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
Conferring About Tracking Characters
In this video from a 4th grade classroom, Aimee Buckner confers with a student who is reading The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson.
One Book, One School: Building Community with Shared Text
Some time ago I had the opportunity to read an early copy of R.J. Palacio’s debut novel, Wonder. I’d heard about it through friends and eagerly anticipated reading it. The...
Summer Planning: Goals and the Finish Line
“Don’t you love having summers off?” I think that’s a phrase so many teachers hear and unless you are a teacher, you don’t really appreciate the irony. Please don’t misunderstand,...
Partner Reading: Helping Peers Teach Peers
In this video from Linda Karamatic's second-grade classroom, two girls meet with Linda to develop tips to share with their classmates on how to partner read successfully.
From Rages to Rags: Conferring with Conner
Conferring with Conner has taken many different twists and turns throughout the year. His ability to converse about strategies during his reading has improved, but there is often a sense...
Finding a Place for Graphic Novels in My Classroom
My classroom library has always been large and diverse. I want to have books for each student that they will devour. Several years ago I realized there was a hole...
Rereading Strategy: Conferring with Emily
Sean Moore confers with 2nd grader Emily about the strategy of rereading for comprehending reading and writing.
The Quest for the Perfect First Read Aloud of the Year
I love summer reading. I love the freedom to read what I want, and catching up on books I’ve been meaning to read. And I love having time to browse...
Focused Independent Reading in Second Grade
Sean Moore demonstrates how he helps students focus their independent reading with preparation and then with discussion after reading.
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...
Lines Written at Lunchtime Above Tintern Abbey
You said you knew it wouldn’t work because the pink of my bathroom sink clashed with the terracotta of the walls and the off-Monet of the shower curtain. But...
Found Poetry in Second Grade
Linda Karamatic teaches a small group of her second graders about found poetry.
Making Thinking Visible
One of my biggest challenges as a middle school teacher -- aside from teaching my sixth graders how to navigate the halls, use their lockers with ease, and organize their...
Inferring Small Group in 5th Grade
Karen Terlecky meets with a small group in her 5th grade class to discuss the strategy of inferring.
Preschool Read Aloud
Melissa Kolb talks about the power of read alouds for preschoolers, and shares an example from her classroom in this video.
Guiding Groups in Middle School: Reading Poetry
Katie Doherty works with a small group of sixth graders who need extra support as they read the poem "Aspects of Autumn." You can read the poem below the player....
Worldwide Cinderellas
Like many teachers, I see my classroom growing more diverse each year. My students can tell stories about crossing the Mexican border, or recount how different their classrooms were in...
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.
Digging Deeper with Rereading
In this video from Katie DiCesare's first-grade classroom, Katie uses the strategy of rereading to help students look more closely at words - in this case, rhymes and word parts.
Keeping the M
Preschool teacher Melissa Kolb works one-on-one with Daniela on the letters and sounds in her brother's name.
From Rages to Rags: Conferring with Conner
In this video, Sean Moore confers with Conner who is working on reading accurately. When he bumps into an unknown word, Sean reminds him of the kinesthetic motions for Does it look right? Does it sound right? Does it make sense?
