Choice Lit Topic: Conferring
The teachable moment is what we live for – is there anything more magic than reaching a reader or writer with exactly the right words at exactly the right time? We’ve bottled some of that magic in the resources that follow, with print guidelines and scores of video examples from master teachers.
Results
Frogs as Learning Ambassadors Part 2: Literary Nonfiction in 4th Grade
When you visit our classroom, you see many aquariums filled with unusual frog and toad specimens arranged throughout our learning community. Other animals live with us, but the frogs are...
Main Ideas, Summaries, and Notes in a Reading Conference
In this conference with a fourth grader, Aimee Buckner tackles text choice, notes, and main ideas all in less than five minutes. You'll notice teachers observing in the background; the...
Conferring About Rereading Strategies
In this conference with a fourth grader, Aimee Buckner guides a child to think more deeply and critically about a book being read to the whole class, Goblins in the...
Listen In: Spelling Aids in the Writing Workshop
Madison showed tremendous growth during her year as a second grader. By the spring, others were able to read and understand Maddie's messages, which was a powerful incentive to write....
Conferring with Tweens: Nastia
Katie Doherty confers with Nastia, a 6th grade English language learner who is working on her inferring skills:
Sticky Notes to Determine Importance
In this conference from Beth Lawson's third-grade classroom, the focus is on the skill of determining importance in texts. Beth helps Sephina integrate sticky notes into her strategic reading of...
Inferring and Synthesis: Conferring Over Series Books
Beth Lawson shows how to get the most from a conference about series books in 3rd grade. Inferring and synthesis are discussed, as well as the use of written notes...
Synthesis in Reading and the Reading Notebook
Beth Lawson helps one of her 3rd grade students write in response to a complex text he is reading, talking through how the writing might help him synthesize the plot...
Second-Grade Punctuation Conference
Beth Lawson confers with a second grader, assisting as she works on her punctuation skills.
Conferring: Stretching Words
In this conference with a second grader, Beth Lawson uses a visual aid and a hand motion to help a young English language learner understand the concept of stretching words...
Reading Conferences in 5th Grade
Karen Terlecky confers with her 5th graders during reading workshop.
Scaring Up Better Narratives Part 2
Just in time for Halloween, Aimee Buckner leads a lesson on brainstorming topics in writer's notebooks using the mentor text Some Things Are Scary. In this second installment of a...
Teaching Stamina Strategies to First Graders
Tammy Mulligan works with two seven-year-olds to teach them strategies for building reading stamina.
Updating Reading Interviews: Technology and Changing Habits
Ever since reading Nancie Atwell's landmark book In the Middle 20 years ago, I have used reading interviews as a way to get to know my students. Ideally, I like to sit...
Coaching Reluctant Writers
I'm not sure I've ever met a reluctant writer. Oh, she may look reluctant or he may sound reluctant, but they rarely are. Take, for example, Eduardo. Eduardo slunk into...
Connecting Students, Wall Charts, and Reading
In this conference with third-grade student Jeffrey, Beth Lawson helps this young reader think through the importance of developing stamina to get through the first 50 pages of a book....
Content Connections in Reading Workshop
In this four-minute video, Andrea Smith confers with a 4th grade student interested in immigration, helping her set up an independent reading and learning plan.
Drawing to Words: Conferring with Luis
In this four-minute video, Andie Cunningham confers with Luis during writing workshop. Luis is a six-year-old English language learner whose passion is drawing.
Literacy Letters: Helping New Students Understand Ongoing Assignments
How do teachers bring new students up to speed with ongoing assignments? In this video from Katie Doherty's middle school classroom, Katie presents the latest "Literary Letters" assignment to her...
Assessment Conferences: Listening to and Learning from Our Students
As we work with teachers on conferring during reading workshops, we often rely on Lucy Calkin's instructional model for one-on-one conferences: research, decide and teach. Recently in our coaching, we...
Quick Take: Awkward Beginnings with English Language Learners
In this short video, Ruth Shagoury gives two pieces of advice to teachers who feel awkward while trying to communicate with young English language learners.
