Content Category: Choice Literacy
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Rethinking the Study of Nonfiction in the 21st Century
I have always found that reflecting on my own literacy helps me to think about how to best meet the needs of my students. As a media specialist, much of...
Book Boxes – Voices from the Classroom
Organizing the books that your students are reading independently often presents a challenge for teachers. How can you keep track of what's in the boxes, ensure everyone is making appropriate...
Relevant Support for New Teachers
By building relations we create a source of love and personal pride and belonging that makes living in a chaotic world easier. Susan Liebermann This fall my son Ben ran...
“This Could Be Our Family”: Books for Children with Lesbian and Gay Parents
My daughter Alysa and her other mother snuggled into the recliner, not saying a word. The only sound I could hear was an occasional page turning. I took this as...
Using Picture Books to Teach Theme in Grades 3-6
Wikipedia defines theme as "A broad idea, message, or lesson that is conveyed by a work. The message may be about life, society, or human nature. Themes often explore timeless...
Is “Just Right” Still Just Right?: Helping Children Select Appropriate Books
We taught together in an elementary classroom for years. One of the most important things we always talked about with students was the concept of "just-right" books. We used the...
Infographics and Lists in Science Notebooks
Today I observed my students scattered around our school's outdoor learning lab. I wandered from group to group, from micro-habitat to micro-habitat, thrilled with their focused energy, thoughtful conversations, and...
You Get What You Ask For: The Art of Debriefing
When I pick up my children from school and ask, "How was your day?" 99.9% of the time I get the f-word: fine. However, when I noticed the green outline...
Quick Take: Selecting Mentor Texts for Writing Instruction
In this two-minute video, Aimee Buckner explains how she selects mentor texts for writing, as well as the importance of using writing by students and teachers in lessons.
Helping Students Deal with Distractions
We have had the privilege of spending the last few weeks in many teachers' classrooms supporting them as they launch their literacy workshops. The first few weeks of school are...
New Notebook Essentials
Sitting around a crowded conference table, eight of my colleagues and I discuss the merits of using a writer's notebook with our students. What started out as a study of...
It’s Not the Assessment — It’s How You Use It
Clare's mother always used to tell her, "It's not what you say that is the problem, it's how you say it!" This same thought rings through our heads as we...
A Thanksgiving Take on Differentiating Instruction
As I've traveled between conferences and classrooms this fall, I've heard a lot of buzz around the concept and practice of "differentiation." When I've asked teachers, literacy coaches, and language...
Making Data Analysis a Motivating and Worthwhile Process
Over the past few years we have met with different groups of teachers to analyze student data. These meetings have pushed us to think about strategies for facilitating data meetings...
Writing Do-Overs: ERPs in the Classroom
When I was in elementary school I played four square and tetherball. These seemed like the best sports for a kid like me who was less tall and more small...
Returning to Our Creation Chambers: Supporting Experienced Teachers
"Gorky built upon the achievements of the early modern artists he greatly admired and broke new ground during a remarkable moment to become an inspiration to a new generation of...
The Power of Wonder Questions
"Do you know what I've been thinking and reading about?" asked Will as we settled into an out-of-the-way spot in my grades 3-4 multiage classroom. It was time for reading...
Creating Shared Learning Experiences for New and Veteran Teachers
Nothing brings people together more than shared experiences. Jimmy Fallon One of my many guilty pleasures is taping Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and watching...
Tips for More Effective Debriefing Sessions
We do a lot of demonstration lessons in our coaching work. Lately we have been reflecting on how we structure these sessions. We find the debriefing of the lesson to...
Teaching Reading Skills with Wordless Picture Books
Reading visual elements of texts is not easy for me. I am not a visual person. I cannot see the undertones in paint colors. I buy most of my outfits...
If We Could Meet Again
If we could meet again as strangers, I would ask for more. Give me something sacred to see I would say, something bold to bless. Trick me into a patch ...
