Good news! The "Reading Wars" are over - or at least they are at Choice Literacy. We'd prefer to teach rather than fight, so we've filled this department with loads of suggestions, tools, and tips for using engaging books throughout the curriculum to hook kids on reading. Think of us as the Switzerland of reading resources - a neutral zone with innovative ideas for inspiring readers of all ages. To get started, click on any of our latest articles below.

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 If You Like Captain Underpants: Related Books for Students (BOOKLIST) I have found that there is often one book that hooks a child on reading. Children may know how to read other books, they read other books...but they aren't hooked. Then they read a book or series that they fall in love with and they can't stop reading! It is what we hope will happen for all of our students. I always feel extra lucky when kids have fallen in love with a book in a series. I know that when this happens, they are likely to read all of the books in the series without stopping, and they are set for awhile in their reading lives. . . . more Books We Love: Building a Reading Community As the year comes to an end it feels natural to celebrate the books we've loved. In previous years, I have invited my students to list their most favorite books on a form. They fill the page pretty easily just writing down names of titles that were on the shelf that day or ones that I had recently read. It started to bother me that this "list" turned out feeling like a worksheet they just wanted to finish. This year I tried some new strategies that I felt would help my readers spend time with the books they have loved and think about why they loved these books. . . . 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 Novels in Verse (BOOKLIST) This year several of my students got hooked on novels in verse. A novel in verse is a short novel that is told in a series of poems or verses. The books have become popular quite quickly - I have students who have read every novel in verse that is available in the classroom. . . . more Getting the Most Out of New Picture Books Most of the books I read aloud to my students are books that I know they will pick up and want to read on their own. I often feel like a book salesperson - finding, marketing and selling books I know will fit their reading needs. The Pigeon books are an easy sell because the author uses about 10 words or less on each page, focuses on repetition and high frequency words, and sprinkles humor throughout. Willems also incorporates various types of punctuation in his books (which is great for fluency practice). These characteristics allow younger readers to have success reading and rereading something other than a guided reading book independently. . . . more Reflections on Our Year of Read Aloud (BOOKLIST) Read aloud is a key time in reading workshop with my grades 3 and 4 students. We all sit in a circle on the floor, coming together as a community to share a book. Since each book takes approximately a month to read, I have to choose wisely. I have to know my students well, and choose books that will help move us forward as readers. . . . more Going from the Known to the Unknown: Vacation Reflections on Fluency Then while sitting by the pool it dawned on me. I know and preach the good word all of the time that reading is all about making meaning. Reading is all about going from the known to the unknown, using strategies to figure out new, unfamiliar words, using the context and visual clues to help make meaning. But it has been a long time since I was in a situation where I truly had to use all of those strategies so diligently. . . . more Books to Get Us Ready for Summer Vacation When spring finally arrives, I am always excited to find books that make the transition to summer seem so much quicker for my students and me. This year, I have found some great books to help me lose myself in the world of summer. These books are in a variety of genres that are great to read all year, but they are a special treat when summer is just around the corner. . . . more Kindergarten Literacy (RESOURCE ROUND-UP) We've gathered together a number of resources published over the last two years at the site that can help kindergarten teachers develop their literacy curriculum. . . . more If Boot Camp Was Standards-Based As I move into my fourth month of fitness boot camp, I can't help but reflect on my time there so far. The initial shock to my body is past, and I now find getting up at 4:45 every morning a bit less daunting. . . . more Swimming and Learning The other day while I was swimming laps, I started thinking about Franki's boot camp article. Her experience at boot camp gave her new insight into her teaching of struggling readers. What could my mile swim reveal to me about my teaching? . . . more 1st Grade Room Tour (VIDEO) In this video tour of her 1st grade classroom, Katie DiCesare highlights the many areas of the room used to support literacy, including wall displays. . . . more Getting Started with Sentence Observations If you watched the recent video clip posted on Choice Literacy of a sentence observation in my classroom, you may have noted the sophisticated language and discussion strategies of the students. My students did not start the year with nearly that level of complexity in their language and attention to detail Getting to that point has been a year-long work in