Summer has a flavor like no other. Always fresh and simmered in sunshine.
—Oprah Winfrey
Grab a Cold Drink
Do you have a favorite summer drink? Maybe it is sun tea, brewed on the back deck in the afternoon rays. Hand-squeezed lemonade is an understandable favorite…especially if you use my grandma’s recipe. My neighbor prefers a tall glass of ice with a Diet Coke poured over the top. A fruit smoothie might take your top spot for best summer drink. For me it’s ice cold sparkling water with a reusable straw. I’ll swoon for fruit in the glass.
Whatever it is for you, I imagine you sipping it as you read this week’s newsletter. We are in the heart of summer. The stress of the previous year is in the rearview mirror, and we are beginning to imagine the goodness that will unfold as the new school year begins.
This newsletter isn’t filled with beginning-of-the-year routines and ideas. Instead, it is designed to inspire. The articles prod you to think deeply about the kinds of readers you want as the year progresses, and they give practical ideas for ways to reach all readers.
Go grab your favorite summer drink, read through the articles, and plan to dream about the way your students will grow as readers this year.
This week we look at deepening reading instruction—plus more, as always.
Shine on,
Ruth Ayres
Editor in Chief
Are you listening to readers? Tammy Mulligan and Ruth Ayres discuss the art and practice of listening to students when they talk about their reading lives. This podcast was first released in September 2021.
Julie Johnson reflects on how to help students know they belong and are valued in a classroom community. She encourages us to “bring in the school year like a grandma”! This article was first published in 2021.
Just reading. Pure, unadulterated reading. That’s the reading homework that matters most in the long run. Stephanie Affinito explains why. This article was first published in 2019 (and it is as true now as it was then).
Are you looking to engage with a community of instructional influencers? Join me on LinkedIn to continue conversations from the Big Fresh and connect with other educators who are just as smart and funny as you are.
Are you an instructional coach? You won’t want to miss being part of this supportive and inspiring network led by Ruth Ayres. Meet virtually once a month to keep your professional goals fresh and stay accountable for your next steps as a coach. Click here for more details and to register for free!
New members-only content is added each week to the Choice Literacy website. If you’re not yet a member, click here to explore membership options.
Tara Barnett and Kate Mills outline the steps to involve students in defining how to progress as readers and then set goals. They offer a practical plan for empowering students to take ownership of their learning.
In this video, secondary instructional coach Holly Wenning shares her own paradigm shift of teaching readers rather than teaching books, and encourages all teachers to consider the importance of putting students before books when planning literacy instruction.
Don’t miss the download in this encore article. Matt Renwick reflects on the importance of building students’ identities as readers and writers and the power of a daily status of the class. Download a template to put this routine in place in your own classroom.
New members-only content is added each week to the Choice Literacy website. If you’re not yet a member, click here to explore membership options.
Stella Villalba calls us all to action in leading a vision for teaching and learning that is rooted in the strength of multilingual learners. It is essential that we reflect on our practices to learn, unlearn, and rethink what is essential for students. This is the first of two articles.
In this Coaching Minute Jean Russell explains how a simple trick with a coaching calendar can build in more time and expectations for leadership growth.
Colleen Cruz addresses the myth that the “right” reading program will solve all reading problems.
Quote It:
If you want to feel happy, do something for yourself. If you want to feel fulfilled, do something for others.
—Simon Sinek
That’s all for this week!
