Teaching
Fluency
From the desk of Carol C… Fluency is coming to the forefront again. Schools, school districts, and states have bought kits, systems, and reading passages to assess students’ fluency rates. The problem? By the time professional development is offered to teachers the message is akin to what is heard at the end of a “Whispered…
Read MoreRaising the Levels of Questioning
From the desk of Carol C… Teachers have always asked questions. It is a natural part of any lesson, but questioning in 2013 must be different. Today in order to meet the rigorous demands of the Common Core Standards we must approach questioning from a different perspective. Now questions must be preplanned and deliberate just…
Read MoreStrategy v. Skills
From the Desk of Hope… This strategy and that strategy. What makes this one better than the next? Strategy. Skill. I need clarification. As I am out in schools coaching teachers with literacy instruction, I am often approached about confusions with the difference between teaching reading skills and reading strategies. P. David Pearson writes about…
Read MoreWhole Class Novels
From the desk of Carol C… Read an education journal or a book about teaching reading comprehension (no matter the grade level), you will find a myriad of strategies to use with your students. You’ll, also, find a difference of opinion on whether to teach these strategies using the same novel for your entire class…
Read MoreWhy Picture Books Matter
From the desk of Carol C… Let me start off by saying that I love picture books…not all of them mind you but a vast majority of them. I’ve always loved them, so a few years ago I became concerned after an article in the New York Times reported that the sale of picture books…
Read MoreComprehension Issue or Assignment Issue?
From the desk of Hope… I write this blog as a question hoping to get some interaction and feedback from you. Recently I’ve had three parents approach me about “issues” their children are having with reading comprehension. Before I go into the “issues” I would like to describe these children to you as I know…
Read MoreAn Educational Bargain
From the desk of Alice… I recently wrote a post about the anti-workbook classroom. There is another layer to the story. The teacher I mentioned in the post had chosen not to use the workbooks provided to her in order to teach reading to Kindergarteners. Instead, she chose to use rich literacy instruction that engaged…
Read MoreReading Comprehension Strategies
From the desk of Carol C… Recently I worked with a bright middle school child who needed some support with reading and writing. We were working on what I thought was a difficult poem, but it was a suggested exemplar from the Common Core for the grade below this child’s. At first I thought my…
Read MoreThe Anti-Workbook Classroom
From the desk of Alice… I recently had a conversation with someone about instruction in the elementary school. In that particular school system, a program is in place that requires reading workbooks for Kindergarten students. If this happens to be the case in your school or system, I am so sorry. Having our youngest learners…
Read MoreShouldn't They Already Know How to Read This?
From the desk of Alice… I am fortunate to be able to work in middle and high school classrooms as part of my weekly work. The classes are always full of energy and there is rarely a dull moment. When I am in these classes, my role is to support the literacy development of the…
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