Article Content Type: Article
Results
Bring Me Something Funny (Booklist)
I passed the stack of picture books recently picked up from our local library to my son who teaches third grade. “There are some great new picture books here,” I...
Using The Proudest Blue in the Classroom
We loved using picture books in our fourth-grade classroom. We’d use them for everything: read alouds; reading and writing minilessons; writing mentor texts; small-group shared texts; vocabulary; and to promote...
Join a Reading Community
I started blogging to document life-fun in 2007 after my first son was born. I was always taking pictures, so a friend suggested I’d like blogging. I jumped right in,...
Transcripts as a Coaching Tool
The Background Mindy is a first-year, third-grade teacher. I am her literacy instructional coach. This article is the story of a time when Mindy experienced a common problem of practice...
Branching Out: Allowing New Influences on Our Pedagogy
Although educational theorists such as Dewey, Piaget, and Vygotsky laid the groundwork for what we know about teaching and learning, it's important to also acknowledge their positionality as white men...
Studying Character in Intermediate Grades
Tried and true: a North American phrase meaning something in the past that has proven to be effective and reliable (from Oxford Languages dictionary). Synonyms include dependable and time-tested. The...
Leading Literacy: What to Expect the First 5+ Years
One of the most popular books for soon-to-be parents is What to Expect When You’re Expecting. It is a week-by-week guide for tracking your pregnancy and other helpful information. I...
Interpreting Figurative Language
Your life is dependent upon your relationship with words. —Jason Reynolds These words are the perfect launch into reading Long Way Down with our seventh graders. Jason Reynolds’s novel in...
Books for Literacy Leaders
Not long ago, I attended a training that started with a familiar icebreaker. “Go around the room,” the presenter told us, “and say your name, your job title, and something...
Professional Books that Make an Impact
Without taking the time to fine-tune your skills, your efforts will be built on a foundation that is bound to crumble once it is put to the test. —Quincy Jones...
Creating Thematic Text Sets for Inquiry
Choosing a one-word theme for the year has been gaining in popularity. Based on what they want to accomplish and how they want to feel, people choose one word to...
Maintaining an Adult Reading Life
One quick scroll through my Instagram feed will tell you what matters most to me: my family, my dog, knitting, and books. (All right, maybe tacos and cheeseburgers too.) These...
A PLC Idea: Planning Scaffolds for Upcoming Units of Study
As classroom teachers, we loved being thoughtful about the charts we authored with our students. Rather than relying on premade charts, we built the unit as it progressed, relying on...
Five Books for Teacher Reflection
Summer is a time for rest, rejuvenation, self-care, and relaxation. What better way than picture books to jump-start a reflection on what teachers need most to return to school feeling...
Transitional Chapter Books: A Deeper Look at Features and Formats (Booklist)
After Josie shared a list of transitional chapter books she had explored with a group of students, Hannah found herself thinking about the word transitional, its meaning, and the reason...
Intergenerational Booklist
Coming back after winter vacation I was inspired to read Ten Ways to Hear Snow to reflect on the rare snowfall that our region had experienced over break. My students...
Reflecting on My Roots
As part of a graduate program, I am enrolled in a course that focuses on educational theory. As I looked at the readings for the first weeks, I saw many...
Bedtime Stories with a Mystery Reader
For the past year, if it’s 6:50 on a Wednesday evening, I can be found opening my computer and logging on to Zoom. The waiting room most likely already has...
Understanding Literary Language
“Mrs. Mulligan, what does ____________ mean? I’ve never heard that word before.” This is a question one child asks frequently. He is someone who notices language and asks questions. As...
The Big Screen: Reimagining Read Aloud
“Zoom in! Zoom in! A little more...” Giggles erupted as kids realized that Snail had turned his eyes to the stick on the ground, leaving Worm looking at him in...
Combating Leadership Loneliness
Several years ago when the literacy coordinator position opened up in my district, I decided to apply. I had been an interventionist/coach for seven years, and although I loved the...
