I know...I am the world's worst blogger. School has just been absolutely crazy! I am sure most of you can relate. The adjustment from h...
This month, the Reading Crew is celebrating spring! It's a fun link-up featuring a variety of mentor texts related to spring and a gr...
Anchor chart inspiration for elementary teachers. Use my Not-So-Pinteresty Anchor Charts for Reading, Math, Grammar, and Writing.
Be certain you tie up all your loose ends. I am writing another true crime mystery. I was knee-deep in blood in the lobby and elevator car of my detectives’ latest case. The tiny …
My brain is overflowing with ideas that I want to share with my teachers after attending the Summer Writing Institute at Teacher's Co...
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Learn how to organize book clubs and reading response prompts in your reading classroom. Launch your reading workshop properly.
A guide to using the 5 senses in writing. Find descriptive writing examples to create vivid writing that appeals to the senses
Sarah Tantillo shares teacher Jamison Fort's engaging lesson to help student writers sort through multiple claims and identify the best argumentative evidence.
FREE response to intervention forms and how to use them
When it comes to writing books, we are all going to make mistakes. Even the most experienced and successful authors do. Even after redrafting and editing it is almost impossible to write an utterly flawless book, and that’s OK because your readers don’t need your book to be perfect, they just want to enjoy your […]
Do you struggle adding emotional depth to your stories? Are you tired of hearing “go deeper” from crit partners and editors? Wondering how to create a more powerful connection and emotional impact …
A few years back my 4th graders completely misinterpreted the meaning of a text because they didn't understand that the character was now explaining something that had happened long ago. Flashbacks can be confusing to the reader. I really like The Summer My Father Was Ten by Pat Brisson as a mentor text for teaching about flashbacks. I got this book from Teaching for Deep Comprehension by Linda Dorn. The teaching resource has a DVD which shows a 4th grade teacher modeling how to use the book. Also, I really recommend this blog: Life in 4B http://lifein4b.blogspot.com/2011/12/were-baaaack.html if you don't already follow it. Its been a great resource for me for the last few years. A few weeks ago I was reading Sarah Plain and Tall with my 4th graders. I like using the story Dakota Dugout after reading Sarah Plain and Tall and then comparing the two stories. I got the idea for using Dakota Dugout to teach about flashbacks from Miss Bongers at Life in 4B. If you have any great suggestions about what books to use to teach children about flashbacks let me know. Christine
Learn common types of abbreviations that all 2nd grade students should know, and abbreviations activities to use in the classroom.
Character development gives your characters depth and takes readers on an engaging journey. Learn more about character arcs.
This blog post helps show how teachers can teach students how to write dialogue and to study dialogue in the books the read. Teaching dialogue is essential.
September 17, 2016 Hi Jen! I have followed you for a long time and have always been inspired by your work. I have been teaching for the last eight years and am entering my first year in third grade. I'm wondering if you can help me...
Hooray! I’m so excited to help host this section of our book study! Catherine from The Brown-Bag Teacher was such a wonderful coordinator of this study, and she knows me and my workshop addiction love, so this was a perfect week for me to host! Let me start off by telling you what Donalyn Miller suggests […]
Test prep goodies from TCRWP
Are you writing an action story? If so, make sure to include these key scenes in your draft so that you can deliver on readers' expectations and write a story that works!
It’s always so much fun listening and watching our young readers figure out those “longer” words. Many of our little ones are pretty solid decoding one-syllabe words and are now ready to learn strategies for decoding multisyllabic words. So, really, what is a syllable? Simply put, a syllable is a unit of pronunciation containing a […]
Incorporating social issues into our literacy studies is a great way to help students think more deeply about texts and get more engaged.
