Welcome back to school! Heinemann Professional Development is excited to continue an online PLC (professional learning community) as we get back in the swing of school this fall. Look for new content each week and join in the conversation!
A feeling of community creates an environment where students feel safe to take risks in their writing (and all other learning). - Lisa Eickholdt
We all know how important it is for our students to have plenty of time to write-everyday-and to support their passion, curiosity and wonder through reading, writing, speaking and listening. But even more important in those first few days is creating a classroom environment that fosters community, that encourages inquisitiveness and wonder, honoring the stories our students bring with them to school each day.
In this week’s Back to School article, Heinemann author Lisa Eickholdt shares her thoughts on how to build community by starting the year with storytelling. She offers read aloud tips as well as guidance for choosing great picture books that encourage students to share stories
- Choose beautiful picture books that inspire personal connections.
- Read the book in your best read aloud voice.
- After reading the story, share your connections. Share stories from your own life. Simple stories about common experiences are best.
As you read this article think about what you already doing in the classroom to build community; how are you using picture books to share stories? What are some of your favorite picture books to start the year? We’d love to hear from you.
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Wondering where to connect online? Start by signing up below for Heinemann's Online PLC 2015–16! Each week, we'll share content from the Heinemann Digital Library as food for thought and discussion. Our conversations can occur in comments here on the blog, on Twitter using #OnlinePLC or in our Facebook Group. Looking forward to a year of sharing content, conversation and #OnlinePLC camaraderie!
