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Teaching Students Retelling Strategies

Retelling is an essential skill for readers, and it’s one that is crucial for success on most state exams too.  In Part 1 of a two-part series, Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan share strategies and sample lessons.

Teaching Blogging to Second Graders

You’re never too young to blog, as Katie DiCesare demonstrates with her 2nd graders.

“The Wrath of Guess Jeans”: Reading, Writing, and Cliques in Middle School

In this first video in a three-part series, Katie Doherty leads her 6th graders through a response activity. The text they are reading was written by a middle school student over a decade ago, and its themes of popularity and belonging still ring true for students.

More Literacy Keepsakes to Carry Home at the End of the School Year

Choice Literacy readers share more of their favorite end-of-year gifts for students to make and take home.

Choosing Mentor Texts for Reading

In this quick take video, Aimee Buckner explains her criteria for selecting mentor texts for small-group, individual, and whole-class instruction.

Choosing 5th Grade Read Alouds for the New Year

So many wonderful choices, so little time! Karen Terlecky makes her selections for a year of 5th grade read alouds.

Coaching Out of Chaos: Helping New Teachers Establish Management Systems

The #1 issue for many new teachers is management. Heather Rader shares how she tactfully assisted a novice teacher who needed help.

Life on the Edge

"Life on the Edge" compares the energy and purpose of birds in a nest to daily life in classrooms.  It's the perfect metaphor for the fast pace of our teaching lives.

Next Steps: Thinking about Retelling During Reading

Retelling is an essential skill for readers, and it’s one that is crucial for success on most state exams too.  In Part 2 of a two-part series, Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan share strategies and sample lessons in this installment.

Balancing Assessments Through Better Classroom Notes

Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan explain how literacy coaches can validate and support teachers by helping them refine their classroom notetaking skills.

Reading Preferences: Social, Pleasurable, and Sometimes Awkward

Karen Terlecky connects an honest appraisal of her reading habits with an unvarnished look at her 5th grade students.

Quick Takes: Advice on Book Hogs

In this quick take video, Franki Sibberson gives advice for dealing with "book hogs" — those students who try to grab any new book when it appears in the classroom library.

Beginning with the End in Mind: Planning Ahead for Closing Activities

Choice Literacy readers share their favorite end-of-year activities that circle back to events from the start of the school year.

Creating a Kindergarten Classroom Library

Mandy Robek finds herself overwhelmed when moving from a 3rd grade to kindergarten classroom. Her therapy? Rolling up her sleeves and designing a kindergarten classroom library.

Book Matchmaker: Teaching Point of View

In this installment of Book Matchmaker, Franki Sibberson provides a range of books for teaching point of view for grades 3-5 students.

Who Rules?: Creating a Classroom Code of Conduct with Students

Heather Rader works with a young teacher to establish a better management system.

Using Series Books to Model Comprehension and Anchor Thinking

Katie DiCesare shares some of her favorite texts for a primary study on series books.  This is Part 2 in a series.

Uncovering Reading Behaviors

Teachers value the assessment of student skills and needs that come from close observation in classrooms, but may not know how to focus those observations.  Ruth Shagoury documents some of those behaviors that put students on the path of becoming accomplished independent readers in a middle school classroom.

Bookroom Makeover in the Midst

In this video tour, Jessica Ardela and Josie Stewart talk about the renovations in progress in bookrooms at their school in Dublin, Ohio. The goal is to make it easier for students and teachers to access the texts they need, as well as create spaces for professional conversations among teachers.

Along Saplines

A poem and reflection to lift your spirits if you have the late-winter blues.

Portable Anchor Charts for Literacy Coaches

Jennifer Allen explains the many uses of portable lightweight anchor charts in her work as a literacy coach.

“The Wrath of Guess Jeans”: Response and Read Around

In this second video in a three-part series, Katie Doherty leads her 6th graders through a response activity.  In this installment, the students respond orally and share some of their writing, making links to pop culture and other books from reading workshop.

Tips for Conducting Demonstration Lessons, or How to Avoid the “Am I Doing This Right?” Question

Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan have advice for teachers and literacy coaches leading demonstration lessons.

Reflections on a Year of Read Alouds

Karen Terlecky mulls over a year of read alouds in her 5th grade classroom as she makes plans for the coming year.

Parent Contributions Beyond Instructional Support

Parents want to contribute, but not all contributions are welcome or even helpful when it comes to teaching children how to read and write. Trish Prentice has suggestions for making the most of family skills and willingness to help.

Guiding Readers in Kindergarten: A Planning and Assessment Template

If you’re considering guided reading groups in your kindergarten classroom, you’ll want to read Mandy Robek’s advice for getting started and keeping track with a simple planning and assessment form.

Still Revising After 10 Years: Sorting Through Pitfalls of Study Groups

Jennifer Allen considers how her study groups have changed over the past decade as she continues to balance district demands with teacher choice.

Books and Activities from Around the World to Celebrate the Holiday Season

People around the world celebrate the holidays in different ways, and that diversity provides wonderful learning opportunities this time of year.  Stella Villalba shares literary holiday projects and a booklist around the themes of “peace” and “wishes” that might help students find common ground in family traditions.

Math, Writing, and Coaching to Learn

Heather Rader works with a 5th grade teacher to infuse more writing into her math curriculum.

Closing Out the Library: Cleaning Up and Thinking Ahead

Franki Sibberson provides a series of questions to help you focus on what students need in classroom and school libraries, as well as how those needs might be changing.

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