The Choice Literacy Book Club is open to everyone! You will find a book talk video and a Padlet where our community has shared their thoughts about the book. Feel free to join! Click here to find out more about the Choice Literacy Book Club!

Contributors Discussing Unbound

Order of joining the conversation:

Ruth Ayres

Tammy Mulligan

Bitsy Parks

Christy Rush-Levine

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Become a Choice Literacy member!

We are pleased to announce updates with our group memberships. Literacy Team memberships offer a discounted rate, as well as the ease of managing your team through a group dashboard. Click here to check out all of our membership options.

Free For All 

The Choice Literacy Book Club discusses Apple and Magnolia by Laura Gehl and Patricia Metola on the podcast.

Don't miss the publisher's guide to Apple and Magnolia. It is a treasure of nonfiction articles about trees as well as discussion questions to deepen conversations.

Stephanie Affinito wrote a book review about Apple and Magnolia by Laura Gehl and Patricia Metola on Teachers|Books|Readers.

The Discussion Quote Collection gives you something to talk about if you're pondering speaking and listening.

Gretchen Schroeder shares some conversation fixes for when talk goes awry in her high school classroom. This article was first published in 2017.

The Choice Literacy Book Club is open to everyone! You will find a book talk video and a Padlet where our community has shared their thoughts about the book. Feel free to join! Click here to find out more about the Choice Literacy Book Club!

Contributors Discussing Unbound

Order of joining the conversation:

Kate Mills

Tara Barnett

Christy Rush-Levine

Bitsy Parks

Ruth Ayres

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

Become a Choice Literacy member!

We are pleased to announce updates with our group memberships. Literacy Team memberships offer a discounted rate, as well as the ease of managing your team through a group dashboard. Click here to check out all of our membership options.

Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter with a round-up of features around a key topic in literacy education. Click here for ALL links discussed.

Become a Choice Literacy member!

We are pleased to announce updates with our group memberships. Literacy Team memberships offer a discounted rate, as well as the ease of managing your team through a group dashboard. Click here to check out all of our membership options.

Free for All

Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter with a round-up of features around a key topic in literacy education. Click here for ALL links discussed.

Become a Choice Literacy member!

We are pleased to announce updates with our group memberships. Literacy Team memberships offer a discounted rate, as well as the ease of managing your team through a group dashboard. Click here to check out all of our membership options.

Free for All

Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter with a round-up of features around a key topic in literacy education. Click here for ALL links discussed.

Free for All

Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan discuss ways teachers can get the most out of any assessment data, moving beyond numbers for insights into how to structure and target instruction. (This article was first published in 2012.)

Don't miss Kate and Tara's book talk about The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad, S.K. Ali, and Hatem Aly. Join the Choice Literacy Book Club and read along with us this month. (PS—This is hands down the most low-pressure book club to join!)

Candice Bocala and Kathryn Parker Boudett encourage educator teams to take a more inquiry-based approach to data analysis to address inequitable norms and patterns.

NOW AVAILABLE! Don't miss Better Student Feedback: Giving, Receiving, and Using Student Feedback withRuth Ayres. This course is free to Literacy Leader members and available to purchase.

Become a Choice Literacy member!

We are pleased to announce updates with our group memberships. Literacy Team memberships offer a discounted rate, as well as the ease of managing your team through a group dashboard. Click here to check out all of our membership options.

Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter with a round-up of features around a key topic in literacy education. Click here for ALL links discussed.

Free for All

Become a Choice Literacy member!

We are pleased to announce updates with our group memberships. Literacy Team memberships offer a discounted rate, as well as the ease of managing your team through a group dashboard. Click here to check out all of our membership options.

Contributors, in order of joining the conversation:

• Mandy Robek
• Bitsy Parks
• Tammy Mulligan
• Ruth Ayres

Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter with a round-up of features around a key topic in literacy education. Click here for ALL links discussed.

Free for All

Become a Choice Literacy member!

We are pleased to announce updates with our group memberships. Literacy Team memberships offer a discounted rate, as well as the ease of managing your team through a group dashboard. Click here to check out all of our membership options.

Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter with a round-up of features around a key topic in literacy education. Click here for ALL links discussed.

Free for All

Carly Ullmer assesses how she can give consistent and meaningful feedback to every one of her many middle school students at least once a week. (This article was first published in 2017.)

Ruth Ayres finds there can be a difference between questions in writing conferences that inspire an enthusiastic response, and those that foster more reflection and independence. Download a question list to use during your writing conferences. (This article was first published in 2017.)

