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.

Web 2.0 Tools for the Classroom Tony Keefer I have always been a little bit of a "tech geek". Not the "I-can-hack-into-my-school-district's-payroll-department-and-give-myself-a-raise" type of techie, but I do have a love affair with gadgets and computers. Because of this, I'm trying to increase the use of technology in my classroom. This journey started with trying to teach my kids how to use software tools like Comic Life, Keynote and Pages as well as bookmarking hundreds of websites that enrich the curriculum we explore. . . . more The Literacy Committee: Full Speed Ahead! (Building a Reading Culture Series) Ellen McEvoy We're dropping reading as a fundraiser and came up with a plan that we hope will give each kid more of a stake in participation. We're instituting a book swap to get free books into the hands of every student. We hope most classes will "deck the halls" for literacy. We'll end with an evening program for families. The reading challenge and the book swap are closely connected; I'll start with the swap. . . . more Biographies Off the Beaten Path Franki Sibberson We had a set of biographies in our elementary school library when I was a child. I can still remember exactly where they were on the shelves. I read several of them throughout my elementary years. Some I read and forgot about, but others have stayed with me. I don't think I liked these books because of the individual stories. Instead, I loved the idea of learning about people's lives - getting to know them from history and the struggles they went through. . . . more Are You Scaffolding or Rescuing? Terry Thompson Do you remember where you were when you first saw the (now familiar) scaffolding diagram? Oh, come on. You know the one. The long rectangle with a diagonal line stretching from the top right corner to the bottom left dividing it in two? . . . more Schema and YouTube in a Middle School Reading Workshop Ruth Shagoury and Katie Doherty Listening to twelve- and thirteen-year-olds talk about life outside school is an education in itself for us each morning. Now it's time to transition to class, turning their attention to reading and books, instead of video games and popular culture. But why not use their interests as a bridge to comprehension? . . . more Literacy Learning on Presidents Day (BOOKLIST) Franki Sibberson As someone who is fairly new to the role of librarian, I have been thinking about the holidays that we celebrate throughout the year and the books available to celebrate each one. I am not a big proponent of teaching anything solely because of a holiday - I worry that learning from these isolated lessons gets lost quickly for students. They may hear the same stories every year. Because Presidents Day is coming up, I am trying to expand the ways that I look at the books I can recommend to teachers if they choose to read something for this holiday. . . . more Inventing Words with Wikis: Collaborative and Creative Word Work Kevin Hodgson For young students, understanding the many facets of the English language is like exploring some unknown universe. Ask them about the origins of certain words or where a particular phrase may have come from, and their eyes roll. They inevitably will answer -- if they can muster up an answer -- with a shrug. . . . more Matching Students to Nonfiction Texts in Grades 3-6 (BOOKLIST) Mary Lee Hahn We hear so much about matching students to nonfiction texts based on their needs and interests. Often the lens is very broad ("tweens will like this book") or very narrow, focusing in on individual students with quirky tastes. I have taught 4th grade for many years. I've learned that my teaching becomes more efficient and effective when I consider the types of readers who emerge every year. . . . more Helping Young Readers Become Independent: The "Next-Read" Stack and Peer Groups (VIDEOS) Franki Sibberson I find next-read book stacks to be critical for students in the transitional years of reading. Many young readers are just beginning to read books that take longer than one sitting to complete. The choice becomes overwhelming. I have used Ziploc bags, boxes and other containers to help students be intentional about their next-read stacks. I find when students have a place to stack those books that they want to read in the future, they spend less time wandering around the bookshelves. They begin to live their daily lives as readers, always looking for new books to read in the future. . . . more Designing Comprehension Constructors: Helping Adolescent Learners Develop Reading Strategies (E-GUIDE) Comprehension instruction has value and lasting impact when teachers know how to design lessons, activities, and materials that match the needs of their students. Prefab worksheets or generic activities and routines often won't work, because students, texts, and tasks are always changing. "Comprehension Constructor" is a term coined by Cris Tovani (Stenhouse, 2001) to describe the graphic organizers she uses to assist adolescent readers as they make sense of texts. Cris tailors these organizers to the needs of students as they emerge, linked to specific reading assignments. . . . more Giving Up the Whole-Class Novel Shari Frost Edie stomped into the coach's office lugging a 15-gallon Rubbermaid storage tub. She dumped the contents out onto a table. Out rolled penguin beanie babies, penguin posters, a DVD of The March of the Penguins, some informational books on penguins, penguin stickers, penguin magnets, penguin notepads, and more! She teared up . . . more A Thanksgiving Take on Differentiating Instruction Kathy Collins As I've traveled between conferences and classrooms this