progress. In this article, I'll chronicle how we reached the point by mid-winter where students are comfortable and adept at analyzing the structure, vocabulary, and writer's craft in model sentences. . . . more Teaching Economics with Children's Literature When I began teaching, I taught my first seven years at an alternative public school. A focus for our school was to use children's literature across the curriculum to help foster integration. We had no textbooks, and found children's literature was filled with all the language, images, and content we needed for teaching reading and writing. . . . more Rethinking a Study of Nonfiction Writing I have always done a study of nonfiction as part of our year in writing workshop. This study of nonfiction writing seems critical for students in the upper elementary grades, because we know that they will need good nonfiction writing skills throughout their schooling and lives. In our district, writing literary nonfiction is a focus unit for our fourth graders . . . 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 Letters in the Middle School Classroom After I had moved Marissa to a new seat in the classroom for the third day in a row, she finally stopped talking during my mini-lesson, and I saw her bent over her binder scribbling something furiously. The rest of the class was working on writing, and I tried to casually wander over to her. The words "third period is GAY" glared out at me. I sat beside her and attempted to talk, and ended up with a muttered apology regarding her offensive language. However, I realized we weren't making much progress, in part because I could tell we were both still seething. The bell rang soon after, and I spent the rest of the day telling myself I was the Worst Teacher Ever. . . . more Letters in the Middle School Classroom I began my first year of teaching at a middle school this year. However, although I was trained in a program that focused on secondary education, it was the words of a first-grade teacher that kept ringing in my head during the first month of school. . . . 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 Assessing Spelling in Writing Workshop Part 3: Embedding Instruction I recently came up with a form that would help me record information about my students and how they are spelling high frequency words, sounds and patterns in words. This form has helped me discover patterns I am noticing in individuals, groups of students, and my class as a whole. In this third part of my series on using this new assessment form, I'll explain how I am using the information I have gathered about my students to help me plan for instruction. My goal is to embed spelling instruction and address specific spelling confusions students have within reading and writing workshop routines already in place in my classroom. . . . more Forming Teams to Help Struggling Readers: A Pilot Project (TEMPLATES) For a teacher, a struggling learner makes you feel like you are planning a solo assault on Mt. Everest. Working with at-risk students is layered with complicated challenges that are beyond our control. Watching a child who is unsuccessful year after year leaves you pausing like a climber clinging to the side of a boulder questioning every move and hand hold. This child consumes your professional conversations with your closest colleagues. We all know the scenario as you pass one another in the hall: "How is ___ doing? What are you thinking about as you watch him read?" . . . 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 Teaching Themes Through Keywords I have a friend who is a whiz at online dating. It turns out, you can go to these various websites and put in a 'keyword' and out pops Romeo! So if you love to read, you type in the word read or books and a catalog of men who actually claim to read pops up. Interesting. . . . 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 Middle School Readers at Mid-Year (SURVEY TEMPLATE) It is like clockwork that at this point in the school year I start to have a mid-year crisis of sorts. I freak out. I think about how much time has gone by and how much more my kids need to learn. I start to think of all the instructional time I have wasted and really start to wonder "have my students learned anything at all this year?!" This year, as I was contemplating what has been taught, and where to take my reading instruction, what I was really wondering is what my students have gained so far this year. Are they more competent readers? Do they know what strategies to use when they get stuck? Are they taking anything away from the lessons I teach? And most importantly, do they enjoy reading more? I was feeling unsure. . . . 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 Beyond Matt Christopher (BOOKLIST) Thank goodness for Matt Christopher! I can't imagine how many boys are avid readers because of his books. Every year, I have readers, mostly boys, who become obsessed with reading the great sports novels by this author. Over the last several years, I have tried to find books by other authors that these same readers could enjoy--books to stretch their lives as readers, building on their love of sports reading. I have watched these readers over the years, and eventually, they decide to move on from Matt Christopher. But they never give up Matt Christopher completely. Instead, they read sports books in other genres and by other authors, always going back to a Matt Christoper title now and then. . . . more The Draw-a-Reader Test: Informal Assessment Supporting Teacher Inquiry With the help of preservice teachers working in a professional development partnership at the local school, we devoted five thirty-minute sessions to collect Draw a Reader Test data. Third graders were asked to "draw a picture of a reader reading" on one side of a piece of paper. On the other side, we asked them to write a brief explanation of their drawings, and to indicate their name, age and gender. In total, drawings and explanations from sixty-two students in four third-grade classrooms were collected and analyzed. . . . 