Choice Lit Topic: Content Literacy
Reading and writing across the curriculum is sparking more interest than ever among teachers and school leaders. Here are the resources you need to build more writing into your math curriculum, more reading and talk into your science program, and especially, how to infuse more nonfiction texts into your teaching throughout the school day.
Results
Unpacking the Kindergarten Common Core Standards
It had been a long year. Our district was implementing the Common Core and the new content standards for Ohio. We had revised our progress report card to reflect these...
Supporting Young Writers with Opinion Texts
I believe that effective teaching is about hearing all the voices -- making sure that every student is valued, heard and respected and knows that his or her voice can...
Rethinking My Nonfiction Library in Response to the Common Core
The focus on nonfiction reading in the Common Core has us all thinking of ways to move our students forward as nonfiction readers. The new focus on nonfiction has provided...
Nonfiction Read Aloud (Part 1)
Sean Moore engages his second graders in a read aloud of the book Plants That Eat Animals. Sean varies the ways the students respond to the read aloud. He also chooses to read the text without showing any visual supports when he wants the students to create mental images, focus on vocabulary, or make connections between the text and their experiences.
Science Workshop Whole Class Debrief
In this final video in a three-part series, Jennifer Morgan discusses what was learned during a science observation and writing activity in her grades 3 and 4 classroom. She charts and inquires while students share out what they learned.
Science Writing: Small Groups
In this second video in a three-part series, Jennifer Morgan leads her grades 3 and 4 students as they work together in small groups on a science and writing task. She focuses on her role as a listener and gives the opportunity for the students to express how they are organizing their observations and data collection.
Science Writing Workshop Part 1
Jennifer Morgan leads her third-and fourth-grade students through the process of observing, talking, and writing in their science journals as they perform an experiment. In Part 1, she presents the task to students and connects it with previous learning.
Listen In: Writing in Math
Heather Rader confers with Maya about her math riddles. Together they look at her homework assignment. Heather suggests the mentor text Tally O’Malley by Stuart Murphy to show how authors might write about math.
Point of View in Historical Fiction: 5th Grade Minilesson
In this demonstration lesson from a fifth-grade classroom, Aimee Buckner works with students to construct an anchor chart for understanding the genre of historical fiction.
Matching Students to Nonfiction Texts in Grades 3-6 (BOOKLIST)
We hear so much about matching students to nonfiction texts based on their needs and interests. Often the lens is very broad ("tweens will like this book") or very narrow,...
Class Discussion: Test-Taking Strategies (Part 3)
Andrea Smith leads her 4th grade class during word study time as they analyze a math word problem. In this video, she debriefs with the whole class after partner work. This is the final video in a three-part series.
Reading Word Problems: Test-Taking Skills (Part 1)
Andrea Smith leads her 4th grade class during word study time as they analyze a math word problem. She uses an anchor chart developed by the class that lists math skills and strategies that are essential for success.
Setting Nonfiction Goals
Franki Sibberson facilitates a discussion with her class of third and fourth graders about their nonfiction reading. They are setting goals during Nonfiction Reading Time.
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...
Frogs as Learning Ambassadors Part 1: Literary Nonfiction in 4th Grade
There is a story behind the following video clips captured in my classroom. The research and writing lessons filmed that day were built upon experiences that launched the school year...
Nonfiction Read Aloud
Sean Moore reads nonfiction aloud to his second-grade students. This is the first video in a two-part series: Here are some tips for nonfiction read-alouds, based on Sean...
Nonfiction Read Aloud – Part 2
Here are some more tips for nonfiction read-alouds, based on Sean Moore's reading of Plants That Eat Animals: 1. Use nonverbal cues to focus students. Sean uses quick...
Essay Writing: Teacher Modeling
Beth Lawson works with her fourth graders to develop essays with strong thesis statements and supporting details, using a folder organization system to highlight different thesis statements for each child....
Book Matchmaker: Picture Book Biographies
Melanie Quinn is an instructional coach is looking for new picture book biographies to share with teachers and students. In the last several years, there are many picture...
The Sponge Summary Lesson Part 5
This is a companion video series to Heather Rader's article "A Sponge is a Summary." In this sequence of videos, Heather teaches a 4th grade class, using the analogy of...
The Sponge Summary Lesson Part 6
This is a companion video series to Heather Rader's article "A Sponge is a Summary." In this sequence of videos, Heather teaches a 4th grade class, using the analogy of...
