Today's students are confronted with a huge amount of information. To write tests, complete assignments, and even communicate with their peers, students need effective strategies to help them grow as learners. Whether they get their information from books, the Internet, or personal interview...

It is never too early to start comprehension instruction. In fact, reading begins with meaning making. Andie Cunningham and Ruth Shagoury designed a reading program for five- and six-year-olds based on this premise.

Most of the students in Andie's Portland, Oregon, kindergarten class ...

In 2006 three middle school teachers from Louisiana became the first team to win the national "Teacher of the Year" prize at the annual Disney Teacher Awards. Now, through their new book, Monique Wild, Amanda Mayeaux, and Kathryn Edmonds are ready to share their successful approach with othe...

In her previous books, Literacy Work Stations and Practice with Purpose, Debbie Diller showed teachers how to productively occupy the “rest of the class” while meeting with small groups. Now Debbie turns her attention to the groups themselves and the teacher's role in small...

Writing test scores indicate that boys have fallen far behind girls across the grades. In general, boys don't enjoy writing as much as girls. What's wrong? How can we do a better of job of creating “boy-friendly” classrooms so their voices can be heard?

In Boy Writers: Reclaimi...

What do we know about literature circles now that we didn't understand eight or ten years ago? What new resources and procedures can help teachers organize their classroom book clubs better? What are the most common pitfalls in implementing student-led discussion groups? And getting beyond t...

When we open the gates to nonfiction inquiry, we open our thinking and expect the unexpected, making reading discoveries, research discoveries, and writing discoveries on our way. Nonfiction Matters offers teachers the tools to help students explore nonfiction and dig deep to reach mo...

For those who truly wish to leave no child behind, the racial achievement gap in literacy is one of the most difficult issues in education today, and nowhere does it manifest itself more perniciously than in the case of black adolescent males.

Approaching the problem from the inside, A...

Tired of assigning weekly spelling lists that your students memorize for the test only to have them misspell the words in their daily writing? Then join Max Brand in his fifth-grade classroom where word learning is integrated fully into literacy workshops.

Using spelling investigation...

Do you spend hours creating word lists and weekly vocabulary tests only to find that your students have "forgotten" the words by the following week? Janet Allen and her students were frustrated with the same problem. Words, Words, Words describes the research that changed the way she ...

Linda Dorn and Carla Soffos describe the process of comprehension as a reflection of the mind—a window into the reader's thoughts. In Teaching for Deep Comprehension they discuss comprehension from a socio-cognitive perspective — specifically, how teachers can use the social context of ...

Your teacher training may have provided sound theory and a collection of instructional techniques, but it's often the practical details that can make day-to-day survival difficult in your first days, weeks, and years of teaching. For new teachers or those just new to the middle-school enviro...

Teaching comprehension with informational texts is a critical component of any reading program and one that many children struggle with as they progress through their schooling. Nonfiction can be overwhelming to young readers, presenting them with complex vocabulary and a new density of info...

We've learned a lot in recent years about the important role vocabulary plays in making meaning, yet many teachers still struggle with vocabulary instruction that goes beyond weekly word lists. Effective vocabulary instruction is particularly vital in the content areas, where the specialize...

Some teachers love grammar and some hate it, but nearly all struggle to find ways of making the mechanics of English meaningful to kids. As a middle school teacher, Jeff Anderson also discovered that his students were not grasping the basics, and that it was preventing them from reaching the...

"Write your answer and if you have time left over, you can draw a picture."

This all-too-familiar instruction to children sends the unfortunate message that writing has content and value and will be graded, but drawing is optional and will be ignored.

Yet these assumptions are not tr...

In schools of every description, teachers are working to turn their classrooms into reading-writing workshops. They're filling bookcases with the best of childrens literature, and students are tucking writers' notebooks into their bulging backpacks.

This new look calls for meaningful c...

Naked Reading was inspired by the author's ten-year-old granddaughter, whose frequent practice of spending time after a shower air-drying in the privacy of the bathroom, so she can continue reading an engrossing book, made Teri Lesesne curious about what makes some tweens avid readers...

"This book anchors shared reading as an essential element within a comprehensive and balanced literacy program." Margaret Mooney

In this book, Brenda Parkes introduces new teachers to shared reading and helps experienced teachers revitalize this important teaching practice. Starti...

While the population of Hispanic/Latino and African American students in the United States continues to grow, the rate at which they attend college remains alarmingly small. These students, who are often defined as "educationally underrepresented," are a bellwether of a shortcoming in our na...

How do we teach elementary students to independently use the different elements of craft that are discussed and taught in lessons? We begin by honoring the reality that terms like voice, sentence fluency, and writing with detail are descriptions of where we want our students to be, not next ...

A writer's notebook is an essential springboard for the pieces that will later be crafted in writers' workshop. It is here that students brainstorm topics, play with leads and endings, tweak a new revision strategy, or test out a genre for the first time.

