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Reinventing the Reading Journal: Part II

Finding a teammate to share in this work, someone who has similar philosophies and work ethic, someone who understands children and appreciates how amazing they are, someone who knows you, warts and all, is a rare find indeed.  A teammate helps to make an already wonderful life as a teacher even more incredible. I have… Continue reading Reinventing the Reading Journal: Part II

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Lubaya’s Quiet Roar, written by Marilyn Nelson, paintings by Philemona Williamson

A quiet roar? Yes! This oxymoron captures the entire book! Lubaya hardly every raises her hand, even when she knows the right answer. She watches the hand-waving picked kids stand in the light of classroom admiration. We learn that introverted Lubaya is a day dreamer, an observer, an artist. She prefers solitude to joining in… Continue reading Lubaya’s Quiet Roar, written by Marilyn Nelson, paintings by Philemona Williamson

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Harnessing Curiosity to Grow Literacy and to Change the World

Featuring The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding the World’s Coral Reefs Written by Kate Messner Illustrated by Matthew Forsythe It starts with one..." If your school, or your child’s school, is like most, literacy is developed through instruction and immersion in three main genres and their related subgenres: narrative, informational, and opinion. As readers, children ascend through… Continue reading Harnessing Curiosity to Grow Literacy and to Change the World

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Templates to Enhance Literacy Instruction

What a year! One thing that has been remarkable about this time is the amount of open sharing that educators have done.  From Bitmoji Classrooms to teaching templates, we have embraced the notion of “We are all in this together.”  In the coming weeks, many schools are returning to a full and in person model… Continue reading Templates to Enhance Literacy Instruction

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Dreams for a Daughter by Carole Boston Weatherford

Dreams for a DaughterBy Carole Boston WeatherfordIllustrated by Brian Pinkney  It’s hard not to think of my three daughters and the women they will become during Women’s History Month. I feel so fortunate to be living in a time where there are so many strong women to serve as examples and role models for my… Continue reading Dreams for a Daughter by Carole Boston Weatherford

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The Field by Baptiste Paul Illustrations by Jacqueline Alcántara

Soccer, the island's national sport! When we read The Field, every boy and girl in the classroom experienced the feeling of freedom that comes with playing soccer with friends. During vacation, our children are outside playing with their friends all day long. And so they immediately and easily connected with the story. A special aspect… Continue reading The Field by Baptiste Paul Illustrations by Jacqueline Alcántara

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Can Bears Ski? by Raymond Antrobus and illustrated by Polly Dunbar

Someone I love very much is hearing impaired. When I met this person, I thought he was the only person I knew from the deaf and hard of hearing (DHOH) community. Because reading and sharing books is such a huge part of my life, I immediately set to work looking for books and stories including… Continue reading Can Bears Ski? by Raymond Antrobus and illustrated by Polly Dunbar

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Room on Our Rock by Jol and Kate Temple and Terri Rose Baynton

Two sides to every story, black and white, all or nothing... These beliefs capture the extremes of human nature which stop us in our tracks; for we are then, unable to see or accept the alternatives. "Room on our Rock" can be read from two perspectives. From front to back, according to my kindergartners, "the… Continue reading Room on Our Rock by Jol and Kate Temple and Terri Rose Baynton

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I Am the Storm by Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple illustrated by Kristen and Kevin Howdeshell

Some picture books provide just the right inspiration and framework for poetry writing in the classroom.  I Am the Storm by Jane Yolen and her daughter, Heidi E. Y. Stemple, is one of those books. The text and vivid illustrations by Kristen and Kevin Howdeshell beautifully and succinctly describe four types of powerful storms: tornados,… Continue reading I Am the Storm by Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple illustrated by Kristen and Kevin Howdeshell