Teaching to Inspire with Jennifer Findley - Upper Elementary Teaching ...

Writing is not easy (teaching it or writing it). If you look at language acquisition, literacy learning, and how we actually learn, writing almost always comes last. For most students, it’s harder than speaking and reading because writing requires them...

You’ve probably tried the synonym posters. You’ve probably introduced “other ways to say…” lists. You may have even held a “ceremony” where certain overused words were officially put to rest because you never wanted to see them again in your students...

If you watch students during independent reading, a pattern shows up quickly: most choose fiction. It’s what they’re comfortable with and what they feel successful reading. That preference shows up in comprehension data, too. Fiction is often a strength...

Ask any group of teachers about independent reading and you’ll hear something like this: “Most days, it feels like a waste of time.”And then, almost in the same breath: “But it’s so important. They’re never going to get better unless they read.” That...