In Notebook Know-How,...

In an increasingly demanding world of literacy, it has become critical that students know how to write effectively. From the requirements of standardized tests to those of the wired workplace, the ability to write well, once a luxury, has become a necessity. Many students are leaving school ...

For those of us who treasure memories of a childhood spent curled up with favorite books, it may be shocking to realize that reading is a chore for many of our students. In recent years, the increased class time spent on reading instruction geared toward measurable performance -- from tests...

Editing is often seen as one item on a list of steps in the writing process—usually put somewhere near the end, and often completely crowded out of writer's workshop. Too many times daily editing lessons happen in a vacuum, with no relationship to what students are writing.

In Ev...

Public discussions of global climate change and other threats to the planet are making children more aware of environmental issues. As increasing numbers of kids come to school wishing to take action, educators want to know how to teach in a way that fosters a love of nature and an understan...

Under No Child Left Behind, nearly every teacher faces a high-stakes balancing act; managing the often incompatible responsibilities of teaching students meaningfully or preparing them for standardized tests. Through their experiences teaching at a school that struggled to meet state test st...

Rick Wormeli is the teacher you would like to have on your team or in the room next door.from the Foreword by Ed Brazee

Drawing on the wisdom of educators, researchers, and twenty years of personal experience in the middle school classroom, Rick Wormeli lays out a clear vision o...

The reading that we value in school is becoming further and further distanced from the literacy students experience in their outside lives. Inside the classroom, we ask our students to immerse themselves in print texts and write purposefully. Once out the door, they are text-messaging, blo...

"Why should I read?" Can your students answer that question? Do they have trouble seeing the importance that reading may have in their lives? Are they lacking motivation, both in academic and recreational reading? Do you think you can effectively teach reading strategies if students don't un...

When teaching reading, American classrooms often focus exclusively on skills instruction. But how can you teach the “how” without the “why?”  In his new book, Igniting a Passion for Reading, Steve Layne shows teachers how to develop readers who are not only motivated to read great b...

Take two to four kids, give them a basket of books that go together in some way, and then provide time for them to read, think, and talk together about their ideas, their questions, their wonderings. That's the simple recipe for a reading club, and Kathy Collins demonstrates the powerful re...

Primary-grade teachers face an important challenge: teaching children how to read while enabling them to build good habits so they fall in love with reading. Many teachers find the independent reading workshop to be the component of reading instruction that meets this challenge because it m...

As teachers everywhere find more and more students with limited English in their classes, many are asking: “How can I include ELL students in every aspect of the day?”

Beginning with designing a classroom that welcomes students and creates appropriate conditions for learning, Eme...

Do your students often struggle with difficult novels and other challenging texts? Do they think one reading of a work is more than enough? Do they primarily comprehend at a surface-level, and are they frequently unwilling or unable to discover the deeper meaning found in multi-layered works...

If you have ever wondered how to teach comprehension strategies to primary-age children, read on.

First, imagine a primary-grade classroom where all the children are engaged and motivated; where the buzz of excited, emerging readers fills the air; where simultaneously words are ...

How can teachers use the comprehension strategies put forward in books like Strategies That Work and Mosaic of Thought to help students become not just better readers and thinkers but also better test takers? The four authors of Put Thinking to the Test have spent years ...

The goal of teaching writing is to create independent and self-motivated writers. When students write more often, they become better at writing. They acquire habits, skills, and strategies that enable them to learn more about the craft of writing. Yet they require the guidance and support of...

In this refreshing addition to differentiated learning literature, Rick Wormeli takes readers step-by-step from the blank page to a fully crafted differentiation lesson. Along the way he shows middle and high school teachers and behind-the-scenes planning that goes into effective lesson desi...

Faced with a vast list of roles and responsibilities and answering to a broad array of stakeholders, school administrators can feel like they must constantly play the role of invincible superhero. Rarely do they have the opportunity to engage in the kind of reflection, inquiry, and collegial...

Do you spend your days working with students who struggle to comprehend reading in literacy and content classes? Are you looking for a way to establish comprehensive literacy instruction in your school or classroom so all students receive support in becoming competent and confident readers?<...

The benefits and importance of Socratic seminars are widely recognized, but little has been written on how to make them happen successfully in the classroom. By offering real-world examples and straightforward answers to frequent questions, Matt Copeland has created a coaching guide ...

In her 30 years as an educator, Debbie Diller has closely examined classroom practice, asking "Why? What's the purpose?" Watching primary students work successfully at literacy work stations, she wondered with teachers, "Why don't we have upper-grade students doing this? Could we kick it up...

For most students, the intermediate years provide the last opportunity to prevent continued failure in reading and writing. These years are a critical bridge to the middle grades where the tendency is to be less personalized and focused on individual needs. Supporting Struggling Readers a...