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 Teaching Economics Through Children's Literature When I began teaching, I taught my first seven years at an alternative public school. A focus for our school was to use children's literature across the curriculum to help foster integration. We had no textbooks, and found children's literature was filled with all the language, images, and content we needed for teaching reading and writing. . . . more Fitness Boot Camp Helps Me Understand Struggling Readers Reflecting on the first week of fitness boot camp, I am realizing some things about how and when reading workshop works for all students--especially for those who struggle. I have been more patient with some of my students' behaviors during this time as I reflect on my own feelings and behaviors in the midst of boot camp. Here is what I've learned that I hope impacts the way I teach my own students. . . . more Technological Innovations in Books: Good or Bad Idea? "I found the perfect Christmas present for Mom," said my son's voice from the cell phone. My daughter immediately got up and took the cell phone into another room. But not before I heard him say, "It is a way for her to take 200 books with her wherever she goes. It's called a Kindle." Take 200 books with me wherever I go? Why would I ever want to carry around so many books? What could it possibly be -- some kind of monster suitcase on wheels? . . . 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 Strong Girls (BOOKLIST) I have become more committed to finding good books for my boys over the last few years. So much has been written about the crisis in boys and literacy that I want to make sure that I have books that will hook them as readers. I have found great resources such as Jon Scieszka's website www.guysread.com. But, with the focus on boys and literacy, I do not want to forget the girls in my classroom. Not only do I want to have good books for them to read, I want to make sure they have lots of girls to read about who are strong female characters. . . . more Reflecting on the First Six Weeks of Word Study Going into word study with a different plan is always a little scary. With the first six weeks of school finished, it feels like it is time to see where we've been and what I've learned. This year, I am working hard to make sure that my word study work makes a difference. Rather than going through the motions of studying patterns, sorting words, etc. I am making sure that every lesson connects in some way to students' reading and writing. And I want them to know that too. . . . more Learning with Intensity - A Study Group Discussion Prompt "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 Nonfiction Books for Independent Reading: Moving Beyond Content Connections (BOOKLIST) I realized years ago that my 4th and 5th grade students were not choosing nonfiction for their independent reading time. When we discussed this as a class, the kids were honest. They had found many great novels to enjoy and they were hooked. They didn't want to give up reading the fiction that they had come to love in order to read nonfiction. This made a lot of sense to me. When I think about my own reading, I make time for nonfiction reading, but it never gets in the way of my fiction reading. I set aside separate times for each. . . . more Picture Books About Books: Young Learners and Reading Identity In the first few weeks of school, I am attempting to understand a whole new class as individual readers (yikes!). I am trying to discover where, when, why, and what they like to read. Even more importantly, I want them to begin to think about and recognize their interests, wants, and desires as readers. . . . more Rethinking Word Study: The Sentence Study Routine As I continue to think about expanding my word study program to include a broader perspective of how we use words--beyond just spelling--I've realized I've never taken it a step further to think about how authors craft sentences or phrases. We have looked at some things closely---ways that metaphors help us understand what the author is trying to convey, or how strong verbs help us visualize what is happening. But, we have not really dug in to see how authors craft these amazing sentences as a daily part of our work as writers. . . . more Bookroom Tours Part II (VIDEO) In this three-minute video, The Sisters (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) continue their tours of school bookrooms. The focus in this presentation is on the checkout system used to keep track of where sets of books are in different classrooms. . . . 