Albert Einstein said, "If I can't picture it, I can't understand it." The videos at Choice Literacy are designed to help teachers picture what happens when best practices in literacy meet the reality of busy, noisy, and diverse classrooms. All footage is filmed using state-of-the-art cameras and sound equipment by an experienced professional crew of videographers, sound technicians, and editors. We are committed to capturing accomplished teachers working with students within normal literacy routines and schedules - no staged lessons for the cameras, and no scripts.

Over the next year, videos will be added to the site featuring teachers in writing conferences with young English language learners, mentors working with new teachers to design literacy curricula, teachers assessing students, writing unit design and implementation, and reading comprehension lessons with guided practice. All videos are in Flash format, optimized for viewing on computers with high-speed internet access. If you are having trouble viewing a video, you can download a free Flash player for your computer here:

http://www.adobe.com/downloads/#players

[Many videos featured on this site are available for purchase as part of our DVD Workshop Kits, designed for use in professional development settings with full-color viewing guides. For more information, click here.]

Managing Book Boxes (Organizing Book Boxes Video Series) In this first video in a month-long series, Joan Moser (of "The Sisters") explains three strategies she uses to help students pick book for their book boxes. In the coming weeks, Joan will explain how she and her students use the book boxes daily during literacy workshops. . . . more Old Elm Speaks: Connecting Poetry, Observation, and Reading (VIDEO) In this first of a three-part video series, Aimee Buckner shows how observation skills, poetry, and reading instruction come together with the mentor text Old Elm Speaks by Kristin O'Connell George. In this excerpt, Aimee introduces the text and guides students as they begin exploring it together. This is an excellent back-to-school literacy sequence, since the observation element of the instruction is a terrific excuse to take the class outdoors for writing sketches. . . . more Talking About Synthesis: Metaphors from 2nd Graders (VIDEO) In this six-minute video, Lauren Scott's 2nd graders brainstorm different metaphors for the synthesis process in reading while their principal, Karen Szymusiak, listens and responds. After the students leave, Lauren and Karen chat about how the classroom environment supports sophisticated discussions of learning. . . . more Kindergarten Room Tour (VIDEO) In this room tour, Maureen Knostman of Dublin, Ohio shares literacy areas in her kindergarten classroom. . . . more Literacy Chats: An Open Discussion Format (VIDEO) In my school, the 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 community as we all work to improve the ways we teach reading and writing. Our focus for this school year for all groups was to look at the workshop model in our literacy programs, with an emphasis on reading workshop. . . . more 5th Grade Room Tour (VIDEO) Karen Terlecky's classroom tour focuses on the anchor charts and wall displays she uses to promote literacy with her 5th grade students. Two of the books Karen discusses that have influenced her literacy wall displays are Max Brand's Word Savvy and Mechanically Inclined by Jeff Anderson. . . . more Coaching in Kindergarten: Conferring (VIDEO) What's in a name? For kindergartner Maria, it's the start of learning how letters and sounds work. In this coaching session, Joan Moser of "The Sisters" helps Daniel understand how to use a child's name as a beginning point for teaching letters and sounds. . . . more 1st Grade Room Tour Part II (VIDEO) In Part II of her classroom video tour, Katie DiCesare presents more of the book arrangements and wall displays in her 1st grade classroom that support literacy learning. . . . more Middle School Library Makeover: Stacks & Recap (VIDEO) The Sisters (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) collaborate with a middle school librarian, principal, and team of students to makeover the school library. In this final segment of the series, they redo the stacks and meeting area, and then talk with students about the transformation of the entire library. . . . more Middle School Library Makeover Part I (VIDEO) In this first of a two-part video series, "The Sisters" (Joan Moser and Gail Boushey) work with students, a librarian, and a principal to makeover a middle-school library. This first installment features the creation of a "cozy area" and new book browsing displays. . . . more 4th Grade Small Group - Writing Paragraphs (VIDEO) In this six-minute video, Aimee Buckner uses a mentor text to demonstrate how writers construct lively nonfiction paragraphs. The small group has been pulled together because the students need more practice in adding details to their writing. . . . more 5th Grade Sentence Observation (VIDEO) This past summer, I spent a lot of time thinking about all the components of my writing workshop. I intended to make it a focus of study for myself throughout the school year. One of the areas I specifically wanted to look at