Choice Lit Topic: Teaching Reading
Our contributors lead reading workshops in classrooms with creative flair. Over the past 12 years, we’ve filled our site with loads of suggestions, tools, and tips for using engaging books throughout the curriculum to hook kids on reading. Here is where you will find many stories of successful and not-so-successful workshop days, and what we learned from them. We bring these stories to life through hundreds of video examples.
Results
Brainstorming Student Blogs
Franki Sibberson works with a group of students as they brainstorm how they will create a blog together.
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....
Eyes on the Fries: Just-Right Books and Reading Peer Pressure in Middle School
One of my favorite parts (okay, definitely my favorite part) of my morning running group is the socializing. During one pre-dawn run in late summer, I found myself running with...
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.
Book Talks in 4th Grade
Tony Keefer previews Infinity Ring with his fourth graders, and talks about the value of book talks for building a reading community.
Bully Literacy
Ahna came running up from her sand castle to where I was soaking up the sun. “Mom, there’s a kid with a weird arm who wants to play with me....
Book Matchmaker: Nonfiction to Read Cover to Cover
Clare is looking for some nonfiction books that can be shared in their entirety during read alouds. Here are some of my favorite nonfiction cover-to-cover read alouds. ...
Two Teachers and One Kindergartner
Little Joey was a bit young when his parents enrolled him in kindergarten. Despite the teacher’s best efforts, he struggled to master basic concepts. The teacher developed a wonderful relationship...
Fun in January: A Mock Caldecott Unit
Every January the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, gives out media awards to the most distinguished books for children from the previous...
Guided Reading with Kindergarten English Language Learners
Max Brand takes two kindergarten English language learners from reading a familiar book to exploring a new text, and explains in the debrief how he targets specific reading skills.
A Picture Walk in Kindergarten
Mandy Robek takes her kindergartners through a picture walk using Mrs. Wishy Washy as the text.
I Love a Good Argument
It’s been interesting to watch the genesis of teachers’ relationships with opinion and argumentative writing this year. For many of the intermediate teachers I work with, it began with distinguishing...
Catching Up with Tommy
Karen Terlecky meets with Tommy, a boy who has flown under the radar for a few weeks in her fifth-grade reading workshop.
Choice and Reading Response
Years ago I stumbled across a little book titled The Reading Zone by Nancie Atwell. It was there that I first discovered reading response letters. Further reading of The Book...
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...
Eliminating the Conga Line: Teaching Young Children About Strategic Thinking
In the past few months we have spent a lot of time in classrooms establishing systems and structures. We have been busy modeling how we use materials, work independently, and...
Hearing Carlos: Helping Young English Language Learners Develop Speaking and Listening Skills
Carlos is listening carefully to me. As I read the story, he laughs and nods. He is absorbing my words as I give directions on what to do next. Yet...
Writers Inspiring Writers
When Stephen King is asked, “How do you write?” he invariably answers, “One word at a time.” Those readers and writers who admire his work seek wisdom and inspiration from...
Rethinking Mrs. T Letters
Sunday mornings are my favorite time to discuss books with my students. On those mornings, I come down to the kitchen with my Ugg slippers on my feet, my cozy...
Previewing a Read Aloud
Franki Sibberson previews a read aloud with her grades 3 and 4 students.
Peer Conferring: The “Try It On” Phase
Mercy Watson is always causing trouble, but I don’t think she means to. She doesn’t always know what she’s doing. Abby, age 6 “I love Roald Dahl books,...
