Teaching Literacy

Grades 5-8 Book Review In One Crazy Summer, eleven-year-old Delphine is like a mother to her two younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern. She’s had to be, ever since their mother, Cecile, left them seven years ago for a radical new life in California. But when the sisters arrive from Brooklyn to spend the summer with…

Grades 4-6 Book Review A Sirius Adventure is a historical adventure novel set in the 18th century. The story follows a young Portuguese boy and his dog who embark on a perilous sea journey after the boy’s father opposes heavy monarchy taxes. Initially aimed for Brazil, the brigantine they travel on is thrown off course…

Grades 2-5 Book Review Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco is a powerful children’s book that explores themes of friendship, bravery, and the devastating effects of the Civil War. It tells the story of two young Union soldiers, Pinkus “Pink” Aylee, an African American boy, and Sheldon “Say” Curtis, a white boy, who meet after…

For years, classrooms have displayed colorful anchor charts listing various types of context clues – definitions, antonyms, synonyms, and more. But ask yourself: when was the last time you consciously identified a “context clue type” while reading? The reality is that proficient readers use context clues naturally and seamlessly without mentally categorizing them. Research has…

Grades 2-5 Elementary Book Review “A Butterfly Is Patient” by Dianna Hutts Aston, illustrated by Sylvia Long, is a beautifully crafted children’s book that combines poetic prose with stunning illustrations to explore the enchanting world of butterflies. This book is part of the acclaimed series by Aston and Long, which includes other titles such as…

Review “The Lotus Seed” by Sherry Garland is a beautifully illustrated children’s book that tells the story of a young Vietnamese girl’s journey from her homeland to America. This story is a tale of migration but also one of heritage, memory, and hope. Plot Summary The story is narrated by a young girl who recounts…

Review “90 Miles to Havana” by Enrique Flores-Galbis is a heartfelt historical novel that portrays the experiences of Cuban children during Operation Pedro Pan. This significant yet often overlooked historical event saw over 14,000 unaccompanied Cuban minors sent to the United States between 1960 and 1962. Through the eyes of 12-year-old Julian, Flores-Galbis brings to…

As a literacy coach, I typically get asked by 4th and 5th-grade teachers how to teach students to summarize. When this happens, I refer teachers to the ELA Standard 2 spiral progression. We discuss the verbs used in grades K-3 and the student’s ability to retell and recount. Our discussion concludes that retelling and recounting…

The Common Core State Standards have established new expectations for literacy in all content areas. The expression “all teachers are teachers of reading” has never been truer.  We should be intentional, however, about the way we approach literacy in the content areas. When discussing the integration of the Common Core Literacy Standards, a social studies…