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
One Book/Four Hands: Mentoring Younger Readers Using Picture Books
"Every night before I went to sleep, my mother would read one or two picture books to me. I used to beg her to continue reading, but she always made...
The Power of Checklists in Primary Literacy Workshops
We had the pleasure of hearing Atul Gawande speak recently at a local event. He is a bestselling author and surgeon who writes about how to get things right. He...
Updating Reading Interviews: Technology and Changing Habits
Ever since reading Nancie Atwell's landmark book In the Middle 20 years ago, I have used reading interviews as a way to get to know my students. Ideally, I like to sit...
Raising Readers: Independent Reading, Choices, and Intentional Reading Practices
I am one of those teachers who fights a constant battle to balance students' reading time with just-right books with letting them choose freely from many books that interest them....
Tuesday Trades: A New Literacy Ritual in My Classroom
How can it be mid-winter already? The first months of school flew by, and so many important things happened; sometimes evolutions and revolutions occurred and we were just too busy...
Readers’ Theater Revisited
Years ago, my students and I spent about a month in the spring writing plays in small groups, creating costumes, practicing parts and performing for parents. I felt the need...
An ESL Poetry Cafe Celebration (Part II)
In Part I of this feature, I shared some projects, expectations, and activities for our Poetry Café celebration. This is an event where families enjoyed listening to their children read poems,...
High School Students Take on a Reader’s Bill of Rights
I've got the best job in the world; I get paid to talk about books and maps and history and philosophy and yes, even grammar and punctuation. Now, lest you...
Sharon Taberski on Book Choice (PODCAST)
In this podcast, Sharon Taberski talks with Franki Sibberson about how she selects books for instruction, as well as how she assists students as they make choices for independent reading....
Ways to Collaborate With Your School Librarian
In my 24 years of teaching, I have held many teaching roles in the elementary school setting. Although most of my work has been as a classroom teacher at various...
Book Matchmaker: Texts for 5th Grade English Language Learners
Kelly is a fifth-grade teacher with two English language learners in her class who have trouble finding books. These students are reading at a level 16 independently, and...
Tuesday Trading Post: Involving the Whole School in a Book Exchange
What's in place in your classroom or school to encourage readers to share their favorite resources every day? Our Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) created a new, schoolwide ritual this year...
Using Animated Short Films to Teach Inference
My students and I have just finished reading "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin, a staple short story in the literary canon of the high school English curriculum. The story...
Sharon Taberski on Comprehension Instruction (PODCAST)
In this podcast, Sharon Taberski chats with Franki Sibberson about comprehension instruction across the grades. You can read Sharon's blog, All About Comprehension, at this link: http://allaboutcomprehension.blogspot.com/ A full transcript...
Lester Laminack on Reading Like a Writer (PODCAST)
In this podcast, Franki Sibberson chats with Lester Laminack about how he reads as a writer, and what teachers might do to develop this skill in their students. Lester is...
Donalyn Miller on Engaging Readers (PODCAST)
In this podcast, Franki Sibberson chats with Donalyn Miller about how she defines "engaged" reading, and the teacher's role in motivating readers. A full transcript of the podcast is available...
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...
Books, Books, Books
It is a sad day when a bookstore closes. I have fond memories of many Friday night dinner "dates" with my husband that ended with a trip to our local...
Nonfiction Favorites for Boys (BOOKLIST)
Since I am a ten-year-old trapped in a grown man's body, many of the books I read for kids seem to be targeted for prepubescent males. You know the type...
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...
No More Excuses: Reading Workshops in Nontraditional Middle and High School Settings
Think you don't have enough time for reader's workshop in your classroom? Worried that you don't have enough books to go around? Feel like you just don't have the space...