was the most effective way to teach the grammar and mechanics I am required to cover by both state standards and district targets. . . . more 4th Grade Room Tour (VIDEO) In this video tour of her 4th grade classroom, Aimee Buckner highlights how she arranges books, charts, and other resources to support the reading and writing of her students. . . . more First Grade Guided Writing Group: Targeting Common Spelling Needs (VIDEO) In this video of a first-grade guided writing group, Katie DiCesare works with three girls on spelling confusions that have emerged in their writing. By grouping the students together, she is able to use her time well in addressing common needs among students. . . . more 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 Listing Strategy: Conferring (VIDEO) In this second of a two-part video series, Aimee Buckner confers with students after teaching a minilesson on the listing strategy using the book This is the Tree. You'll notice that the students are writing in many different genres as part of writing workshop, and are in different phases of the drafting process as Aimee assists them. . . . more Moving into "Big Fat Chapter Books": Conferring with Elyse (VIDEO) In this conference with seven-year-old Elyse, Joan Moser helps her set a reading goal that will help her move into "big fat picture books." In the debrief with Gail Boushey, Joan talks about the importance of knowing a reader's history and how teachers can use that to motivate the child. . . . more Mentor Texts and Teacher Modeling: The Listing Strategy (VIDEO) In this video from her 4th grade classroom Aimee Buckner teaches the "listing" strategy using the book This is the Tree as a mentor text. Aimee talks about mentor texts, using her own writing as a model, and the needs of intermediate readers and writers during the lesson and interview. . . . 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 Middle School Classroom Makeover Part III (VIDEO) Have you ever been assigned a classroom with no storage cabinets or cupboards? In the final section of their video series on a middle school classroom makeover, "The Sisters" (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) help seventh-grade teacher Erin reorganize and declutter her built-in bookshelves and talk through storage issues . . . more Middle School Classroom Makeover Part I (VIDEO) In this first of a three-part video series, "The Sisters" (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) help 7th grade teacher Erin declutter and rearrange her classroom. . . . more Rule of 3, Part II: Mini-Group After Whole-Class Lesson (VIDEO) The "Rule of 3" is well-known among writers. From "The Three Little Bears" to sets of three adjectives in descriptions, authors know clusters of three are a powerful tool for creating narrative flow. In this second of a three-part video series, I pull a small group of students for a little extra support right after the whole class lesson. . . . more Rule of 3: Writer's Craft Whole Class Lesson (VIDEO) The "Rule of 3" is well-known among writers. From "The Three Little Bears" to sets of three adjectives in descriptions, authors know clusters of three are a powerful tool for creating narrative flow. I always teach my fourth graders about the "Rule of 3" during reading and writing workshops, and almost immediately see improvement in many students' writing. . . . more A Literacy "Playground": Cheryl Cole's Second Grade Classroom (VIDEO TOUR) Aimee Buckner hosts this video tour of Cheryl Cole's second grade classroom. Cheryl shares the many strategies she uses to promote literacy learning in a warm, friendly environment. Aimee notes that the atmosphere is that of a "literacy playground" - fun, but also deeply reflective. . . . more Collaborative Team Meeting: Assessing and Planning Together (VIDEO) Collaborative team meetings take place every 9-10 days in our schools. In these meetings, teachers from one grade level, literacy coaches, and our principal meet together to discuss individual students, the curriculum, and goals. I want to share video from one team meeting early in the year. In September, three 4th grade teachers, a literacy coach, the principal and I sat down together in a collaborative team meeting to pore over the assessments of students from the previous year, comparing these notes to our ongoing fall assessments of individual students. . . . more Conferring Notebook for Coaches (VIDEO with TEMPLATE) I am always on the hunt for new ways to reorganize the records I keep as a literacy coach. I want to be sure I have good records of encounters with colleagues, but I don't want to spend more time taking notes than I do collaborating with teachers. Recently I revised my coaching conferring notebook to mirror the notebooks I encourage teachers to use in their own classrooms as they keep track of conferences with students. The video below explains the components of the notebook . . . more From Compliments to Naming the Craft: 5th Grade Writing Workshop Share Session (VIDEO) This whole-class share session in Lesley Fowler's 5th grade classroom is the culmination of a nonfiction writing unit. Over the course of the year, we moved from having students compliment their classmates during these share