Top literacy strategies for elementary classrooms

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jennifer Luff on February 1, 2009 at 7:24pm

This sounds really interesting - would love to hear more about the 8 weeks. How it was broken up? Do you have any forms you might be able to share? Thanks

Permalink Reply by Patrick Stansberry on January 22, 2009 at 8:20am

I read Mosaics of Thought by Ellin Oliver Keene and Susan Zimmerman. It is a great book on comprehension strategies. Students in my 2nd grade classroom are at the point of jumping into longer books, so I work with them on making connections between the book and their own lives and the book and other books we have already read.

In K and 1 there is so much emphasis on phonics and fluency that a lot of students don't realize it is important to think about what they are reading.

Permalink Reply by Michelle TeGrootenhuis on January 25, 2009 at 10:48am

As far as "instructional" strategies, I have really come to love the 5-10 minute sharing time after independent reading when I call on kids (some purposefully and some randomly) to share their thinking that they recorded (usually about the comprehension strategy we are currently studying) while they read. Quite often they end up giving mini-book talks as they share their excitement over the book they are reading. This also gives me a minute to provide "closure" to our reading time as I summarize our learning for the day. I can't imagine teaching reading without that sharing time.

Good question! Thanks for posting.