Content Category: Choice Literacy
Results
Class Discussion: Is Stealing Okay?
Jennifer Richard Jacobson asks a class of fourth graders whether stealing is ever justified. The students have just finished reading her book Small as an Elephant, in which theft is...
An Identity of Success
In the first few days of school, I overheard teachers, fingers hovering over electronic tablets, warning students who weren’t standing quietly enough in line that they would be losing points...
Loving Books or Reading?
Here are two questions: Do you love books? or Do you love reading? If you like reading, you probably like books. However, consider this: Can you like books and not...
Bridging the Gap Between Intervention and the Classroom
It was November, and our first intervention cycle was ending. Teachers had just finished giving their second reading benchmark assessment, and a meeting to go over the data with each...
The Big Fresh October 1, 2016 It’s Personnel
If there are spelling and grammatical errors, assume that the same level of attention to detail probably went into the gathering and reporting of the "facts" given on the site....
Teaching Punctuation with Poetry
During our Summer Writing Academy, 40 students who enjoy writing and four teachers who love teaching writing came together for five days of poetry. During those days no one talked...
Toward More Meaningful Extension Activities
The Chanukah party was in full swing. Candles were burning. Dreidels were spinning. People were munching on latkes. Kids were ripping wrapping paper off of gifts. I stepped away from...
Teaching Revision Strategies: Introduction and Modeling
Heather Rader introduces a strategy for peer conferring over revision in fifth grade in this first installment of a two-part video series.
Teaching Revision Strategies: Partner Work
Partners confer over revision in fifth grade in this second installment of a three-part video series.
An Unconventional Scavenger Hunt: Finding Errors
I have always been flummoxed when I see simple, silly errors in grammar and spelling that is presented to the public—particularly when done by professionals. From advertising to journalistic print,...
The Big Fresh September 24, 2016 Soaked
Some people feel the rain — others just get wet. Roger Miller My friend Jasmine and I threw caution to the wind and went for a walk despite the...
Guidelines for Posting Online
Katherine Sokolowski describes a wall display with guidelines to ensure students are respectful and aware of the pitfalls of posting online.
Beyond the Comfort Zone: Books for Our Times
Recently, I was sitting at dinner next to one of my favorite authors and surrounded by colleagues. The conversation turned to what makes a book controversial. One teacher mentioned a...
Replicating or Deepening?
I remember well during my first year of teaching middle school when an experienced (and intimidating) colleague reprimanded me for “stealing” a popular poem he claimed was “his” to teach....
The Pocahontas Ewww: Writing and Inquiry for Context
As I started my lesson, Briana called out, “Is it true that Pocahontas was a little girl when she got married? That’s just wrong.” This is a typical response from...
The Big Fresh September 17, 2016 Treasures or Trash
You can either be a victim of the world or an adventurer in search of treasure. It all depends on how you view your life. ...
How to Keep Conferring Notes
My husband, Andy, coaches our daughter’s junior league softball team. He is a bit of an extremist when it comes to collecting stats and notes on each player. He keeps...
Finding Clues in Writing Folders
We had just wrapped up our writing celebration—a museum filled with student experts talking and teaching about topics they care about. I was reading through the final published pieces, celebrating...
The Big Fresh September 10, 2016 Goals
The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do. Sarah Ban Breathnach This week I’m breaking a cardinal rule in...
Table Charts in Second Grade
Melanie Meehan chats with second-grade teacher Nadia Egan about the use of table charts with students.
Charts as Tools, Charts as Teachers
We’ve all been in (or, at times, have been) the classroom that has chart paper as wallpaper. Every open space, and maybe even open window, is occupied by a chart....
