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Chapter Book Read Alouds in the Primary Classroom

Shari Frost considers selection, preparation, and pacing in choosing books that work well as read alouds in the primary classroom.

Family Dichos: Bringing the Language of Home into the Classroom

Ruth Shagoury and Andie Cunningham use dichos (sayings or proverbs) in many languages and cultures to build bridges between school and home.

Over, Under, and Beyond Words: Alternative Strategies for Observing Talk in Classrooms (E-GUIDE)

Words matter. Tried-and-true templates and strategies in this E-Guide focus attention on classroom talk in ways that help grow professional conversations.

What’s Valued? Exploring Different Values in Evaluation (E-GUIDE)

Brenda Power shares a workshop series designed to help educators bring their values into closer alignment for a more cohesive experience for students.

Opinion Exchange (E-GUIDE)

How can quotes lead educators to awareness and acceptance of the diversity of opinions in a group? Discover what this format for discussion has to offer your study group or staff.

The Art of Listening in Writing Conferences with English Language Learners

Ruth Shagoury and Andie Cunningham share tips for mastering the art of listening in conferences with English language learners.

Creative Literacy Events for Families

Brenda Power suggests formats for events that build stronger home-school connections.

Tools to Redesign Your Classroom (TEMPLATES)

Whether it’s time to set up a classroom space from scratch or reorganize space that isn’t meeting needs, The Sisters have the tools you need.

Adjectives to Anecdotes: Writing Better Report Card Comments

Brenda Power helps report card comment writers pack a punch in a few lines with positivity, honesty and some time-saving tips.

Alphabet Books for English Language Learners

Ruth Shagoury lists a variety of books with languages and scripts far beyond the ABCs to connect school and home languages.

The Dark Side of Girl Talk: How Female Conversation Patterns Can Inhibit School Change

Brenda Power explores the differences between “rapport talk” and “report talk” and what to do when communication breaks down with female colleagues.

Puzzle Kids: Observing and Analyzing Challenging Students (E-GUIDE)

This E-Guide provides teachers with a tool to analyze children who need additional observation and analysis to create successful learning opportunities.

Conferring with Yourself: A Tool for Anticipating Response (TEMPLATE)

Take time for this quick write and Brenda Power will have you conferring with yourself, considering new viewpoints and thoughtfully preparing for your "yeah but" colleagues.

Launching Teacher Study Groups: Guidelines and Resources

Jennifer Allen’s years of experience with teacher study groups has led her to best practices that make it “safe and easy” for teachers to learn from each other.

Comprehending Graphic Novels: A Primer for Teachers

Mary Lee Hahn provides a quick primer for teachers new to graphic novels, as well as suggestions for using these novels to teach comprehension.

Guilty Pleasures

Aimee Buckner reveals her guilty pleasures, and finds they make for great writing fodder.

Writing to Reflect: Quotes for Quick Writing, Reflection, and Discussion (Download)

This downloadable guide includes 10 different quotes from a range of educators, activists, authors, and innovators for reflection at all times of the year.

What Are the Seven Reading Comprehension Strategies?

Terms like thinking or comprehension strategies get thrown around a lot, but what do we really mean? Brenda Power helps define seven strategies to build common language and understanding.

Two-Column Notes (E-GUIDE)

The Two-Column Notes eGuide has 18 different options for notes in professional development settings.  These templates are helpful to use in staff meetings and study groups while watching videos, or to focus observations during classroom visits

The Read-Around: Raising Writers

If there was a centerpiece to teaching writing that also brought students closer together, wouldn't you want to know about it? Read on about the Read-Around.

Getting Started with Your Own Writer’s Notebook

Notebook Faker Extraordinaire Aimee Bucker writes about how she managed after years of false starts to build the writer's notebook habit one summer not long ago.

The Dog Ate My Study Group Plans! Four Instant (and Fun and Reflective) No-Prep Teacher Workshops (E-GUIDE)

This e-guide provides tried-and-true workshops plans for educators in need of energy and encouragement.

Above the Fold: Creating Individual Professional Development Plans (E-GUIDE)

Determine importance for yourself using a six-step process that individualizes a plan to help you set limits, study deeply and lead the scholarly life you deserve.

We Are All Shamu: What Literacy Leaders Can Learn from Exotic Animal Trainers

If you've ever compared your classroom to a zoo, this article by Brenda Power is for you. You'll take animal trainer advice like "We change behavior in others by breaking routines in delightful ways" and follow it into the classroom.

Poetry Friday! Poetry Books That Are Fun to Read Aloud

What do doughnuts and talk-filled mornings have in common? Learn about this Poetry Friday ritual that impacts independent reading time as well.

Under, Over and Beyond Words: Strategies for Observing Talk in Classrooms

This article offers possibilities for observing classrooms focused on talk as an alternative to traditional observation notes.

Inviting Students to Organize Books and Materials

Debbie Miller advocates for involving children in the organization of materials for readers and writers in the classroom.

Charting the Course: A Yearlong Professional Development Plan for New Teachers (SCHEDULE)

Planning with the end in mind is essential for literacy leaders. Jennifer Allen takes us through her process for creating a focused and progressive year-long plan.

The Other Buddy: How Partnership Programs Help Older Readers

In many buddy reading programs we often tout the benefits for the younger, less experienced reader, but Shari Frost tells the story of a “big kid” reader with a legitimate reason to read books that were closer to his independent level. Read on.

Idealism Fades to Reality: Thinking Back to My Days as a New Teacher

Jennifer Allen makes connections between her new professional life as a literacy coach and her beginning as a classroom teacher.

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