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Using Wipe-Off Boards with Young English Language Learners

Max Brand describes why wipe-off boards are such a valuable tool for work with young English language learners in small groups. The article includes a video demonstration.

It’s Not About the Tool — It’s About the Learning

Maria Caplin explains step by step how she integrated the use of iPods into her writing workshop, helping students use them to record notes and create persuasive texts.

Brainstorming Student Blogs

Franki Sibberson works with a group of students who want to create a collaborative blog of interviews. The discussion reveals some of the challenges of blog writing, including consistent posting and developing topics that might endure over time.

The Big Fresh January 12, 2013 Control

This week’s Big Fresh focuses on book previewing resources and sample lessons.

Helping Students Develop Independent Previewing Skills

Franki Sibberson's goal is to provide her students with more tools for previewing books independently and making wise selections. In this lesson, she makes full use of technology to set up sites and resources for students to browse at school or home.

Previewing and Picture Walks with Fiction Texts

Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan provide previewing how-to advice for grades K-2 teachers.

Eyes on the Fries: Just-Right Books and Reading Peer Pressure in Middle School

Gretchen Taylor addresses the issue of "peer-pressured reading" in middle school reading workshops, with a practical example of how she helped her students move beyond the fad book of the moment to more thoughtful previewing and independent reading choices.

Book Talks in 4th Grade

Tony Keefer previews Infinity Ring with his fourth graders, and talks about the value of book talks for building a reading community.

The Big Fresh January 5, 2013 Both Sides

We provide resource links to books on bullying in this week’s Big Fresh.

Bully Literacy

Heather Rader shares texts for building understanding about bullies.

Fun in January: A Mock Caldecott Unit

Katherine Sokolowski discovers a seven-day Mock Caldecott unit is a fun way to build a reading community by predicting the winners, and Skyping with another class to share results.

 

New Year Goals (Part 2)

Choice Literacy contributors share their New Year goals. This is the second installment in a two-part series.

Book Matchmaker: Nonfiction to Read Cover to Cover

With the Common Core emphasis on nonfiction, teachers are striving to integrate more nonfiction texts throughout their literacy workshops. Franki Sibberson shares her favorite nonfiction texts that can be read cover to cover.

Two Teachers and One Kindergartner

Principal Jennifer Schwanke looks at the challenging issue of retention and the power of teamwork.

Celebrating Growth and Setting Goals: Conferring with Anna

Katie DiCesare confers with first grader Anna, celebrating her growth as a reader in the first few months of school and helping her with a new strategy goal based on listening to her read.

Guided Reading with Kindergarten English Language Learners

Max Brand takes two kindergarten English language learners from reading a familiar book to exploring a new text, and explains in the debrief how he targets specific reading skills.

The Big Fresh December 29, 2012 Goals

Goals are the subject of this week’s Big Fresh, on the cusp of the new year.

New Year Goals

At the start of the new year, Choice Literacy contributors reflect on their most important goals for January. This is the first installment in a two-part series.

A Picture Walk in Kindergarten

Mandy Robek takes her kindergartners through a picture walk using Mrs. Wishy Washy as the text.

The Writing Process . . . and Processes

Ruth Ayres considers elements of the writing process that are common to all, and which ones vary according to the needs, interests, and quirks of writers.

 

I Love a Good Argument

As Heather Rader works with teachers and teams on opinion/argumentative writing, she’s considering the anatomy of an argument and engaging ways to teach it.

Word Count

Ruth Ayres finds that keeping a word count is a potent way to increase writing quality over time.

Just Write More

Aimee Buckner has tips for ways to focus lessons that will help students produce more writing.

Catching Up with Tommy

Karen Terlecky meets with Tommy, a boy who has flown under the radar for a few weeks in her fifth-grade reading workshop.

Second Grade Whole-Class Share: Adding Details and Descriptive Language Part 4

In this final video from a four-part series, Sean Moore asks students to share their writing with peers and the whole class.

Second Grader Student Mentor Text: Adding Details and Descriptive Language Part 3

In this third video from a four-part series, Sean Moore has a student share his writing as a mentor text for the class.

Happy Holidays from Choice Literacy and Pete the Cat

Wishing you and yours a totally groovy Pete the Cat holiday season.

The Big Fresh December 15, 2012 Visitor Ball

In this week’s Big Fresh, we consider the value of rituals and traditions.

I Have Two Pictures of Cindy. . .

Melissa Kolb writes about the importance of time and patience in meeting our goals with young learners — in this instance, a child who struggles to speak in her preschool classroom.

Choice and Reading Response

As more intermediate classrooms become departmentalized, grades 4-6 teachers find they are dealing with 80 or more reading response logs instead of 25-30 each week. Katherine Sokolowski tackles the issue of providing personal response to readers and still having time for everything else.

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