My district follows the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project (TCRWP) and is very big on using anchors to facilitate whole and small group teaching. I got the idea to grab a binder and fill it with all the resources I needed for my small groups after attending staff developments that focused on the importance of having reading and writing toolkits. It was at these trainings that I saw so many of our teachers and instructional coaches writing/drawing their toolkits inside scrapbooks, and I remember thinking that it was such a great ... Read More
ANCHOR CHARTS ARE CREATED WITH THE STUDENTS, NOT THE NIGHT BEFORE
I love anchor charts, and I enjoy seeing them on Pinterest and Instagram on a regular basis! However, as cute as some of them are, too often I see them being used or created in a way that I, personally, do not find to be effective. I'll be honest in saying that I cringe every time I see a picture of an anchor chart that was created by the teacher the night before the lesson. Why? Well, I believe students should be involved in the process of making an anchor chart! I'll repeat. Students should be involved in the process of making an anchor ... Read More
ROADMAPPING YOUR WAY THROUGH READING
It’s time to talk about the importance of teaching students how to read selections (also known as passages). You’re probably thinking, “Oh great, another testing strategy," and to that I respond with, "not necessarily." Yes, roadmapping can be considered a testing strategy, but I’d like to think of it as something more. The act of roadmapping means you’re reading a selection in a very specific and strategic manner. So, why is it important for our students to learn this? Well, for many students, reading long, often boring, selections can be ... Read More
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO HAVE A WRITING CENTER
Writing is important. We often forget that because reading is usually the main focus for any K-5 language arts teacher. The fact is, they go hand in hand. The teachers I work with are not afraid to admit that they're uncomfortable teaching writing. Raise your hand if this is you. For many of us it's not an easy thing to normalize in the classroom. It's challenging because it's very difficult to keep the motivation going. One great way to hold yourself accountable for teaching writing (and encourage your students to write) is to set up a ... Read More