fall, I've heard so much buzz around the concept and practice of "differentiation." When I've asked teachers, literacy coaches, and language arts coordinators what differentiation looks like in their schools and districts, we usually discuss a variety of programs that schools have purchased or the myriad ways that children are being scheduled, pulled here and pushed there to receive a dose of differentiated instruction, often from a teacher who is not their own. It all seems so complex and daunting, yet isn't differentiation something we may effortlessly practice in our lives outside the classroom? . . . more Is "Just Right" Still Just Right?: Helping Children Select Appropriate Books Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan We taught together in an elementary classroom for years. One of the most important things we always talked about with students was the concept of "just-right" books. We used the analogy of the three bears, teaching our students that there were three types of books: Too Hard, Too Easy and Just Right. While it made sense to us back then, we are now unsure that this analogy is "just right" as we watch readers from across districts and grade levels. . . . more "This Could Be Our Family": Books for Children with Lesbian and Gay Parents Andie Cunningham My daughter Alysa and her other mother snuggled into the recliner, not saying a word. The only sound I could hear was an occasional page turning. I took this as a hopeful sign. And then: nothing. No sounds. No page turning. No bodies moving in the chair. I walked to their chair, wondering what they thought of the book. Alysa looked up at me and said quietly, "This could be our family." . . . more Conferring to Support Book Selection Skills Volume 2 Number 2 November 14, 2009 Welcome to the latest Teaching Beyond Reading Levels Digest! Conferring with students to help them select books for independent reading is a skill I'm always working on - I doubt it's one any of us can ever truly master. . . . more Book Boxes - Voices from the Classroom Organizing the books that your students are reading independently often presents a challenge for teachers. How can you keep track of what's in the boxes, ensure everyone is making appropriate choices, and have enough of the books your students need on hand? Many teachers use book boxes, book bins or book bags to help their students stay organized for reading times. Sometimes these boxes or bags contain books that are "just-right" for the child to read independently. In other classrooms students use these boxes or bags to think ahead in their reading. We have learned that there is no one right way to manage books for independent reading. There are many ways that work well. We asked four Choice Literacy contributors to share their strategies here for making the best use of book boxes in classrooms, as well as dealing with problems that arise. . . . more Using Student Conferences to Build Book Choice Skills Franki Sibberson I went through a phase last January where I just couldn't find a book that I loved. I started lots of books, but didn't finish any of them. I tried to continue my usual routine of reading at bedtime, but I'd fall asleep. This had never happened to me - I was in a reading rut and I couldn't get out of it. It took a spring break vacation on the beach before I finally found some books that I loved and was able to enjoy my bedtime reading. Those few months of non-reading at night reminded me that these ruts happen for all readers, no matter how ingrained the routines are and how much they cherish reading time. . . . more "If You Like Matt Christopher" Student Book Share (VIDEO) In this video from Franki Sibberson's grades 3-4 classroom, boys share books that are similar to ones written by Matt Christopher. Franki explains how the group came about, as well as the value of these peer-led small groups. . . . more Many Languages, Many Texts: Book Time in Preschool (VIDEO) In this brief video, Melissa Kolb explains "Book Time" in her preschool class. It's a time when many volunteers read books informally to small groups of children in their home languages. . . . more Making Predictions and Finding Evidence in Text (VIDEO) In this video from a fifth-grade small group, Clare Landrigan talks with students about making predictions and finding evidence in text. . . . more Assessment Beyond Levels: The Reading Grid Cathy Mere Assessment systems that work are difficult to find. I've been teaching for just over 20 years now, and I'm quite sure I've tried nearly that many systems for organizing assessment information. I've tried mailing labels, note cards, file folders, and post-its (that was a mess!). I've created charts, templates, grids and checklists. I'm fascinated to see how other teachers collect information in their classrooms, and until a few years ago was always looking for a system that worked for me. I think that's the key: finding a system that works in YOUR classroom. About five years ago I tried to find a system that allowed me to keep individual conference notes over time in one handy place. Using a spiral notebook, I divided the pages so each child had 3-5 pages, and kept notes on reading and writing conferences. . . . more I Need a Hero: Finding a Place for Comics and Graphic Novels in Our Classrooms Terry Thompson Grab your cape and get ready! One of the most interesting developments in recent literacy history has captured our readers - and it's causing quite a stir. In the past few years, a swarm of comic book and graphic novel titles (collectively known as graphica) written for young readers has landed in our libraries, bookstores, and classrooms - and our kids are clamoring to get their hands on