Talk Moves
Talk moves are sentence starters that students use to join a class discussion – they encourage both academic thinking and social connectedness.
What’s Going On in This Picture?
On this site, daily Intriguing Times pictures without captions are posted, offering an opportunity for rich discussion and conversation, building oral language skills.
ONlit Guiding Principles
These are the key ideas and principles guiding the ONlit team’s work. We hope they might be helpful for you, as well, as we collectively work toward shifting systems to allow all children realize their right to learn to read.
Vocabulary Word Journal Template
Keeping a vocabulary journal is a strategy for helping students apply their knowledge of new words. Research shows that writing supports memory of words because it requires the cognitive skills of retrieval and repetition. Their vocabulary journal can also be a reference for students to use as they write. And they can add to it…
What are the two steps of revising writing?
Joan Sedita, founder of Keys to Literacy, explains the two key steps students need to learn in the revision process when writing: thinking critically about what they have written and how they can make improvements and proofreading.
How do I help my students who struggle with writing?
The ultimate goal of writing is communication, says Joan Sedita, founder of Keys to Literacy, who adds that teachers can help students struggling with transcription or spelling by using other strategies like dictation or drawing to help them develop their writing skills.
What are mentor texts? And how should I use them to help students improve their writing?
Joan Sedita, founder of Keys to Literacy, talks about how using “mentor texts” — short pieces of literature students can read and reread for specific learning purposes — can help students become better writers.
How can I motivate young writers?
Motivating young writers is not always easy, says Joan Sedita, founder of Keys to Literacy, but some strategies include giving students opportunities to work collaboratively, encouraging students to write about topics that are meaningful to them, and teaching students the power of writing to an authentic audience.
What are the four stages of the writing process?
Joan Sedita, founder of Keys to Literacy, talks about the four main stages of writing: thinking, planning, writing, and revising and the fact that the more time and effort students put into the first two stages and the last stage, the better their writing will be.
Reading Road Trip: How To Teach Writing with Dr. Steve Graham
In this week’s episode, Kate chats with Dr. Steve Graham about all things writing. Dr. Graham highlights the importance of handwriting and spelling, and unpacks evidence-based strategy instruction to build strong writers.
Reading Road Trip: Dyslexia Facts, Myths and Strategies with Dr. Jack Fletcher
Kate chats with Dr. Jack Fletcher this week, unpacking all things dyslexia: Risk factors and prevention, dyslexia vs dysteachia, instructional tips, wait-to-fail, and dyslexia myths and misconceptions.
Reading Road Trip: Novels in the Elementary Class: Best Practices with Clara Maria Fiorentini
Kate chats with Clara Fiorentini this week. Tune in to explore novels in the classroom: how class novel studies fit into structured literacy, how complex text can be scaffolded, using “read-alikes” to choose texts, and avoiding the perils of “extractitis” – don’t miss this thoughtful conversation about chapter books!
