Content Category: Choice Literacy
Results
Writing Conference: Brainstorming Ideas
Katherine Sokolowski helps fifth grader Sidney brainstorm ideas for a story. She uses her own experiences with writing to instruct.
Belonging in a School Community
Frank Lloyd Wright built houses that grew out of the land where they were located. His homes were of the hill, not on it. He once wrote the following: I...
Honoring Student Identity
It is rare that I take time out from professional reading for books I don’t intend to put in the hands of my sixth graders. Most of the time, if...
Publishing Routines Podcast
This week's topic is publishing routines. Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter with a round-up of features around a key topic in literacy education. You can find...
November 13, 2020 Are You Sure?
Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can't remember who we are or why we're here. —Sue Monk Kidd [Now you can listen to...
Author Studies Podcast
The focus of this week's Big Fresh is author studies. Get the Big Fresh delivered straight to your inbox (it's free)! Click here for ALL links discussed. Each week Choice...
Guided Reading in a First-Grade Group
Melissa Atwood leads a first-grade guided reading group. This is the second video in a two-part series.
A Student Book of Awesome
What do working on trucks, potatoes, and Christmas morning have in common? They are all things deemed “awesome” by my students and are forever commemorated in the official “Second Period...
Small-Group Instruction: Bookmaking
Teacher: “I was thinking for today’s reading time, we could write a book together, and then I'll make a copy of the book for each of us and we can...
November 6, 2020 The Magic of Reading Together
When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature. If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of myself in...
Writing Conference: Establishing Setting
Melanie Meehan uses A Day's Work as a mentor text to help fifth grader Emily develop setting in her writing.
Building Writer Relationships with Author Studies
“Could you announce that it is Dav Pilkey’s birthday today?” The second graders’ earnest request in my office was met with an “Of course!” from me. Pilkey’s birthday announcement was...
Book Series Joy
Years ago I was inspired by Katie DeCesare’s article "Primary Series Study" to introduce my first graders to book series. I used her article to guide this mini-unit of study...
Word Learning Podcast
The focus of this week's Big Fresh is word learning. Get the Big Fresh delivered straight to your inbox (it's free)! Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter...
October 30, 2020 Shark Attack
Play is our brain's favorite way of learning. —Diane Ackerman “Eeeek! A shark!” Josue points to the page Dianna is working on in writing workshop. Dianna keeps coloring with an...
Making Something Together: Shared Writing Online
Teaching emergent readers online brings a few new challenges. In the middle of listening to a student reading a book, I hear, “Wait, I’ll be right back.” Before I can...
Humor in Literacy Workshop Podcast
The focus of this week's Big Fresh is Humor in Literacy Workshop. Get the Big Fresh delivered to your inbox! You can find links to all content here. Free “Three...
Guided Reading in First Grade: Blends
Melissa Atwood leads a first-grade guided reading group. The focus at the start of the lesson is on blends in words. This is the first video in a two-part series.
It’s Not Wrong. It’s Almost Right.
As I was reflecting this summer about returning to the classroom, my mind wandered to spelling. I shunned the 20-word pretest on Monday with results mirrored on Friday’s “real” test,...
October 23, 2020 Thank You, Mrs. Schroeder
Everyone looks so much better when they smile. Jimmy Fallon [Now you can listen to the Big Fresh podcast!] “Your Jimmy Fallon–inspired thank-you notes took a turn I wasn’t...
First-Grade Reading Conference: Coaxing and Supporting
Bitsy Parks helps first grader Sophia tackle the tough job of making meaning and decoding words early in the year with lots of encouragement and good humor.