them! . . . more What Messages Do We Give Students with Our Classroom Library Design? Franki Sibberson The design of our classroom library gives a message to anyone who walks into our classroom. But most importantly, the way that it is organized gives big messages to our students about the things we value about their reading lives. The students know what is valued when they look at the way that reading materials are organized. . . . more Ready-to-Go Readers' Theater Books Shari Frost Fluency is not all about rate. There are three other components. The component that isn't getting nearly enough attention is prosody - using appropriate tone, pitch, and phrasing to communicate meaning. The preceding definition can be summarized by the old informal phrase, "reading with expression." Prosody is an excellent window into a student's comprehension of text. . . . more Committee of One (Building a Reading Culture Series) Ellen McEvoy This year I am working in the school where I volunteer to build more of a "reading culture." Everyone in our school spends a lot of time on literacy, and I've been impressed with the writing the kids do (with the quantity and variety, at least). Yet it still seemed that something was missing. Most of the kids I talked to were not reading for pleasure; it seemed that "no homework" was interpreted as "no reading" for too many. I thought a parent and teacher committee might be able to help, and suggested that we form one. It's no surprise that I was made chair of the committee! . . . more Character Study in Grades 3-6 Franki Sibberson When I think about my own reading and the favorite books that I remember from different eras of my life, it is the characters that I remember. I remember Betsy, Nancy Drew and Mary Lennox from my elementary years as a reader. . . . more Rethinking Reading Logs with Wikis Shelly Archer very teacher I know spends the end of summer and the first weeks of the school year thinking about their room set-up, curriculum ideas, the classroom community, and changes they want to make from the previous year. . . . more Dear Mrs. T: Moving Students from Summaries to Rich Response Karen Terlecky "Dear Mrs. T" are three of my favorite words in my 5th grade reading workshop. They are the first three words in the reading letters I receive from my students every three weeks. Those words signal to me that a student in my class is getting ready to let me be a part of his or her reading life. . . . more Twitter Me This: Using Cell Phones to Build Literacy Skills and a Reading Community Lisa Koch Although many of us see the phone as a constant source of distraction, others see the phone as yet another way to meet students where they are - to take advantage of students focused 100% on something. When they are least expecting it, the solution may be to teacher time warp. . . . more Great Books to Share When Studying the Ecosystem (BOOKLIST) Karen Terlecky I do understand the reasons why textbooks could be helpful as resources. I just worry that the textbook might become the entire science curriculum. I have tried to come up with alternatives to using the textbook when studying our 5th grade life science unit on ecosystems. . . . more Running and Reading Logs Part II (VIDEO) Clare Landrigan In this second video in a two-part series, Clare Landrigan meets with a group of 4th graders to talk about reading logs and goals. In this excerpt, Clare confers with students over their logs and debriefs with their teacher. . . . more Accurate But Not Quite Fluent: Books for Second-Grade Readers in Transition Katie DiCesare This summer I have had much to think about as I loop with my first graders into second grade. Knowing their taste for books, I have enjoyed finding books about topics that will interest and support them as they transition into reading longer texts. I have also thought about finding new texts that support the second-grade curriculum goals and standards. . . . more Thinking About 5th Grade Read Alouds Karen Terlecky It's that time of year again - the time when I sit down at my diningroom table, surrounding myself with books I have read recently and some old favorites. And then the fun begins -- I start to think about what books would be best to share with my fifth-grade students during read aloud time. . . . more Word Storms: Integrating Nonfiction, Word Study, and Technology (Part 2) Andrea Smith It's a busy Tuesday morning and my classroom is buzzing with the conversations of children. I settle in a chair beside Hirokai, a beginning English language learner, who is still shy about approaching peers for word study conversations and activities. Today, I can tell he would like me to be his partner; we always make eye contact during transitions and I could tell by his "eye message" as he calls a wink, he wanted to work with me. I try to capitalize on our short, but intensive partnerships during word study, taking advantage of our one-to-one time. We trade opportunities; he works on his English speaking skills and I work on learning how ELL students think and learn as they absorb a new language. We never know what we might learn together. . . . more The Importance of Book Clubs for Learners of Any Age Karen Terlecky Just like my adult book club, there are many different styles of reading, preparing, and participating. But the commonality for these students is that they all agreed to finish a book by a certain date, they prepared for a discussion, and they participated in a meaningful conversation about a great book. Their reading lives were enhanced. . . . more Expanding a School's "Reading Culture" Ellen McEvoy I read to the 3rd grade class every Monday, and I've taken to asking them, "who did some reading this