Mandy Robek shares a book talk about Unbound: The Life + Art of Judith Scott by Joyce Scott with Brie Spangler and Melissa Sweet. Don't miss this new picture book! Join the Choice Literacy Book Club and read it with us this month.

Listen in on the podcast as Ruth Ayres and Cathy Mere discuss this week's theme.

Matt Renwick is offering a free e-book in anticipation of the release of his new book, Leading Like a C.O.A.C.H. You can get the free e-book and subscribe to Matt's newsletter.

Don't miss The Limits of Levels: Expanding Boundaries of How We Assess Young Readers with Cathy Mere. This course is free to Literacy Leader members and available to purchase.

Become a Choice Literacy member!

We are pleased to announce updates with our group memberships. Literacy Team memberships offer a discounted rate, as well as the ease of managing your team through a group dashboard. Click here to check out all of our membership options.

Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter with a round-up of features around a key topic in literacy education. Click here for ALL links discussed.

Free for All

Join the Choice Literacy Book Club! This month we are reading Unbound: The Life + Art of Judith Scott by Joyce Scott with Brie Spangler and Melissa Sweet. Sign up now so you are in the know about #ChoiceLiteracyBookClub.

Matt Renwick is offering a free e-book in anticipation of the release of his new book, Leading Like a C.O.A.C.H. You can get the free e-book and subscribe to Matt's newsletter.

Chris Sperry and Cyndy Scheibe share how to teach your students to be "truth seekers" with this curriculum-driven, inquiry-based media analysis activity.

Ruth Ayres suggests four notebook pages to help students balance facts and emotions when writing persuasively. (This article was first published in 2021.)

Mandy Robek is a little nervous about setting her students loose to organize informational texts, but she couldn't be more pleased by what they learn in the process. (This article was first published in 2020.)

Don't miss The Limits of Levels: Expanding Boundaries of How We Assess Young Readers with Cathy Mere. This course is free to Literacy Leader members and available to purchase.

Become a Choice Literacy member!

We are pleased to announce updates with our group memberships. Literacy Team memberships offer a discounted rate, as well as the ease of managing your team through a group dashboard. Click here to check out all of our membership options.

Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter with a round-up of features around a key topic in literacy education. Click here for ALL links discussed.

Free for All

Join the Choice Literacy Book Club! This month we are reading Outside, Inside by LeUyen Pham. Sign up now so you are in the know about #ChoiceLiteracyBookClub.

Matt Renwick is offering a free ebook in anticipation of the release of his new book, Leading Like a C.O.A.C.H. You can get the free ebook and subscribe to Matt's newsletter.

Bitsy Parks shares some of her favorite strategies for quick and meaningful word work groups in her first-grade classroom. (This article was first published in 2020.)

Brian Sepe shares one of his favorite activities for small groups of young learners: making books together. (This article was first published in 2020.)

NOW AVAILABLE! Don't miss The Limits of Levels: Expanding Boundaries of How We Assess Young Readerswith Cathy Mere. This course is free to Literacy Leader members and available to purchase.

Become a Choice Literacy member!

We are pleased to announce updates with our group memberships. Literacy Team memberships offer a discounted rate, as well as the ease of managing your team through a group dashboard. Click here to check out all of our membership options.

Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter with a round-up of features around a key topic in literacy education. Click here for ALL links discussed.

Free for All

Join the Choice Literacy Book Club! This month we are reading Outside, Inside by LeUyen Pham. Sign up now so you are in the know about #ChoiceLiteracyBookClub.

Tammy Mulligan enhances the quality of the class read aloud and student discussions with the use of a whole-class response notebook. (This article was first published in 2019.)

Featured contributor Brian Sepe discusses the importance of professional connections on the podcast. (This podcast was released in May 2021.)

Melanie Swider discovers that conversations after read alouds are a wonderful way for students to remember and retain the learning from shared texts. (This article was first published in 2015.)

Become a Choice Literacy member!

We are pleased to announce updates with our group memberships. Literacy Team memberships offer a discounted rate, as well as the ease of managing your team through a group dashboard. Click here to check out all of our membership options.

Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter with a round-up of features around a key topic in literacy education. Click here for ALL links discussed.

Timeline

00:00  Welcome

00:28  Lead Essay by Ruth Ayres

02:13  Free For All Content Highlights

09:25  Classic Classroom Content Highlights

18:48 Literacy Leader Content Highlights

Free for All

Join the Choice Literacy Book Club! We are taking a break in the month of December and will be back in January. Sign up now so you are in the know about #ChoiceLiteracyBookClub.

Suzy Kaback thinks deeply about the concept of belonging as an essential part of building a school community. This article was first published in 2020.

