Content Category: Choice Literacy
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“If You Like Matt Christopher” Student Book Share
In this video from Franki Sibberson's grades 3-4 classroom, boys share books that are similar to ones written by Matt Christopher. Franki explains how the group came about, as well...
Quotes about Content Literacy for Adolescents
If you are a struggling reader, all you have to do is look tough and say nothing, and then you will become invisible. Richard Vacca Unfortunately, the idea of harder...
Putting Ourselves in Our Teaching
It's important to know that even if you don't think of yourself as a particularly reflective person, or someone who naturally puts your thinking on display, it doesn't mean that...
More Than Listening Centers: Using Audio Books in Literacy Instruction
A lanky boy in a hooded sweatshirt was sprawled across a beanbag chair in the back of the classroom. He was staring intently at the book in his hands. "Uh-oh,"...
Demonstration Lesson: Inferring Character Traits
In this demonstration lesson from a 5th grade classroom, Clare Landrigan leads students through a reading and discussion of inference and character development. Clare uses the book Childtimes by Eloise...
Morning Meeting in Kindergarten
Danielle French leads her kindergarten students in Waterville, Maine, during morning meeting. After the meeting, Danielle talks with "The Sisters" (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) about the value of this...
Envisioning Writing: Wow Words and Mental Images in 1st Grade
In this minilesson, Katie DiCesare uses the book My Cat Copies Me to help her first-grade students "envision" their writing drafts. The lesson focuses on creating mental images to conjure...
Favorite Writing Quotes
When you write, try to leave out the parts readers skip. Elmore Leonard Keep in mind that the person to write for is yourself. Tell the story that you most...
Creating a Reflective Culture in Classrooms
Have you ever been part of a school culture where you've been asked to consider issues that affect you directly? Maybe it's about vertical planning, or ways to increase parent...
Organizing Book Bins: Letting Kids Help and Plan
I happily spend my days with first graders . . . I love to guide them as they discover, read, and tell stories. I am curious about kids. What does...
Helping Students Find Their Own Mentor Texts
We believe a mentor text is a book that offers myriad possibilities for our students and for ourselves as writers. Lynne Dorfman and Rose Cappelli Mentor Texts: Teaching Writing Through...
Conferring About Character Traits
In this conference from a fifth-grade classroom, Clare Landrigan meets with a student to reinforce learning from a whole-class lesson on inferring and character traits. Clare helps the student pull...
Literacy Chats with Teachers: Routines and Guidelines
In my school, teachers have monthly "literacy chats" to discuss current trends and issues that arise in our classrooms. These are informal discussions designed to help us build a supportive...
Fifth-Grade Word Study Homework
Karen Terlecky's fifth-grade students share what they learned from their word study homework.
Making the Rounds: Visiting Everyone
Anyone who knows me would say that I have a "Type A" personality. In some situations this has served me well, in others it has made life complicated. I am...
Collecting Stories: Opening Activity and Icebreaker (PRINT DOWNLOAD)
The "Collecting Stories" activity is a great way to launch a workshop or new study group on a topic. The one I designed here was used with participants in a...
Looking Back to Move Forward: The Plan Book Scavenger Hunt for Literacy Leaders
It's 5:30 in the afternoon, and the school improvement team meeting for one of my buildings is concluding. My principal remarks that there are only sixteen days of school left....
Small Group After Demonstration Lesson
In this small group after a demonstration lesson in a 5th grade classroom, Clare Landrigan talks through strategies for inferring the meaning of new words while reading.
Organizing for Independence: From Cubbies to Social Groups
In this brief video, Joan Moser talks about how she organizes student materials in "social groups" to avoid the use of desks or cubbies in her classroom.
January New Teacher Group Update: When Life Happens
It was noontime when I received a call from my daycare provider, Sandy. She told me that my daughter, Samantha was coughing a lot. I had an important meeting scheduled...
Writing Strengths Anchor Chart
When I taught middle school, I liked to have kids display their talents as often as possible. While students usually didn't have trouble sharing their social selves, asking them to...
