Ruth Shagoury (formerly Hubbard) is the Mary Stuart Rogers Professor of Education at the Graduate School of Education at Lewis & Clark College. Ruth coordinates the Department of Teacher Education's Langauge and Literacy Program, which leads to Oregon reading specialist certification. She works with students of all ages, from pre-school through adult learning situations, teaching in classrooms as well as conducting workshops across the United States and Canada. She is the author of twelve books, most recently Starting with Comprehension: Reading Strategies with the Youngest Learners with Andie Cunningham(Stenhouse, 2005). Her articles about literacy, research, and teaching have appeared in numerous journals.

Ruth's current research is focused on language and literacy acquisition with diverse student populations. Her writing for Choice Literacy this year will focus on two topics: working with English language learners, and assisting new teachers through school-based study groups.

To see Ruth in action with a young English Language Learner in a writing conference, click here.

Conferring with Emily: Moving from Questions to Content (VIDEO) In this conference with six-year-old Emily, Ruth Shagoury looks for a way into a conversation by using Emily's drawings, previous writing, and interests. Emily's first language is Hmong, and she is experimenting with Chinese characters in her writing. . . . more Language in the Classroom: Using a Recorder as a Teaching Resource Ruth Shagoury Recording language gives teachers a chance to re-hear the conversations in their classrooms. Recording devices have always been a staple tool for teachers, and with 21st-century technologies, the possibilities for capturing the language events in a variety of teaching and learning activities has grown. . . . more Social Justice Picture Books Ruth Shagoury Many wonderful new resources exist to introduce issues of social justice to even very young children. There are a wealth of picture books that can help us educate students, their parents, and ourselves to be socially responsible in our communities. Teachers can call attention to the ways in which people are different, and the ways that people are the same -- honoring individual and group identity. Here are some of my favorite new books. . . . more Drawing to Learn: Conferring with Kyle (VIDEO) Ruth Shagoury In this conference with six-year-old Kyle, Ruth Shagoury listens to him explain the stories and meaning behind his drawings during writer's workshop. Kyle's first language is Vietnamese, though English is also spoken in the home. . . . more Quick Take: Conferring with Young English Language Learners (VIDEO) Ruth Shagoury In this short video, Ruth Shagoury gives advice to teachers conferring with young English language learners, explaining how other English language learners can be surprisingly helpful in conferences. . . . more Quick Take: Awkward Beginnings with English Language Learners (VIDEO) Ruth Shagoury In this short video, Ruth Shagoury gives two pieces of advice to teachers who feel awkward as they are trying to communicate with young English language learners. . . . more Conferring with Eddie (VIDEO) Eddie is a six-year-old student who speaks Cantonese as his first language. In this conference with Ruth Shagoury, there is little English spoken, and yet there is much communication through gestures and shared history. . . . more Conferring with Anna (VIDEO) Ruth Shagoury Anna is a five-year-old student in an Oregon kindergarten classroom who speaks Vietnamese at home. In this conference with Ruth Shagoury, she shares writing about her classmates and a snake, testing out her growing knowledge of the alphabet, sounds, and the purposes of writing. . . . more The Book Lovers Quilt Project Katie Doherty and Ruth Shagoury We wanted to give the students a chance to talk about these books they love - and we wanted to preserve their choices in a community quilt to hang proudly in the classroom in the fall as a way to transition to the next class with a gift of book recommendations from the previous year. . . . more Engaged by the World: Maps, Globes, Reading, and Writing with Young Children Kelly Petrin and Ruth Shagoury The most important work I do in the classroom is unseen, and perhaps unrecognized by most: watching the children and noting their interests. What I want is a classroom where children are busy and happy--though "focused," "absorbed," or "engaged" are probably better words because there is a type of busy-ness that is not as productive, when children seem wild or bored. This work is vital because it is when children are actively engaged that they learn (they gain competence and skills). "Interest" or "interesting" is a tricky concept because it might seem like it lies wholly in the activity itself, but I find that