Article Content Type: Article
Results
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. Franki Sibberson is...
The Writing Process . . . and Processes
The writing process is simple and complex all rolled into one ball. There are a handful of phases and as many ways to execute each step as there are writers...
I Love a Good Argument
It’s been interesting to watch the genesis of teachers’ relationships with opinion and argumentative writing this year. For many of the intermediate teachers I work with, it began with distinguishing...
Word Count
At the beginning of the year, one of the physical education teachers in my school district was training for a 100-mile race. At the same time I was returning to...
Just Write More
I’m a word counter. I don’t count the number of words my students write, but I love watching the word counter at the bottom of my document as I write...
Happy Holidays from Choice Literacy and Pete the Cat
Katie DiCesare shares the video book trailer for Pete the Cat Saves Christmas and invites her first graders to join in a read and sing along.
I Have Two Pictures of Cindy. . .
I have two pictures of Cindy. Both are taken on her birthday at school. In each, she stands beside a lovely array of cupcakes, looking straight at the camera. In...
Choice and Reading Response
Years ago I stumbled across a little book titled The Reading Zone by Nancie Atwell. It was there that I first discovered reading response letters. Further reading of The Book...
Teaching the Rule of Three to Writers
There are some stories that are easy to remember -- we pass them on to our children and grandchildren from memory. I’m not sure I ever read The Three Little...
Eliminating the Conga Line: Teaching Young Children About Strategic Thinking
In the past few months we have spent a lot of time in classrooms establishing systems and structures. We have been busy modeling how we use materials, work independently, and...
Hearing Carlos: Helping Young English Language Learners Develop Speaking and Listening Skills
Carlos is listening carefully to me. As I read the story, he laughs and nods. He is absorbing my words as I give directions on what to do next. Yet...
Writers Inspiring Writers
When Stephen King is asked, “How do you write?” he invariably answers, “One word at a time.” Those readers and writers who admire his work seek wisdom and inspiration from...
Rethinking Mrs. T Letters
Sunday mornings are my favorite time to discuss books with my students. On those mornings, I come down to the kitchen with my Ugg slippers on my feet, my cozy...
Interactive Writing and Formative Assessment in Kindergarten
When we ask students to make their thinking visible during the process of learning something new, these authentic responses are the kinds of formative assessments that guide our instruction. Debbie...
Teachers’ Night Out: Reclaiming Our Fearlessness
The performer dangled high above the stage, wavy blond hair cascading down her back as she skillfully wove her feet from one section of suspended white sash to the next,...
Peer Conferring: The “Try It On” Phase
Mercy Watson is always causing trouble, but I don’t think she means to. She doesn’t always know what she’s doing. Abby, age 6 “I love Roald Dahl books,...
Literacy in Content Areas: A Podcast with Penny Kittle
Penny Kittle is a classroom teacher and literacy coach at Kennett High School in North Conway, New Hampshire. She is the author of Public Teaching: One Kid at a Time,...
Poems Facing Art: Ekphrasis
Minutes before the poetry writing group got down to business, talk was about Edvard Munch’s The Scream. Sotheby’s had just sold the 1895 pastel version for $119.9 million dollars. Petra...
Value-Added: Moving Assessments from “Inflicted” to “Student-Owned”
I looked at Michael’s latest reading reflection and sighed. It was January, and he was still struggling to make progress in his ability to demonstrate deep thinking about his independent...
Poetry Friday in the Computer Lab
“Poetry Friday in the Computer Lab?” questioned one of my students on a Friday morning in mid-May as he scanned the daily agenda on the chalkboard. “How can we do...
Owning Our Teaching: A Podcast with Vicki Vinton
Vicki Vinton is the coauthor of What Readers Really Do and The Power of Grammar. You can follow her latest thinking at her blog, To Make a Prairie. In this...
