Most reading workshop experts suggest that students spend no more than 10% of their reading time writing about reading. During the other 90% of reading time, students should be reading, engrossed in books they can read with a high level of accuracy in order to achieve the kind of reading volume that leads to maximum growth. (continue reading)
When you ask the question, 'How’s it going?' at the beginning of writing conferences, you’re doing much more than inviting students to talk about what they’re doing as writers. The question initiates your relationship with each student and deepens each of these relationships. (continue reading)
Writing can be terrifying: a blank page holds the potential of failure. Writing can be difficult: a pen can presents challenge with letter formation and grip. Writing can be intrusive, especially when the expected topic is one’s life. (continue reading)
Today on the Heinemann Podcast, a special conversation between Linda Rief and Penny Kittle. Both are at the Boothbay Literacy Institute. Penny talks with Linda about her new “The Quickwrite Handbook: 100 Mentor Texts to Jumpstart Your Students’ Thinking and Writing. (continue reading)
Before we were teachers, we were readers−readers who understand the power reading has to change our lives from the new characters we meet, the new places we visit, and the new lessons we learn. (continue reading)
Writing and teaching writing can be intimidating. It is hard work, and it takes time. Quickwrites offer an easy and manageable writing experience that helps both students and teachers find their voices and develop their confidence. (continue reading)
Here are all of the posts from the year, listed with their guiding questions, so you can easily find those that might support your professional learning this summer and into next school year. (continue reading)
In this video, Allison & Rebekah explain how simple it can be to get the creative juices flowing with inspiration from 'analysis in the wild'. (continue reading)
I’ve been asking myself, “How can I create writing curriculum that is accessible to all learners, one in which they are truly motivated to uncover new stories they are driven to share?” I want my students to grow their ideas about different perspectives in the world and discover insight into their own identities. (continue reading)
My theory as a writing teacher this past year was this: getting my students to reflect on and talk about the revisions they were trying—to ask them to “get a little ‘meta’”—would help foster these identities and build a culture of revision in my classroom. (continue reading)