"I believe in the power of collaborative classroom communities where everyone's ideas are valued and respected. But had you been in my classroom that day, you'd have never known it. You'd have thought I believed that I was the one with all the answers."

Effective, intentional te...

I Read It, but I Don't Get It is a practical, engaging account of how teachers can help adolescents develop new reading comprehension skills. Cris Tovani is an accomplished teacher and staff developer who writes with verve and humor about the challenges of working with students at all...

In the first edition of Beyond Leveled Books, Franki Sibberson and Karen Szymusiak, offered a much-needed perspective on moving transitional readers from the basic supports of leveling to independent book selection. Seven years later, drawing on their continued research and expanding...

This is a book about problem solving--an internal tool that shapes the cognitive development of young readers and writers. At the same time, it is a book about the role of the teacher and the curriculum in structuring problem-solving opportunities. It is a book that advocates for schools ...

The value of small-group instruction cannot be emphasized enough, but many teachers have found it difficult to manage, especially when class sizes remain large. Here is practical, theoretically-sound guidance for language arts teachers from pre-K through grade 5 who want help setting up lite...

Schoolyard-Enhanced Learning shows how the school grounds—regardless of whether your school is in an urban, suburban, or rural setting—can become an enriching extension of the classroom. In this comprehensive handbook, Herb Broda blends theory and practice, providing readers with ...

Do you love teaching but feel exhausted from the energy you expend cajoling, disciplining, and directing students on a daily basis? If so, you'll want to meet “The Sisters”, Gail Boushey and Joan Moser. Based on literacy learning and motivation research, they created a structure called...

Writing nonfiction represents a big step for most students. Most young writers are not intimidated by personal narrative, fiction, or even poetry, but when they try to put together a "teaching book," report, or persuasive essay, they often feel anxious and frustrated.

JoAnn Portalupi a...

In Responsive Literacy Coaching, Cheryl Dozier draws on twenty-four years of experience as an elementary classroom teacher and teacher educator to present both a theoretical framework and practical tools to enact responsive literacy coaching. Through thoughtful and purposeful coaching...

“Do I really have to teach reading?” This is the question many teachers of adolescents are asking, wondering how they can possibly add a new element to an already overloaded curriculum. And most are finding that the answer is “yes.” If they want their students to learn complex new co...

In the early grades, talking and drawing can provide children with a natural pathway to writing, yet these components are often overlooked. In Talking, Drawing, Writing: Lessons for Our Youngest Writers Martha Horn and Mary Ellen Giacobbe invite readers to join them in classrooms wh...

This book will help teachers solve the dilemma: What does the rest of my class do while I'm working with a small reading group? Debbie Diller offers practical suggestions for over a dozen literacy work stations that link to instruction and make preparation and management easy for teachers. L...

Writing is all about making meaning. The prospect of teaching writing to a classroom full of students—some who speak English and some who don't, can be overwhelming. When students learning English are at different levels, the task is even more challenging. Juli Kendall and Outey Khuon expe...

Teaching reading to children in a language that is not their own is a daunting task. Combining the best classroom practices and research on teaching reading and language acquisition, Mary Cappellini integrates effective reading instruction with effective language instruction. Through the fra...

In productive classrooms, teachers don't just teach children skills: they build emotionally and relationally healthy learning communities. Teachers create intellectual environments that produce not only technically competent students, but also caring, secure, actively literate human beings.<...

How do children's book authors create the wonder that we feel when reading our favorite books? What can students and teachers learn from these authors and books if we let them serve as writing mentors? In Mentor Texts, Lynne Dorfman and Rose Cappelli show teachers how to help students...

Every elementary teacher deals with students who struggle as readers on a daily basis. Each struggling child is complex and each has a unique history as a learner. In One Child at a Time, experienced literacy specialist and consultant Pat Johnson provides a framework she has used in n...

In his workshops with teachers over the years, Patrick Allen has encountered a long list of “counterfeit beliefs” about the process of conferring with students, including such comments as: “I don’t have time. I don’t know what questions to ask, It’s too hard, I don’t know what ...

This easy-to-read text will guide K-3 teachers as they develop a reading and writing program for all their students. An apprenticeship approach to literacy emphasizes the role of the teacher in providing demonstrations, engaging children, monitoring their understanding, providing timely supp...

Comic books and graphic novels, known collectively as "graphica," have long been popular with teenagers and adults. Recently graphica has grown in popularity with younger readers as well, motivating and engaging some of our most reluctant readers who often shun traditional texts. While som...

When you assign a research report, do you hear groans of dismay? Audible groans from the students and your own internal groan, because you know that most of what you read, and have to grade, will be a lifeless string of facts, as devoid of the writer's voice as an encyclopedia entry?

I...

Less Is More is full of powerful ideas for teaching with short, provocative text. This book broadens and extends our available teaching tools and materials, and can help engage all students. It is a valuable resource for language arts teachers.—Cris Tovani

Language arts teachers...