literacy

Young Writer’s Workshop – The Persuasive Piece!

Molly Baldwin, 2nd Grade Teacher at Carl T. Mitnick School in Cape May, NJ, knows how to make writing come alive for her students. How do you make a persuasive writing assignment extra fun? Tie it to some wacky and wild picture books! YOUNG WRITER’S WORKSHOP – THE PERSUASIVE PIECE by Molly Baldwin For the… Read more »

Noticings and Wonderings: The Best Questions a Parent or Teacher Could Ask While Reading Aloud.

Guest Post by Boni Hamilton One of my best memories of childhood happened at a family friend’s country farmhouse during an unexpected snowstorm that stranded us. Imagine seven kids, chattering and giggling, snuggled together in a single bedroom. Either of my parents could have squelched the noise with a look, but our friends’ parents –… Read more »

2015 ALSC Book & Media Award Winners

Wondering what to read next? I’d start here! Congratulations to all the wonderful winners! John Newbery Medal The Crossover written by Kwame Alexander and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Newbery Honor Books El Deafo by Cece Bell, illustrated by Cece Bell and published by Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS. Brown Girl Dreaming written by… Read more »

Tuesdays for Teachers: “TOO” Cool Copycat Writing

Imitation may be the highest form of flattery, but it’s also a darn good writing tool. I call it “copycat” writing. Educators call it using a “mentor text.” If you’ve read my book LIGHT UP THE NIGHT, you realize that it was patterned after the classic THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT. The structure of the… Read more »