it is actually an interplay between the activity and individuals. So every teacher will find that there are some students who are more difficult to get--or keep--engaged. . . . more Choosing New Books for Comprehension Strategy Studies with Young Children Andie Cunningham and Ruth Shagoury The books I have chosen for reading comprehension have been amazing journeys that we've taken as a class. I thought I would use the books just to help to learn about comprehension, but they have b . . . more Drawing to Learn: Conferring with Kyle (VIDEO) Ruth Shagoury In this conference with six-year-old Kyle, Ruth Shagoury listens to him explain the stories and meaning behind his drawings during writer's workshop. Kyle's first language is Vietnamese, though English is also spoken in the home. . . . more Conferring with Leonela: A Two-Day Progression (VIDEO) Ruth Shagoury Leonela is a six-year-old student whose first language is Spanish. In these videos of conferences with Ruth Shagoury filmed over two days, she makes connections between her drawing, writing, and experiences at home and in Mexico. . . . more "I Used to . . . Now I" Ruth Shagoury The ongoing cycle of action and reflection are at the heart of our journeys as educators. We've been exploring questions like "What drew us to teaching in the first place?"; "What are the threads in our teaching lives and commitments that ground us and keep us teaching?"; "How has our teaching practice evolved and changed?" . . . more Looking for Evidence: Seven Questions Ruth Shagoury I have created a list of "Seven Questions" to hold in my mind as I am assessing students' reading, helping me to look for evidence that will support continued growth. These questions are a beginning: I invite you to revise and add to them as you learn from colleagues and students at your school. . . . more Conferring with a Child in the "Silent Period" (VIDEO) Larisa is a six-year-old who speaks Russian at home, and is in the "silent period" in school. In this conference, Ruth Shagoury demonstrates different strategies for eliciting responses from Larisa. . . . more What's the Most Beautiful Thing You Know About . . .? Melanie Quinn and Ruth Shagoury We've been meeting each week this spring with a group of teachers pre-K through grade 12, all of us exploring literacy teaching in our classrooms around our teacher research questions. We've all been looking closely at one student in our class that we are intrigued or wondering about. This study group activity helped us look closely at our case studies with fresh eyes. . . . more Finding the Hook: Using Newspapers to Connect to High School Texts Ruth Shagoury One of our struggles has been to make explicit connections from the classroom curriculum themes and topics to the contemporary world and what interests our students. I decided to organize a workshop for the teachers to do some curriculum planning together, helping each other search for those links and make real connections for our students. . . . more Conferring with Eddie (VIDEO) Eddie is a six-year-old student who speaks Cantonese as his first language. In this conference with Ruth Shagoury, there is little English spoken, and yet there is much communication through gestures and shared history. . . . more Conferring with Kyle (VIDEO) . . . more Team Sharing of Writing Curriculum Innovations (TEMPLATE) Ruth Shagoury Literacy coaches know that the most successful staff development provides lots of time for colleagues to share their teaching stories, questions, and ideas. Hearing what is happening in the classrooms down the hall or across town is generative--and prompts creative leaps to enliven our own inquiries and curricula. The January doldrums can be swept aside for fresh ideas. . . . more Recipe for a Literary Tea Ruth Shagoury Teachers, literacy coaches, and specialists are often looking for that unique gift for teachers and friends - one with a literary touch to it. I created a "designer tea" for a celebration for a friend, and decided it would be a terrific gift for the teachers with whom I work. . . . more Conferring with Leonela: A Two-Day Progression (VIDEO) Ruth Shagoury Leonela is a six-year-old student whose first language is Spanish. In these videos of conferences with Ruth Shagoury filmed over two days, she makes connections between her drawing, writing, and experiences at home and in Mexico. . . . more Learning with Intensity: A Study Group Discussion Prompt Ruth Shagoury "I came to our meeting this week dog-tired: preparing for Back to School Night, designing new curriculum, adjusting to changes in our schedule," Lena confided. "But after our discussion tonight, I'm leaving excited about extending these conversations into my classroom." Lena is one of the teachers in our weekly gathering of high school teachers across many disciplines