sessions, to writing down specific aspects of the piece they enjoyed or had questions about during the reading. We found adding this brief writing element to the share sessions has made all the difference in helping students connect their writing and that of their peers to the lessons on craft we present throughout the year. . . . more Bookroom Tours - Part I (VIDEO) In this three-minute video, The Sisters (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) take viewers on a tour of an elementary bookroom. The books are arranged by levels, with Joan and Gail sharing simple strategies for checkout and updating bins as new titles are added. . . . more Preparing Walls for Displays (VIDEO) In this four-minute video, The Sisters (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) help a new teacher "frame up" an area of the room for future displays of student work, in a way that draws attention away from book bags and other clutter. . . . more Tips for Displaying Student Work (VIDEO) In this six-minute video, "The Sisters" (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) help a colleague dress up her displays of student work. The common mistake made by teachers is to display work with standard-size borders, all lined up in a row. Joan and Gail demonstrate how teachers can use techniques that mix up the images visually, promoting more of an art gallery look and feel to wall displays. . . . more Meeting Area Makeover (VIDEO) Meeting areas in classrooms serve many purposes - they are gathering places for students and teachers, and they also are key storage areas on the perimeter for student work, materials, and literacy supports like big books or chart stands. In this two-part video, "The Sisters" (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) help first-year teacher Christine reorganize her meeting area so that it is less cluttered and easier for students to access the materials they need...without disrupting lessons. . . . more The Literacy Coach Work Area: Arranging Materials in Cramped Spaces (VIDEO) Many literacy specialists and coaches find themselves in cramped work spaces when it comes to their desks, storage areas for materials, and meeting rooms for conferring with colleagues. In this four-minute video, Literacy Coach Gail Boushey talks about how she arranges her materials in a limited space, and the benefits of sharing work space with colleagues. . . . more Organizing Reading Area Supplies (VIDEO) We design our rooms to support students as they work independently. Often this means areas throughout the room house supplies for literacy - books for independent reading, guided reading, notebooks, and storage bins for students. This time-lapse video provides some tips for reorganizing a small-group reading area that receives a lot of traffic from students. . . . more Numbering and Arranging Classroom Library Bins (VIDEO) In this video, "The Sisters" (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) help experienced teacher Kelly create a numbering system for her classroom library. They talk together about strategies for teaching children to become more independent in finding books and maintaining the library. . . . more Reorganizing the Classroom Library (VIDEO) In this brief time-lapse video, Gail Boushey and Joan Moser help Carrie, a second-year teacher, begin to organize her classroom library according to themes and traffic patterns in the classroom. . . . more Playing with Group Observations: Reflections on Learning with New Teachers The new teacher group is winding down. Our next and last meeting will be in June. Leslie Lloyd, the group's co-leader and I find ourselves constantly reflecting and refining the group as we go along. I find each month we approach some aspect of the group from a slightly different angle. This month Leslie and I played around with the classroom observations. Each month participants talk about the value of being able to observe other teachers and the time taken to debrief as a group. This month we had new teachers Jeni and Jess observe together. . . . more Community Language Board: Building Vocabulary All Year Long (VIDEO) The Community Language Board is where the class shares interesting new words from read alouds, sight words, and alternatives to common words in writing. In this video tour, "The Sisters" (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) talk about how the board changes and evolves over the year, building a sense of community and shared literacy. . . . more Concepts of Print: Conferring with a Kindergartner (VIDEO) In this conference with five-year-old Mariano, Joan Moser (of "The Sisters") assesses his understanding of reading, print, and books at the start of the school year. After the conference, Joan debriefs with Gail Boushey about appropriate next steps for this kindergartner. . . . more The Conferring Notebook: Organizing for Teaching in Workshops (VIDEO with TEMPLATES) In this five-minute video, "The Sisters" (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) describe how they organize their conferring notebook. The notebook includes a section for each student, as well as grids for organizing flexible reading groups and calendars for scheduling conferences. If you would like to download any of