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
Ask Me – I’m Not the Expert
“If nothing else, children should leave school with a sense that if they act, and act strategically, they can accomplish their goals. I call this feeling a sense of agency.”...
Making the Switch from Desks to Tables
My principal stopped by the other day with a family that was touring the building. They paused at the door to my room while she said, "And this is Mrs....
Linking Morning Message, Poetry, and Word Learning
In this video, second graders start off their morning by reading a message out loud. Linda Karamatic has included a challenging word to discuss meaning. Students also share out what they are thinking about and how they are using words from their “Words, Words, Words” board.
Don’t Be a Sneetch
When the Star-Belly children went out to play ball, Could a Plain-Belly get in the game? Not at all. You only could play if your bellies had stars, And the...
An At-Home Summer Reading Camp
Many teachers find ways to earn some extra money throughout the summer. I have friends who teach summer school, coach, tutor, and pick up odd jobs. I have chosen another...
What to Say on Parent Teacher Night
As the school year gets in full swing throughout the country, many teachers and literacy coaches have been talking about and preparing for parent/teacher night or the annual school Open...
Connecting Read Alouds and the Literacy Curriculum at the Start of the School Year
Many teachers use read alouds at the start of the year to launch specific components of their literacy curriculum. In this second of our two-part series on Read Alouds at...
Every. Single. Day.
"Welcome, Eric!" Katie tells the brand-new student to her 6th-grade classroom, mid-way through the school year. Eric smiles hesitantly -- but gamely as Katie addresses the rest of the class....
11/11/11: We Are One Celebration with Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Brenda Power and Shelly Hafford from Choice Literacy had the pleasure of joining our friends Gail Boushey and Joan Moser ("The Sisters") at the "We Are One" flash mob gathering...
Preschool Centers
Centers can be an effective teaching and learning strategy in preschools. In this video, Melissa Kolb shares her rationale for using centers in her Head Start classroom with video examples...
The Power of Games for 21st Century Learners
When we think of 21st Century skills for students, our thoughts often go immediately to technology. Although our school has many technology tools, we know that these important skills are...
“School” Writing at the End of the Year
For the past few years, I had the opportunity to loop with seventh and eighth graders. As last year's eighth graders prepared to leave the school, I wondered what it...
Building Community Protocols
When we plan professional development sessions, voluntary courses, and literacy team meetings, we are always on the lookout for new ways to build community within the group so that everyone...
Status of the Class and Monitoring Behavior
In this early year video from Beth Lawson's second-grade classroom, Beth uses a writing status-of-the-class time to help students monitor their behavior, using peers as role models.
Image of the Week: Building a Classroom Community Through Visual Literacy
A nonfiction routine and ritual that my students love is called "Image of the Week." Each Wednesday, an image of interest is posted in the center of a whiteboard in...
Conferring with Parents (Part 2)
Here are some suggestions from Choice Literacy Contributors about the best ways to have high quality parent conferences, with everything from pre-conference connections to electronic adaptations. This is the second...
Making Kids Aware of Their Thinking
Read aloud time is my favorite time during our school day. I love gathering the kids close on the rug, sharing a good book together and digging in to talk...
Conferring with Parents (ROUND-UP)
Parent conferences are a time of preparing, collecting, analyzing, scheduling, and sharing. This fall we asked Choice Literacy contributors to share some of their best tips and reminders for conferring...
An Attitude of Gratitude
When my daughter Ahna was in first grade, she secretly stuck a note in my purse that read I hope you have an extcnt day Mom. Spis! (Translation: I hope...
Tips from Literacy Leaders for Closing Out the School Year (ROUND-UP)
Here are some suggestions from Choice Literacy Contributors of the best ways to close out the year, with everything from personal organizing tips to family events. Heather Rader, Instructional Coach...
Writers, Choice and Independence (Part I)
I had an observer in my classroom a few years ago who said, "I love how independent your students are during the workshop. They're such independent writers for fourth graders."...
