AI · caregivers · curriculum

Staying Curious About Writing Instruction-A Shared Responsibility

Flipping through her daughters’ schoolwork, Jessica Carey mourned the loss of the full, messy writing notebooks she used to treasure. In this post, she shares why writing still matters and how we can each play a role in keeping it alive for kids.

caregivers · conferences · parent involvement

What I Bring to Caregiver Conferences

Consider how I prepare for caregiver conferences this Fall.

caregivers · writing workshop

Making the Most of Caregiver Conferences

Teacher conferences have a way of sneaking up on teachers. The first six weeks go by, routines establish, and life takes on a flow, just in time for conference time. Leah Thomas and I recorded a podcast about conferences that will drop later in October. In the meantime, she and I have coordinated our posts to address this topic on the blog, as well.

caregivers · parent involvement · Ready-to-Go Tip · routines · summer vacation

Supporting Caregivers in Setting Up Writing Routines for Summer

Read about tips to pass along to caregivers to support writers in continuing to strengthen their writing identities all summer long!

agency · Amping up Agency Blog Series · caregivers

Transferring Agency from School to Home: Amping Up Agency Blog Series

If you are looking for ways to increase a young writer’s agency at home–either as an educator or as a parent–here are some things you might want to consider.

caregivers · conferences · parent involvement

Preparing for Fall Conferences With Families

As the temperature drops and the leaves begin to change color, teachers begin preparing for conferences with families. I know for many teachers, this can be stressful (and time consuming), making decisions about what to share in that precious 20-30 minutes that will both inform and reassure caregivers that their child is learning. Here’s an idea that I'm hoping helps all workshop teachers to feel more confident about conference prep.

caregivers · COVID-19

Do the Most Good and the Least Harm During Remote Instruction

How can we do the most good and the least harm when communicating with caregivers, hosting virtual meetings, and planning remote writing instruction?

caregivers · conventions · punctuation · spelling · writing workshop

Talking to Caregivers about Conventions and Spelling

More than other skills, most caregivers tend to worry about spelling and conventions when it comes to their child's writing. I get it. Those skills are right there at the tip of the writing iceberg. Those skills are concrete and obvious. Those skills are the ones that they recognize and know how to fix when they sit with their child. So how do we talk to caregivers about spelling and punctuation? Here are three ideas that you may find helpful.