Content Category: Choice Literacy
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The Big Fresh June 14, 2014 Mind and Body
It is in moments of illness that we are compelled to recognize that we live not alone but chained to a creature of a different kingdom, whole worlds apart, who...
The Rapid Reader: Tutoring Esther
Esther, a rapid reader, is in third grade. She spurts words, one after another, racing to the end of a paragraph, page, chapter, or book. Periodically she pauses briefly, a...
Giving Up Television
I try to be a super teacher. I really do. I’ll take every child with every alphabet soup of labels, your “nonreaders,” your “I’m not a writer!,” your class clown,...
Many Possibilities for Student Podcasting
I enjoy trying out different technology ideas in our classroom, but one thing I always struggle with is whether the technology is an authentic response to reading and writing. If...
Sticky Notes Small Group
Sean Moore meets with a group of second graders to remind them of the value of using sticky notes during reading in this quick video.
The Big Fresh June 7, 2014 Sorry
A stiff apology is a second insult. The injured party does not want to be compensated because he has been wronged; he wants to be healed because he has been...
Animal Backpacks and Literacy Joy
Let the beauty of what we love be what we do. Rumi Children love stuffed animals. When my own children were small, stuffed animals took over their beds. Bedtimes were...
Book Choice Conference in Kindergarten
Teaching children how to make thoughtful book selections is hard work, but it’s not out of their reach, or ours. Debbie Miller Today was an exciting day in our room....
Conferring About Illustration in Kindergarten
Ruth Ayres confers with five-year-old Abby about her apple illustration early in the school year.
Kindergarten Moments Count: Morning Message
The morning message is an activity I use to introduce and reinforce several different skills in my kindergarten classroom. It is also a process that evolves as the year progresses....
The Big Fresh May 31, 2014 Stories and Problems
The plumber, the roofer and the electrician sell us a cure. They come to our house, fix the problem, and leave. The consultant, the doctor (often) and the politician sell...
Before and After Pictures: Documenting Progress
“Aww….,” groaned Nina’s third graders. She had just given the signal to end literature circle discussions. I completely understand why the third graders were so reluctant to stop. I had...
Odd Habits
Here at Choice Literacy, we’ve got habits on our mind. Ever since we read The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg at a writing retreat, we’ve been thinking about how...
Personal Listening Devices in Workshops
Is there a miraculous way to foster more student focus and concentration? Personal listening devices might be not be a miracle in my classroom, but they have certainly changed the...
The Information Board: Celebrating Nonfiction Every Day
An anchor display in our room is our Information Board, a place to highlight nonfiction resources and our learning. This display has two purposes: Half of the display shares nonfiction...
The Big Fresh May 24, 2014 Walled Readers
A boundary is not that at which something stops, but that from which something begins. Martin Heidegger This spring I visited Gigi McAllister's fourth-grade classroom in southern Maine....
The Big Fresh May 17, 2014 Who We Are
The return makes one love the farewell. Alfred De Musset In a few short days I am due to give birth to my second child! Early on in the...
Habits That Maximize Time
This is the key to time management—to see the value of every moment. Menachem Mendel Schneerson How often are we reminded of the value of ONE minute? When I’m...
A Case of the Perennial Annuals
There is a flower Within my heart, Daisy, Daisy! Planted one day By a glancing dart, Planted by Daisy Bell! From "Daisy Bell" ("A Bicycle Built for Two") written by...
A Booklist for Memorial Day
This year, Memorial Day will be celebrated on Monday, May 26. Many local communities have parades and lay wreaths at monuments to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Volunteers...
Nonfiction Book Blitz
The end of school is nearing, and my sixth graders are thinking of new opportunities awaiting them in a new school next year. Baseball and softball take priority on crisp...
