Be intentional with your planning.  All good read alouds provide times for the teacher think aloud, for students to turn & talk, stop &a

How do you know when the students 'got it'? So, first, look back at your minilesson planning. What one thing did you want readers to gain

Running Records provide so much valuable information in such a short amount of time.  I know that when someone says "running records&

So...just what all goes in the Reader's Notebook?Reading Identity, Personal Bookshelf, Reading Goals, Minilesson Work & Independent Work

When students are engaged in the minilesson and practice the reading work, that engagement strategy or tool can be carried through into inde

A Data Wall is a place to show a snapshot of a group...not specific students and their personal information. Data walls should be created, d

First of all, Chris Van Allsburg is one of my favorite authors.  His books are usually listed as grades K-3 ages 4-7 but they are so....    

So, I've assembled student literacy portfolios and collected a variety of reading artifacts for each of my students.  Now what?

Using the BOOK BLURB is a quick and simple strategy that can increase focused reading engagement.  I know this sounds so simple but I have s

A minilesson has a predictable structure.  It starts with a connection to the prior learning.  It moves into stating what will be learned th

Building stamina in reading is important for young readers.  Much like building ​​endurance as a walker or runner, young readers need to bui

Sometimes the readers in the classroom need a little spark or boost to keep their hard reading work churning.