Professional Resources
Spotlight on Professional Resources: Kids’ Poems
When I was first introduced to the idea of teaching free verse poetry to elementary students, I felt overwhelmed. Teaching
Menu
General
Explicit Teaching
Breaking Skills Into Strategies
The last several posts have been devoted to unpacking skills and strategies.  I have used Jennifer Serravallo’s definition of strategy: “step-by-step
Explicit Teaching
How Long Does It Take for a Strategy to Give Way to a Skill?
In my last two posts I wrote about the difference between telling and teaching and the distinction between a skill
Explicit Teaching
Skills vs. Strategies
If you missed my last post, before reading this one, take a moment to watch this 30-second clip. Did you notice a
Explicit Teaching
Telling Isn’t Teaching
I recently had the opportunity to visit my alma mater and speak to a group of undergrad education majors. I
Professional Resources
Spotlight on Professional Resources: Cracking Open the Author’s Craft
This is one of my FAVORITE books for teaching students how to live like a writer. In Cracking Open the
General
Thumb Thermometer
Yesterday I had the opportunity to observe a fabulous 3rd grade teacher present a writing minilesson on personal narratives. Â Toward
General
Breaking the Cycle
As this new school year begins, I am going to write a short series of reflections on the teaching of
