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When are AI Shortcuts Bad for Student Writing

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When are AI Shortcuts Bad for Student Writing

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When Are AI Shortcuts Bad for Student Writing?

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A trio of recent scientific studies from around the world seem to flash a warning that the very thing generative AI is so good at doing—reducing the cognitive load of curating information and wranglin

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Unlocking the ICLP One Councils Journey, Introduction 

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Unlocking the ICLP One Councils Journey, Introduction 

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Unlocking the Illinois Comprehensive Literacy Plan_ One Council's Journey

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NAGC Engage Women's History March 2026 Compiled by V. Heller

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Lee and Low Books featuring women in history 

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Lee and Low Books featuring women in history 

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Women' History Month Resources from Social Justice Books.  

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Women' History Month Resources from Social Justice Books.  

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Teaching for Change carefully selects the best multicultural and social justice books for children, young adults, and educators.

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Students speak, draw, or write their responses in 65+ languages

Snorkl provides immediate, personalized feedback and support

Teachers get actionable insights and a deeper look at student thinking

Administrators get high-quality, aligned resources and school data snapshots

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Snorkl | Voice-enabled Assignments Powered by AI

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With Snorkl, students record and share their reasoning then receive instant AI-powered feedback to drive deep and meaningful learning.

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Built for educators by educators, with your needs in mind. Khanmigo simplifies your workflow while keeping your work and your student data private and secure.

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Built for educators by educators, with your needs in mind. Khanmigo simplifies your workflow while keeping your work and your student data private and secure.

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Built for learners, Khanmigo challenges students to think critically and solve problems without giving you direct answers. Learn new skills anytime, whether it's algebra, SQL, or essay writing.

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Meet Khanmigo: Khan Academy’s AI-powered teaching assistant & tutor

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Khanmigo, built by nonprofit Khan Academy, is a top-rated AI for education. Save time on prep, tackle homework challenges, and get personalized tutoring.

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Research Report on Inequities of High Ability Programs for Underrepresented Populations from the Fordham Institute.  

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Research Report on Inequities of High Ability Programs for Underrepresented Populations from the Fordham Institute.  

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Think Again: Are Education Programs for High Achievers Inherently Inequitable?

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This brief challenges the notion that marginalized students of high ability are harmed by advanced education, with implications for better screening measures and expansion of programs.

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Spelling in the universal screeners for Dyslexia 

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Spelling in the universal screeners for Dyslexia 

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Interactive Read-alouds as Translanguaging Spaces.  The Reading Teacher 

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Interactive Read-alouds as Translanguaging Spaces.  The Reading Teacher 

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Interactive Read Alouds as Translanguaging Spaces 

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Interactive Read Alouds as Translanguaging Spaces 

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New York Times 6-12 grade lessons on the topic of Science and Mathematics 

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New York Times 6-12 grade lessons on the topic of Science and Mathematics 

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Lesson plans and teaching resources for teaching science and math using The New York Times

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When children engage in spoken dialogue in their early years, they learn how we make sense of the world, how we use language to reason, how we express emotions and identities, and how to work together to solve problems and get things done. As early education teachers, we offer learners the chance to develop their oral language skills, which are one of the first communication tools that children use to interact with others, form relationships, and, of course, learn.

Oracy skills pertain to the development of oral language-for example, tonal variation of voice and clarity of pronunciation, appropriate vocabulary choice, turn-taking, storytelling, and so on. Here I'll discuss three powerful tools to help early learners develop oracy skills.

1. The Environment

How children interact with their environment may trigger and facilitate the development of rich language.

Circle time: Set a clear area, with a carpet or a circle painted on the floor, that looks inviting. Children can sit in this circle at the beginning of every day, or whenever the teacher finds it necessary or relevant, to share experiences and feelings or to sing or play.

Bulletin boards: Put bulletin boards within the learners' reach. Organize the information on the bulletin boards in a clear and planned manner. For example, arrange information related to fruit and vegetables in two large squares, one for Fruit and one for Vegetables, with letters large enough for students to read from anywhere in the classroom. Add pictures next to the words, but avoid overloading the bulletin boards.

"Write" sentences with iconic writing (using pictures to construct sentences), so that learners can "read" short sentences. For instance, "I like (picture of grapes), but I don't like (picture of strawberries)." Renew a part of the bulletin board every two weeks.

Books: Read storybooks every week, and put the books within the learners' reach. Place a carpet or cushions where learners can sit and read aloud to themselves, to dolls or stuffed animals, or to each other. As they turn the pages, the children will imitate the teacher telling the story. When they repeat well-liked parts of the story, they'll be practicing not only the language, but also the pronunciation, intonation, and even body language.

Routines corner: In one corner of the class, within the reach of all learners, place a weather chart and ask them to describe the weather each day and make the necessary changes to the chart. This is a special corner where learners can see pictures of different kinds of weather: sunny, rainy, windy, snowy. Then invite the children to complete sentences such as, "Today is ____ and ____," using those pictures.

In the same corner, have a complete register with a photograph and the name of each child for calling attendance every day. Once most of the children have arrived, point to the pictures or names of the learners and invite the children to say if that child is present or absent. Or, just ask the children to say their favorite color when you name them, and then invite the child to pick the corresponding colored paper and place it next to their photograph. If a child is absent, that child won't have a colored paper next to their name that day.

Mirror: Place a mirror on the wall at the children's height, so they can see their whole body. Then invite them to touch the different parts of their body on the mirror, make faces, and use body language to express a feeling or emotion and then describe what they're feeling. If they have fun with this activity, have them play a game like Simon Says says while they're watching themselves in the mirror.

2. Time

As teachers, we know our lessons need to have a special rhythm. Children generally arrive full of energy and eager to play with their classmates and excited about what they'll discover and learn. Welcome learners with some playful activities for a few minutes, such as building games on the carpet or some hand-clapping games like pat-a-cake, and then invite them to go into the circle.

Organize class time so it comprises about 70 percent oral work and 30 percent pre-writing tasks such as tracing, coloring, or completing puzzles. Distribute the amount of time devoted to oral work, which includes telling and retelling stories, observing feelings and emotions linked to actions and reactions, and so on, throughout the entire class time.

3. Feedback

Effective feedback needs to be timely, encourage learning, and foster critical thinkers and resilient learners. Different types of feedback work well with early learners.

Feedback from the teacher: Take the time to give each learner rich and descriptive feedback whenever possible, but at least once a week. It's important that the teacher devote time to interact with the learners, asking them about the different decisions the child has made, or asking about activities or tasks the child might find motivating, interesting, or fun. This information can help make teaching more effective.

The teacher can use a routine-for example, two stars and a wish (two things you like and one thing you'd like to see done differently)-to structure the feedback to the learners so they can understand and replicate the technique.

Feedback from peers: Peer feedback can utilize this same technique. For instance, say that some of the children in class have just finished role-playing Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The teacher asks the other children who were the audience to provide feedback using the two stars and a wish technique. One child might say something like, "One star for the amazing performance of the child who was Goldilocks." Here the teacher has the chance to ask, "What makes you say so?" Or just let the child move on to the second star. The child says, "Another star for the performance of the child who was Baby Bear, when Baby Bear found his chair was broken." The wish might be, "I would like to see Papa Bear more angry and fierce." This kind of peer-to-peer feedback can be very constructive.

"Much of what we learn from language is indirect. We draw conclusions from the details of the person's intonation, gestures, choice of words, or syntax in subtle, complex ways," as psychologist Alison Gopnik has written. Early education teachers are key when it comes to giving young learners the oracy skills that allow them to communicate effectively, using all of the nuances of language.