weekend?" Usually the response is about 50%. When I asked this after spring break, one boy told me that "We don't have homework during break!" When I pointed out that I never have homework, but I read every day, he seemed to think that I am, at the very least, rather odd. . . . more Rethinking the Study of Nonfiction in the 21st Century (BEYOND GADGETS SERIES) Franki Sibberson Years ago, I attended a workshop in which Regie Routman asked us to list all of the reading that we did over the last week. As we all worked and then reflected, we realized that most of the reading that we did on a day-to-day basis was nonfiction. So much of what was read in the classroom at that time was fiction. The workshop was powerful, and made me realize how much nonfiction reading mattered. . . . more Not Available in a Six-Pack: Books to Place Alongside Leveled Texts for Our Youngest Readers Franki Sibberson Some of my favorite days in teaching have been when a new reader insists on reading a book aloud to me (and everyone they meet that day) because they've discovered, "I can read this book all by myself!" There is nothing like the face of a new reader who happens upon a text that they can read on their own. Often these children have lots of "little books" or leveled books that they can read. But to choose a book that is not one of the leveled books that they've been introduced to by a teacher, and then to discover that they can read it without any support, is definitely a thrill. . . . more Book Basket Idea: Cars and Trucks Katie DiCesare Around this time of year I am anxious to look back at what kids loved to read. I take into account what baskets the students fought over (literally), and the baskets of books that were untouched all year long. This helps me plan what books and baskets I will weed out and which baskets I feel the need to create for the fall. It is one of the happiest parts of my job. . . . more Expanding the Ways We Preview Books (BEYOND GADGETS Series) Franki Sibberson Our 5th graders are moving to middle school. As incoming 6th graders, they are given a summer reading assignment by our district. As I was looking at the 4 books that they are to choose from and thinking about ways to support them in previewing these four choices, I was struck by the ways that the internet has expanded the ways in which we can preview and choose books. It made me realize just how much my book previewing has changed over the last few years. . . . more The Reading Skills We Use When Searching the Internet (BEYOND GADGETS SERIES) Franki Sibberson Our students are often much more technologically savvy than we are. They have grown up with tools that are fairly new to us. They sometimes teach themselves the skills that they need to know. Children who teach themselves to use a handheld game by just "trying stuff out" always amaze me. Our kids are confident users of many kinds of new technology. However, I have found that even though our students know how to use several tools and how to navigate the web, actually using websites for in-depth research is a bit more difficult for them. . . . more Author Studies and Visits (CHOICE LITERACY CLUSTER) This cluster is designed to help teachers think through the ways that author studies and visits can support literacy learning. . . . more Build Your Summer Reading List (Part 2) We asked some of our favorite literacy experts which books they are recommending to friends, to give us a running start on our summer reading lists. Who better to ask about great books? There is something on the list for everyone. We are running this series all month, with recommendations from over 20 of your favorite authors. You can access the first installment in the series through the link at the bottom of the page. . . . more Planning to Teach with Mentor Texts: Two Examples Karen Terlecky Much has been written in recent years about how teachers should find a couple of good mentor texts that they love, and just use them repeatedly, for a variety of purposes. I've always been a teacher who reads a lot of different picture books to my students, each for a different reason. . . . more Great New Nonfiction for Elementary Students Franki Sibberson When I scan the nonfiction shelves of our school library, I notice the quality of nonfiction books for children is so much better than it was years ago. Looking at some of the older titles in the library, I see encyclopedia-type text with not-so-engaging visuals. I am so happy that nonfiction has gotten so much better in the recent past. Now our children have so many great nonfiction books to choose from. Current nonfiction is written in ways that engage children. The visuals are diverse and authentic, and the topics are subjects that are interesting for a variety of reasons. . . . more Ecstatic: When Words Shape Thinking Carol Wilcox I'm trying, as best as I can, to get my struggling, intermediate grade readers ready for state examinations without taking too much time away from actual, authentic reading and writing instruction. All year long, we have been working on strategies that make kids better readers and also better test takers, e.g. identifying main idea, summarizing, thinking about text structure, determining importance, visualizing, and inferring, except we mostly do them in the context of real reading and writing. . . . more Vocabrity: Fun with Words for Middle School Students Katie Doherty As I was watching my 90-year-old grandfather attempt to bend over and make a bridge with his body (Beau Bridges was the celebrity), I realized that this would be a great game to play with my sixth-grade students using our vocabulary words. I tried it out a few weeks later . . . more Teaching Skills in Context (CHOICE LITERACY CLUSTER) This cluster is designed to help teachers think through how to teach skills and strategies in the context of authentic reading and writing tasks. . . . more Fluency Development in the Primary Grades (CHOICE LITERACY CLUSTER) This cluster explores ways to help students develop reading fluency in grades K-3. . . . more Learning from Our Reading Lives (CHOICE LITERACY CLUSTER) The purpose of this cluster is for teachers to reflect on their own reading and learning so that they can use their experiences in their teaching. . . . more Teaching Inferring Strategies (CHOICE LITERACY CLUSTER) The purpose of this cluster is to help teachers develop strategies for teaching inferring skills to students. . . . more The Power of Rereading (CHOICE LITERACY CLUSTER) This cluster is designed to support teachers in using rereading for a variety of reasons to support student growth in literacy. . . . more Towards Thoughtful Strategy Instruction Shari Frost I think it's about to happen again. Education is famous for wide swings of the pendulum. From code emphasis to meaning emphasis, from whole class to small group… and then back again. The "experts" find "the true answer" or begin to express doubt about or criticism of a widely accepted practice. Before you know it, everyone has jumped on the bandwagon. It's the lead article in all of the professional journals. It's the keynote address at conferences. Publishers rush to get out new materials. School districts scramble to write new curricula. Educational consultants offer new workshops. Teachers struggle to change their instructional practices. . . . more How Do We Talk with Parents About What It Means to Be Challenged in Reading? Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan When we meet with the parents of young advanced readers, we begin by using data to show just how much their student knows as a reader. We want the parents to know that we have spent time learning about their child and that we recognize their child's particular strengths . . . 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 Challenging Advanced Young Readers: Harder Texts Aren't Always the Answer Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan As we work with primary grade teachers during reader's workshop, many ask us how to challenge the advanced readers in their classrooms. These young students learn to read quickly and quite naturally -- in fact many were reading before they entered kindergarten. Teachers sometimes find themselves struggling to challenge these students in a developmentally appropriate manner. How do we facilitate these students' continued development as readers while concurrently allowing them to embrace the joys of being 5 and 6 year olds? . . . more Where Am I?: The Power of Wordless Photo Books for Preschoolers Melissa Kolb With pre-kindergarten learners, it is essential to help them see the connections between themselves and the experiences we structure for them. To help with this, we often photograph our children during experiences like field trips to a local park, visits from librarians or dance specialists, or visits from our local Zoo. Seeing photos of themselves and their classmates engaged in these experiences provides a springboard for recall and discussion, promoting social emotional growth, as well as language development. . . . more Expedition Mondays: Launching the Week with Nonfiction Andrea Smith Expedition Monday is our weekly journey in search of nonfiction resources. As a class we share a definite objective: we want to discover and celebrate nonfiction resources that could make a difference in our thinking. As 21st century learners, both digital immigrants (me) and digital natives (the kids), we enjoy exploring the media ecosystem that surrounds and shapes our learning lives . . . more Picture Books for Shared Reading Katie DiCesare This year I moved to a newer school which is still accumulating resources. I have been challenged to beg, borrow and . . . well I haven't had to steal (but I've been tempted) Big Books. My colleagues have been very generous sharing their resources, but kids need to have books used in shared reading available to them every day, all year long. Without the Big Books I am used to, I have been forced to find alternatives. . . . more Hail to the Chief: Children's Books for Presidents Day Shari Frost Many Chicago literacy coaches are still on a post-inaugural high, and decided that they were going to celebrate Presidents Day in a big way this year. Since they are literacy coaches, the first order of business was to put together good text sets. They combed school and classroom libraries, cashed in their book club bonus points, and even spent some cold, hard cash to acquire books. Here are the sets that they put together . . . more Books that Invite Thoughtful Conversation in Grades K-2 Franki Sibberson One of the favorite parts of my new job as a school media specialist is that I get to read aloud to primary students again. There is nothing like seeing the faces of young children as they listen to a great book. . . . more Previewing Nonfiction Franki Sibberson Most of my own nonfiction reading is connected to my life as a teacher. My professional reading of books and magazines about literacy education takes up much of my nonfiction reading life. Last week when I was talking to students about the ways they choose nonfiction, I realized that I preview nonfiction in different ways than I preview fiction books. There are so many books on teaching that I have to think long and hard before I choose to read a professional title in this area. I spend a great deal of time previewing the book before I decide it is one that I want to