who are all choosing to explore reading comprehension with their adolescent students. . . . more Collecting Stories: Opening Activity and Icebreaker (PRINT DOWNLOAD) Ruth Shagoury 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 workshop for teachers who were new to working with young English language learners. You can download a copy of the two-page template by clicking on this link . . . more Easing into Fall Literacy Coaching: Exploring Quotes on Reading Comprehension Ruth Shagoury In September, I'll be starting work weekly with a group of high school teachers across many disciplines who are all choosing to explore reading comprehension with their adolescent students. I decided to start to prepare mentally by creating an "Opinion Exchange" around reading comprehension quotes. This way, I can both share a range of thoughts about what it means to understand what we read. I'll also learn more about the stories, histories, and attitudes this diverse group of teachers will bring to our work together this fall. . . . more New Teacher Conversations: Breaking Through Roadblocks and Sustaining Support by Melanie Quinn and Ruth Shagoury At our final New Teacher Conversations meeting, we wanted to celebrate with the first-year teachers as well as look ahead to their second year. Knowing this was the last scheduled New Teacher Conversation meeting, we felt the need to equip them with strategies for issues that might crop up in their work and with confidence in the knowledge base that they already possess. . . . more Multicultural Picture Books for Young Children Ruth Shagoury There is a growing list of multicultural children's books that combine the delight in playful oral language with striking images to enhance the experience. As an added bonus, you can use federal funds to purchase these texts; according to the National Association for the Education of Young Children, these are the perfect books for an early--and contextual--exposure to phonemic awareness. . . . more Notetaking Series Part II: Honing Your Notetaking Skills, One Strategy at a Time Ruth Shagoury and Brenda Power When we were learning how to take notes, becoming skilled at writing down observations seemed an almost mystical undertaking. We read accounts by anthropologists, war stories from their time in the "field," but we found little written about their growth process in developing notetaking skills. We were told we would learn by doing when it came to notetaking, but we often felt lost in that "doing" phase. There were thousands of incidents and details that could be recorded in any classroom. We often had no idea if we were recording the right details in the right way. . . . more New Teacher Conversations: Management Stories from the Classroom Ruth Shagoury Classroom management was on the new teachers' minds at our last meeting of the year when we asked them what they would like from us for resources and discussion the next time we met. What they wished we had for them was a list of sure-fire tricks that would guarantee smoothly running classrooms; or if not a list, then surely some proven strategies that would iron out the ups and downs of their daily struggles. . . . more Alphabet Books for English Language Learners Ruth Shagoury Young English language learners benefit from seeing different alphabet books, scripts, and logograph-based writing systems as part of their classroom library. While it has become fairly easy to find good bilingual alphabet books for Spanish speakers, other languages can present more of a challenge. Below is a beginning recommended list of books that will invite young writers to delight in the variety of languages and scripts from their own home language and those of their classmates... . . . more Helping Young Readers Understand the Middle East: A Booklist of the Best Fiction Picture Books Ruth Shagoury I still remember the first time I read The Day of Ahmed's Secret. I showed the book to colleagues and friends, telling them, "He looks just like my uncle Girgi! " or "Those clothes are like my Sitti wore." It was the first time I saw illustrations of people who looked like my family. As an Arab-American, I grew up as part of a large extended family, with eleven Syrian aunts and uncles who called me "habibi," or little darling. But the images in the media about Arabs didn't match my warm and caring family. The lack of Arab or Arab-American characters in children's books adds to misconceptions about those of Middle Eastern heritage. . . . more Opinion Exchange: A Workshop Activity for Study Groups Ruth Shagoury In our November new teacher meeting, we framed the following "Opinion Exchange" around the theme of staying committed to what we believe in. We created a list of quotes from a range of educators, as well as a list of questions to form a kind of "scavenger