Choice Lit Topic: Community Building
It’s one of the big paradoxes of literacy instruction – students best learn how to read and write independently when they have a strong community of support in classrooms. How teachers build those thoughtful, kind, and challenging classroom communities is explained in these resources.
Results
The First Days of Reading and Writing Workshops
I find that most of my fifth graders enter our room seeing reading and writing as something done for school. There are the few kids who love reading, but most...
Using Summer Reading as Bookends for the School Year
I love to talk with adults about their summer reading plans. Some people enjoy tackling longer books during the summer months, whereas others like to catch up on series or...
Launching Reading Workshop: Mentor Texts
Unless we reach into our students’ hearts, we have no entry into their minds. Regie Routman Changing grade levels can be scary, because most likely the books and materials...
30 Books in 30 Days
At the start of the school year, I use the 30 Books in 30 Days project to introduce my sixth-grade students to new authors and genres through previewing a wide...
Character Through Literature Early in the Year
This year as I began to prepare for my new class, my mind turned to units. What would be the first units I would teach? I thought of comprehension strategies,...
Kindergarten Moments Count: Morning Message
The morning message is an activity I use to introduce and reinforce several different skills in my kindergarten classroom. It is also a process that evolves as the year progresses....
Before and After Pictures: Documenting Progress
“Aww….,” groaned Nina’s third graders. She had just given the signal to end literature circle discussions. I completely understand why the third graders were so reluctant to stop. I had...
Habits That Maximize Time
This is the key to time management—to see the value of every moment. Menachem Mendel Schneerson How often are we reminded of the value of ONE minute? When I’m...
Capturing the Elementary Years with Photo Essays
In our district, sixth grade is the end of a significant time period as student prepare to move to middle school. Recalling major events spanning from kindergarten through sixth grade...
A Case of the Perennial Annuals
There is a flower Within my heart, Daisy, Daisy! Planted one day By a glancing dart, Planted by Daisy Bell! From "Daisy Bell" ("A Bicycle Built for Two") written by...
Love the One(s) You’re With
Not long ago, I had the privilege of attending an awesome conference with a whole host of inquisitive, reflective, and energized English language arts educators. During our “down” time (we’re...
Nonfiction Graffiti Walls
I love nonfiction. I love learning about new things and broadening my horizons. But when I was a sixth grader, I was singing a different tune. I all but ignored...
Student Work Ethic: Overcoming Spring Fever
A few weeks ago I had to be out of the classroom for one day. I left my substitute—a retired art teacher who is amazing—lesson plans that involved collecting a...
Getting Ready for Summer Reading: A Lesson Cycle
I used to spend a lesson or two getting students ready for summer reading. We’d have a visit from the local librarian about their summer reading program, and we’d have...
The Gifts of Literacy
“I will miss you all the way to heaven and back.” Peyton modified one of my favorite lines in children’s literature in a way that both revealed a surprising depth...
Reading Through Spring
Most school districts have a spring vacation. Here in the Northeast our vacation is in late April. After a long, cold, and snow-filled winter, people are eager to get outside...
End-of-Year Literacy Interviews
When we turn the corner into the warm days of spring and early summer, teachers’ thoughts turn to that final countdown. We wonder if we’ll have time for all that...
Remembering to Slow Down at the End of the School Year
Life moves quickly for all of us. But as I listen to my students share all of the activities they are involved in every day I realize that it is...
Connecting Class Social Media in Eight Simple Steps
I have always wanted to have a great class blog, one that parents check daily so they can see all the cool things that we are doing in class. This...
Character Study Share Session in First Grade
First graders in Katie DiCesare's class discuss character traits in books from independent reading during a whole-class share session.
A Booklist for Earth Day
On April 22, people everywhere try to do their part to make the world a cleaner, greener place. We can use literature to impart lessons to our students about protecting...