buy. . . . more Teaching Reading Skills with Wordless Picture Books Franki Sibberson Reading visual elements of texts is not easy for me. I am not a visual person. I cannot see the undertones in paint colors. I buy most of my outfits straight from the mannequin, confident that they must match if the salesperson put the pieces together. I do not often notice when a friend gets new glasses. Because of my own struggles with reading and interpreting visual cues, I have never known quite what to do with wordless picture books. To me, words are at the heart of any story. I never had the patience to "read" the illustrations in a wordless book in order to make meaning. . . . more Mentor Texts for Urban Students Shari Frost The next time I visited Victoria's classroom, I made a point of looking through her basket of mentor texts. I also examined the mentor text collection in the coach's office. The coach had the same kind of books that Victoria had in her classroom. The boy had a valid argument. The basket was filled with books that took place at the seashore, in the mountains, and along scenic country roads. The characters in the books were collecting seashells, picking berries, and watching baby turtles make their way to the sea. There wasn't one book that reflected urban children's experiences. . . . more 5th Grade Grandfather Jennifer Jones I have a student that I see daily for reading intervention, Lanie. She is in third grade and has been retained, so technically she is a fourth grader. Her vocabulary is weak, and conversation skills are average. She struggles to decode text, her working memory is lacking, and she does not hear sounds. . . . more Teaching Inferring with Picture Books: Partner Shares after Read Aloud (VIDEO) When my students are given the opportunity to share their thinking after a read aloud it does several things for their learning. First and foremost, kids listen to each other. They would much rather hear the opinions of their friends and peers than those of their teacher! Allowing them time to chit chat about their thinking and share their own ideas, and yes, sometimes stories, allows them to open up and form a real community of learners. . . . more Using Picture Books with Older Students This cluster is designed to help teachers think about ways they can teaching literacy skills and literary elements using picture books with upper elementary and middle school students. . . . more Step by Step: Integrating Nonfiction into Primary Classroom Instruction Katie DiCesare Young readers are often fascinated by nonfiction. Have you ever watched a child browse a book filled with vivid photographs? I love how the images often invite conversation among children about all the expertise they have about a certain topic or animal they have seen or learned about before. With so many readers in every classroom, growing and learning in different ways, I am always trying to find ways to integrate nonfiction texts into workshops. Here are some ways that I use nonfiction throughout the year with students. . . . more Catching Up with Anna (VIDEO) Katie Doherty Because reader's workshop and book clubs are such a big part of my reading curriculum, it is crucial that kids keep up with the work. In order to do that, they need to be in school. It is near impossible to make up reader's workshop time or a missed book club meeting on your own. . . . more Conferring about Inferring Katie Doherty During reader's workshop, my main goal is to have students reading and practicing some form of reading strategy with the text that they choose. At the beginning of the year, this is more structured. For independent practice of a reading strategy I have students read their choice book (a novel of their choosing which they bring to class everyday), and as they are reading I will have them complete the strategy activity. As the year goes on, I give the students more choice. Reader's workshop becomes just that; a place where students can work on reading skills and strategies together. Students have the option of reading their choice book or working with a friend or two with some picture books to practice their reading skills and discuss text. . . . more Community First: Using Read Aloud to Strengthen Classroom Connections Mary Lee Hahn There's a lot to accomplish at the beginning of the school year: routines to teach, expectations to communicate, communities to build. But not necessarily in that order. In fact, by starting with community, the expectations and routines fall naturally in line. And the best place to start when building a classroom community is with read aloud. Shared books and stories create the common ground that will become the very fabric of the classroom from day to day. These first books will become mentor texts, touchstones, shorthand for "the way we do things or the way things are in this classroom." . . . more The Year's Best New Read Alouds Franki Sibberson I am always on the lookout for new books to read aloud to my students. I like to read new, "hot-off-the-press" books for several reasons. First of all, I don't have to worry about whether students have already read the book in past years. But more importantly, reading aloud new books helps my students feel "in-the-know" about reading and books. They like the idea that they are experiencing a book that is new, that not many people know about. They love to spread the word about the new book. . . . more Selecting Texts for Strategy Teaching with English Language Learners in Mind Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan Over the past several months we have spent time thinking and teaching with a group of educators whose students are predominantly English language learners (ELLs). During