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
Book Matchmaker: Global Citizenship and Social Responsibility
When I thought about the idea of citizenship and all that could be learned about such an important topic with young readers, I wanted to share some books that...
Listen In: Writing in Math
"You've gotta see this" were Linda Karamatic's first words when I arrived in her second-grade classroom. On this particular day we marveled at how Maya had decided to make her...
Standards and Magic: Digging Deep and Being Spontaneous with Infographics
Recently, I experienced a rare kind of classroom magic with the 4th and 5th graders who participate in our school's environmental club. I had about fifteen minutes to plan our...
Setting the Stage for Historical Fiction
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.
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...
The Sponge Summary Lesson Part 1
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 2
This is a companion video series to Heather Rader's article "A Sponge is a Summary." In this sequence of videos, Heather teaches a fourth-grade class, using the analogy of a...
The Sponge Summary Lesson Part 3
This is a companion video series to Heather Rader's article "A Sponge is a Summary." In this sequence of videos, Heather teaches a fourth-grade class, using the analogy of a...
The Sponge Summary Lesson Part 4
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...
Teaching and Assessing Persuasive Writing Skills
Some time ago I led a writing class with fifth-grade teachers. Our purpose was to write our own essays, using state classroom-based assessment criteria to analyze them. I chose the...
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...
Digging Into Literary Nonfiction
Andrea Smith and her 4th grade students use an article from National Geographic for Kids to chart literary nonfiction elements.
Wild Facts
I love discovering high quality digital reading resources for my third and fourth graders to use in our classroom and for home reading. I love it even more when it...
Common Core Conversations: Reading in the Disciplines
The Common Core Standards demand that the building of knowledge through reading text plays a fundamental role in those disciplines. In history and social studies, the analysis of primary and...
Current and Cocoa: Mixing Social Studies and Literacy
While student teaching, I was invited to a teacher's classroom on a Thursday for "Current and Cocoa." Next to a hot pot was a big bucket of dry cocoa mix,...
Wonderopolis: Nonfiction, Technology, and Web-Based Independent Learning
Wonder questions bring life and energy to learning. This school year, I started using a powerful digital website called Wonderopolis. Each day, my students and I visit this site during Morning...
Born Wonders: Tapping Student Interest in Animals, Babies, and Books
Children love to read and learn about animals of all sizes, shapes, habitats, and species. As parents, learners, and teachers, we understand why kids are fascinated with small creatures: Animals...
Fireflies: Then and Now
Summer is a recharging time for teachers; it is our time to be at home with our families and provides us with time to ponder teaching and learning. Last night...
How to Look at Student Work
"And there she goes . . ." My daughter, Ahna, is officially a bike rider. I'm sentimental about it because she's the last Rader kid to learn. What's unique about...
Math Journals
I like math because when I do math, I feel like I'm in a place where I belong. —Ruthie, third grader When I was in high school, I absolutely adored...
Photovoice: Exploring Content Literacy with Images
How does your expertise function? During the past year, I posed this question to a study group comprising fifth- through eighth-grade teachers whose focus was on disciplinary literacies. We were...