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 Rethinking Centers I hope this article makes you think, but that doesn't mean you'll discover you need to change your centers program. As a teacher, I make decisions about my classroom, yet kids are the classroom. This space may be assigned to me, but it is their thinking, questioning, and inquiring that keeps our classroom alive. Implementing reading and writing workshop has allowed my students to have more of a voice in our classroom. While it's led me away from centers, it may lead you to use them in thoughtful, interesting ways. . . . more A Strategy Lesson for "Drive-Thru" Readers During the first week of school, I sat down with a student who had a reputation of abandoning books. A reputation, I might add, that she was proud to have. On Meet the Teacher Day, she introduced herself and told me, "I've made it through third grade without finishing a book. I bet I won't read one in fourth either." If that's not a challenge, I don't know what is. It was like she was daring me to try and make her read. I simply said, "I didn't read an entire book until I was 21. I know all the tricks of the trade. And I think it's the saddest part of my life having missed out on books for so long. I hope that doesn't happen to you." . . . more The Books We Can't Live Without in Our Teaching: Resource Round-Up I thought about all the young teachers out there, and those of us who aren't so young. How easy it is to have gaps in our reading of professional books. Think of how busy you were in your first year or two of teaching - how much time did you have to devour new professional books? It would be strange for anyone not to have a few lean years in their professional reading - those early years of teaching, raising families, and just figuring out the culture of a school community are packed. . . . more From Cross Checking and Retelling to Main Ideas: Helping Advanced Readers Develop Skills (VIDEO) In this five-minute video, Gail Boushey confers with Amanda, a second grade student reading at a 4th grade level early in the school year. In the conference, Gail helps Amanda set a goal of reading more extensive sections of text, and pausing at the end of chapters to construct a simple explanation of the main idea of the chapter. . . . more Helping Students Find Their Own Mentor Texts Recently, I have realized that I have too much control over the mentor texts we study in the classroom. I have built a stack of the best of children's literature, taught my students to read like writers, to analyze great writing and to try new things in their own writing. There is no doubt that quality literature makes a difference in children's writing lives. But, I realize that I usually choose the lessons. I often choose the texts that we will learn from as a class. This coming school year, I am hoping to take the idea of mentor texts one step further. . . . more Easing into Fall Literacy Coaching: Exploring Quotes on Reading Comprehension 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 The Difference Between Conferring and "Touching Base" Sometimes when I talk with teachers about creating "the luscious feeling of endless time," they look at me like I've lost my mind. They tell me they love the idea, but with all they have to teach and all their kids need to learn, "There's no way," they say. Luscious feeling? Endless time? Come on girlfriend, get real!" . . . more Teaching About Words, Grammar, and Mechanics Through Children's Literature (BOOKLIST) When I think about my students as word learners, I want them to be more than just good spellers. I think that this year, many of my daily word study lessons will focus on grammar and mechanics. The challenge for me is fitting grammar and mechanics into my fifteen minute word study block. What better way to do this than to look at how authors put words together in their writing? After all, grammar and mechanics are all about how words work together. . . . more Read Alouds for the First Day of School I ran into Janine at the bookstore last week. She said that she was looking for a new book to read aloud on the first day of school. Janine has been a primary grade teacher for about ten years now. She sheepishly admitted that she usually just grabs one of those back-to-school books featuring a familiar book character. I started to think that if I were still teaching first grade, I'd probably still be starting each year with the very same books, just as Janine had been doing. What's new out there for the first day of school read aloud? What are other teachers reading? Do they use the same book every year, or do they switch books from one year to the next? . . . more A Library from Scratch: A New Teacher's Tale A few weeks ago, I saw the walls of my new classroom. And by walls, I mean that quite literally. There are only walls to see: thick concrete, with a hole in the center that looked out onto a wide suburban street. The middle school I will begin work at this fall has experienced an enormous growth in population, and so many new classrooms are being built. My new classroom will match me: a new teacher. . . . more Activities Linking Books and Visual Learners for Early in the Year I can't wait for the first day of school, but I also dread the first day of school. I dread it because my own sons, Isaiah and Kadeem, are not card-carrying members of the school literacy club. I imagine our conversations that first week of school. I will ask about school. My boys, the same kids who have read books, magazines, the newspaper, catalogues, and articles on the internet, and have chattered excitedly about basketball games and Madden 2007 tournaments and sleep overs all summer, will give