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3 Essential Tools to Foster Students' Oracy Skills in the Early Grades

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When children engage in spoken dialogue in their early years, they learn how we make sense of the world, how we use language to reason, how we express emotions and identities, and how to work together to solve problems and get things done.

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Support of 6-12th Social Studies lessons from NYT 

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Support of 6-12th Social Studies lessons from NYT 

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Resources for teaching social studies using New York Times content

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One of the 7 Competencies of Literacy, Oracy is often the least known competencies of the ICLP 

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One of the 7 Competencies of Literacy, Oracy is often the least known competencies of the ICLP 

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The Surprising Benefits of Teaching Speaking Skills

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Schools often emphasize reading and writing—but speaking is also fundamental to lifelong success, research shows.

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Writing Reimagined, Bridging Critical Theories and Pedagogical Practices in Elementary Classrooms 

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Writing Reimagined, Bridging Critical Theories and Pedagogical Practices in Elementary Classrooms 

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This book invites educators to rethink writing instruction in ways that are joyful, purposeful, and justice-driven. Grounded in humanizing pedagogy, critical li…

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Writing Redefined, Broadening our Ideas of What it Means to Compose

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Writing Redefined, Broadening our Ideas of What it Means to Compose

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What does it mean to write or to be a writer? In Shawna Coppola's book Writing, Redefined: Broadening Our Ideas of What It Means to Compose, she challenges the reader to expand beyond standard alphabetic writing and consider alternative forms of composition when assigning writing to students. This book empowers teachers to change what counts as writing in schools and classrooms, opening the door to students who may not consider themselves to be writers, but should and can. Inside you'll find alternative, engaging writing assignments that are visual, aural, or multimodal that will involve all students, specifically those:

Who prefer to compose using a wider array of forms and modes

For whom standard English is not the norm

Who have been identified as dyslexic

Whose cultural traditions lean heavily towards more aural forms of composition

Who are considered struggling writers

By finding ways to accommodate all styles of writers, students are free to unleash their creativity and share their story with others. While there is no question composition in written form is important and worth of study, broadening our definition of writing expands an enormous range of possibilities for composing for all students.

Introduction; Chapter 1: Why "Redefine" Writing?; Chapter 2: Writing Is . . . Visual Composition; Chapter 3: Writing Is . . . Aural Composition; Chapter 4: Writing Is . . . Multimodal Composition; Chapter 5: Writing Is . . . Remixing; Chapter 6: How We Can-and Must-Redefine Writing

Biography

Shawna Coppola has taught in public schools for almost two decades. She currently works as a national literacy consultant and speaker and is a volunteer teacher of 11-17 year-olds at a self-directed learning community in Dover, NH. When she is not teaching, she can be found dabbling with watercolors, writing comics, or exploring the beauty of her natural surroundings alongside her family.

"Writing, Redefined is the bold promise from Shawna Coppola for what writing instruction can become in our classrooms. With a voice part savvy expert and part Rock and Roll, Shawna disrupts the writing canon with beauty, humor, joy, and justice. She reminds us that since the cave paintings, humans have been making their marks on the world in shapes, sounds, movements, and colors, and not just flat letters on a page. Every child can join the writing club by making the magical, multimodal compositions Shawna shares." - Katherine Bomer "Shawna Coppola brings an artistic, cinematic eye to the examination of our historical practices and beliefs rooted in the teaching of writing. Her unique artist-as-writer perspective opens the door for a more inclusive, nuanced conversation around writing composition and authorial intent.Writing, Redefinedis a timely, smart, and joyful call to join alongside our students as they compose all the texts of their lives in this shared world." - Maggie Beatie Roberts "As I read Shawna Coppola's utterly convincing,Writing Redefined, I recalled that the word 'text' has the root meaning of 'weave', as in 'textile.' Writers weave genres, images, sounds, formats, and increasingly modes of publication-it's always some kind of mix. Students should have the same options. In this book, Shawna dangles before us delicious possibilities that will help all students find a way into The Literacy Club and bring instruction into the 21st Century." -Thomas Newkirk, Professor emeritus at the University of New Hampshire and author of Misreading Masculinity: Boys, Literacy, and Popular Culture (Heinemann) "It's time to expand our thinking when it comes to students as readers and writers. They are consumers and creators! Shawna helps us see why we need to make this shift and how to broaden the opportunities students have to show us what they know and can do." -Jennifer Vincent

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Writing, Redefined: Broadening Our Ideas of What It Means to Compose

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What does it mean to write or to be a writer? In Shawna Coppola's book Writing, Redefined: Broadening Our Ideas of What It Means to Compose, she challenges the reader to expand beyond standard alphabetic writing and consider alternative forms of composition when assigning writing to students.

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Writing instruction with support for accelerated and gifted writers.  

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Writing instruction with support for accelerated and gifted writers.  

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Writing Strategies for Talent Development: From Struggling to Gifted Learners, Grades 3–8

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Writing Strategies for Talent Development helps educators incorporate effective and engaging writing strategies into their classroom that are designed to reach struggling and gifted students alike. This guide demonstrates how teachers can provide the means to write (with appropriate tools and classroom structures), the motivation to write (through engaging genre-based lessons), and the opportunity to write more frequently across multiple subjects. Covering genres from fantasy, crime, and&nb

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Creating Podcast and a product to show knowledge of a learned topic from noted educator, John Spencer 

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Creating Podcast and a product to show knowledge of a learned topic from noted educator, John Spencer 

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5 Reasons to Pilot Student Podcasting Projects

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Project-Based Learning by noted educator, John Spencer 

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Project-Based Learning by noted educator, John Spencer 

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What Happens When Students Engage in Project-Based Learning?

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Problem-Based Learning from noted educator, John Spencer 

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Problem-Based Learning from noted educator, John Spencer 

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What is Problem-Based Learning? How to use it in your classroom

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Inspiration of an interest, starts with inspiration, a video from noted educator, John Spencer 

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Inspiration of an interest, starts with inspiration, a video from noted educator, John Spencer 

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Project-Based Learning by noted educator, John Spencer 

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Project-Based Learning by noted educator, John Spencer 

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Project-Based Learning: The Future of Education

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Inquiry-based Learning from noted educator, John Spencer 

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Inquiry-based Learning from noted educator, John Spencer 

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Inquiry-Based Learning: The Ultimate Guide

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More Beginning Reading Books from Teachingbooks.net and Children's Cooperative Book Center. 

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More Beginning Reading Books from Teachingbooks.net and Children's Cooperative Book Center. 

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TeachingBooks | MORE Books for Beginning Readers

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Books for Beginning Teachingbooks.net and Children's Cooperative Book Center 

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Books for Beginning Teachingbooks.net and Children's Cooperative Book Center 

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TeachingBooks | Books for Beginning Readers

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Science Curriculum ideas with Disciplinary Literacy Strategies.  

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Science Curriculum ideas with Disciplinary Literacy Strategies.  

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Science Generation (SciGen) addresses science topics commonly taught to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. These curricular materials can be used in place of the standard curriculum materials, or as a supplement. They provide opportunities to read, write, discuss, and build arguments about basic questions in science.

Each week-long unit is comprised of 40-50 minute science lessons each day and highlights 5-10 academic words. There are also supplementary activities for other content areas to continue the cross-disciplinary benefits of Word Generation. All activities relate to the central question or topic of the week, build relevant knowledge, and provide opportunities to encounter the new academic vocabulary in multiple semantic contexts. By bringing the scientific knowledge closer to students' lives, they are equipped with both the background knowledge and the tools to engage in scientific argumentation.

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Science Curriculum with Disciplinary Literacy Strategies

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Provide opportunities to read, write, and build arguments about questions in science with Science Generation, our disciplinary literacy science program.