the templates mentioned in the video, they are available just below the video player. . . . more Whole-Class Vocabulary Lesson, Grades K-2 (VIDEO) In this five-minute video, Joan Moser of "The Sisters" teaches a whole-class vocabulary lesson. The focus is on helping students notice interesting words, and make connections between daily read-alouds and word learning. After the lesson, Joan and Gail talk about the place of vocabulary instruction in their literacy workshops. . . . more Using Foam Boards in Writer's Workshop (VIDEO) Foam boards are a new teaching tool for me this year in writer's workshop. The idea came from my friend Ann Marie Corgill. She shared this idea with me when she was working at the Manhattan New School in New York City. I've always used a lot of wall space for writer's workshop, and have even gone beyond that to cover closet doors and the door going into the classroom with student work, ideas, and resources. There is never enough room to display or post everything we are working on and everything that might help build the writing community. The foam boards are a way to extend the display space flexibly all year long, and what's great about them is that they are so portable - each one becomes a moving, changing bulletin board tied to literacy topics we are studying and discussing together. . . . more Small Group Instruction: Inferring Focus (VIDEO) In this six-minute video example of reading instruction with a small group, Gail Boushey of "The Sisters" leads a discussion of inference, using Peter Rabbit as a focus text. All of the children in the group are reading at different levels independently, but they share a goal of learning more about inference. . . . more Small Group on Fluency: Leading Groups Based on Needs, Not Levels (VIDEO) In this small group targeting fluency, all students are reading different books. Many have experiences with small group reading in the past, so Joan spends less time on norms and there is no common text. . . . more Flexible Groups: Moving Beyond Levels to Assess Reading Needs (VIDEO) In the past, flexible groups really weren't that flexible in our classrooms, especially when we based the groups on students' reading levels. For years we said, "Yes, of course we do flexible groups!" But the truth was we didn't really know what that meant, and we certainly had no idea of how to manage those groups. Once we started slotting kids into groups based on needing to know something more about specific reading strategies or skills like inferring or fluency, it moved us beyond levels... . . . more Writing Workshop Share: Talking About Revision Tools (VIDEO) In this video of a discussion after writing workshop in Franki Sibberson's classroom, intermediate students share the tools they used in revision. The video is approximately five minutes long... . . . more Revision Tools: Providing Options to Students (VIDEO) From old favorites like highlighters to new resources like kangaroo bags, this whole class session with Franki Sibberson's students highlights cool tools that will inspire learners to dive in and test out different revision strategies in writer's workshop... . . . more Learning to Cross-Check: Conferring with Hailey (VIDEO) In this conference, Joan Moser confers with five-year-old Hailey and helps her set a reading goal. Hailey reads a text, and Joan helps her see how cross-checking is a useful strategy for readers in decoding and comprehending text... . . . more Let's Get Rid of "The Teacher Shrine": Organizing Meeting Areas, Walls, and Materials (VIDEO) In this six-minute classroom tour, Gail Boushey and Joan Moser ("The Sisters") talk about problems with teacher desks, present how they separate and define different curricular learning areas, and explain how they use borders to enhance displays on walls. This is an excerpt from the Simply Beautiful series on classroom design for literacy learning and gracious living... . . . more Conferring about Inferring: Teaching a Strategy to a Fluent Reader (VIDEO from CAFE series) In this conference, Gail Boushey (of "The Sisters") confers with Brandon, a reader who is becoming fluent in his skills. Gail helps him understand the concept of inferring, and Brandon sets a goal to post on the CAFE (Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expanding Vocabulary) board for future reference. Part II of the video also includes a debrief with Joan Moser about the conference and how to teach inference. . . . more Fonts: Small Group and Conferring with Intermediate Writers (VIDEO) In this follow-up to a whole class lesson and discussion on fonts, Franki Sibberson pulls together a group of third and fourth graders from her class who have asked to be a part of a small group on fonts. She talks about how these small groups fit into her writing workshop plans, and how she assesses the needs of each group as they emerge to determine her role in the group... . . . more Fonts Lesson: A Revision Strategy for Transitional Writers (VIDEO) I recently added a nonfiction reading time at the start of the day, and I've found this time has changed many of the conversations about reading and writing with the third and fourth graders in the classroom. In this lesson, I use the students' interest in nonfiction text