hunt" of response to these quotes. Participants read the quotes, and then moved through the room talking about reactions to the quotes and gathering different opinions... . . . more Conferring in the Zone: Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development and Writing Conferences Ruth Shagoury The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) is a concept developed by the Russian language researcher Lev Vygotsky nearly a century ago. The theory simply stated is there is a learning "zone" each child is in, with tasks they are capable of completing with assistance from their teacher now. These are tasks they will soon be able to do on their own, without assistance. Vygotsky put it simply, "What the child can do with assistance today, he can do alone tomorrow"... . . . more Understanding the "Silent Period" with English Language Learners Andie Cunningham and Ruth Shagoury If you have a new English language learner in your class who is not speaking, don't worry. According to language researcher Stephen Krashen, most new learners of English will go through a "silent period," where they are unwilling or unable to communicate orally... . . . more Letters from Home: Letting Families and Friends Teach Us Ruth Shagoury and Brenda Power We've found one of the most enjoyable ways to get to know others around us is the "Letters from Home" assignment. The task couldn't be simpler - we solicit letters from family members or friends of those in our school community, asking them to help us understand the personality, quirks, and learning histories of their loved ones. . . . more Family Dichos: Bringing the Language of Home into the Classroom Ruth Shagoury We started to wonder how we could discover favorite family sayings in an attempt to create bridges from home to school. In order to bring the words of the children's families into the class, Andie wrote a letter to parents asking them to send in the sayings or proverbs - what the Mexican families call dichos - to hang in the room. She specifically requested "sayings of respect" to post in our classroom community. . . . more Conferring with Anna (VIDEO) Ruth Shagoury Anna is a five-year-old student in an Oregon kindergarten classroom who speaks Vietnamese at home. In this conference with Ruth Shagoury, she shares writing about her classmates and a snake, testing out her growing knowledge of the alphabet, sounds, and the purposes of writing. . . . more Conferring with a Child in the "Silent Period" (VIDEO) Larisa is a six-year-old who speaks Russian at home, and is in the "silent period" in school. In this conference, Ruth Shagoury demonstrates different strategies for eliciting responses from Larisa. . . . more The Lines are to Write My Words: Phonics in Context Ruth Shagoury Educators who work with young children often wonder how to teach "phonics in context." Fifteen minutes in Andie's writing workshop shows the hard, intentional work that the children are engaged in as they develop their written language skills... . . . more Mix It Up: Helping Young Writers Learn to Confer with Peers and Teachers Ruth Shagoury Many kindergarten, first-, and second-grade teachers struggle with a tension in their writing workshops: How do you introduce the notion of conferencing to young writers, many of whom do not yet "read"? Andie Cunningham and I decide to introduce conferences with her five- and six-year-old authors by modeling with our own writing. . . . more The Art of Listening in Writing Conferences with English Language Learners Ruth Shagoury and Andie Cunningham Listening to individual children in active writers' workshops is especially challenging, and understanding the words of students who speak a different first language than yours can be downright daunting. Here are some tips for mastering the art of listening in conferences with English language learners... . . . more Part III: Emerging Themes Ruth Shagoury, Kim Campbell, and Sherri Carreker We heard a pattern in the teachers' requests for a "survival kit." Rather than bringing in our own "teacher educator" lists of suggestions and tips, we turned to ideas and wisdom in our group of young teachers. . . . more Conversations with Beginning Teachers: A Research-Based Model of Support Ruth Shagoury, Kim Campbell, and Sherri Carreker Fourteen new teachers surround us at the conference table this morning at 8:20 am. Steve, a "temporary" first-year teacher breaks the ice by sharing his new diet that's working well: caffeine and sleep deprivation, with 8th-grade lunch duty thrown in for exercise. Others laugh and nod. . . . more Part II: Starting the Conversations Ruth Shagoury, Kim Campbell, and Sherri Carreker On our first morning together, when we asked the group of new teachers what they hoped to observe, they were ready with their ideas... . . . more