When I was a kid, our town library had a whole special room filled with children's books. It was one of my favorite places in the world. That was where I fell in love with Corduroy, and Caps for Sale, Where the Wild Things Are, and later, Matilda, and Superfudge, and The Babysitters Club. But another thing I remember about… Continue reading Writing Information Books with Voice and Beauty: Diving Into Information Writing Blog Series
Author: BethMooreSchool
Literacy Coach, Consultant, Author, Graduate Course Instructor, and Mom. Passionate about fostering a love of reading and writing in learners of all ages.
It’s Tuesday! Join Us for #TWTBlog’s Slice of Life Story Challenge.
“October extinguished itself in a rush of howling winds and driving rain and November arrived, cold as frozen iron, with hard frosts every morning and icy drafts that bit at exposed hands and faces.” ― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Want to write like J.K. Rowling? Get started today. The… Continue reading It’s Tuesday! Join Us for #TWTBlog’s Slice of Life Story Challenge.
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Writing Mantras for the New School Year: Part of #TWTBlog’s Throwback Week
Did you know that talking to yourself can be really helpful? It's true! Researchers have long known that positive self-talk can be an incredibly helpful tool. The power of positive self-talk is something that I hadn't thought about much until recently. My friends' Kristi Mraz's and Christine Hertz's book A Mindset for Learning has helped me… Continue reading Writing Mantras for the New School Year: Part of #TWTBlog’s Throwback Week
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Working Together to Support All Kids: Getting all the Adults in the Classroom on the Same Page
s a literacy coach, part of my role is to support teachers with how to work together with all the professionals who will come in and out of their reading and writing workshop. Lately, I've been brainstorming with some super smart teachers to figure out how we can get all the grown-ups in a classroom to be more consistent with one another.
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Why Narrative Writing Matters
When I first left the classroom to become a staff developer in New York City, I had to learn quickly to adjust to new schools, and new groups of teachers. I worked hard to have open conversations with the teachers I worked with, where teachers could ask anything. "No such thing as a bad question!" But there was one phrase that I dreaded. Four words that left me with no idea how to respond.
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Behind the Scenes at Two Writing Teachers
In a darkened concert hall, the members of an orchestra sit ready and waiting. The conductor, in black and white coat-tails walks across the stage, gives an appreciative nod to the audience, then steps up to the podium and lifts her arms, signaling the beginning. As her hand marks the first few measures, the music cascades in big,… Continue reading Behind the Scenes at Two Writing Teachers
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Phonemic Awareness! Yeah!
Sometimes colleagues tell me that the feel intimidated or uneasy about setting out to teach phonemic awareness, because it all feels so technical. Even the terminology is tricky: phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, phonics... I like to think of teaching phonemic awareness as being just like kindergarteners themselves--complicated indeed, but also a lot of fun.
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Planning Ahead for Publishing
Third grade was my favorite year of school. We had the best teacher ever. We sang songs and poems that I still remember to this day (Cumalada cumalada cumalada vista!). For math, we sorted and categorized things like old keys, and tiles, and bottle caps. We learned to multiply and divide using household objects --… Continue reading Planning Ahead for Publishing
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Why We Gather: The Importance of a Classroom Meeting Area
You might be so completely used to your classroom arrangement that it seems normal to you -- but it maybe could be better.
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Enticing Kids to Revise, Revise, Revise
One of the biggest challenges you might face in writing workshop is this: getting kids to see the power and purpose of revision. Here are a few tips for helping kids understand how important and rewarding revision can be, organized by writing process phases.
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An Eraser-Free Workshop and the Language We Use for Talking About It
When I visit a classroom, one of the first things I often say to kids is, "Today, please don't erase. I want to see ALL the great work you are doing as a writer. When you erase, your work disappears!" Often, this is what kids are accustomed to and they continue working away. But sometimes, kids stare at me as if I've got two heads.
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Creating Classroom Environments: Paper Choices
Kids do need room to grow. Not only do they outgrow clothes in the blink of an eye, they also grow as readers and writers. This is why we need classroom libraries stocked with a wide range of levels, and it's why we need writing centers stocked with paper choices.