Melissa Quimby creates "Meet Someone New Monday" to inspire students with picture book biographies of little-known artists, activists, and citizens who accomplish remarkable feats.

Become a Choice Literacy member!

We are pleased to announce updates with our group memberships. Literacy Team memberships offer a discounted rate, as well as the ease of managing your team through a group dashboard. Click here to check out all of our membership options.

Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter with a round-up of features around a key topic in literacy education. Click here for ALL links discussed.

Timeline

00:00  Welcome

00:28  Lead Essay by Ruth Ayres

03:17  Free For All Content Highlights

10:48  Classic Classroom Content Highlights

16:28 Literacy Leader Content Highlights

Free for All

Join the Choice Literacy Book Club! We are taking a break in the month of December and will be back in January. Sign up now so you are in the know about #ChoiceLiteracyBookClub.

Tara Barnett and Kate Mills use a know and wonder activity to encourage curiosity and independence as their seventh graders begin a new text. This article was first published in 2018.

Andrea Smith builds reflection into whole-class discussions in her fourth-grade classroom by beginning an anchor chart with four different illustrations from the covers of a read-aloud. This article was first published in 2017.

Melanie Quinn consoles a teacher who is recovering from a disastrous lesson captured on video, and shows the power of a "do-over" for both teachers and students. This article was first published in 2012.

Become a Choice Literacy member!

We are pleased to announce updates with our group memberships. Literacy Team memberships offer a discounted rate, as well as the ease of managing your team through a group dashboard. Click here to check out all of our membership options.

This year the Choice Literacy Book Club was formed. You will find a book talk video and a Padlet where our community has shared their thoughts about the book. Feel free to join! Click here to find out more about the Choice Literacy Book Club!

Contributors Discussing Enduring Freedom

Order of joining the conversation:

Melanie Meehan

Ruth Ayres

Bitsy Parks

Click here for ALL links discussed.

Timeline

00:00  Welcome

00:30  Lead Essay by Ruth Ayres

04:15 Book Club Discussion

We have been diligent about adding courses for you to explore. All courses are free to our Literacy Leader and Literacy Team members. Some are free to Classic Classroom members. Anyone may purchase a course for unlimited access to its content.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

Become a Choice Literacy member!

We are pleased to announce updates with our group memberships. Literacy Team memberships offer a discounted rate, as well as the ease of managing your team through a group dashboard. Click here to check out all of our membership options.

Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter with a round-up of features around a key topic in literacy education. Click here for ALL links discussed.

Timeline

00:00  Welcome

00:28  Lead Essay by Ruth Ayres

03:00  Free For All Content Highlights

08:54  Classic Classroom Content Highlights

15:30 Literacy Leader Content Highlights

Free for All

Join the Choice Literacy Book Club! Melanie Meehan selected the picture book Octopus Stew by Eric Velasquez as our November read. Grab a copy, and join the conversation using the hashtag #ChoiceLiteracyBookClub. 

Melanie Meehan and Ruth Ayres discuss this week's theme, classroom libraries, on the podcast.

Join the Choice Chat. Share a gratitude by leaving a comment on any of our social media channels. We’re giving away a free course to one commenter on each platform. The winner chooses the course.

Sean Musselman shares a less than perfect journey to a more inclusive classroom library on the Teacher|Books|Readers blog.

Mandy Robek realizes her classroom library isn't working for her second graders, in part because many of the books are still too difficult for students early in the year. She explains her process of sorting and stowing books for later use. This article was first published in 2016.

Mary Lee Hahn finds some of her fifth-grade readers are stuck in ruts by early winter. Her solution involves some radical changes to her classroom library over winter break. This article was first published in 2017.

Brian Sepe guides us into making a gratitude practice a powerful and practical part of each day.

Become a Choice Literacy member!

Click here to find out more about membership options.

Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter with a round-up of features around a key topic in literacy education. Click here for ALL links discussed.

Timeline

00:00  Welcome

00:28  Lead Essay by Ruth Ayres

04:00  Free For All Content Highlights

09:23  Classic Classroom Content Highlights

15:44 Literacy Leader Content Highlights

Free for All

Join the Choice Literacy Book Club! Melanie Meehan selected the picture book Octopus Stew by Eric Velasquez as our November read. Grab a copy, and join the conversation using the hashtag #ChoiceLiteracyBookClub. 

Tara Barnett and Kate Mills use the Sara Bareilles song "Brave" to help their fourth-grade students move from bed-to-bed stories to more emotive writing early in the year. This article was first published in 2016.

Katrina Edwards moves her first-grade class out of a rut with writing shares by introducing many new options. This article was first published in 2017.

Ruth Ayres catalogs her favorite types of share sessions (from old favorites to creative innovations) in writing workshops. This article was first published in 2018.