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Social Studies Curriculum ideas with Disciplinary Literacy Strategies.  Free download from SERP 

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Social Studies Curriculum ideas with Disciplinary Literacy Strategies.  Free download from SERP 

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Social Studies Generation (SoGen)

The original Social Studies Generation materials (SoGen) cover topics commonly included in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade social studies content standards. These curricular materials can be used in place of the standard curriculum materials, or as a supplement. They provide opportunities to read, write, discuss, and build arguments about central concepts in social studies.

19 Middle School Units Available

Each 5-10 day unit is comprised of 40-50 minute social studies lessons each day and highlights 5-10 academic words. There are also supplementary activities for other content areas to continue the cross-disciplinary benefits of Word Generation. Students integrate information from multiple texts, often from differing perspectives. All activities relate to the central question or topic of the week, build relevant knowledge, and provide opportunities to encounter the new academic vocabulary in multiple semantic contexts.

Relating History to Today

By bringing the conflict closer to students' lives, and providing them with tools to identify the claims, reasons, and evidence associated with the perspective, students are equipped with both the background and the tools to engage in argumentation.

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Social Studies Curriculum with Disciplinary Literacy Strategies

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Enhance your middle school students' reading comprehension and disciplinary literacy in social studies with Social Studies Generation.

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Featured “The vote is precious. It is almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have in a democracy.” — Rep. John Lewis We are happy to share our newest One World poster from the upcoming Learning for Justice Anthology, Volume 1, “Democracy for the 21st Century.” Featured One World Poster: John Lewis […]

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This information comes to you from the National Association for Gifted Children. It shares how inquiry based learning can focus on important issues that should be brought forward during the month of March that celebrates the accomplishments of women.

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NAGC Engage Women's History March 2026 Compiled by V. Heller

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Watch the video to discover the answer to “How does AI work?” and don’t forget to vote for next week’s question!

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Previous cards

Quote by Vera Ahiyya, Author and Educator:

Maria's Ramped-Up Read Alouds (Vol. 1) was a gift to educators everywhere. Her follow up More Ramped-Up Read Alouds is equally incredible. At a time when book bans are at an all time high, Maria sets students up to thoroughly experience an engaging, interactive, and joyful read aloud.

Maria's Ramped-Up Read Alouds (Vol. 1) was a gift to educators everywhere. Her follow up More Ramped-Up Read Alouds is equally incredible. At a time when book bans are at an all time high, Maria sets students up to thoroughly experience an engaging, interactive, and joyful read aloud.

Quote by Kayla Briseño, co-author of Text Structures from Picture Books and the forthcoming Text Structures from Nonfiction Picture Books (Corwin Literacy):
As a fellow lover of picture books, I absolutely love this book! Packed full of great titles, structured lessons, extension ideas and suggestions for paired texts, Maria Walther takes the guess work out of read alouds and puts the research back in. This is a must-have resource for every literacy classroom.

As a fellow lover of picture books, I absolutely love this book! Packed full of great titles, structured lessons, extension ideas and suggestions for paired texts, Maria Walther takes the guess work out of read alouds and puts the research back in. This is a must-have resource for every literacy classroom.

Quote by Andrea Burkiett, Director of Elementary Curriculum & Instruction, Savannah Chatham County Public School System:

In More, Ramped- Up Read Aloud Maria Walther provides another exceptional series of reading experiences that perfectly marry the art and science of learning to read! The carefully curated lessons are anchored with text, weaving the components of the Reading Rope together so seamlessly that students can't help but fall in love with reading!

In More, Ramped- Up Read Aloud Maria Walther provides another exceptional series of reading experiences that perfectly marry the art and science of learning to read! The carefully curated lessons are anchored with text, weaving the components of the Reading Rope together so seamlessly that students can't help but fall in love with reading!

Quote by Hilda Martinez, RTI Coordinator, San Diego Unified School District:

More Ramped-Up Read Alouds respectfully and ambitiously flaunts the power of a read-aloud, taking an even deeper dive into increasing the ability to expand critical thinking, language, prior knowledge, dialogic interactions, and foundational skills all through the culturally diverse and responsive titles that allow our students to see themselves represented, fostering confidence, self advocacy, and compassion for others... The thoughtfully laid out resources make this a professional development title that will be a favorite for all.

More Ramped-Up Read Alouds respectfully and ambitiously flaunts the power of a read-aloud, taking an even deeper dive into increasing the ability to expand critical thinking, language, prior knowledge, dialogic interactions, and foundational skills all through the culturally diverse and responsive titles that allow our students to see themselves represented, fostering confidence, self advocacy, and compassion for others... The thoughtfully laid out resources make this a professional development title that will be a favorite for all.

Quote by Katrina Murphy, Grade 2 teacher, Chignecto Central Regional Center of Education Nova Scotia, Canada:

More Ramped-Up Read Alouds represents our current understanding of all the reasons we

LOVE reading aloud. Maria masterfully guides us through all the benefits and gives us so many

practical and pedagogical reasons to make reading aloud a part of our daily classroom routine.

The books used are current, which will mean I need to expand my ever growing collection of the

best read alouds available. The books reflect all of the things we strive to model for children.

You need to get More Ramped-Up Read Alouds for yourself, your teacher friend or the newest

teacher on staff. You will be glad that you did. Happy Reading!

More Ramped-Up Read Alouds represents our current understanding of all the reasons we

LOVE reading aloud. Maria masterfully guides us through all the benefits and gives us so many

practical and pedagogical reasons to make reading aloud a part of our daily classroom routine.

The books used are current, which will mean I need to expand my ever growing collection of the

best read alouds available. The books reflect all of the things we strive to model for children.

You need to get More Ramped-Up Read Alouds for yourself, your teacher friend or the newest

teacher on staff. You will be glad that you did. Happy Reading!

Quote by Melissa Murray, Director of Literacy PK-12:

Maria Walther and the Ramped Up Read Aloud provides ideas and inspiration for quality shared reading and writing experiences. I am able to take her suggestions and focus on the resources that match our state standards and the instructional needs of our students. I feel this book combines the art and science of teaching.

Maria Walther and the Ramped Up Read Aloud provides ideas and inspiration for quality shared reading and writing experiences. I am able to take her suggestions and focus on the resources that match our state standards and the instructional needs of our students. I feel this book combines the art and science of teaching.

Quote by Dr. Noor Shammas, Instructional Course:

Imagine this resource as a direct line to Maria Walther's heart and mind! Through her thoughts on the most recent research and invitation to lean on literature to nurture children's curiosity, every empowered educator will find a text and run with it to share with their learners.

Imagine this resource as a direct line to Maria Walther's heart and mind! Through her thoughts on the most recent research and invitation to lean on literature to nurture children's curiosity, every empowered educator will find a text and run with it to share with their learners.

Quote by Dr. Stefanie Steffan, Coordinator of Elementary Literacy and Title Programs, Rockwood School District:

I am thrilled that Maria has released her new book, More Ramped-Up Read Alouds: Building Knowledge and Boosting Comprehension! We used her book The Ramped Up Read Aloud: What to Notice as You Turn the Page, as a foundation for my school district's interactive reading lessons. Maria selects the absolute BEST books and has carefully thought out lessons that beautifully align with our state standards. This book has transformed the way our teachers read aloud to their students. Read alouds are no longer a time for kids to passively listen. They are 100% ramped up! As Maria says, "A read-aloud experience is a carefully planned learning event where you joyfully celebrate a text and demonstrate skilled, expressive reading by reading to children while they listen, notice, and wonder." Kids are actively thinking, talking, and questioning throughout these lessons while being exposed to higher levels of text and rich vocabulary. Thank you, Maria!

