I recently watched a segment on “Sixty Minutes” that featured an orchestra from Cateura, Paraguay, whose instruments were made entirely of discarded objects found in the local landfill…trash! The orchestra known as “The Landfill Harmonic,” or “Los Reciclados,” was created by Favio Chaevez and Nicolaes Goemez, and consists of a dozen or more children that […]
Literacy
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Comma, Comma, Comma…Comma Cameleon
Have you ever read the book, Flowers for Algernon? It is the story set in the 1960’s of a special needs adult man named Charlie who undergoes surgery to increase his intelligence. At the beginning of the story, Charlie can write much as a young child can write, but he does not understand the concept of commas. After the […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Independent Reading Book Choice Questions
Independent reading in our school grades 7-12 means students read books of their own choosing, make recommendations, and keep records of what they read. Because of a illness on my staff, we have a substitute (Natalie) who is an enthusiastic graduate of our high school school with a BS degree in Creative Writing. She has been […]
Posted inFeatured, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy, Middle School, Uncategorized
My Son Only Read One Book in Middle School
This morning as I helped my son organize his bookshelf I asked him a question that came over me as I looked over his Diary of a Wimpy Kid series on his shelf, “what books did you enjoy most while in 6th and 7th grade?” He looked up at me like only a middle school […]
Posted inElementary School, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
5 Things You Need to Freshen Up in Your Centers this Year
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] The New Year often brings resolutions, starting over, and throwing out the old. Reflection is a powerful tool in classrooms that we often overlook. If you are new to centers, check […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Teaching Inference in Reading
“Since it is a sunny day today, I infer we’ll have recess.” My mouth dropped open in shock. Did this seven year old, first generation Latina really use the word “infer?” It was odd sounding, to be sure, but there it was. I laughed with delight and said we most certainly would have recess. She […]
Posted inCommon Core, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy, Middle School
Vocabulary Campaigns in the Content Area
While there are whirlwind changes in education such as new evaluation programs, digital devices in school, or flipped classrooms, one element remains constant: vocabulary. In order for students to succeed, they must understand the content area vocabulary in each subject area. “Vocabulary knowledge is fundamental to reading comprehension; one cannot understand text without knowing what most of the […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Build Reading Skills with Poetry
On Friday mornings, the lights would go off, quietly chatting, the class moved to the rug. Each child held a book of poems. They sat in a circle, poems on the floor in front of them. I would ask a student to start. As he began to read, the child next to him picked […]