Content Category: Choice Literacy
Results
Getting Started with Classroom Book Clubs (Part 1)
After reading a great book, one of the first things I want to do is find someone else who has read it and talk to them about my thoughts, feelings,...
Less Is More: Using Novels in Verse in the Classroom
It’s an unfortunate fact that many students who enter my class don’t identify as readers and haven’t read a book on their own in some time. Independent reading is a...
January 6, 2023: Joyful Learning Communities
Surround yourself only with people who are going to take you higher. —Oprah Winfrey Get Connected I am overflowing with joy as I write this note to you. Because relationships...
Read Aloud Magic
This is my most cherished time of the day. Gathered with students on the floor, I am sitting just above them on a stool so I can feel closer to...
Our Brains on Happiness
We’ve found something we now call the happiness advantage, which is when the brain is positive, it has an unfair advantage over the brain that is negative, neutral, or stressed....
December 9, 2022: Awareness and Inclusivity
As you enter positions of trust and power, dream a little before you think. —Toni Morrison A Quiet Next Step I am savoring the articles in this issue because they...
Understanding the Beautiful World of Being Multilingual Through the Lens of Brilliance and Complexity
I often get questions about teaching multilingual students, and the experience can feel like the person is asking for a checklist. Let me explain. When I lead professional development, whether...
Anthologies to Diversify Middle School Reading Instruction
When Safa interrupted a story to call out in excitement, “My mom is from Morocco just like this family,” I knew including “Home” by Hena Khan as part of our...
December 2, 2022: Nourish Student Growth
The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even touched—they must be felt with the heart. —Helen Keller Nourish the Heart When I was a...
Conferring and Peer Support
Christy Rush-Levine connects students to support each other as they write their literary analysis essays.
Building Empathy Through Gratitude
Late in the fall, I sat in my classroom after school, overwhelmed and unsure. Almost two months into my first year of teaching, 27 third graders were more than keeping...
Picture Books to Help Navigate Difficult Emotions (Booklist)
It wasn't until a friend left the picture book Grandad’s Island by Benji Davies on her front porch that Hannah realized how badly she needed it. While navigating the unexpected...
November 25, 2022: The Thanksgiving Issue
The real gift of gratitude is that the more grateful you are, the more present you become. —Robert Holden The Thanksgiving Issue In the United States we have Thanksgiving break...
November 18, 2022: Benefits of Poetry
Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow. —Anthony J. D'Angelo Learning Does Not Belong in Silos When I was in the thick of...
Expanding the Definition of “Text”
Holly Wenning helps us expand the definition of text when considering mentor texts and reading assessments.
Using Mathematics to Connect Home and School
A frequently asked question from families when we start the school year is “Is there any homework for your classroom?” I always encourage reading outside of the school day and...
Infusing Poetic Techniques in Our Writing
“'I tuck the kitten under my jacket and run out of the woods, across the street, down the sidewalk toward my house,’” I read, then pause to look up. “I...
November 11, 2022: Stronger Conferences and Feedback
No one is perfect—that's why pencils have erasers. —Wolfgang Rieb Learning to Receive Feedback The team of teachers gathered around the table. They had hauled so much stuff into the...
Listening and Learning: Using Conferring to Better Understand What Students Are Thinking
Feedback is part of the teaching and learning cycle. We receive feedback from our students as we teach, using their feedback to adjust our instruction to best fit their needs....
Conferring Notebook Details
“Can I take a picture of that?” the observing teacher asked, pointing to my reading conferring notebook. I tried to hide my hesitation with a frozen grin and a nod....
What Should I Teach in a Writing Conference?
“Mrs. Barnett, want to see the letter I’m writing from Jonas?” Tripp calls out as I’m passing his table. “Definitely!” Tripp is writing a letter from the perspective of a...