Shawn Achor shares the happy secret to better work.

Become a Choice Literacy member!

Click here to find out more about membership options.

This year the Choice Literacy Book Club was formed. You will find a book talk video and a Padlet where our community has shared their thoughts about the book. Feel free to join! Click here to find out more about the Choice Literacy Book Club!

Contributors Discussing Enduring Freedom

Order of joining the conversation:

Leigh Anne Eck

Christy Rush-Levine

Tara Barnett

Ruth Ayres

Click here for ALL links discussed.

Timeline

00:00  Welcome

00:28  Lead Essay by Ruth Ayres

03:15 Book Club Discussion

Free for All

Join the Choice Literacy Book Club! Leigh Anne Eck selected the young adult novel Enduring Freedom by Jawad Arash and Trent Reedy as our October read. Grab a copy, and join the conversation using the hashtag #ChoiceLiteracyBookClub. 

Gretchen Schroeder reflects on why some of her students have developed a fear of reading by the time they reach high school. (This article was first published in 2018.)

Dana Murphy outlines the teaching practices that she learned from remote teaching and plans to carry with her upon returning to a physical classroom. (This article was first published in April 2021.)

We have been diligent about adding courses for you to explore. All courses are free to our Literacy Leader and Literacy Team members. Some are free to Classic Classroom members. Anyone may purchase a course for unlimited access to its content.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

Become a Choice Literacy member!

We are pleased to announce updates with our group memberships. Literacy Team memberships offer a discounted rate, as well as the ease of managing your team through a group dashboard. Click here to check out all of our membership options.

Click here for ALL links discussed.

Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter with a round-up of features around a key topic in literacy education. You can find the October 22, 2021 issue here. 

Timeline

00:00  Welcome

00:28  Lead Essay by Leigh Anne Eck

03:18  Free For All Content Highlights

10:18  Classic Classroom Content Highlights

18:45 Literacy Leader Content Highlights

Free for All

Join the Choice Literacy Book Club! Leigh Anne Eck selected the young adult novel Enduring Freedom by Jawad Arash and Trent Reedy as our October read. Grab a copy, and join the conversation using the hashtag #ChoiceLiteracyBookClub. 

Ruth Ayres and Cathy Mere discuss this week's theme, building bridges, on the podcast. 

Katherine Sokolowski uses the Community Timeline Project to bring together students and older community members around history and writing. Includes a downloadable interview guide to help students record the interviewee's life story. (This article was first published in 2019.)

Email is a terrific way to communicate with parents—Trish Prentice has practical tips for keeping it simple and saving time when using email. (This article was first published in 2012.)

Become a Choice Literacy member!

Click here to find out more about membership options.

Click here for ALL links discussed.

Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter with a round-up of features around a key topic in literacy education. You can find the October 15, 2021 issue here. 

Timeline

00:00  Welcome

00:28  Lead Essay by Ruth Ayres and Sam Ayres

04:10  Free For All Content Highlights

10:27  Classic Classroom Content Highlights

18:30 Literacy Leader Content Highlights

Free for All

Join the Choice Literacy Book Club! Leigh Anne Eck selected the young adult novel Enduring Freedom by Jawad Arash and Trent Reedy as our October read. Grab a copy, and join the conversation using the hashtag #ChoiceLiteracyBookClub. 

Brenda Power suggests formats for creative events that build stronger home-school connections. This article was first published in 2019.

Mandy Robek compiles a list of her tried-and-true books for brain breaks with young learners. This article was first published in 2014.

Jen Schwanke shares some strategies for sustaining student attention, beyond just calling out a student's name over and over and over again. This article was first published in 2019.

Our Process Play course Empower Choice for Readers and Writers by elementary contributors will fuel your creativity for offering more choice to students in reading and writing. Free to members and available to purchase.

Become a Choice Literacy member!

Click here to find out more about membership options.

Click here for ALL links discussed.

Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter with a round-up of features around a key topic in literacy education. You can find the October 8, 2021 issue here. 

Timeline

00:00  Welcome

00:28  Lead Essay by Mandy Robek

04:30  Free For All Content Highlights

15:25  Classic Classroom Content Highlights

21:05 Literacy Leader Content Highlights

Free for All

Join the Choice Literacy Book Club! Leigh Anne Eck selected the young adult novel Enduring Freedom by Jawad Arash and Trent Reedy as our October read. Grab a copy, and join the conversation using the hashtag #ChoiceLiteracyBookClub. 

Adolescent learners can face daunting reading loads in high school that they need to tackle at home. Jen Schwanke has tips for how teachers and parents can work together to help teens develop strategies for dealing with a lot of complex reading quickly.