me descriptive one word responses like ok, good, and fine. When I ask what they did, they will respond, "Nothing." . . . more My Summer Book Bag: New Books that Invite Conversations with Colleagues Many teachers love to catch up on their reading during the summer months. With the extra time, it is nice to catch up on our own personal reading and to find new books that we might use with our students once the school year begins. One of the things I love to do to support teachers is to share new books with them. Last year, during the first month of school I invited teachers to my office to see the new books I had added to my collection over the summer. We had donuts and coffee and the new books were displayed around the room. . . . more Releasing Responsibility There are lots of ways to release responsibility to children and move them forward. I want to notice and name some of the supports in place in classrooms that encourage and guide children toward independence. . . . more Summer Reading for Teachers I was intrigued by Franki Sibberson's idea for summer reading. Instead of giving her students a required summer reading list, she invites them to work on a "written plan for summer reading." Ideas for the plan come from sources such as peer recommendations, favorite series, and favorite authors. I think we, as reading teachers, can apply Franki's idea to our own summer reading. . . . 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 Chance Encounter It was supposed to be a casual and quick lunch with a couple of colleagues I worked with when I taught in a middle school some years ago. It turned into an experience that will stay with me every day of the rest of my life. . . . more Playing with Word Work: Inviting Students to See Playful Language in Books (BOOKLIST) Over the years, I have learned that for children to really be attentive to word meanings and spelling patterns, they first need to see the fun in words and language. I often get so caught up in the "skill lesson" I am trying to teach or the fact that I want kids to understand a particular word that I don't show them how much fun words can be. I can be in such a hurry to get through the spelling and vocabulary goals of the curriculum that kids jump through my hoops without being fascinated by words and language. . . . 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 Organizing Book Bins: Letting Kids Help and Plan I happily spend my days with first graders . . . I love to guide them as they discover, read, and tell stories. I am curious about kids. What does reading look like in the classroom? What motivates kids to read? What kinds of books support kids learning to read? I feel an overwhelming responsibility to meet the needs of first grade readers. I want them to have success reading words, understanding their reading, and linking it to their lives. But most of all, I want them to love reading. Here are some of the ways I organize books, and have my students help me organize books, in order to promote that love of reading. . . . 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 Noticing Interesting Words: Small-Group Vocabulary Lesson (VIDEO) In this five-minute video, Gail Boushey (of "The Sisters") leads a short small-group lesson on vocabulary. In the debrief following the lesson, Gail talks with Joan Moser about vocabulary instruction, and the importance of fostering independence in students when it comes to noticing and learning new words. . . . 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 Building the Reading Community Among Teachers The starting point for teaching reading is always our own lives as readers - tuning in to our processes as proficient readers, and then tapping that knowledge to help the children in our care develop new skills and strategies. One of the most important things I strive to do as a literacy coach is build self-awareness in my colleagues of their reading. . . . more Worth a Thousand Words: Teaching with Wordless Picture Books On January 20, 2007, The American Library Association announced the awards for the most distinguished books of 2006 for children and young adults. We celebrated in our coaches' meeting by giving each coach a copy of the Caldecott award winning book Flotsam by David Wiesner. This was David Wiesner's third Caldecott award, the second for a wordless picture book. After the ooh-ing and ah-ing, the literacy coaches immediately began talking about how they planned to use the book. . . . 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 Introducing Bull's-Eyes and Waves Written Responses in Synthesis Work (VIDEO with TEMPLATES) My students find different ways to communicate their synthesis, but we found we needed a substantial way to hold on to our knowing and in some cases, further unpack and give definition to it. To help all of us create placeholders for what we know, and to offer my students appropriate tools for explaining what connections they are making, we use two tools, the bull's-eye and waves sheets, both created on 18" by 24" manila or white construction paper. . . . more Multicultural Picture Books for Young Children 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 Reading Workshop for Teachers: Understanding Our Own Learning (VIDEO) In this four-minute video from a monthly study group meeting of new teachers, Jennifer Allen and Leslie Lloyd take the group through a book preview and reading activity as part of the workshop. The discussion after