Mining Mentor Texts for Craft Moves
Two (more) lesson sets to help you teach the qualities of good writing from picture books by Maribeth Boelts and Nicola Davies.
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A Teacher’s Plan to Keep Writing Going in the Summer
Find your purpose. Find your crew. Find your sunrise. Write.
Four Writing Workshop Ideas for the Final Stretch
If you’re in the final stretch–the last few days or weeks of school– here are a few ideas to keep kids writing right to the very end.
SOL Tuesday
You’ve chosen to exercise your writing muscles. Welcome!
Five Questions for Reflection
Thinking back over the year, what do you hope to continue or change before students return in the fall?
When Writers Drive The Workshop: Review and Giveaway
When Writers Drive the Workshop is a book with heart. Brian Kissel writes with passion, voice, humility, conviction, and wisdom. The stories he shares from the student writers he worked with are stories that will stay with you, reminding you why doing this work matters so much. Read the rest of the book review and leave a comment for a chance to win your own copy of When Writers Drive the Workshop! (You will want to win!)
The Question Formulation Technique for Deepening Thought
The Question Formulation Technique is a powerful instructional strategy across content areas.
How Do We Help Students Find Their Why?
At first, pride filled my heart, but as I continued to watch, I realized the work ethics I was watching at that moment hadn’t been as clear nor intentional throughout the year. The day’s show of teamwork could have been the culmination of a year’s work, but I knew it was something more.
SOL Tuesday
Come let your words out!
Connecting Through Story
“Story is the basic unit of human understanding.” – Drew Dudley, Day One Leadership. We have been learning through story for thousands of years. Our innate fascination for wanting to know what happens… Continue reading
Passionate Nonfiction Writing Starts with a Question
Author Melissa Stewart shares her expertise about the role questions play in nonfiction writing.
Year-End Sharing, Reflecting and Celebrating
We cannot underestimate the value of year-end sharing, celebrating and reflecting opportunities for young writers.
Literacy Coaches: How do you assess your impact?
A few months ago I received an email from a curriculum director in a district where I sometimes do a bit of consulting: Did I have any data regarding my impact in schools?… Continue reading
ICYMI: Our Third Annual Author Spotlight Series
Last week, seven authors and illustrators stopped by to share their expertise with us. ICYMI, here are the links to each of their posts, which all include giveaways of their books and more!
Write, Share, Give
Notice stories as they flicker around you. Share them here. It’s SOL Tuesday!
OLW Check-In
How is your OLW of 2017 going?
Welcome to Writing Workshop
Lynne Dorfman & I are in search of pictures of beautiful writing workshop spaces for our forthcoming Stenhouse book about the basics of writing workshop (to teachers who are new to using the workshop structure). If you teach in a physical space you’d like to showcase, then please fill out the Google Form in this post.
Conversations with Yourself
Anna Forrester, a debut picture book author, sings the praises of critique groups, morning pages, and conversing with yourself in today’s Author Spotlight post.
Writing “Things to Do” Poems: It’s All About the Action Words!
Today’s Author Spotlight includes some poetry with Elaine Magliaro, author of the new book, THINGS TO DO.
What Trouper (The Three-Legged Black Lab) Has to Teach About Poetry
Meg Kearney provides us with some ways to teach poetry in the elementary school in today’s Author Spotlight post.