News stories are generally written in what is commonly known as the inverted pyramid style, in which the opening paragraph features the “5 Ws” of journalism: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How. The reason for this style is so that the reader gets the most important information up front. Given the amount of time […]
Literacy
Posted inCommon Core, How to Fix Education, Instruction & Curriculum, Languages, Literacy, Opinion, Science, Social Studies, Uncategorized
Teacher Collaboration: Scaffolding by Grade Levels
Is your department communicating? It seems like common sense, however, too many times teachers in the same subjects are not communicating from one level to the next. Students shouldn’t have to fill in gaps when they progress within a subject. Teachers need to move beyond the possessive view of students and begin to collaborate across […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Making the Most of Book Reports
I require book reports from my students each month. These are projects that are done at home, but could just as easily be done in class. Before school starts I assign a book genre to each month. The crop of kids I have determines the format for the book. This year I happen to have […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Encouraging Parental Involvement In Reading
We have a seven hour day at my school. All in all I’d say my second/third grade students spend about four of those hours in some type of reading, whether it be science, geography, social studies, math or directed reading groups. We all know that outside reading is a significant part of growth for the […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Creating 'Published' Student Writers
I love to teach writing. Being able to open up the minds of kids and introduce them to the ability they have to create anything they can dream about and put it down on paper is so rewarding to both the student and the teacher. We write about everything and I have clipboards hanging in […]
Posted inHigh School, Literacy, Uncategorized
Secure Your Oxygen Mask First in the Classroom
If you’ve ever flown on a commercial airline flight, you are well aware of the instructions that occur before the airplane approaches the runway. It may sound something like, “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for flying XX airlines…please fasten your seatbelt and make sure that your tray and seat are in the upright position…emergency exits are here, […]
Posted inFeatured, High School, Literacy
Teachers as Voice Over for the Student-Hero Journey
Saturday, March 14th, Cornelius Minor, a Staff Developer at The Reading & Writing Project gave the luncheon keynote address to over 300 educators at the 2nd Annual Conference for The Teaching Studio at The Learning Community, a public charter school in Central Falls, Rhode Island. While he began his address with humor and participation, Minor quickly got to […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Elementary School, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Kindergarten, Literacy, Parents
Golden Road to Success in Kindergarten- A Guide for Parents
It’s finally here. The end of Pre-k. The beginning of summer. Kindergarten is coming closer. You’ve waited on bated breath for this moment. Your sweet baby is about to enter ‘big kid’s school’! That rush of happiness is filled with a small ache of ‘what ifs’. What if they aren’t happy? What if they don’t […]