the activity highlights the importance of becoming aware of our own processes as readers in order to understand the literacy of students. . . . more Giving New Readers a Diet of More Than Leveled Books I am going on another diet. Not one of my favorite things, but something I have to do. I know that for the diet to last through all of the weight I need to lose, I need a little variety. I can't eat lettuce, grilled chicken and oatmeal for months at a time. When I have gone on diets without variety, I have always ended up deciding that I'd rather just be a little plump. It isn't really worth it. I am wondering if this is the same thing that our youngest readers feel when they are given only a diet of leveled books. I wonder if after months and months of leveled books as their only independent reading material, they feel as we chronic dieters do. Do they watch other students in the room reading "real books" in the same way that we watch size 5 colleagues in the lounge eating brownies? Do they think maybe they'd just rather not be readers? . . . more Noticing Words to Expand Vocabulary: Conferring with Mariah (VIDEO) In this conference with six-year-old Mariah, Joan Moser of "The Sisters" has chosen to focus on expanding vocabulary. Joan uses the charts in the classroom linked to read-alouds to anchor Mariah's learning to shared reading experiences. After the conference Joan talks with Gail Boushey about strategies for vocabulary instruction with young children. . . . more A Different Take on Reading Centers: An Interview with Kathy Collins (AUDIO) I caught up with Kathy on a bitterly cold winter day, phoning thousands of miles to reach her in the wee hours of the morning at her home in Alaska from my home in Maine. Within minutes, we were deep into a conversation about reading centers and the challenge of making reading more relevant for kids in schools. Kathy splits her time between her family, consulting across the country, and regular treks to local schools to observe, learn from, and chat with kids and teachers. Most of the conversation was about her new book on reading centers. I think it is going to be just as influential as Growing Readers, her bestselling book on reading units of study. It will certainly change the way many of us think about how to structure and support independent work in reading centers. . . . more Open Book Clubs Open Book Clubs extend an invitation to read and discuss a featured book to all students at the appropriate grade levels for the book. A teacher selects the book and date for the discussion. The librarian gives a book talk on the featured book to each of the appropriate classes during its regularly scheduled library period. She then puts the book on display in the school library along with a sign-up sheet on a clipboard. Students may sign up to read and discuss the book. Open Book Club discussions are limited to at most eight students; if a book attracts a larger audience than this, additional book club discussion sessions are scheduled. The list of interested students is divided into groups (usually by grade level), and each group is notified if its discussion date is now different from the date on the original sign-up sheet. . . . more What Are Reading Centers? When I imagine musical friends getting together in a garage somewhere, I picture them playing for each other the new lick or groove or joint (or whatever the musical jargon is at this point) they've been working on. Then, as they all join in, I imagine that through their improvisation, the original little groove is adjusted, revised, and altered and moved in new directions. The whole process is energetic and joyful, and there is a feeling among the musicians that they are making something important and new. Reading centers are a sort of reading jam, in many ways. Readers get together with books of interest, and they read, then stop and talk back and forth to share ideas. . . . 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 Books That Touch the Heart The literacy coaches began talking all at once about the books that always make them cry. So I began making a list. The list contains "all of the usual suspects" and some surprising choices. The coaches all agreed that they were going to go into classrooms the following week and model that it is okay to cry while reading aloud to a class. Here is our list of tearjerkers. Get an extra box of tissue and enjoy... . . . more Two or Three Things I Know for Sure: A Teacher Workshop Activity The title of this teacher workshop activity comes from Dorothy Alison's memoir Two or Three Things I Know for Sure, and the quote from Alison about her Aunt Dot that inspired the title: "Lord, girl, there's only two or three things I know for sure." She put her head back, grinned, and made a small impatient noise. Her eyes glittered as bright as a sun reflecting off the scales of a cottonmouth's back. She spat once and shrugged. "Only two or three things. That's right," she said. "Of course it's never the same things, and I'm never as sure as I'd like to be." . . . 