Choice Lit Topic: Reading Strategies
Are your students buried in post-its? Oversharing with those text-to-self connections? Parroting back comprehension tips but rarely applying them when they are actually reading? Our contributors sort through what works with strategy instruction, and have wise advice for avoiding superficial approaches to developing comprehension skills.
Results
Mental Images: Connecting Reading and Sketching
Sean Moore confers with second grader Teague, encouraging him to sketch as he reads.
Conferring About Word Learning
Sean Moore confers with Mikhail about his reading and strategies for highlighting new vocabulary.
Bridge to Comprehension Minilesson
Deb Gaby uses images of a bridge to help second graders understand the importance of pausing and reflecting while reading.
Conferring About Lemony Snicket and Vocabulary
Aimee Buckner confers with fourth grader Samantha about reading a series and tackling challenging vocabulary at the same time in this brief video.
The Power of Mystery Series for Teens and Tweens
It’s what every book lover dreams about: finding a book with wonderful characters and a gripping plot, only to discover that the story doesn’t end with this book. You do...
More Sophisticated Mysteries: Conferring with Yuki
Franki Sibberson confers with fourth grader Yuki to expand his reading options. You can access the list of books Franki shares by clicking here.
Making Classics Relevant for Middle School Students
I stumbled into a job as an English teacher based largely on the legs of one book. I was so inspired by Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird that it...
Conferring with Sebastian
Katie DiCesare chats with first grader Sebastian in this one-minute conference, then shares her reflections on where Sebastian might go next in his reading.
Rereading and Retelling to Inferring: Part 2
Linda Karamatic uses texts her second graders already know to build their inferring skills as they construct a chart together.
Exploring Inferring with Second Graders: Part 1
Linda Karamatic uses read alouds to begin the process of building an inferring chart with her second-grade students.
The Shape of Stories
One of the first language arts units of study I teach combines narrative structure in reading workshop and writing narratives in writing workshop. To help students understand exactly what I...
Act III: Exploring Subtext with A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare and the Common Core Series)
The Common Core states that high school students should be able to “adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and...
Act II: Understanding Hamlet Through Close Reading (Shakespeare and the Common Core Series)
I love to start out the study of Hamlet with these instructions for my students: "Number your paper from 1-4. In this order, write down your name, your mother's name,...
Act I: Delving into Deep Questions with Macbeth (Shakespeare and the Common Core Series)
The Common Core State Standards describe students who are “college and career ready” as exhibiting the following qualities: demonstrating independence building strong content knowledge responding to the varying demands of...
Tracking Characters: A Conferring Tip
Aimee Buckner teaches a fourth grader a strategy for using a sticky note to keep track of characters when there are multiple narrators in a novel.
Mock Newbery Club
Last year I created my first ever Mock Newbery club. I rushed to come up with something in January, and students met with me over lunch one day to talk...
Teaching Rereading Strategies: Backing Up and the Bossy E
In this conference with second grader TJ from Sean Moore's classroom, the strategies of backing up and rereading as well as attending to the "bossy e" are discussed.
Partner Reading Conference in First Grade
Katie DiCesare confers with Jack and Praneel about their partner reading.
Research Book Clubs for Struggling Readers
This past fall one of our fabulous learning support teachers and I were sitting on the carpet after school trying to think of a way to get a student we...
Holding Thinking Minilesson with Second Graders
Deb Gaby uses an analogy of animal tracks to introduce the concept of "holding thinking" in reading journals to second graders.
October Literacy Contracts: Fear and Conflict
October is a wonderful month for teaching and learning, with relatively few interruptions compared to other months on the calendar. By this point in the year, we’ve established routines, relationships...
