A colleague recently brought me a donated pile of books to see if I could use any in my 4th grade classroom. One of the books was a wordless picture book. I cannot remember the title, but it was very abstract and I thought it would be a great addition to the 7th or 8th […]
Category Archives: Pay It Forward
February
23
Making Connections with Authors by Kris Barr Paquette
posted by CBethM
When I was a kid, I had a penpal who lived in South Carolina. We sent letters and packages back and forth for years. We met at camp. Not to date myself, but this was before email and this was before texting and Snapchat. I loved it. I looked forward to running to the mailbox […]
January
13
What Happened to My Reader? by Sarah FitzHenry and Jared Passmore
posted by CBethM
“What happened to my reader? Last year, he was in the library every week picking out books. I had to take his book away at meals. Now, I can’t get him to read anything. It’s like he has no interest in it.” This mystery baffles parents, librarians, and teachers alike. As students pass through middle […]
January
12
Rethinking “Just Right”: Reader and Text Variables that Impact Comprehension by Jennifer Serravallo
posted by CBethM
Seven years ago when I was home on maternity leave, I found it really hard to get through the sorts of rich novels I’d devoured pre-baby. Sleep deprived, I struggled with remembering everything that had happened across the text and started abandoning books halfway through. Then, a friend handed me Nora Ephron’s I Feel Bad […]
January
11
Fact VS Fiction: Teaching Critical Thinking Skills In the Age of Fake News by Jennifer LaGarde and Darren Hudgins
posted by donalynm
Let’s start by making one thing clear: writing Fact VS Fiction: Teaching Critical Thinking Skills In the Age of Fake News was not a labor of love. Don’t get us wrong, we loved working together. We loved our research driven writing process. We loved our editorial team. And we loved being able to share […]
January
06
SO NOT MARY POPPINS! by Margo Sorenson
posted by CBethM
The world of children is abuzz! Disney says its new Mary Poppins movie released in December will be truer to the books than the original movie in 1964, starring Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews. Ah! Truer to the books—what a wonderful concept! Reading the Mary Poppins series aloud to children who have seen only […]
December
20
THE BOOKS MY STUDENTS ARE READING BY COLBY SHARP
posted by Colby Sharp
My fifth graders and I have spend a lot of time this week preparing for reading over winter break. We’ve listened to book talks, made reading plans, and discussed the things we need to do to be successful readers the next couple of weeks. In the video below I share the books that my amazing […]
November
10
The Legacy of Todd Bol by Leigh Anne Eck
posted by CBethM
Game Changer! Book Access for All Kids by Donalyn Miller and Colby Sharp has been released. I know I cannot wait to read their ideas for providing book access to children, as I believe we all have a role in becoming a game changer. I recently learned the founder of The Little Free Library, Todd […]
September
22
A Tale of Disruption: Teaching The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline – Post by Emily Visness
posted by CBethM
“We’ve always taught that novel.” “The lesson plans and activities for that novel are already prepared.” “I love teaching that book!” “We have enough copies of the book for all our classes.” “It’s a classic!” The reasons, or rather the excuses, are many, but these are some common responses from teachers when the contentious topic […]
August
20
The Power of Listening to Stories Together by Tammy Mulligan and Clare Landrigan
posted by CBethM
Recently, I got the chance to watch Josh Funk host story time at a local bookstore, Newtonville Books. Fans, young and old, and even shoppers who were there by happenstance, crowded into the tiny backroom of the bookstore to listen to a story together. As Josh read, I found myself intently listening to […]