I am thrilled that Maria has released her new book, More Ramped-Up Read Alouds: Building Knowledge and Boosting Comprehension! We used her book The Ramped Up Read Aloud: What to Notice as You Turn the Page, as a foundation for my school district's interactive reading lessons. Maria selects the absolute BEST books and has carefully thought out lessons that beautifully align with our state standards. This book has transformed the way our teachers read aloud to their students. Read alouds are no longer a time for kids to passively listen. They are 100% ramped up! As Maria says, "A read-aloud experience is a carefully planned learning event where you joyfully celebrate a text and demonstrate skilled, expressive reading by reading to children while they listen, notice, and wonder." Kids are actively thinking, talking, and questioning throughout these lessons while being exposed to higher levels of text and rich vocabulary. Thank you, Maria!

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In this eagerly anticipated follow-up to Maria Walther’s The Ramped-Up Read Aloud, discover 50 MORE read-aloud experiences designed to bolster s...

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Storyline Online from the Screen Actors Guild.  Notable Actors read their favorite children's picture books. 

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Storyline Online from the Screen Actors Guild.  Notable Actors read their favorite children's picture books. 

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The SAG-AFTRA Foundation's Daytime Emmy-nominated, Storyline Online, features celebrated actors reading children's books to inspire a love of reading in millions of children worldwide.

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PBS Kid Read Along with Great Storytellers and Influencers 

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PBS Kid Read Along with Great Storytellers and Influencers 

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Watch celebrities and PBS KIDS authors read aloud their favorite books and find fun activities for the whole family to do!

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2027 Lincoln Award supplementary information provided by Teachingbooks.net

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2027 Lincoln Award supplementary information provided by Teachingbooks.net

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TeachingBooks | Abraham Lincoln High School Award, 2027, for Grades 9-12

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2027 Bluestem Award Supplementary information provided by Teachingbooks.net

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2027 Bluestem Award Supplementary information provided by Teachingbooks.net

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TeachingBooks | Bluestem Award, 2027, for Grades 3-5

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2027 Rebecca Caudill Award supplemental information from Teachingbooks.net 

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2027 Rebecca Caudill Award supplemental information from Teachingbooks.net 

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TeachingBooks | Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award, 2027, Grades 4-8

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2027, Monarch Award supplementary information provided by TeachingBooks.net

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2027, Monarch Award supplementary information provided by TeachingBooks.net

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TeachingBooks | Monarch Award, 2027, for Grades K-3

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This 2026 Lincoln Award supplement is provided by Teachingbooks.net

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This 2026 Lincoln Award supplement is provided by Teachingbooks.net

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TeachingBooks | Abraham Lincoln High School Award, 2026, for Grades 9-12

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Lincoln Award: Illinois Teen Readers' Choice Award

The Lincoln Award is given to the book from that year's master list that earns the highest number of student votes.

For a book to reach the master list, adult and young adult fiction and nonfiction titles must be nominated by teachers or librarians and vetted by the nominations committee. While the popularity of a particular title is important, the overall quality of the work is of primary importance. Each year, a panel of high school librarians, teachers, public librarians and students determines the final master list of twenty titles.

Registered schools promote these books, and students who have read four or more titles are eligible to vote. See the calendar for the award timeline and register today!

This program encourages teens to read for pleasure and to become lifelong readers. Named after former President Abraham Lincoln, an avid reader and noted author, the Lincoln Award is sponsored by AISLE and administered by the steering committee.

2023 Award Year

2022 Award Year

2021 Award Year

Previous Award Years

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AISLE - Lincoln Award: Illinois Teen Readers' Choice Award

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Lincoln Award: Illinois Teen Readers' Choice Award The Lincoln Award is given to the book from that year's master list that earns the highest number of student votes. For a book to reach the master list, adult and young adult fiction and nonfiction titles must be nominated by teachers or librarians and vetted by the nominations committee.

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AISLE - The Bluestem Award: Illinois' Grades 3-5 Readers' Choice Award

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The Bluestem Award: Illinois' Grades 3-5 Readers' Choice Award In the spring of 2008, the ISLMA board approved establishing a committee to explore the possibility of a new book award that would fit between the Monarch and Rebecca Caudill Awards.

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The Monarch Award: Illinois' K-3 Readers' Choice Award

In the summer of 2002, several past presidents of ISLMA discussed the need for a K-3 children's book award. The ISLMA Board established a work group to investigate creation of such an award. In April 2003, ISLMA approved the establishment and support of The Monarch Award: Illinois' K-3 Readers' Choice Award.

The name Monarch was chosen because of its familiarity to K-3 children and to symbolize the growth, change and freedom that becoming a reader brings. The Monarch is designed to encourage children to read critically and become familiar with children's books, authors and illustrators. The program is open to all K-3 age children in Illinois.

2023 Award Year

2022 Award Year

2021 Award Year

Previous Award Years

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AISLE - The Monarch Award: Illinois' K-3 Readers' Choice Award

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The Monarch Award: Illinois' K-3 Readers' Choice Award In the summer of 2002, several past presidents of ISLMA discussed the need for a K-3 children's book award. The ISLMA Board established a work group to investigate creation of such an award. In April 2003, ISLMA approved the establishment and support of The Monarch Award: Illinois' K-3 Readers' Choice Award.

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AI with Intention: Principles and Action Steps for Teachers and School Leaders

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Make sure your tech initiatives put students first with this robust guide for teachers and school leaders. With new artificial intelligence tools sweeping into districts and schools, educators must be

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Teaching Students to Use AI Ethically & Responsibly

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Grounded in the latest research and enriched by years of classroom experience, this book takes you from understanding what AI is and how it operates,…

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This thoroughly updated, expanded edition reflects the transformative changes that have emerged since the first publication, offering new strategies,…

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Two new reports caution that if schools make missteps implementing AI, the results could haunt them for years, locking them into a future largely written by big tech instead of those closest to kids.

The reports, both the results of small, intensive gatherings of educators, policymakers, researchers, tech officials and students last year, share a common warning: AI in schools must serve human-centered learning that doesn't simply push for more efficiency. To do anything else risks creating a generation of young people ill-equipped for the future.

The findings come as young people say they're turning to generative AI more than ever: A Pew Research Center survey released last week found that more than half of teens ages 13 to 17 use chatbots to search for information or get help with schoolwork. About four in ten report using AI to summarize articles, books or videos or create or edit images or videos. And about one-in-five say they use chatbots to get news.

For the first report, a group of 18 people met in July in Phoenix. Brought together by AI for Education, a training and policy organization, and Imagine Learning, a digital curriculum company, the report treats the question of how schools should view AI as a literal "Choose-Your-Own-Adventure" story: The authors lay out three possible scenarios in which educators in an imaginary school district make radically different decisions about the technology.

In the first scenario, the district retreats from AI altogether after a data breach, abandoning a previously created "Innovation Lab," while teachers return to traditional instruction and testing.

The restrictions soon backfire. Students continue using AI at home, but without guidance, take shortcuts on homework, developing a kind of survival mechanism they privately call "school brain." Seeing how irrelevant most lessons are, they do just enough to get by, offloading thinking to AI tools. When tested, they show shallow understanding and poor foundational skills.

Test scores plummet, college acceptances drop and 40% of graduates land on academic probation. Employers report that graduates can neither work independently nor collaborate effectively with AI. Teachers begin departing in waves.

Retreating from AI, the authors find, creates "the worst of both worlds" - students who can neither think independently nor use AI effectively.

