Content Category: Choice Literacy
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Inscribe It! (Home is Where the Books Are Series)
When my daughter Molly turned three, her favorite book was Where the Wild Things Are. Every time she would get the book out and open it up, she would say...
The Big Fresh February 23, 2013 What’s Your Password?
You become what you think about most of the time. Brian Tracy When I made the decision to improve my financial literacy, I set up several new accounts online....
Weaving Word Study into Writing Workshop in 5th Grade
As I think about building word study and starting to make the connections to the Common Core, I have purposefully decided to weave word study instruction throughout my reading and...
Highlighting Language in a Writing Conference
Karen Terlecky confers with fifth grader Nora about her evocative language during writing workshop.
Integrating Vocabulary and Retelling Strategies into Read-Aloud
Stella Villalba scaffolds the language development of her first- and second-grade English language learners during read-aloud by highlighting vocabulary and providing a tool to assist with a partner retelling activity....
Vocabulary and iPhones: A Four-Step Process for Independent Student Word Learning
"Reading," Callie sighs as she rolls her eyes. Callie is a hard-working 17-year-old junior in high school. She is involved in many different activities in school and takes college prep...
The Big Fresh February 16, 2013 Small Things
Nothing can be done except little by little. Charles Baudelaire Two weeks ago 18 Choice Literacy contributors gathered in Portland, Oregon, for a weekend writing retreat. As part of...
Linking Movement, Minds, and Literacy in Kindergarten
Rituals and routines shape our habits. Students construct inner control of their thinking through repeated actions, guided by an inner dialogue. Self-regulatory talk can be intentionally taught, then integrated into...
Student-Selected Vocabulary in Middle School
“Look! I found eavesdropping in this book.” Aden had placed his book in front of my eyes, completely obscuring my view of my own choice book as he loudly whispered...
The Big Fresh February 9, 2013 Add Ons
A lot of times people don't know what they want until you show it to them. Steve Jobs I agree with Steve Jobs' words regarding innovation, but I think...
Curating the Classroom and School Library
The problem with teaching reading is you need books -– a lot of books. You need those books to be easily accessible and appealing to students. This is easier said...
Conferring to Build Stamina in First Grade
Katie DiCesare works with first grader JJ to help him meld decoding and comprehension skills.
Backing Up and the Bossy E
In this conference with second grader TJ from Sean Moore's classroom, the strategies of backing up and rereading as well as attending to the "bossy e" are discussed.
From “Show Me the Lessons” to Sustainable Planning (Part 4 of the Opinion/Argument Writing Series)
Years ago when teachers were first encouraged to use mentor texts to model for writers and weren’t sure how, I had a lot of requests for help. I heard from...
Movement with First Graders
Katie DiCesare leads her first-grade students through movements and a song, and explains in the debrief why movement activities are valuable for young learners.
The Power of Read-Aloud Notebooks
It’s close to the end of the year. We are reading aloud a powerful book, The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. The students are listening attentively as I...
Peer Conferring: The Release Phase
Last summer I read the book Mindset by Carol Dweck. If you ran into me at the pool up the road, at a professional development class, or even at the...
Looking for the Open Door
He was in his favorite classroom spot with his favorite expression. Scrunched up face, hands gripping hair, huddled on the little green carpet spot underneath the overhang of my desk....
Fantasy Reading in Eighth Grade
Katie Baydo-Reed confers with an eighth-grade student who is reading The Hobbit.
Helping Richard Revise
Karen Terlecky coaxes Richard to cut extraneous material from his writing by highlighting the strengths of his narrative first in this video from her fifth-grade classroom.
The Big Fresh February 2, 2013 Big Lists
The list could go on, and there is nothing more wonderful than a list . . . Umberto Eco For much of my professional life, all lists have been...
