Content Category: Choice Literacy
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Linking Reading, Writing, and Getting to Know You Activities During the First Week of Middle School
The first day of 6th grade in my school is a challenge. The 6th graders get the school to themselves for a day since they are new to the building:...
“To Teach is to Learn Twice”: Creating Professional Communities in Schools
This year at our Choice Literacy Workshops the last gift we gave everyone was a backpack with the quote, "To Teach is to Learn Twice" printed on it. It was...
Pamphlets on Books (Part 2 of the Persuasive Pamphlets Series)
I can never seem to make just a quick trip to a bookstore or library. I'm easily side-tracked from my initial purpose, and the thrill of discovery makes time seem...
Coaching Beyond the Curriculum: Reframing Our Talk and Attitude Toward Difficult Students
"Can Darren spend some time with you? He needs to take a break from our classroom right now." Translation: Darren is driving me crazy and I need a break from him so...
First Grade Guided Writing Group: Targeting Common Spelling Needs
In this video of a 1st grade guided writing group, Katie DiCesare works with children to address common issues with spelling and conventions. By grouping the students together, she is...
What Velcro Can Do: Science, Literacy and Coaching Connections
"You aren't going to be the science program police, are you?" Donna* said in response to my prompting about where science fit into her day with fourth graders. Our science...
Ways to Avoid Coaching Traps
When we first began providing staff development to schools, our mentor at Tufts University shared the book Strategies for Teacher Collaboration by Loviah Aldinger with us. We each carry a well-worn copy...
Book Matchmaker: A Friendship Theme for Literature Circles
Recently Joan asked me to recommend some books that dealt with the theme of friendship. She was planning a set of literature circles, and in the past had never...
Book Matchmaker: Short Vowel Practice with Older Students
Ellen is a school volunteer working with a group of students who are not reading at grade level in third grade. She is concerned about their understanding of short...
Using Picture Books to Spice Up Vocabulary Instruction (BOOKLIST)
Vocabulary instruction has always been a challenge for me. I believe strongly that students need to learn vocabulary in context, but I have realized recently that there are concepts related...
Helping Children Build Notetaking Skills
As a paid college notetaker, I shudder to think of the poor students who reviewed my laborious notes. Possibly the sole qualifications of that position were someone who meets deadlines...
“What Will You Do with This Mess?”: Helping Students Learn to Collaborate
This year one of my goals was to incorporate creative technologies in my reading and writing workshops. I need to be aware of how different tech tools shape and support...
An Uncommon Place
A mulberry tree came down out back during this latest blizzard. I'm sorry to lose it, even though I won't miss the squashes of berries underfoot and the piling up...
Preschool Book Browsing Time
This five-minute video from Kelly Petrin's preschool classroom shows the value of book browsing time. Kelly explains the skills children develop in language, book handling skills, and literacy independence during...
Great Little Books for Professional Book Clubs
Tracie and Shelly were absolutely beaming! Their first professional book club as the literacy coaches at Wilson School was an undeniable success. The teachers had agreed to meet before school...
Primary Series Study
One of my first goals at the beginning of the year for my first and second graders is to help them find and choose books to fill their book bins....
Drawing to Learn: Conferring with Kyle
In this conference with six-year-old Kyle, Ruth Shagoury listens to him explain the stories and meaning behind his drawings during writer's workshop. Kyle's first language is Vietnamese, though English is...
Injecting Writing into Everything: Cover-up Stories
When you read the word cover-up, what comes to mind? Roswell, New Mexico and U.F.O.s? A political scandal? Misappropriated funds? I'm using the term "cover-up" as literally concealing the illustrations...
Reorganizing Books in the Reading Support Classroom
You could say teaching is in my blood . . . literally. There is a long line of teachers in my family. My mom is a reading support teacher, and...
Family History Inquiry Project: Integrating Technology with Social Studies in First Grade
Room 14 is buzzing with excitement. Cole and Kai are sharing bicycle stories that their fathers told them. Kai's dad wanted a bike so badly when he was in first...
Now is Our Season
Now is our season on the verge, a time of endings and beginnings. The seeds of autumn have fallen away, lost in a fault of memory, yet in the dark of...