In the second scenario, the district, facing competition from AI-driven private schools, goes all-in, adopting a comprehensive, district-wide AI platform for automated instruction. The platform promises greater efficiency via AI tutors, automated grading and behavioral monitoring. And while it initially lowers costs and produces higher test scores, teachers find that students are soon gaming the algorithms rather than learning. The auto-grader penalizes valid but unconventional answers, while multilingual learners are unfairly penalized for non-standard answers on tests.

Teachers find themselves defending grades they didn't assign and can't fully explain, while families that challenge grades are stopped by "proprietary algorithms" that even administrators can't review. The system delivers "a black box" that removes human judgment: "Students could feel the difference between being evaluated by an algorithm and being understood by a teacher."

Before long, graduates struggle with collaboration, creativity and adaptability - skills employers and colleges increasingly value.

In the report's third choice, the district, via its Innovation Lab, redesigns its offerings to prepare students for an AI-driven future while keeping a focus on "human-centered" education. Rather than focusing solely on technology, it develops a "graduate profile" that emphasizes critical thinking, ethical reasoning and human-AI collaboration, among other indicators.

The lab shifts to flexible, project-based learning, and students soon learn to use AI as a tool that supports but doesn't replace their thinking. While the district continues to satisfy state accountability through testing, it also pursues federal innovation grants to fund portfolio-based assessment systems based on the graduate profile.

All is not rosy, though. The redesign is expensive and hard on teachers. Enrollment suffers as political resistance builds steam. But graduates soon demonstrate an ability to critically evaluate AI tools, adapt quickly to workplace changes and develop a "learn how to learn" mindset that serves them in the long term.

Alumni soon report that their "robust" portfolios of work are a huge advantage in competitive job markets, and employers say they are the only new hires who critically evaluate AI's recommendations, spotting hallucinations and biases.

Amanda Bickerstaff, AI for Education's co-founder and CEO, said the first two scenarios are what educators at the July convening said they were seeing most often in schools.

"There was a strong recognition from everyone, including the students, the two high schoolers, that the traditional methods have not worked ... for decades," she said. "But it feels safer."

As for going "all in" on AI, she said, that point of view is inevitable in many places, given current aggressive efforts of tech giants like Google who are "pushing into schools," going direct to students.

"There's this real pressure from both ed tech and AI itself, because it's such a big market that's never really been figured out," she said.

What makes it worse is that few tech firms employ enough teachers to ensure that their products work well for students. "They don't have hundreds of education people," Bickerstaff said. Their education teams are "fractions of their headcount, working on tools that are instantly in students' hands."

The third path, in which the district redesigns its offerings, is "the most human" of the three, she said, and the most intentional. "The third path is the one that trusts humans and educators and students and families," Bickerstaff said.

'Explicitly ambidextrous' schooling

Another paper by the Center on Reinventing Public Education, a think tank at Arizona State University, also calls for a new approach to schools' decisions about AI, saying the technology "should be a catalyst for human-centered learning, not a replacement."

The CRPE report, the result of another gathering in November, asserts that schools are at a pivotal moment. Their AI policies could go one of two ways: They can either entrench outdated educational models or help bring about a fundamental transformation of schooling.

"One of the big things that came out of those discussions was a strong feeling among the group that AI is currently being thought of as a productivity tool for the education system that we have, rather than a tool to radically improve teaching and learning and outcomes for kids," said Robin Lake, CRPE's executive director.

During its meeting, the group repeatedly discussed an "efficiency paradox" that could make schools faster and cheaper without addressing students' actual needs. To protect against it, they call for a more coherent, human-centered approach that is "explicitly ambidextrous," improving current practices while intentionally building toward new learning models.

The problem with AI, the report alleges, is that it could simply improve the efficiency of outdated educational models. It notes that the Scantron, a time-saving testing technology, for decades reinforced low-level standardized assessments, often at the expense of improved learning.

Instead of using AI as a new kind of Scantron, it says, AI could make way for several innovations, including new assessments that capture real-time performance as students work. It could even measure key non-academic indicators such as belonging, confidence, curiosity and relationship quality.

Lake said the report's idea of an "ambidextrous" approach to AI came from an acknowledgement by the group that "we have to attend to the kids who are in our schools right now - and the teachers," she said. "We have to use whatever technologies are available to make things better, but we also have to make investments in big, really different whole-school designs."

Those could include not just better assessments but ways to help teachers provide "rigorous personalization grounded in the science of learning."

Districts could create classrooms with multiple adults working in teams based on their expertise. And AI could enable schools to match students to internships and other experiences, handling administrative tasks so humans can focus on relationships.

Lake said the group that met in November kept coming back to one idea: Keeping an eye on both the future of school and the reality of the schools we already have.

"A lot of times when we have these conversations about AI and the future of schooling, it feels very floaty and abstract," she said. "So I really appreciated that the fellows had a vision to connect the here-and-now to what kids need to know and [should] be able to do in the future. That feels really important for us all right now."

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Two New Reports Urge 'Human-Centered' School AI Adoption

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Results of two gatherings make case for visionary yet balanced approaches to AI.

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2025, Best Books by Website, Only Picture Books 

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2025, Best Books by Website, Only Picture Books 

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One of the pleasures of reading poetry is to witness the urgency, the intensity, and the sheer beauty of language. This is as true in well-​written picture books as it is in the classic "adult" poems of Rumi, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, or Yusef Komunyakaa.

As I think about which relatively-​recent picture books most embrace the wonders that poetry offers, I recall what Romanian-​born German poet Paul Celan once wrote:

"A poem ... can be a message in a bottle, sent out in the-not always greatly hopeful-belief that somewhere and sometime it could wash up on land, on heartland perhaps. Poems in this sense, too, are under way: they are making toward something."

Each of the following picture books all are a "making toward something" that's remarkable thanks to their use of poetic forms and a keen sensibility for language.

See for yourself.

Thunder Underground by Jane Yolen (illustrated by Josee Masse)

In this collection of 21 playful poems by kidlit master Jane Yolen, readers learn all about the things beneath the Earth's surface: subways, fossils, pirate treasure, caves, magma, and even tectonic plates. A Kirkus starred review notes that the poems honor "the ability of young readers to navigate syntax, imagery, and wordplay... a thoughtful exploration of nature expressed in poetry that should open the eyes of children to unseen worlds."

Jazz Day: The Making of a Famous Photograph by Roxane Orgill (illustrated by Francis Vallejo)

In playful verse and vibrant images, this book captures an amazing real-​world moment from 1958, when Esquire magazine and graphic designer Art Kane brought together a group of 57 beloved jazz musicians to be photographed outside a Harlem brownstone. Celebrate Picture Books notes that author Roxane Orgill "recreates the syncopation of jazz and the exhilaration of the photo shoot in twenty poems that capture the sights, sounds, conversations, horseplay, and vibe of that special day that forever commemorate the Golden Age of Jazz."

One especially cool feature? A fold-​out page in the book shares the final product of that historic photo shoot.

H is for Haiku: A Treasury of Haiku from A to Z by Sydell Rosenberg (illustrated by Sawsan Chalabi)

Writer's Rumpus reports that this book is "a delightful exploration of the alphabet through Haiku. Each page explores a moment in time with lovely, lyrical and luscious language. Colorful, playful illustrations complement the poetic text." As the late Rosenberg once shared: "The split second one starts to touch a flower-real or plastic? That's haiku. Before the hoof comes down-that's haiku."

In the Land of Milk and Honey by Joyce Carol Thomas (illustrated by Floyd Cooper)

This book tells the true story of Joyce Carol Thomas' trip as a girl from Oklahoma to California in 1948. A Booklist review shares that "clear free verse captures the excitement of the journey-the steaming train, the hissing wheels, the long lonesome whistle." But don't neglect Floyd Cooper's masterful pastel artwork and oil wash paintings which are equally impressive and help make this book a must-read.