Tara Barnett and Kate Mills lead virtual parent book clubs to foster more home/school connections and build a love of reading outside the school walls.

Don't miss our downloads! Christy Rush-Levine emphasizes "reflaction" in her reading conference protocol—reflection that leads to action for her students. Download the Reflaction Form to use with students.

If you enjoyed Christy's article and download, make sure to check out her Deep Dive course Meaningful Reading Conferences. Free to members and available to purchase.

Become a Choice Literacy member!

Click here to find out more about membership options.

Click here for ALL links discussed.

Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter with a round-up of features around a key topic in literacy education. You can find the October 1, 2021 issue here. 

Timeline

00:00  Welcome

00:28  Lead Essay by Cathy Mere

03:07  Content Highlights

Free for All

Join the Choice Literacy Book Club! Leigh Anne Eck selected the young adult novel Enduring Freedom by Jawad Arash and Trent Reedy as our October read. Grab a copy, and join the conversation using the hashtag #ChoiceLiteracyBookClub. 

Christy Rush-Levine considers how her rubrics do not acknowledge different levels of support some students need to accomplish tasks. She rethinks her rubric design to include support, and in the process fosters more independence and reflection in students. Download the assessment rubric. This article was first published in 2017.

Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan explain how literacy coaches can validate and support teachers by helping them refine their classroom notetaking skills. This article was first published in 2012.

Don't miss our Field Experience course about small group instruction! Classroom observations are some of the most valuable learning experiences. Yet there is no way you can see everything when visiting a live classroom. Our Field Experience collection allows you to virtually discover diverse field experiences and see instructional strategies that pique your interest, as well as learn about the art of teaching. Free to members and available to purchase.

Become a Choice Literacy member!

Click here to find out more about membership options.

This year the Choice Literacy Book Club was formed. You will find a book talk video and a Padlet where our community has shared their thoughts about the book. Feel free to join! Click here to find out more about the Choice Literacy Book Club!

Contributors Discussing Ouch! Moments

Order of joining the conversation:

Heather Fisher

Christy Rush-Levine

Ruth Ayres

Jen Court

Cathy Mere

Leigh Anne Eck

Click here for ALL links discussed.

Timeline

00:00  Welcome

00:28  Lead Essay by Ruth Ayres

02:23  New Content Highlights

6:23 Book Club Discussion

Free for All

Join the Choice Literacy Book Club! Heather Fisher selected So You Want to Be an Owl by Jane Porter and Maddie Frost as our September read. Grab a copy, and join the conversation using the hashtag #ChoiceLiteracyBookClub. 

One way to keep your instruction fresh in a required writing unit is to take on the tasks and topics yourself. Dana Murphy finds completing the assignments herself is well worth her time and gives her a treasure trove of notebook entries to use in her conferring. This article was first published in 2018.

Melanie Meehan shares how everything from transitions to clutter can provide clues for how to increase student output and enjoyment. This article was first published in 2017.

Field Experience Course: Writer's Notebooks: Writer's notebooks are important tools for writers. This field experience showcases how elementary teachers use notebooks with young students. Free to members and available to purchase.

Become a Choice Literacy member!

Click here to find out more about membership options.

Click here for ALL links discussed.

Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter with a round-up of features around a key topic in literacy education. You can find the September 19, 2021 issue here. 

Timeline

00:00  Welcome

00:28  Lead Essay by Ruth Ayres

03:34  Free for All Conversation

10:08  Classic Classroom Conversation

17:14 Literacy Leader Content Conversation

Free for All

Join the Choice Literacy Book Club! Heather Fisher selected So You Want to Be an Owl by Jane Porter and Maddie Frost as our September read. Grab a copy, and join the conversation using the hashtag #ChoiceLiteracyBookClub. 

Mandy Robek learns a lot about worry from her daughter, and at the same time discovers a treasure trove of children's books to help students overcome worries. This is a fantastic booklist and was first published in 2021.

Christy Rush-Levine finds administrators are questioning the value of read alouds, especially with older students. She shares how she uses the picture book Love in her middle school classroom to launch challenging discussions about timely themes. This article was first published in 2018.

Reading Rockets shares about the features in e-books that may distract, support, or extend comprehension and the need for more scaffolding of reading instruction with e-books. 

Field Experience Course: Picture Books and Older Students: The value of picture books with secondary students is often questioned. This field experience allows insight into the depth and power of picture books for older students. Our Field Experience courses simulate classroom observations and conversations to experience high quality teaching situations. Free to members and available to purchase.

Become a Choice Literacy member!

Click here to find out more about membership options.