our visits to their classrooms we see teachers working diligently to use the texts in their district-mandated curriculum to teach whole class and small group lessons. Many of the passages, however, are difficult for English language learners to understand even when the teachers spend significant amounts of time building background knowledge and reading the texts aloud. . . . more Case Studies in Professional Learning Communities (VIDEO) Karen Szymusiak In this brief video, Literacy Coach Pam Hahlen and Principal Karen Szymusiak meet with two teachers in a professional learning community group to discuss ongoing case studies. The meeting takes place in early April, and the group has met regularly over the same children all year long. Karen explains how the case study groups work, and the value of the collaboration among teachers and specialists. . . . more Sports Writing Group Discussion (VIDEO) As part of our nonfiction writing study, many of the students in the class began to write about sports. Every year that I've taught in any grade, students enjoy writing about sports. It is always difficult to teach this writing style, because students write mostly play-by-play writing of the games they've played or watched. . . . more Why and Watch Me: Making the Abstract Concrete for Readers Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan Researcher Robert Marzano in Making Standards Useful in the Classroom concluded that if teachers simply included why students were learning what they were learning and how it would help them as a learner in every lesson, then student understanding would increase by 80%. This is powerful research that can be applied to any curriculum, program, or set of standards. We find that when teachers explain the purpose of the lesson to their students and tell them how it will help them as a reader, students have a better understanding of how to use the skills being taught strategically to make meaning from text. . . . more Making Book Logs Purposeful for Students Tammy Mulligan and Clare Landrigan Recently we have been hearing from teachers about their concerns over the effectiveness of book logs. Teachers are finding that they constantly have to remind students to record their reading. These conversations pushed us to think about the purpose of the book log and about how we use logs in our daily lives. Students need to understand why they are logging their reading and how it is going to help them as readers. If students do not understand the purpose of the log, they may view it as laborious or a waste of their time. In order to use the log well we need to adjust it to meet the needs and goals of the reader. Once we make this shift, we find students are not only recording, but also setting goals based on the data collected in their logs. . . . more The Basics of Reading Comprehension Instruction (CHOICE LITERACY CLUSTER) This cluster is designed to support teachers in their understanding of some of the basic principles of comprehension instruction. Looking at samples from a variety of grade levels, participants will discuss comprehension strategies, as well as the importance of understanding their own reading processes in teaching them. . . . more Twilight Comes Twice: Tapping into Pop Culture to Build Interest in Books Lisa Koch With the release of the Twilight movie, educators are given the perfect opportunity to play up the social role that reading plays with young adult readers. This is exactly what we did in the high school where I teach. . . . more 5th Grade Room Tour - Part I (VIDEO) In this eight-minute video, "The Sisters" (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) show the many creative and low-cost ways a colleague displays books and materials to build interest in literacy. This is the first in a two-part series. . . . more Learning with Graphica: Conferring with Students (VIDEO) This is the second of a four-part video series on using graphica in a 4th grade classroom. In this installment Sarah Thibault confers with students during writer's workshop as they brainstorm character traits. Students will be creating their own comic books, after extensive preparation and multiple reading and writing activities. . . . more Making Time for Nonfiction Read Alouds Franki Sibberson As an elementary teacher, it is so easy to find great fiction texts to read aloud to students. There are many books to choose from, and I can readily envision my students enjoying fiction read alouds and then going back to read these books on their own during reading workshops. It is no wonder that many of our students feel more comfortable reading fiction than nonfiction, since so many read alouds focus on fiction. . . . more Learning from Graphica: Introducing the Activity (VIDEO) In this lesson from a 4th grade classroom, Sarah Thibault introduces students to a writing activity. Students will be creating their own comic books, after extensive preparation and experience with graphica. . . . more Making the Most of Read Aloud (CHOICE LITERACY CLUSTER) This cluster is designed to help teachers think through how to maximize learning and enjoyment during whole-class read alouds. . . . more Wide Open Spaces: Learning from "Not-Just-Right" Books Andrea Smith Every mother can relate to this maternal wisdom: The car is a perfect place for insightful conversations with your child. . . . more Using Nonfiction Texts in Reading and Writing Workshops (CHOICE LITERACY CLUSTER) This cluster is designed to invite teachers to think through the use of nonfiction texts in the teaching of reading and writing. . . . more What My Son's Reading Difficulties Taught Me About Teaching Struggling Readers Tammy Mulligan My eight-year-old son