If I Never Forever Endeavor by Holly Meade

This book tells the inner story of a fledgling thinking about leaving the nest, but isn't quite ready to go. To fly or not to fly? That is the question explored in these poems that emphasize rhyme, repetition, and onomatopoeia.

A Storypath review says that "the bird's soliloquy is rhythmic and memorable and will be picked up by the listeners by the second reading."

Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets by Kwame Alexander and Chris Colderley and Marjory Wentworth (illustrated by Ekua Holmes)

Newbery Award-​winning author and poet Kwame Alexander-with Chris Colderley and Marjory Wentworth-writes poems about great poets ... in the style of those poets themselves. In an NPR interview, Alexander states that the three aims for this book are to encourage kids to read poetry, introduce them to great poets, and inspire them to write poems of their own. "It's a lofty goal," he admits, "but I think that's a metaphor for what poetry is."

A Poke in the I: A Collection of Concrete Poems by Paul B. Janeczko (illustrated by Chris Raschka)

This award-​winning collection of 30 poems provides no end of fun thanks to a commitment to the playfulness of poetry. A Booklist starred review explains that "these aren't poems to read aloud, but to look at and laugh at together, with young children and especially older readers, who will enjoy the surprise of what words look like and what can be done with them." A Publisher's Weekly starred review adds that this book is "an uncluttered, meditative space for the picturesque language."

Marvelous Math: A Book of Poems by Lee Bennett Hopkins (illustrated by Karen Barbour)

It's hard to imagine a list of good poetry picture books without including something by Lee Bennett Hopkins, the grand master of poetry and poetry anthologies for young readers. The 16 poems in this book-two written by Hopkins and the rest written by others-all include math or numbers as a thematic element. A few of my favorites? Lillian M. Fisher's "To Build a House," Janet S. Wong's "One to Ten" and Felice Holman's "Counting Birds."

Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawings by Shel Silverstein

What can be said about a poetry book from 1974 that nearly all adults recall with wonder, joy, and an enduring sense of nostalgia?

Sisters are auctioned off.

Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout will simply not take the garbage out!

A girl eats a whale.

Crocodiles go to the dentist.

Silverstein's poetic mad-​but-​makes-​sense world is one where you wash your shadow and plant diamond gardens. Yes, his poems are loads of fun, but he's a master wordsmith whose writing is far more profound than you might realize at first.

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One of the pleasures of reading poetry is to witness the urgency, the intensity, and the sheer beauty of language. This is as true in well-​written picture books as it is in the classic "adult" poems of Rumi, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, or Yusef Komunyakaa.

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2026, Youth Media Awards Padlet, compiled by L. Beltchenko 

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2026, Youth Media Awards Padlet, compiled by L. Beltchenko 

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Bibliography for Elementary Literacy Learners.  

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Bibliography for Elementary Literacy Learners.  

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TeachingBooks | Illinois Reads, 2026, Grades 6-8

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TeachingBooks | Illinois Reads, 2026, Grades 3-5

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TeachingBooks | Illinois Reads, 2026, Grades K-2

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TeachingBooks | Illinois Reads, 2026, Birth-4

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2026 supplement to the Rebecca Caudill is provided by Teachingbooks.net

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2026 supplement to the Rebecca Caudill is provided by Teachingbooks.net

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TeachingBooks | Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award, 2026, Grades 4-8

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2026  supplement to the Bluestem is provided by Teachingbooks.net

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2026  supplement to the Bluestem is provided by Teachingbooks.net

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TeachingBooks | Bluestem Award, 2026, for Grades 3-5

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2026 supplement to the Monarch Award is provided by Teachingbook.net.  

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2026 supplement to the Monarch Award is provided by Teachingbook.net.  

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TeachingBooks | Monarch Award, 2026, for Grades K-3

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In Memoriam:  Notable Influencers of Children's Literature we lost in 2025, but shall not be forgotten. 

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In Memoriam:  Notable Influencers of Children's Literature we lost in 2025, but shall not be forgotten. 

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In Memoriam: Remembering Those Lost in 2025

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Some lived here in the States and some abroad, but we do our best to remember the creators of books that have made changes to the minds, hearts, and general beings of children worldwide.

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Using Magic School for Multilingual Learners 

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Using Magic School for Multilingual Learners 

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We all know artificial intelligence (AI) is hitting the education field at a rapid pace. Many different companies are trying to corner this market. In my work as an elementary educator specializing in English learning, I've found MagicSchool to be a standout option for bringing AI into the classroom in a meaningful way. It's easy to use and gives teachers a lot of control, and much of the program is available with a free account. While it can be helpful for students across settings, it is particularly impactful for English language learners (ELLs), and the three tools outlined below are a great place to start as a teacher looking to leverage AI. Please note that all links to MagicSchool templates require a free account to access.

GETTING STARTED WITH MAGICSCHOOL

The nice thing about this program is that you can create "Student Rooms," which house only the AI tools you want students to access for a particular assignment. Before adding tools to your student room, you can tailor each one with specific prompts, classroom information, or state standards.

I recommend using the "Preview as a student" function before assigning any tools, so you can play around with it, note any issues, and improve your original prompts. You can easily share your student room by copying the share link and adding it to your learning management system.

3 MAGICSCHOOL TOOLS THAT SUPPORT ENGLISH Language LEARNERS

1. Language Tutor: I use this tool to help my ELLs practice for our end-of-year statewide English Language Proficiency (ELP) test. To use this tool, start by selecting the language that students are proficient in, as well as the language that students are practicing and what level they are currently at in that language.

For my setting, I have both a Russian/English and Spanish/English language tutor tool in my student room. I then uploaded additional information to this tool, such as our state's ELP standards (found on our Department of Education website), as well as practice test items.

Before assigning the tool to students to work with independently, I model how to use the tool for the class as a whole group: I display the "Preview as a student" version on the screen and select one of the options to work on-such as describing a story or using full sentences-input a response based on what it asks, and ask for student input on how to improve my response.

While modeling how to use the tool, it is helpful to point out key features of the tool to students, such as the option to have text translated or read aloud, or how to use speech-to-text. Additionally, the tool includes scaffolds like sentence starters that students can use to enhance their initial responses. After modeling to the whole class, you can gradually release students into working in pairs, and finally, individually.

On your end, as the teacher, you can monitor their input live, get flags for inappropriate language (still in beta), and see a report of individual student engagement levels. Some drawbacks are that it cannot generate images, so students cannot practice describing images, which is common on the ELP test. It cannot assess their speech the way the test would but offers speech-to-text as a similar option. You also must consider how you will have students alternate between writing and speaking (using speech-to-text or typing), to get practice in both of those language domains.

2. Writing Feedback: I utilize this tool to help provide students with immediate feedback on their written responses.

To get started using the Writing Feedback tool, input class information such as grade level, writing standards, and writing format. Next, provide any additional information you can on the type of response you hope to see from students. In my class, we often use RACES (Restate the question, Answer, Cite text evidence, Explain, and Summarize), so I upload a sample response in that format to help the program know what to look for.

Then, input any additional information on what requirements you are looking for-for example, "I want students to include at least three words from this academic vocabulary list" (make sure to upload/include the list).

Students can type their writing into the program on the spot, copy and paste it from elsewhere, or upload it. If it's a longer piece that they've handwritten, and you're worried that it may be too time-consuming for a student to type it out, they can use the speech-to-text option. Within the program, they can copy and paste their previous responses to work on the edits suggested by the program, instead of retyping it every time.

