips for using presentation software to support English language learners.
From “I Don’t Get It” to “Never Mind — That’s Amazing!”: Scaffolding Schema for Comprehending Poetry
Katie Doherty finds poetry is a powerful tool for helping her middle school students understand the value of schema while reading.
I Can’t Quite Put My Finger On It
Have you ever had a teacher enthusiastically embrace a new “magic bullet” instructional program that includes scripted or rote elements that concern you? Melanie Quinn considers this sticky situation instructional coaches sometimes find themselves in, and comes up with some starting points for conversations with colleagues.
Tried and True Trumps Shiny and New
Amanda Adrian explains why running records are still an essential tool in any teacher’s assessment arsenal. She also includes links to web resources for honing your running record skills if they are a bit rusty.
Rumor Has It
Lisa Koch says we should get our students to start some rumors — about characters, that is.
Literacy Coaching and Student Work with Diane Sweeney (PODCAST)
Diane Sweeney talks about the importance of focusing more on student work and less on teacher plans and lessons for literacy coaches.
Sticky Little Invention (The Post-It Essay)
Jill Ostrow describes how the "post-it essay" is an ingenious way to get richer responses to displays of learning. Jill is working with teachers, but this is another writing activity that can be adapted for use with teens or tweens.
Poetry that Celebrates Summertime and the Outdoors
Franki Sibberson combines verse and nature in this booklist on taking poetry outdoors.
Capturing Student Learning with Evernote
It can be difficult to move from print to electronic records in the classroom. After using a spiral notebook for 10 years, Cathy Mere did just that.
Professional Development Openers and Icebreakers (ROUND-UP)
This round-up includes suggestions for opening activities and icebreakers to energize your colleagues from Amanda Adrian, Aimee Buckner, Shari Frost, and Jennifer Jones.
Common Core Conversations: Text Complexity
Amanda Adrian and Heather Rader find ways into understanding text complexity with students and teachers.
What’s On Your Summer Pleasure Reading List? (Round-Up)
We asked some of our favorite teacher authors what's on their nightstands and in their book bags for summer reading.
11/11/11: We Are One Celebration with Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Hundreds of people gathered at Millennium Park in Chicago for a joyful and silly celebration of Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s “We Are One” flash mob.
Same Old Love Song — A Cento
Shirl McPhillips creates a cento – a collection of lines written by other poets compiled into a new poem. It turns out poets were sampling other creative works centuries before rappers made the practice so popular today.
Exit Slips Open Doors
Amanda Adrian explains how a simple professional development closure activity garnered many new invitations to classrooms.
Literacy Groundings
Andie works with new teachers as they share their literacy groundings — the moments in their histories that shaped who they are as educators.
Write Today
Ruth Ayres describes her own experiences as an author, blogger, and teacher. She shows how possible and essential writing is for even the busiest educators.
Grouping: Who? How Big? How Often?
In this first installment of a series on grouping, Heather Rader considers size, composition, and frequency.
If You Like Goosebumps . . .
Students still love the Goosebumps series, and teachers can build on that passion by introducing them to other texts with similar appeal. Franki Sibberson shares books at a variety of reading levels which tap into student fascination with things that go bump in the night.
Learning to Write Engaging Nonfiction: A Middle School Partner Writing Study
Ann Marie Corgill takes a big risk and pairs her middle-school students randomly for a nonfiction writing project, and finds the risk pays off.
Unpacking the Common Core Standards: First Grade Information Texts
Franki Sibberson designs a booklist for tackling information texts in first grade.
“School” Writing at the End of the Year
Writing about education is important in Erin Ocon's middle school classroom. Although Erin's students are in the eighth grade, this is a terrific project for readers of any age, and could even be used schoolwide for closure and celebration.
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