Content Category: Choice Literacy
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More Productive Writing Share Sessions in First Grade
In this video from a first-grade classroom, Katie DiCesare demonstrates how she has made writing share time more productive by linking student work to recent lessons.
Inferring and Synthesis: Conferring Over Series Books
Beth Lawson shows how to get the most from a conference about series books in 3rd grade. Inferring and synthesis are discussed, as well as the use of written notes...
Grouping: Who? How Big? How Often?
One of the more vexing dilemmas for teachers is how to group for instruction. No matter how teachers group students, they often wonder if there might be a better way....
If You Like Goosebumps . . .
Matching books to children is one of the things I enjoy most about my job as a librarian. It is fun to dig in and think about books a specific...
Listen In: Magnifying a Moment in Writing
When second-grade teacher Linda Karamatic pulled out Sammi's folder during our meeting, she commented on how delighted she was to see Sammi finishing some pieces. There were several workshops at...
The Affect of Tech on Splrs
"The spelling of English words is not fixed and invariable, nor does it depend on any other authority than general agreement. At the present day there is practically unanimous agreement...
When It’s Time to Abandon Your Writing
One of the teachers in a class I was facilitating recently made this comment about writing and thinking. She said, "I know how we do metacognition in reading because reading...
Unpacking the Common Core Standards: First Grade Information Texts
The Common Core Standards have students working with complex nonfiction texts at all grade levels. For primary teachers, including more nonfiction texts may seem like a challenge. But students of...
Building Community Protocols
When we plan professional development sessions, voluntary courses, and literacy team meetings, we are always on the lookout for new ways to build community within the group so that everyone...
6th Grade Word Sort
In this six-minute video, Pam Pogson leads an open word sort with her 6th grade students. As you watch the video, you can see how experienced students are with word...
Book Matchmaker: 5th Grade English Language Learners
Robin Heist is an elementary ELL teacher. She is thinking about her older English language learners who are reading below grade-level expectations. She is hoping to find books...
“School” Writing at the End of the Year
For the past few years, I had the opportunity to loop with seventh and eighth graders. As last year's eighth graders prepared to leave the school, I wondered what it...
Previewing Nonfiction
Most of my own nonfiction reading is connected to my life as a teacher. My professional reading of books and magazines about literacy education takes up much of my nonfiction...
Planning for a Demonstration Lesson Part 1
In this first installment of a video series, Clare Landrigan takes a team of grades 3-5 teachers through the steps of planning for a demonstration lesson.
Common Core Conversations: Vocabulary
What do you remember about vocabulary instruction and assessment as a student? We remember weekly lists of words and definitions, especially in high school. Sometimes we'd memorize 20 or even...
Second-Grade Punctuation Conference
Beth Lawson confers with a second grader, assisting as she works on her punctuation skills.
Frogs as Learning Ambassadors Part 2: Literary Nonfiction in 4th Grade
When you visit our classroom, you see many aquariums filled with unusual frog and toad specimens arranged throughout our learning community. Other animals live with us, but the frogs are...
Planning for a Demonstration Lesson Part 2
In this second installment of a two-part video series, Clare Landrigan takes a team of grades 3-5 teachers through the steps of selecting a book for a demonstration lesson.
Digging Into Literary Nonfiction
Andrea Smith and her 4th grade students use an article from National Geographic for Kids to chart literary nonfiction elements.
Guiding a Struggling Middle School Book Club
What do you do about those book clubs that just don't jell in your middle school classroom? Katie Doherty demonstrates how she guides a struggling group of sixth graders, helping...
The Sponge Summary Lesson Part 1
This is a companion video series to Heather Rader's article "A Sponge is a Summary." In this sequence of videos, Heather teaches a 4th grade class, using the analogy of...