It helps them to better align their writing with the format, standards, and requirements you input. This would not take the place of peer review or teacher feedback, but it does allow students to work more independently and get more assistance earlier on in the writing process.

3. Escape Rooms: Found under "Resources," this tool provides a fun, gamified way for students to review academic content they have been working on. It's a great way to give them extra practice before an assessment or to remind them of key information they will need to know before starting the next unit of study.

To get started with the Escape Room tool, input grade-level information, as well as what standards are being targeted. If you use a curriculum or program that is digital, you can even copy and paste lessons or pacing guide information into the escape room setup, so it knows exactly what students have been learning about.

This tool is also great as a whole class activity. I recommend doing it as a whole group activity the first time you use it so you can model how to complete the escape room for students. You can use the "Preview as a student" view to project it on your screen. You can read the clues yourself or use the read-aloud button and then give students time to think of the answer independently or in pairs. Call on a student to share and type in their response, whatever it is. The program will give additional help if the answer is incorrect.

It can even help with spelling if words in your answer are misspelled. After you do this with the whole class, I recommend allowing students to use escape rooms with a small group or in pairs, as it allows for more student interaction, collaboration, and engagement.

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3 Ways to Use MagicSchool to Support English Language Learners

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The AI tools in the popular platform can guide students to practice language skills and receive feedback while working independently.

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Get Literacy Resources | International Literacy Association

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ILA’s robust body of resources supports literacy professionals and educators from every corner of the world, at every stage of their career.

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National Council for the Teaching of English

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National Council for the Teaching of English

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Find Resources, Communities, and Groups That Are Right for You:

Featured Topics of Interest

Featured Position Statements

NCTE and its constituent groups have developed position statements on a variety of education issues vital to the teaching and learning of English language arts.

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Council books, journals, meetings, and Web resources help provide professional support throughout the many stages of your teaching career.

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Just Like Phonics, Comprehension Requires Explicit Teaching

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Once students can decode, they need ongoing and thoughtful instruction to understand, interpret, and engage with what they read.

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Our Mission

Bilingualism and biliteracy are assets that all students in New York State should possess to meet the demands of the 21st century. Students who speak languages other than English and who are learning English at school are commonly referred to as "English Language Learners." We prefer the terms "emergent bilinguals" and "multilingual learners" because they acknowledge the ways these students draw on rich home language practices as they learn. We believe the education of these students must go beyond simply English language learning, to incorporate a challenging curriculum in the content areas taught through their home languages and English, which also meets their social and emotional needs.

From 2011 to 2016, we worked to support educators and administrators from partner schools across New York State as they became champions for emergent bilingual students. For more information on CUNY-NYSIEB's non-negotiable principles, and how we apply our vision of dynamic bilingualism to work with schools, please visit Our Vision page.

CUNY-NYSIEB is continuing until the 2019 school year with a focus on supporting and sustaining bilingual programs across New York State.

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Our Mission Bilingualism and biliteracy are assets that all students in New York State should possess to meet the demands of the 21st century. Students who speak languages other than English and who are learning English at school are commonly referred to as "English Language Learners."

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Just over half of U.S. teens say they’ve used chatbots for help with schoolwork, and 12% say they’ve gotten emotional support from these tools. Teens tend to view AI’s future impact on their lives more positively than negatively.

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Activities that Strengthen Student Writing 

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Activities that Strengthen Student Writing 

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6 Cool Visual Thinking Activities That Strengthen Student Writing

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Visual activities like mapping, sketching, sculpting, and writing comic strips can help students clarify ideas, strengthen drafts, and deepen literary analysis.

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31 Days, 31 Lists 2025 Version by Betsy Bird of SLJ

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31 Days, 31 Lists 2025 Version by Betsy Bird of SLJ

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Each year in December, Betsy Bird of SLJ and the collection development librarian for the Evanston Public Library curates a list of 31 books for each day of December. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see ALL 31 lists by category!

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Only a small number of all the picture books published in a given year make this list. See what I think stands out as truly unforgettable.

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The New York Time writers provide some amazing ideas for a writing curriculum for adolescent writers.  Take a look at the many idea and use the skills provided in a differentiated manner to use in your classrooms.  

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The New York Time writers provide some amazing ideas for a writing curriculum for adolescent writers.  Take a look at the many idea and use the skills provided in a differentiated manner to use in your classrooms.  

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Teaching Writing with the NYT: 2025-26 Curriculum

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Going Deeper with Reading Instruction, moving beyond the phonics. 

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Going Deeper with Reading Instruction, moving beyond the phonics. 

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Dan Reynolds, Sara Rutherford-Quach & Lauren J. Cassidy

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From Tasks to Meaning: How to Make Sure Reading Instruction Goes Deeper

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Reynolds, Rutherford-Quach and Cassidy: The curriculum is there. The materials are being used. But, in many classrooms, the meaning-making is missing.

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Is the Science of Reading Limiting Robust Comprehension? 

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Is the Science of Reading Limiting Robust Comprehension? 

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Report: In Some Urban Districts, Science of Reading Limits ‘Robust Comprehension’

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Rather than promoting deeper literacy skills, the phonics-based approach ‘may unintentionally encourage teachers to focus on surface-level goals.’

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This power point presentation supports how Advanced Word Study and Morphology progresses through out the grades.

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Developing Decodable Texts with your students. 

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Developing Decodable Texts with your students. 

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Using two easily obtainable picture books, follow the links to help students develop their own decodable texts where they see themselves and use their own natural language.

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Phonemic Awareness and Word Recognition with Student Generated Decodable Texts 

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Phonemic Awareness and Word Recognition with Student Generated Decodable Texts 

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Grade Level progressions of Prefixes and Suffixes

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Grade Level progressions of Prefixes and Suffixes

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This site has a plethora of teaching and learning activities that keep middle and high school teachers informed on writing activities to use with their students. Explore the many opportunities his cite offers including writing contests.

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Teach and learn with The Times: Resources for bringing the world into your classroom

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Each year in December, Betsy Bird of SLJ and the collection development librarian for the Evanston Public Library curates a list of 31 books for each day of December. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see ALL 31 list of books by category.

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31 Days, 31 Lists: Best Picture Books of 2024

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Our final list! Enjoy what is inarguably a lovely list of books. And thank you for reading my lists this month!

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In Memoriam:  Notable Influencers of Children's Literature we lost in 2024, but shall not be forgotten. 

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In Memoriam:  Notable Influencers of Children's Literature we lost in 2024, but shall not be forgotten. 

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In Memoriam: Remembering Those Lost in 2024

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Each year I track the children’s book creators we lost during the year. In 2024 we saw some truly great friends go away. Here’s my list.

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A Rubric to qualify progress in Oracy.  Edutopia, 2022 

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A Rubric to qualify progress in Oracy.  Edutopia, 2022 

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Meaningful and Relevant Tasks, updated from original 2010 doc.

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Illinois Reading Council Journal, A Practitioners Guide to the Illinois Comprehensive Literacy Plan, and Implications for the Advanced, Accelerated, High Potential and Gifted Literacy Learner, L. Beltchenko, 2024

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Illinois Reading Council Journal, A Practitioners Guide to the Illinois Comprehensive Literacy Plan, and Implications for the Advanced, Accelerated, High Potential and Gifted Literacy Learner, L. Beltchenko, 2024

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Harvard Review, "Whatever You Want to Call it": Science of Reading Mythologies in the Education Reform Movement, Dr. Elena Aydarova, 2023

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Harvard Review, "Whatever You Want to Call it": Science of Reading Mythologies in the Education Reform Movement, Dr. Elena Aydarova, 2023

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The Future of the Science of Reading, Dr. Rachael Gabriel, 2020 

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The Future of the Science of Reading, Dr. Rachael Gabriel, 2020 

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ISBE Sponsored Lexile Hub for Text Level Analysis  

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ISBE Sponsored Lexile Hub for Text Level Analysis  

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Although the ISBE does not subscribe to or endorse any products for any subject area, they have provided each teacher with an opportunity to use at no cost the Lexile website. Create an account and you can find texts to use with our youngest literacy learners and well as cut an paste an article or passage to determine its level of readability. This is due to the fact that the IAR uses Lexile to determine grade level appropriate texts for Readily Accessible, Moderately Complex and Very Complex Texts that are found in the "Lexile Ranges" for each grade level.