features as a springboard into looking at fonts... . . . more Reflection Sheets: A Tool for Assessment and Conferring (VIDEO and TEMPLATE) I use reflection sheets a few times a month with my third- and fourth-grade students in reading and writing workshops. The students answer a few questions around some issue we are considering related to reading strategies or writer's craft. We then refer to these sheets in individual conferences, talk about the student's growth or needs, and set goals or chat about next steps... . . . more Literacy Room for Teachers Tour (VIDEO) In this four-minute video tour, Jennifer Allen describes how she arranges and displays materials in the "literacy room," the space she has created in her grades 3-5 school as a hub for her professional development work with colleagues... . . . more Grades 3&4 Room Tour (VIDEO) In this video tour, Franki Sibberson narrates a description of the grades 3&4 multiage classroom she shares with a colleague. The space is small, so Franki explains how storage areas are carefully arranged and seating is creatively designed to make the most of limited space... . . . more In the Zone: Conferring with a Young English Language Learner (VIDEO) 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 . . . more Creating Anchor Charts with Sticky Note Responses from Young Readers (VIDEO) Learners who focus on comprehension strategies rely on different tools. One of the most popular is the three by three inch sticky note. High school teachers like Cris Tovani and primary teachers such as Debbie Miller write about how they use these little notes in their comprehension work with students. But what adaptions do pre-school and kindergarten teachers need to make in order to use these tools as successfully as teachers who work with older students? . . . more Teacher Study Group: Writing Focus (VIDEO) In this video of a teacher study group, Jennifer Allen leads a group of grades 3-5 teachers as they launch their monthly meeting in October. Jen follows her own guidelines for launching a successful study group... . . . more Launching Literature Circles: Coaching, Collaborating and Reflecting (VIDEO) In this eight-minute video, literacy specialist Jennifer Allen and fourth-grade teacher Carolyn Bridges launch literature circles for the first time in Carolyn's fourth-grade classroom. Jessica, a new teacher, observes in preparation for launching literature circles with her own students. Jessica uses an observation form designed by Jennifer. . . . more Webbing to Learn: A Writing Strategy to Chart Thinking with Young Learners(VIDEO) Teachers and teacher educators used to think that a web structure was too advanced for our youngest school learners, and reserved this work for more academically experienced students. A couple of years ago, we decided to see what would happen when primary grade students are invited to use webs to document their new understanding of texts. What we discovered was that webs can play a crucial role in comprehension work even with five- and six-year-olds... . . . more The Sisters Redesign a New Teacher's Storage Area (VIDEO) The Sisters help a new teacher, Amy, sort through junk she inherited from previous occupants of her classroom. They use the "piles" method to sort through materials, separating books and supplies into four stacks. The video uses time-lapse technology to show an amazing transformation in six minutes flat... . . . more Spacing Words: A Mini-Lesson with Young Writers (VIDEO) In this two-minute video, Andie Cunningham reinforces the concept of spacing words with her kindergartners using her own writing and a brainstorming web. . . . more Every Language Counts: Adding Multilingual Counting Activities to Morning Meeting (VIDEO) Every year I have children who come from homes with many different first languages. In the past year alone, first languages included English, Spanish, Hmong, Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Russian. One way I help welcome these different languages and cultures into our classroom community is by counting in different languages during the morning meeting. . . . more Writing by Choice: High School English Language Learners Talk about Writing at Home (VIDEO) In this series of interview excerpts, high school English language learners talk with Ruth Shagoury about when they choose to write at home - what inspires them, when and why they choose between English and their native languages, and what the purpose of writing by choice is for them. . . . more Writing about a War-Torn Home: Zerina Talks about Finding Her Writer's Voice In this interview with Ruth Shagoury, Zerina talks about how she has grown and changed as a writer in her high school writer's workshop. She also talks about the experience of capturing in writing the most poignant memories of war in her homeland, Bosnia, and sharing her poetry with classmates. . . . more Conferring with Anna (VIDEO) 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 Write from the Start: Conferring with Young English Language Learners [DVD Workshop Kit] How can a teacher confer with a child who speaks a different language? How can teachers confer with many children speaking many different languages, all in the same classroom? . . . more