Reading
Dazed and Confused
From the desk of Amanda… I got an email yesterday… It was from a teacher. It was a question. The question was about a lesson idea. I am SO excited. I love it when we can be smarter together. It made me think, “I bet other people have this same question.” So I decided…
Read MoreJerome
From the desk of Karen… “When I think back to our anchor classroom and others like it, it’s this same kind of spirit that permeates the very air. Children seem to breathe in, “I/We can do this” and breathe out, “Here’s how.” They see themselves and each other as kids with purpose; they see themselves…
Read MoreBe a Guided Reading Fashionista
From the desk of Melissa… Somehow I don’t think this is what Glamour magazine had in mind when they were writing their fashion notes for 2012: cheerful color-blocking (√), colorful camo (√), and metallic basics (√). All the pieces are there, but something still isn’t right. Have you ever found this to be true in…
Read MoreGuided Piano
From the Desk of Melissa… What if we taught piano lessons like we do reading? “Alright, we are ready for our lesson today. To begin I am going to show you the notes in our song and play them. You are going to tell me what they are.” “Now you are going to see these…
Read MoreAsking Our Questions for the First Time
From the desk of Karen…. This true story demonstrates why I am so grateful to Debbie Miller, Stephanie Harvey, and Cris Tovani. I share this short transcript of the first time this group of struggling readers brought their own questions to a reading group like these ladies taught me. Jerome began our discussion by asking,…
Read MoreQuestioning Questioning Part 2
From the desk of Amanda… Last week we talked about taking the first step in having students ask questions. The goal with step one is just to practice asking questions so students can strengthen their inner voices—the simple act of being conscious and intentional about asking questions helps achieve that. But we can’t stop there. …
Read MoreA Question about Questioning
From the desk of Amanda… I’m a rule follower. This is a good thing if you’re riding in a car with me, but sometimes following the rules can be a bad thing. Let me explain what I mean. When I was still teaching, I followed the rules. Whatever my principal said to do, I did—even…
Read MoreA Baby Only Wears a Sweater When . . .
From the desk of Karen…This true story is one I live by and I offer it to you for reflection. A darling little boy was born into this world. His mother was thrilled. There were problems, of course. In the first 10 days, the baby would not stop crying. Despite all her efforts, the baby…
Read MoreTest Prep
From the Desk of Hope… Anxious. Frustrated. Unmotivated. Worried. These are all adjectives that describe the behaviors I see in some lessons centered around test preparation. Teachers feel tremendous pressure to prepare students for high stakes tests. In response they spend considerable time (sometimes months) before the test on test-like items and teaching test-taking strategies.…
Read MoreWhen Reading is a Waste of Time
From the Desk of Amanda…. As you read the title of this blog you are probably thinking, “What?!? An education company is writing about reading being a waste of time. This is outrageous!” But stay with me and I think you’ll see what I mean… Let’s say it’s 8:30 on a Thursday night. You worked…
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