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Access various reading and math resources and educational tools related to Lexile and Quantile levels for teachers and parents.

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This post will take you to an additional Padlet that will support a Lens on Equitable selection of Texts to create an inclusive classroom of books for students of all grade levels. 

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This post will take you to an additional Padlet that will support a Lens on Equitable selection of Texts to create an inclusive classroom of books for students of all grade levels. 

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Writing prompts that get kids thinking. 

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Writing prompts that get kids thinking. 

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Across grade levels, engaging and creative writing prompts encourage kids to explore their opinions, reflect on experiences, and build strong arguments.

Routine low-stakes writing should be part of every student's literacy diet. Ungraded and low-pressure, this type of writing improves kids' writing stamina and builds language fluency, says Rebecca Alber, an instructor at UCLA's Graduate School of Education.

Under the right conditions, students can get ideas about a question or concept down quickly and with few parameters, then "share those thoughts, and feel just as successful as everyone else in the room," Alber says. The goal is to help students feel empowered to communicate ideas clearly and convincingly, while increasing their confidence as writers in preparation for longer, higher-stakes writing.

Prompts are an excellent starting point-but not all prompts are created equal, writes Todd Finley, a professor of English Education at East Carolina University. Superficially clever prompts may get pencils moving but often result in writing that's neither valuable nor memorable. To improve the quality of students' output and their level of investment, present them with prompts that require persuasive, opinion, informative, or even creative responses-and consider incorporating some student choice in the process.

As a wrap-up, students can share their work with a partner, in small groups, or even aloud to the class. To allow everyone to fully participate in the messy work of writing and occasionally "let their scraggly emotions run free," Finley suggests offering the option to write "personal" at the top of pages they prefer to keep private.

We combed through dozens of lists of teacher-tested prompts to find 54 thought-provoking ones that will get students-from elementary through middle and high school-thinking, reflecting, and engaging in meaningful writing.

Elementary School Prompts

1. I wish my teachers knew that...

2. What things do all kids know that adults do not?

3. Describe a routine that you often or always do (in the morning, when you get home, Friday nights, before a game, etc.).

4. You wake up tomorrow with a silly superpower that makes you famous. What is that silly power? How does it lead to you becoming an international superstar?

5. What are examples of things you want versus things you need?

6. Describe something that you saw in the news recently and how it made you feel.

7. What is one thing you would do to make your school, town, or city a better place?

8. What can we do to help people with different opinions get along better?

9. If you met an alien, what three questions would you ask them?

10. Which skill would you like to be good at in the future?

11. You're on a quest through a hidden underground world that no one has ever seen. What magical creatures do you come across? What do they look like, and how do they act?

12. You're the first person to ever set foot on Mars. What is it like? What do you explore first?

13. I will never forget the day...

14. Pretend you can trade places with someone real or imaginary, from the past or present. Describe who that person is and why you would like to trade places. Write about what you would do as that person for the day and how you would feel about it.

15. Write about the kind of job you think you might like to do someday. Be sure to explain what you know about that job and why you think it would be a good fit for you.

16. Would a robot make a good friend? Think about all the good and bad aspects of having a mechanical buddy. Explain why you would or would not want a robot for a friend.

17. Write a story about something that happened at school one day that you want to remember for the rest of your life.

18. Describe a person who influenced your life in a positive way, someone who has made a difference in your life. Explain what this person did and how it made your life different.

Middle School Prompts

1. How can you tell when someone your age is feeling insecure? Are most people more insecure or anxious than they let on?

2. If you starred in a television show about your life, what would the show be called? What genre would it be? (Examples: comedy, drama, thriller, romance, action-adventure, fantasy, superhero, soap opera, reality, game show, space adventure, Western, tragedy, etc.) Summarize the plot of an episode.

3. Is your ethnicity an important part of your identity? How so?

4. You have been selected to be principal of your school. What are five rules that every kid should follow at your school, and what do you think should happen if those rules are broken?

5. What do the friends you hang out with most have in common? How are you most like them? How are you different from them?

6. What contributes to someone becoming a bully? What can help stop someone from bullying?

7. Should we fear failure? Explain.

8. Choose an event in your life, and write about it from the perspective of someone else who was there.

9. Describe a flavor (salty, sweet, bitter, etc.) to someone who has never tasted it before.

10. Glass half-full/half-empty: Write about an event or situation with a positive outlook. Then write about it with a negative outlook.

11. Write a texting conversation between two friends who speak every day and know each other better than anyone.

12. After home and school, where do you find the strongest feeling of community?

13. Should governments do more to discourage people from smoking and vaping?

14. Sixth grade is a time of many changes. Describe the changes that have taken place in your life since you started sixth grade. For example, you could write about school, friends, family, or other changes. (Teachers: Change the grade level as necessary.)

15. You have a computer that can be programmed to do any of the activities you're normally responsible for. Explain the activities you would or would not assign to the machine, and why.

16. Some say the legal driving age should be lowered from 16 to 14, and some say it should be raised to 18. Explain why you think the legal driving age should be lowered to 14, raised to 18, or left as it is at 16.

17. A door in your school has always been kept locked. One day, as you walk past, you discover the door is open. Write a story about what happens next.

18. What would you like to tell adults in the future about being a young person during this time period?

High School Prompts

1. A nonprofit hires you as a consultant to determine how best to use $20 billion to save the world. What's your plan?

2. What's the worst thing about the internet?

3. How much control over your life do you have? What makes you say that?

4. Describe your ideal life 15 years from now. What is something you can do every day to reach that goal?

5. What things do you conscientiously do to feed your brain?

6. What are three of your most profound learning experiences? Where and when did they occur?

7. Write about your day in five acts, like a Shakespearean play. If your day were a play, what would be the introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution?

8. You have a difficult decision to make. Describe a conversation you might have with yourself about it.

9. Which beliefs and values do you think define American culture?

10. Should everyone go to college?

11. What's more important, practice or performance?

12. Is it my job or the teacher's job to motivate me?

13. What is the best measure of human growth?

14. Pick two characters from different books you've read this year and have them get in an argument about something.

15. Which animal would judge us the most? Write a scene (based on truth or fiction) where two or more people are doing something and being observed and criticized by animals.

16. Imagine that someone says to you, "Because that's how we've always done it!" Write this out as a scene. (Think: Who said it, what were the circumstances, how did you respond, etc.)

17. Is voting too hard in the United States?

18. Should politicians be on social media?

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54 Excellent, Low-Stakes Writing Prompts

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Across grade levels, engaging and creative writing prompts encourage kids to explore their opinions, reflect on experiences, and build strong arguments.

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 American Journal of Education                                  What You See Is Not What You Get: Science of Reading Reforms as a Guise for Standardization, Centralization, and Privatization, E. Aydarova, 2024

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 American Journal of Education                                  What You See Is Not What You Get: Science of Reading Reforms as a Guise for Standardization, Centralization, and Privatization, E. Aydarova, 2024