Choice Lit Topic: Minilessons
Keeping it short, relevant, and meaningful is the challenge when it comes to designing lessons. Here is where you’ll find practical advice and dozens of video examples of master teachers in action.
Results
Using Shared Writing to Build Argument Skills
Belinda was feeling rather discouraged. She had just finished reading drafts of her students’ argumentative writing. After several minilessons and conferences, most of her fourth graders were still not supporting...
Subheading Literacy: Nothing “Sub” About It
Subheadings do a lot of work in informational text; they are crucial comprehension touchstones. Similar to chapter headings, white space, and illustrations in narrative text, subheadings alert us to pause,...
Keeping Track of Questions
Questions fill my journals. When my 14-year-old daughter regularly tells me I ask too many questions, my partner nods knowingly. My treks out-of-doors always start with a small spiral notebook...
Shared Reading in the Intermediate Grades
I know what you’re thinking when you hear the words shared reading. Kindergartners are sitting “criss-cross applesauce” on a colorful ABC rug in front of a big book version of...
10 Principles for Planning Reading Minilessons
For a while, minilessons didn’t seem to fit into my bigger goals of the reading workshop. I realized a few years ago that I was often going through the motions...
Kindergarten I-Pick Minilesson
Mandy Robek presents a two-minute reminder minilesson to her kindergartners on the I-Pick strategy for selecting books during independent reading time.
Teacher-as-Writing-Model Minilesson in Fourth Grade
Beth Lawson shares her writing process, as well as the emotions and struggles writers face, with her fourth-grade students.
Poetry and Fluency Minilesson in Second Grade
Sean Moore uses poetry for a short minilesson on fluency, and then follows with a partner share and vocabulary discussion. The poem Sean reads with the children is The Busy...
Beyond Text Features in Nonfiction Instruction
When I think back to my past teaching connected to nonfiction reading, I often (no matter the grade) did a unit on nonfiction text features. We worked for a few...
Transitions Are Like Underwear
“I don’t need you to confirm or deny this, but I’m pretty sure you are all wearing underwear right now.” The fifth-grade students looked up from their journals quickly. “We...
Touchy Topics for Opinion/Argumentative Writing
Many teachers have asked me for lists of arguable topics that appeal to kids. While I have some personal favorites, I offer this scaffolding to plan so they develop something...
Using Comics in Literacy Workshops
Franki Sibberson works with her 3rd and 4th graders to use comics in the literacy workshop. Students study a variety of comics and list common attributes in small- and whole-group settings.
A Graphic Novels Unit in 5th Grade
I recently tried a new unit in my classroom. I had read Terry Thompson’s Adventures in Graphica last summer. While I have always celebrated graphic novels and encouraged my students...
Previewing and Picture Walks with Fiction Texts
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....
Helping Students Develop Independent Previewing Skills
Franki Sibberson leads a group of 15 of her fourth graders in a lesson on finding books using Web-based resources.
A Picture Walk in Kindergarten
Mandy Robek takes her kindergartners through a picture walk using Mrs. Wishy Washy as the text.
Just Write More
I’m a word counter. I don’t count the number of words my students write, but I love watching the word counter at the bottom of my document as I write...
Teaching the Rule of Three to Writers
There are some stories that are easy to remember -- we pass them on to our children and grandchildren from memory. I’m not sure I ever read The Three Little...
Second-Grade Writing: Adding Details and Descriptive Language
In this first video from a four-part series, Sean Moore leads a writing workshop focused on adding more details and descriptive language to writing. He begins with the classic Charlotte's...
Quick Sketch Practice
Linda Karamatic uses quick sketches to teach her second graders about sensory images in reading. This is the second installment in a two-part series.
Quick Sketch Sensory Images Read Aloud: Introduction
Linda Karamatic uses quick sketches to teach her second graders about sensory images in reading. This is the first installment in a two-part series.