struggled while learning to read. The process of understanding how to figure out unfamiliar words on the page has been a painful process. I felt that I had done everything a parent should do to support him: I read aloud to him frequently, made stories exciting, took him on all sorts of trips and adventures to build his schema, and modeled my own love of reading and writing. Yet, despite these efforts, my little boy struggled deciphering the printed word. After finding a great tutor and calming down, I realized that through helping him learn to read, I learned some important strategies for motivating struggling readers in school. . . . more Best Practices for the Youngest Readers and Writers (CHOICE LITERACY CLUSTER) The purpose of this cluster is to help teachers reflect on best practices for teaching young readers and writers. With achievement pressure increasing for even our youngest students, this cluster helps teachers think about the best practices for reaching these young learners. . . . more What Reading is Like: Sports Analogies to Use with Parents Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan Parent conferences are just around the corner in many schools, and families are eager to learn about their child's growth and needs as readers. We often use sports analogies to help explain our thinking around text choice in school with parents, especially those who expect their children to be reading difficult texts at all times. Here are some of our favorites. . . . more Picture Reading in 1st Grade (VIDEO) In this read-aloud lesson from Katie DiCesare's first grade classroom, Katie demonstrates the importance of picture reading using the wordless picture book, The Zoo. . . . more Talking with Parents about Text Difficulty Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan Parents want what is best for their children, but often lack understanding of the importance of matching texts to readers. Many teachers come to us seeking advice about how to help parents understand this concept. Many parents advocate for their children by trying to convince teachers that they are not giving their children text that is challenging enough. As teachers, we know that students need "enormous quantities of successful reading to become independent proficient readers. It is the high accuracy, fluent, and easily comprehended reading that provides the opportunities to integrate complex skills and strategies into an automatic, independent reading process" (Allingon, 2002). How do we help parents understand our decisions around text levels and give them an avenue to advocate for the reading lives of their children? . . . more Strong Readers Need Strong Nonfiction Texts Jennifer Jones Every year it seems that first grade teachers have one or two of those kids who are really strong readers right off the bat at the start of the year. Kids who do not need daily guided reading, but who need instruction in comprehension and often don't see a need for such instruction and it can be a struggle. A challenge with such strong readers is always ensuring that they are reading materials that are appropriate for their age. . . . more A Tornado of Books Karen Terlecky Each year, for the last ten years or so, a "tornado of books" has hit my room sometime in the first two weeks of school. It is pure craziness; books fly off the bookshelves in my classroom, and land in jumbled piles throughout the room. Ironically, the "tornadoes" tend to happen right before my students get to school, or right before they come back from specials. . . . more Teaching Rereading Strategies Through Read Aloud (VIDEO) Aimee Buckner leads a 4th grade class read aloud of Goblins in the Castle, focused on rereading skills. . . . more Teaching Rereading During Class Read Alouds (VIDEO) I teach my 4th graders the power of rereading using the mentor text Goblins in the Castle by Bruce Coville. In this video, you can see we use rereading as a way into richer discussions of characters in the text. . . . more Letting Students Define and Design My 6th Grade Classroom Library Katie Doherty I started out last fall with all my classroom library books organized alphabetically by author. I figured since the libraries do it that way, it would be great practice for students to use the same method in my classroom. It was a great idea, until I was met with swarms of kids looking for good books and not able to find anything they "liked". It occurred to me that the system works in the libraries because of electronic card catalogues (duh!). I had no such catalogue for my collection of several hundred novels and picture books. I decided to have a few of my brainier students sort them into genres and voila, my library was suddenly MUCH more useful. . . . more Strategies for Learning Words (CHOICE LITERACY CLUSTER) The purpose of this cluster is to help teachers see new possibilities for word learning with students, including class activities, wall displays, web resources, and children's literature with strong supports for word analysis. . . . more Hallmarks of Reading Workshop Karen Szymusiak One of the many things we value at our school is ensuring that the experiences students have in workshops are authentic. Part of the process of coming to common understandings about what "authentic" means within our school community is sharing expectations of what reading workshops include. . . . more Matching Students and Books (CHOICE LITERACY CLUSTER) The purpose of this cluster is to help teachers see new possibilities for helping students find new books. Rather than merely choosing books for children, this cluster will help teachers gain strategies for helping students find books that are a good match for them. . . . more