New to teaching writing about reading—or supporting someone who is? This post offers a concrete way to introduce jotting without turning it into an interruption or another task students complete simply because the teacher requires it. Students learn to pause, capture an emerging thought, and return to reading. Later, they revisit and sort their jots, often alongside a partner, club, or teacher, to decide which ideas are worth developing in their reading notebooks. A quick jot can be the beginning of much bigger thinking when students are taught how to grow an idea through writing.
Category: writing about reading
What To Do When Your Students Can’t (or Won’t) Write About Reading
Writing about reading is often a daunting task for kids, but a few easy moves will make it more successful in your classroom.
Written Response in the Reader’s Notebook
Welcome to Reading Workshop: Structures and Routines That Support All Readers offers K-6 teachers a guide to setting up and sustaining a successful reading workshop. In this post, we'll dive into one part of this book, which encourages students to write about their reading and keep readers' notebooks.
Writing About Reading: Gorgeous Notebook Pages and Summer Stacks
The end of the school year is here and all I can think about is curling up on a picnic blanket under the trees while my kids play around me so I can read. Nothing feels better than losing myself in a text, when I’m reminded how much I love stories, connect with characters, and… Continue reading Writing About Reading: Gorgeous Notebook Pages and Summer Stacks
Writing About Reading
Writing about Reading When I am learning anything new, I take more than the average time to understand the new concept to its fidelity. Recently, a student’s mom gave me a cutting of a plumeria plant. She explained that I would need to place it in a pot with cactus soil and water it vigorously… Continue reading Writing About Reading
Reading + Talk + Writing = Innovative Expression Opportunities!
One way to keep writing interesting and fun right now is with the writing of life equations, supporting students in finding phrases to add together to capture small moments, experiences or feelings in their lives.
Writing About Reading: Resource Toolkit Part Two for Middle School
Calling all middle school teachers! Today I’m sharing a ready to use set of lessons, resources, and a digital notebook for adolescent readers and writers featuring some of my favorite books in verse.
Writing About Reading: Building a Resource Toolkit for Middle School
Calling all middle school teachers! Today I'm sharing a ready to use resource toolkit for adolescent readers and writers featuring the book, Look Both Ways, by Jason Reynolds.
Seen, Valued, Heard: Leveraging Shared Writing to Build Community
In my experience, many young writers struggle to use a writer’s notebook as a tool. They’re excited to have a notebook but unclear about what to “do” in there. Shared writing can be a powerful way to teach writers how to generate ideas for writing and to get themselves started, based on the books we are reading and discussing as a community.
Sketchnoting: My First Attempt
Increase engagement and memory by learning how to Sketchnote
Writing about Reading: Considering Perspective Paves the Way for Critical Thinking— Part of #TWTBlog’s Throwback Week
Growing up the younger sibling of a sister with pervasive disabilities was a crash course in perspective. The lessons I learned from my sister have made me who I am. Lessons packed with tears… some the result of lessons learned hard, some pure joy, others the result of unbridled anger. But rich learning like this… Continue reading Writing about Reading: Considering Perspective Paves the Way for Critical Thinking— Part of #TWTBlog’s Throwback Week
The Reading Strategies Book + Giveaway
A little peek inside the final chapter of THE READING STRATEGIES BOOK and a giveaway!

