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Here is where you’ll find all the latest print features from our contributors. If you’d like to browse specifically by grade level, topic, or contributor, you can use the links in the right sidebar.
Latest Content
Unpacking the Common Core Standards: Compare and Contrast Nonfiction
Franki Sibberson highlights texts for teaching compare and contrast in nonfiction texts.
Argumentative, Opinion, and Persuasive Writing in the Common Core
What does the Common Core have to say about persuasive writing? Jennifer Burton explains how she and her colleagues are teasing out the differences between opinion, argument, and persuasive writing with students, and helping them develop this type of writing in authentic ways
How Do We Structure Small Groups? (Part 3 of the Grouping Series)
Heather Rader synthesizes recommendations and provides examples of how grouping structures work in classrooms.
Mentor Texts for a Writing Study in Graphica
Graphica readers often want to become graphica writers. Franki Sibberson weeds through the books and leaves us with the "good stuff" for mentor texts.
Common Core Conversations: Reading in the Disciplines
Amanda Adrian and Heather Rader look at reading across the disciplines within the Common Core.
Katherine Casey on Sharing Blunders with Colleagues (PODCAST)
Katherine Casey explains why she shares her teaching blunders (on video, no less) with colleagues, and what she has learned from the process.
Invocation at the End of Summer
Shirl McPhillips reminds us of the power of an invocation–a call for support. Not only is this a beautiful poem, but it is a model for students writing their own invocation.
Skype an Author with Kate Messner (PODCAST)
In this podcast, Kate Messner points out the cost and kid benefits for skyping with an author.
Pitching My Lesson Plans for a Day of Peace and Poetry
Seizing an unexpected learning opportunity may be the best way to remember why you became a teacher in the first place. Karen Terlecky celebrates one of these serendipitous moments.
The Superpower of Reflecting
Are you more of a Pollyanna or Eeyore reflector? Heather Rader takes you inside the questions that help us reflect even more deeply on our instructional practices.
Improving Poetry’s Rap
Katie Baydo-Reed finds the web has great resources for her middle school students when it comes to sparking more interest in poetry.
Current and Cocoa: Mixing Social Studies and Literacy
Current and Cocoa is a fun routine for integrating social studies, literacy, and conversation in classrooms. Heather Rader describes how the weekly activity builds community and fosters awareness of news events.
Conferring with Parents (ROUND-UP)
There is always a new tweak to consider with conferences involving families. Choice Literacy Contributors have both the head and heart in mind with these tips.
Trying to Coach Without the Budget in Mind
Melanie Quinn makes a somewhat surprising discovery in the midst of the budget cutting season. The best way to justify her literacy coaching position is to do less – but do everything extraordinarily well.
Wild Facts
Wild Facts is a terrific example of how Andrea Smith's intermediate students naturally connect web resources with content learning.
Sorting Students for Flexible Groups Across Classrooms
Jennifer Jones explains how one team of second-grade teachers formed guided reading groups across classrooms to marshal resources and expand their collaboration.
Learning from Master Teachers: Final Lessons in the Cycle (Part II)
Franki Sibberson presents two more minilessons from her cycle on teaching students how to respond to reading.
Image of the Week: Building a Classroom Community Through Visual Literacy
Teachers know visual learners are in every classroom, and Andrea Smith is no exception. She uses an “image of the week” to get at high expectations, observations, publishing, and, of course, building community.
Mentor Texts for Organizing Writing
We think of mentor texts for teaching literary elements, but what about for organizing? Aimee Buckner describes how she selects books to demonstrate a range of ways to organize writing and help students make choices independently.
The Art of Slow Reading: A Conversation with Tom Newkirk (PODCAST)
In this podcast Brenda Power talks with Tom Newkirk about what has been lost and what is truly meant by “slow reading.”
Teaching Poetry to Teens with the William Stafford Archives
Erin Ocon highlights the life and work of William Stafford and how she uses the archives of his work to bring poetry alive for her middle school students.
Spelling Rules — Or Does It?
Heather Rader introduces a new spelling series and maps out the topics she’ll be tackling.
Katherine Casey on Coaching in Classrooms (PODCAST)
In this podcast, Katherine Casey shares her wisdom on classroom modeling for coaches that really works because both teacher and coach have clarity on the purpose and practice.
Finding Time for Your Writing with Ruth Ayres (PODCAST)
In this podcast, Ruth Ayres is no stranger to working hard to find time to write, but that’s why it’s important that we do.
Three Rules Worthy of Spelling Inquiry
It seems like every spelling rule has an exception — so which ones must be taught? Heather Rader shares the three spelling rules worth any teacher’s time.
What’s the Evidence?
Heather Rader shares her experiences working with a teacher team led by an outspoken leader. With listening and support, the team examines evidence in a new way.
Top 10 Technology Tools for Teachers
If you're overwhelmed with the slew of new technology tools coming out all the time (and who isn't?), you might appreciate Scott Sibberson's Top 10 Tech Tools for Teachers. You are probably using some of the tools daily, and may discover a few new ones too.
Classroom Changes and Birdhouse Gourds
Andrea Smith reworks a board that was successful in the past but is woefully empty now.
Conferring with Parents (Part 2)
In this second installment in the two-part series, Choice Literacy Contributors share their top tips for making conferences with families effective and fulfilling.
Keeping It Real for Students: Never Underestimate the Power of Reflection
Melanie Quinn consoles a teacher who is recovering from a disastrous lesson captured on video, and shows the power of a “do-over” for both teachers and students.
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