Content Category: Choice Literacy
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Trying to Coach Without the Budget in Mind
With daily headlines keeping alive the reality of a sputtering economy, I fear for my job more than ever. Perhaps it was my sheer naïveté in my first year coaching,...
Wild Facts
I love discovering high quality digital reading resources for my third and fourth graders to use in our classroom and for home reading. I love it even more when it...
Sorting Students for Flexible Groups Across Classrooms
Recently the teachers in my building learned that after receiving district funds for the past five years to support our intervention efforts for struggling students, the funds would be eliminated....
Learning from Master Teachers: Final Lessons in the Cycle (Part II)
This is the second installment in my two-part lesson series on teaching students how to record and share their thinking in whole-class, small-group, and one-on-one conversations. This is a cycle...
Not That Into Me
For the past 11 years during the holiday season my husband and I have watched the movie Trapped in Paradise with my brother. The movie stars Nicholas Cage, Dana Carvey and Jon...
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...
5 Easy Steps to Becoming Active in the Blog Community
If you've started a blog, you're going to want to build a readership larger than just your mother, your spouse and your best friend. One of the best ways to...
The Amazing School Librarian: An Interview with John Schumacher (PODCAST)
In this podcast, Franki Sibberson and John Schumacher chat about how John managed to read over 1700 books in 2010, as well as keep up with his popular blog and...
Lady With the Yellow Umbrella
Coming down the lane, like sixteen, sneakers kicking up ructions, smile erupting buttercup dust, hair thinned out, spiked up from a deep mix of chemical spice creeping through her veins,...
Books Struggling Readers Can and Will Want to Read: Building the Classroom Library
Cleaning up the room after school, I noticed Sammy's reading bag under the table. I've been finding his reading intervention bag left on his hook lately, and have been wondering...
Common Core Conversations: The Half ‘n’ Half Shift for Nonfiction Reading and Writing
As teacher leaders in a state that already has rigorous standards, the thought of transitioning from our district standards to new standards is daunting. We can just hear the cry...
Graphic Organizer for Mystery Writing
Beth Lawson talks with her 4th graders about the elements of a good mystery, and shares a graphic organizer to help them develop realistic characters and themes.
Getting Started With Twitter
Years ago, I reluctantly signed up for a Twitter account. Shortly after the initial confusion and frustration, I became addicted. Many days Twitter is my free-time activity of choice. My husband tired...
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...
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...
Great Lead Investigators
It's writing time. As I meander around the room and read over the shoulders of my 6th graders, I realize it's time to talk leads. Writing leads is a strategy...
Letting Go After Holding on Tight: Reflecting on the Last Days of School
Teachers will tell you that the end of the school year means several weeks of never-ending to-do lists, the scary prospect of packing up a room so walls can be...
Kelly Gallagher on Readicide (PODCAST)
Kelly Gallagher is the author of numerous bestselling books for high school teachers, including Reading Reasons and Readicide. In this podcast with Franki Sibberson, he explains the concept of Readicide, and what we need...
Acquiring Knowledge Two or Three Strategies at a Time
"Hey, Papi! What is that crop growing over there?" My dad responds patiently to repeated requests by my nine-year-old son, Jack, to identify exactly what is growing in the fertile...
Organizing a Classroom Nonfiction Library with Students
I will be honest with you. I am not a shopper. I do not like strolling through malls, hunting for bargains at outlet shops, or spending extended time under the...
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...
