Choice Lit Topic: Teaching Writing
Everyone who writes for Choice Literacy loves teaching writing, because we all write ourselves. We know it is “hard fun,” as Donald Murray famously said—exasperating and exhilarating at the same time. The writing workshops you will read about here and see in our videos are busy, noisy, vibrant places. And most days, we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else than in the midst of ’em! Here is where you’ll find our latest discoveries, insights, and occasional boneheaded mistakes in teaching writing.
Results
Literacy Builds Community: The Jackdaw Project
To quote a former principal of mine, "School is not summer camp." This phrase kept playing over and over in my mind as I began thinking about the beginning of...
Animals as Ambassadors: Using Class Pets to Reach an English Language Learner
Teachers collect a variety of usual and unusual items for their classrooms and students. You just never know when and why you'll need these treasures, but you know you will...
Making Book Logs Purposeful for Students
Recently we have been hearing from teachers about their concerns over the effectiveness of book logs. Teachers are finding that they constantly have to remind students to record their reading....
Literary Nonfiction: Models for Writing
I have never felt as comfortable with nonfiction writing in my elementary classroom as other genres. The products never have much variety. Somehow, students' nonfiction writing always ends up sounding...
Reflecting on the First Six Weeks of Word Study
Going into word study with a different plan is always a little scary. With the first six weeks of school finished, it feels like it is time to see where...
To Fart or Not to Fart? Reflections on Boy Writers
Yesterday was the first meeting for our study group on boys and writing. Our study groups meet once a month for an hour after school and follow a predictable structure...
An Assessment Notebook That Works for Me
I have been looking for the perfect assessment organization system since I started teaching over 20 years ago. I remember my excitement when I heard about others who were using...
Helping Aaron Find His Voice as a Writer…and Mine as a Teacher
In my first two months of teaching, Aaron was the student that kept me up at night. He was the face I saw while sipping coffee at a red light...
Staying True to Our Beliefs When Working With Struggling Readers and Writers in Grades 3-6
Recently I was reading an article called Four Ways to Work Against Yourself When Conferring with Struggling Writers (Language Arts, Volume 80, No. 4, March 2003). The quote that haunted...
Team Sharing of Writing Curriculum Innovations (TEMPLATE)
Literacy coaches know that the most successful staff development provides lots of time for colleagues to share their teaching stories, questions, and ideas. Hearing what is happening in the classrooms...
Fitness Boot Camp Helps Me Understand Struggling Readers
I was an 80s aerobics junkie. In high school, I woke up at 6 a.m. to exercise with a TV program. In college, I was in the front and center...
Rethinking Writing Centers – Winter Follow-Up
[Editor's Note: This is a follow-up to an article from August. If you would like to view the original article, you can access it by clicking here.] During the past school...
Assessing Spelling in Writing Workshops Part 1: Thinking Through the Assessment
I have been pondering changes to my spelling and word study program in my first grade classroom this year. Specifically, I wonder how I can look at my students' writing...
Running and Reading Logs
In this first video in a two-part series, Clare Landrigan meets with a group of fourth graders to talk about reading logs and goals. In this excerpt, Clare uses the...
Running and Reading Logs Part II
In this second video in a two-part series, Clare Landrigan meets with a group of 4th graders to talk about reading logs and goals. In this excerpt, Clare confers with...
Rethinking Writing Centers
Every classroom has one. The children absolutely love them. The teachers invest considerable thought, effort, and resources into outfitting and organizing them. There was only one problem. No one was...
Weekend Headlines: Introduction
In this first of a three-part video series, Katie Doherty and her sixth grade students begin the Weekend Headlines activity. Each Monday, students listen to Katie share some of the...
Becoming More Purposeful with Writing Share
In this whole-class writing-share session from Katie DiCesare's first-grade classroom, Katie talks about how she has become more purposeful in connecting student drafts with the minilesson from the start of...
Weekend Headlines: Peer Response
In this second part of a three-part video series, Katie Doherty and her sixth grade students continue the Weekend Headlines activity. Each Monday, students listen to Katie share some of...
Linking Math and Writing Through Word Problems
In this six-minute video, Franki Sibberson demonstrates how she helps her 3rd and 4th grade students make connections between writing workshop and math problem solving.
Staying Focused in Literacy Workshops
Clare Landrigan meets with a group of fifth graders to talk about what's going well in literacy workshops, and to set individual goals. Stamina is an issue many of the...
