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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
Using Writing Notebooks Authentically with My Fifth-Grade Students
Katherine Sokolowski reflects on a key component of her writing workshop, and finds ways for using writing notebooks more authentically.
My Middle Schoolers Still Can’t Spell!: Focusing on Individual Students
Gretchen Taylor concludes her two-part series on spelling instruction in middle school. In this installment, Gretchen visits a colleague in the primary grades to get advice and practical insight.
Rethinking Grammar Instruction in High School
What conventions can be taught in a way that sticks with older adolescents? Gretchen Schroeder slows down and focuses to improve her instruction.
The Big Fresh October 11, 2014 What We Take Away
We consider homework and home/school connections in this week’s Big Fresh.
Conferring About the Author
Beth Lawson confers with a fourth grader about her “about the author” blurb, a great chance to learn more about students’ home passions.
Writing Homework
If your students are already comfortable with an unstructured requirement of 20-30 minutes of reading each night, you may find adding 10 minutes of writing at home works wonders in fostering writing skills. Katherine Sokolowski explains how the assignment works in her classroom.
The Power of Reading Habits
Gretchen Taylor’s overscheduled middle school students have almost no time for reading outside the classroom. She finds that some reflective inquiry helps them build reading habits at home.
Helping Parents Talk with Students
Helping parents learn to talk with their children about what’s going on in the classroom may be more valuable than any homework teachers assign. Max Brand shares some practical tips and prompts he gives to families to launch conversations at the dinner table or in the car.
The Big Fresh October 4, 2014 Duct Tape Magic
Word work in the early grades is the focus of this week’s Big Fresh.
Word Work Basics
Max Brand explains the basics of word work, including a list of reflective questions teachers can ask themselves and students.
My Middle Schoolers Can’t Spell!
Gretchen Taylor has a common teacher's lament about spelling, so she decides to do something about it. This is the first installment in a two-part series.
Student-Generated Blends Chart in First Grade
Katie DiCesare’s first graders add to a blends chart during reading transition time.
Introducing Onomatopoeia Minilesson
Christi Overman teaches her second graders about onomatopoeia in a brief minilesson.
The Big Fresh September 27, 2014 Walk and Talk
We consider close reading with teens and tweens in this week’s Big Fresh.
Close Reading and Multiple Layers in Middle School
Christy Rush-Levine uses striking texts that inspire multiple readings by her middle school students.
“Lift a Line” Boys Reading Group
Franki Sibberson gives a group of boys a “lift a line” assignment to build their close reading skills.
Spreading Out the Fun
Why save all the most enjoyable literacy activities for May or June? Gigi McAllister spreads out the fun all year long with literacy events and activities to break up routines.
Using Close Reading to Analyze Propaganda
Propaganda, word clouds, and close reading engage students in Holly Mueller’s sixth-grade class.
The Big Fresh September 20, 2014 Chinese Food
What’s appropriate for students to read is the focus of this week’s Big Fresh.
What Kenny Taught Me
Jennifer Schwanke has a student who just won’t sit still and behave appropriately in her middle school classroom. She finally gives up. That’s where the learning begins.
Can Books Harm Children? Support and Censorship
Shari Frost asks a provocative question: Can books harm children? She explores practical ways for teachers to walk the fine line between support and censorship in matching books to students.
First-Grade Humor: Conferring with Jude
Katie DiCesare confers with first grader Jude. He is inspired to use humor in his writing by Captain Underpants.
Top 10 Intermediate Books for Boys
Katherine Sokolowski finds many of the boys in her classroom love to read about violence, weapons, and crude humor. She challenges teachers to appreciate boys’ interests and set some of our own criticism aside.
The Big Fresh September 13, 2014 Extra or Unexpected?
We look at how to find writing topics in this week’s Big Fresh.
Getting Traction When There Is Nothing to Write About
Mary Lee Hahn finds herself stuck with nothing to write about at a writing retreat. She explores tools and strategies to get unstuck, and finds they are the same ones that work with writers of any age in classrooms.
Personal Narratives and Memoir: Conferring with Bode
Ruth Ayres confers with Bode about the difference between personal narratives and memoirs, and the value of mining the writing journal for topics.
Rethinking Writing Notebooks
What makes writing notebooks authentic? Katherine Sokolowski ponders the question.
Teacher as Mentor Writer
Tony Keefer takes the leap and commits to sharing more of his writing process with students.
The Big Fresh September 6, 2014 Clark Walking
Reading logs are the focus of this week’s Big Fresh.
Jumping Off the Buzz Wagon: The Value of Reading Logs
Are you ready to ditch your reading logs? Not so fast. Franki Sibberson explains why she still uses them in her third-grade classroom.
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