I was facilitating a professional development session focused on how to administer a reading assessment. A fifth-grade student just finished reading the text and I was beginning the part of the assessment in which we discuss the text together. He seemed a bit nervous with all of the observers, so I tried to calm him […]
Category Archives: Pay It Forward
January
11
Are Your Striving Readers Helping Others? by Tammy Mulligan
posted by CBethM
I think we underestimate the power of helping when it comes to teaching striving readers. In schools, striving readers are typically the ones who receive the most help. Striving readers see multiple teachers for instruction. Striving readers generally have reading buddies who help them figure out the words. And striving readers get lots of support […]
December
06
Top 10 Ways to Be a Literacy Leader by Liz Garden
posted by CBethM
Whether you are a teacher leader or you are a leader of a school, you have the ability to lead with reading. All of our students need us to be literacy leaders. We want our students to become readers. We want them to fall in love with reading. We want them to get excited about […]
November
30
Match.com: Helping Older Students Fall in Love With Reading (Again) by Nicole Kronzer
posted by CBethM
I teach a lot of twelfth grade. Newly adults, they are often in one of two places: ready to graduate yesterday, or clinging to their swiftly dwindling childhoods. Sometimes, they’re in both of these places on the same day. I love seniors. I love their vulnerability and the way their eagerness for independence clashes against […]
November
16
The Book Matchmaker by Eva Goins
posted by CBethM
My main goal each year as a teacher is to turn my 8th grade students into readers. I am a matchmaker of twenty-first century minds that are more interested in connecting to a good hotspot over texts that could quite possibly influence their lives. So how does an educator compete with all of the technological […]
October
04
SCBWI’s Third Annual Literacy Initiative Gives Books, Builds Dreams, and Offers Hope to Readers In Need
posted by CBethM
Children’s Book Creators Join Forces to Provide High Quality Books Plus a Literary Celebration for the MADISON READING PROJECT The members of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators join forces once again as part of the organization’s 3rd Annual SCBWI Books For Readers book drive and literacy event to collect, curate, and […]
September
21
Creating and Maintaining a Classroom Library by Savannah Campbell
posted by CBethM
I’ll never forget Carson. Carson was in a library organized according to AR level. As the time for checkout dwindled down, he starting sobbing. There was a book he wanted to read, but it wasn’t his “color dot.” He felt he was unable to check out the Spiderwick Chronicles because it was different from the […]
August
10
Creating a Reading Culture in the Classroom by Ann Hagedorn
posted by CBethM
When students walk into my classroom, I want them to see that I value reading and books and that my goal is for them to do the same. There is a sign that hangs in the front of my class that states, We read every day. I have a large classroom library that spans the […]
August
09
Ideas for Teaching Writing A Book Review by Carrie Rodusky
posted by CBethM
“Since we don’t know who young writers are going to become, when they are writing we should let them be whoever they are.” John Warner This quote may be finding its way into my upper elementary classroom this year; not only as a message for the students but also as a reminder to me, their […]
August
03
Reading is a Forever Thing by Brooks Spencer
posted by CBethM
As part of a High School English conversation, a couple of teachers were overhead saying “My students won’t read outside the classroom, so there is no need to assign independent reading. It’s a waste of time.” They felt their classroom novels were enough. I don’t understand how you teach English without expecting students to read […]