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 The Stories Inside Us: Reflections on Reading and Teaching Bookstores make me anxious. It's a good anxiety, but it is anxiety nevertheless. I see all the books I want to read seeking me out from the shelves. Some I've wanted to read for a long time, others catch my eye for the first time as I walk by: a creative title, a favorite author, a recollection from a bibliography, a recognition of a book that could be just the one for me, or someone I know, right now. They're all siren songs calling to me, to reach out, to buy, to read when I should be grading... . . . more Poetry Friday! Poetry Books That Are Fun to Read Aloud Early in my career, I taught at a school that had doughnuts and coffee for teachers each Friday in the teachers' lounge. It was a great way to start our Fridays--chatting with colleagues in a relaxed setting. I learned how important these traditions are when setting the stage for positive interactions. I thought that something like this would be great to do with children. Didn't they deserve a relaxing, talk-filled Friday morning too? . . . more The CYBILS: A New Award Program for Children's Books and Young Adult Literature There is a world on the web where lovers of children's literature blog and chat about books. It has recently been named the "Kidlitosphere" and the group is growing. This fall, a few of the bloggers decided to create the CYBILS - Children's and YA Bloggers' Literary Awards. These awards are given to children's books in various categories, nominated by readers of blogs, and judged by the blogging communities... . . . more The Read-Around: Raising Writers The read-around is also the place we share our lives. As students listen to each other's stories they try to feel what it's like to be in someone else's skin. While the read-around provides the writing text and it helps us share crucial stories from our lives, it can also miss some important teachable moments. For this reason, my colleague Bill Bigelow and I developed what we called the "collective text," so we could step back from the writing and figure out what our individual stories said about ourselves and our society. . . . 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 Ways in with African-American Students: An Interview with Linda Christensen (AUDIO) Linda Christensen is one of my literacy heroes - a wonderful writer and thinker who has spent her entire teaching career working in inner-city high schools, writing about her experiences with honesty, humor, and grit. She is unflinching in presenting the realities of public schools, and the gaps between policies and needs. Her work with the Rethinking Schools organization has given voice to teachers, students, and policy-makers who are positive activists for better schools. . . . 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 Comprehending Graphic Novels: A Primer for Teachers Graphic novels are book-length works of sequential art. Calling them graphic novels would seem to indicate that their storylines are always fiction. This could not be further from the truth, as I've come to realize. In recent months, I've read graphic fiction, graphic memoir, graphic documentary, graphic nonfiction, graphic fairy tales, and graphic mythology. I've also dipped my toe into Manga, or Japanese-style comics/graphic novels... . . . more Alphabet Books for English Language Learners 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 New Year Reflections on the Classroom Library This past August, Aimee Buckner and Franki Sibberson exchanged a series of letters as they set up their classroom libraries, chatting about how to create inviting spaces for intermediate readers (even when there is never enough space in classrooms for all the books!). This week, they reflect upon what has worked and what is still a puzzle after months of using the libraries with students... . . . more CAFE and Small Groups: Moving from Guided Reading to Flexible Grouping (AUDIO) In this second part of an interview introducing the CAFE Assessment system, The Sisters (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) talk about about the system has moved them away from guided reading to a more flexible model for small-group instruction. . . . more The CAFE Assessment System: Helping Young Children Set Literacy Goals (AUDIO) "CAFE" is an acronym for Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expanding Vocabulary. Students work with their teacher during one-on-one conferences to set goals according to their individual strengths and needs, charting these goals with the whole class on a master chart. Teachers then refer to the goals in subsequent conferences, also using them to target small-group instruction and design whole class lessons. . . . more Gifts for Friends Who are Readers I have become one of those aunts that give books as gifts. I love the books that I choose for the children of friends and relatives. I find many excuses to buy books for the children in my life. But I just recently decided to add my adult friends to my book shopping list at holiday time. My friends are all busy people. They make time to read, but I know that if I give them a book that I've read and loved, they will feel obligated to read it. I am giving them an excuse to give themselves time to read a really good book. What better gift is there than that? . . . more Mapping as a Way into Story The mapping exercise asks each student to diagram a place where he/she has spent a lot of time. I encourage them to envision their bedrooms, classrooms, homes, schools, summer camps, parks, sports facilities, churches, theaters, and neighborhoods, and to draw the setting they feel most connected to... . . . more Helping Young Readers Understand the Middle East: A Booklist of the Best Fiction Picture Books 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