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.
In this conference with a fourth grader, Aimee Buckner guides a child to think more deeply and critically about a book being read to the whole class, Goblins in the Castle.
Karen Terlecky confers with her 5th graders during reading workshop.
Franki Sibberson has graphic novel suggestions for 6th grade girls.
Ruth Ayres explains how teachers might put less focus on big, showy events, and more on the daily small pleasures and joys of writing success in classrooms.
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
Heather Rader synthesizes recommendations and provides examples of how grouping structures work in classrooms.
If you’ve ever had 15 minutes or less to plan for a session with kids, you can appreciate the blend of panic and improvisation the experience inspires. Mary Lee Hahn devises an activity with an infographic for the 4th and 5th grade environmental science club at the last minute, and finds students exhibit many surprising literacy skills during the session.
In this demonstration lesson from a fifth-grade classroom, Aimee Buckner works with students to construct an anchor chart for understanding the genre of historical fiction.
In this video from a first-grade classroom, Katie DiCesare demonstrates how she has made writing share time more productive by linking student work to recent lessons.
Beth Lawson shows how to get the most from a conference about series books in 3rd grade. Inferring and synthesis are discussed, as well as the use of written notes for making meaning from texts.
In this first installment of a series on grouping, Heather Rader considers size, composition, and frequency.
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.
Sometimes using a prop can help young students understand a revision strategy. Heather Rader helps second-grader Sammi understand how to “magnify” a moment when revising her writing.
Heather Rader considers the cultural divide between teachers and students who are “screenagers” when it comes to texting. If u r getting LOLed out in ur classroom u might want 2 read this.
Writers in the real world abandon drafts all the time, yet it’s a strategy which isn’t often encouraged in classrooms. Heather Rader considers the thorny issue of how teachers can promote this strategy, yet still deal well with those students who never finish any drafts.
Franki Sibberson designs a booklist for tackling information texts in first grade.
Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan share two of their favorite protocols for building community among educators.
In this six-minute video, Pam Pogson leads an open word sort with her 6th grade students.
Robin Heist is an elementary teacher looking for books for her older English language learners who are reading below grade-level expectations.
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.
Teachers are adding more nonfiction to their classroom libraries, and looking for ways to promote nonfiction with students in light of the emphasis on nonfiction in the Common Core. Franki Sibberson share tips for previewing nonfiction with students.
In this first installment of a video series, Clare Landrigan takes a team of grades 3-5 teachers through the steps of planning for a demonstration lesson.
Amanda Adrian and Heather Rader explore connections between the Common Core and vocabulary instruction.
Beth Lawson confers with a second grader, assisting as she works on her punctuation skills.
Andrea Smith explains how the classroom environment influences instruction in the second installment of this video series.
In this second installment of a two-part video series, Clare Landrigan takes a team of grades 3-5 teachers through the steps of selecting a book for a demonstration lesson.
Andrea Smith and her 4th grade students use an article from National Geographic for Kids to chart literary nonfiction elements.
What do you do about those book clubs that just don’t jell in your middle school classroom? Katie Doherty demonstrates how she guides a struggling group of sixth graders, helping them reflect and converse together.
In this sequence of videos, Heather teaches a fourth-grade class, using the analogy of a sponge to explain how summaries work. In this first video excerpt, Heather reviews the work the class has already done on understanding the attributes of good summaries.
Heather Rader wades through the research to find the best practices in spelling instruction.
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