Author Studies are fun, engaging activities for students of all ages. They are perfect for reinforcing research skills and allowing students to discover new authors and books! Just think… wouldn’t this be the perfect end-of-the-year project to kick-off summer reading?! Each student could share book reviews or author book lists for their peers to take-home and use when picking out… View Post
How are you doing with teaching non-fiction, informational texts? Do you feel you have a good grasp on expository text structures? With the Common Core ELA standards, students are expected to be proficient in reading complex informational texts. State assessments are also becoming more non-fiction focused, to evaluate student abilities in navigating these complex texts. So what can we do… View Post
Break up the mid-winter slump and bring a Fluency Boot Camp into your classroom! What is a Fluency Boot Camp? No… you will not be shipping your students off (sorry), nor will students have to march around the room (your choice), but I can guarantee that your students’ brains will be sweating as they participate in the classroom fluency camp… View Post
Are your students active readers? Do they consistently “stop & think” to reflect and comprehend what they’re reading? Thinking Tracks are a great way for students to record their thinking while reading. Not only does it help students monitor their understanding of text, but it provides a post-reading opportunity for students to share and reflect on their “road map” of recorded… View Post
EdTech and iPads, and Tools for the Teacher… These are a few of my favorite things! I must say, my iPads are one of the best tools in my Literacy toolbox. Although they do not replace many of my interventions for my struggling readers, I use them to supplement my instruction and support my teaching on a regular, day-to-day basis…. View Post
The big question I ask my students at the beginning of each year is: What hats do YOU wear when you’re reading?”The response is usually one of confusion, or one that shows off their way-too-literal minds (e.g., “My favorite baseball hat, of course!”). The truth is, readers can wear MANY hats when they read! However, with each hat is… View Post
