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Documenting the #books we #read in Grades 5 and 6 on our own “bookshelves”. Each color represents a different genre. #ibpyp #pypchat #literacy #reading #literacymatters #tcrwp #readersworkshop @tcrwp

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Documenting the #books we #read in Grades 5 and 6 on our own “bookshelves”. Each color represents a different genre. #ibpyp #pypchat #literacy #reading #literacymatters #tcrwp #readersworkshop @tcrwp https://t.co/wg2H3bh1NC

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Documenting the #books we #read in Grades 5 and 6 on our own “bookshelves”. Each color represents a different genre. #ibpyp #pypchat #literacy #reading #literacymatters #tcrwp #readersworkshop @tcrwp pic.twitter.com/wg2H3bh1NC
— Satya d'Amours (@satyadamours) October 11, 2020

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Documenting the #books we #read in Grades 5 and 6 on our own “bookshelves”. Each color represents a different genre. #ibpyp #pypchat #literacy #reading #literacymatters #tcrwp #readersworkshop @tcrwp https://t.co/wg2H3bh1NC

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Documenting the #books we #read in Grades 5 and 6 on our own “bookshelves”. Each color represents a different genre. #ibpyp #pypchat #literacy #reading #literacymatters #tcrwp #readersworkshop @tcrwp https://t.co/wg2H3bh1NC

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Documenting the #books we #read in Grades 5 and 6 on our own “bookshelves”. Each color represents a different genre. #ibpyp #pypchat #literacy #reading #literacymatters #tcrwp #readersworkshop @tcrwp

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Bob Probst is the author of Response and Analysis, he is coeditor (with Kylene Beers and Linda Rief) of Adolescent Literacy: Turning Promise into Practice, and coauthor (with Kylene Beers) of Notice and Note: Strategies for Close Reading and Reading Nonfiction, Notice & Note Stances, Signposts, and Strategies all published by Heinemann. Bob has also published numerous articles, chapters, and monographs in national and international publications.

Bob began his teaching career as high school English teacher and then became a supervisor of English for a large district in Maryland. He spent most of his academic career at Georgia State University where he is now Professor Emeritus of English Education. After retiring from Georgia State University, he served as a research fellow for Florida International University. Bob is now a consultant to schools, nationally and internationally, focusing on literacy improvement. He works in schools with his colleague and co-author, Kylene Beers.

Bob has served as a member on the Conference on English Board of Directors, an NCTE journal columnist, a member of the national advisory board to American Reading Company, and a member of the NCTE Commission on Reading. In2004 he was awarded the NCTE's Exemplary Leadership Award, presented by the Conference on English Leadership.

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Bob Probst is the author of Response and Analysis , he is coeditor (with Kylene Beers and Linda Rief) of Adolescent Literacy: Turning Promise into Practice , and coauthor (with Kylene Beers) of Notice and Note: Strategies for Close Reading and Reading Nonfiction, Notice & Note Stances, Signposts, and Strategies all published by Heinemann.

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Kylene Beers, Ed.D., is a former middle school teacher who has turned her commitment to adolescent literacy and struggling readers into the major focus of her research, writing, speaking, and teaching. She is author of the...

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To all politicians, business leaders, town leaders, school board members and everyone else who thinks they now really know about teaching and learning because kids have been at home for a full five months (heavens!):

When you say or hear someone say, "You must reopen the schools," remind them that they left out one word. Only one word. But that one word might be the difference between one child living or not; one teacher living or not; one parent at home living or not. One cafeteria worker, one bus driver, one custodian, one librarian, one secretary, one administrator living or not. One word could save one life and maybe that life is the life of someone you love:

"We must reopen the schools SAFELY."

This does not mean Trump should say that the CDC guidelines are too hard or too stringent and so let's make those guidelines easier.

Easier is not safely.
Faster is not safely.

Do we all want schools re-opened? Yes! But we must re-open schools SAFELY.

That's the missing word.

Parents - as you worry about what will happen next, here's a tip: If your school board won't meet face-to-face to discuss reopening because it's not safe for them, then it's not safe for the kids and teachers to be meeting face- to-face. If your office isn't sending all back to work, then kids shouldn't be headed back to school. If restaurants can't run at full capacity, then schools can't either.

And school board members: If your list of ideas includes suggestions such as "Teachers can open a window" or "They can take kids outside to learn" then please follow your own advice. I invite your school board to sit outside at 11:00 a.m. for an hour on the ground, or better yet, the parking lot since many schools do not have multiple tree-shaded spaces. Take up business there for an hour. Now, do it for four more hours.

How dare any school board members sit in their air-conditioned, leather-chaired board rooms and discuss what a teacher in a portable building should be able to do; a teacher in a building so old that windows have been painted shut; a teacher who must walk up three flights of stairs - as will the students - to get to a classroom; a teacher who will have crying children in the classroom because Todd over there coughed and now they are scared. A teacher who wants to lean-in to listen intently as that shy middle-schooler reads aloud something he wrote but that can't happen. A teacher who teaches teens who are ripping off masks every time the teacher looks away.

Maybe your solution is to put 100 kids in the school gym spread throughout the gym floor and up on bleachers. Nice. They'll be socially distanced. Go there, dear school board members. Each of you invite 10 or so friends to come join you - some might show up - to sit in all those other spaces. Require all sit facing the same way and then let discussions begin. How long before you give up listening because the gym isn't designed to be conducive to learning? More importantly, would ten of your friends join you in the gym? Or, have you ever visited a school cafeteria during lunch? I have. Many times. Even if you put kids in the four corners and keep them six-feet apart from one another, you still can't hear. Don't suggest something you haven't tried. Please, just don't.

How dare school board members make decisions without sitting in the worst classrooms of their poorest buildings for the day. They must walk the walk of a teacher before offering decisions. Any decisions regarding the reopening of schools that have been made by people who have only been sitting in the comfort of their homes talking via Zoom or the comfort of a spacious board room are uninformed decisions at best and dangerous decisions at worst.

So, dear businessmen and ladies, dear retired members of the community, dear working members of the community without children, or parents still working hard in your homes and in your community - all of you who sit on our school boards, take yourself into one of those classrooms for six hours and sit, wearing a mask, not turning around, not passing a sheet of paper to another board member, not being able to hear someone because of the mask or hear the teacher because of the mask or be heard because of the mask; remember you can't go to the bathroom when you need to because it's not your time; and bring your sandwich. Stop that turning around! I saw you - even though all you wanted to do was ask if you could borrow a pencil. Oh, right. No pencil borrowing. And, no, no-one can come close to you to check your work or help you with a problem. You just sit there, alone. Dear board members, from that setting under those circumstances, after you have heard from many teachers, then you can make critical decisions about reopening schools SAFELY. Oh, if someone coughs, open the window. That will make it all better.

Sincerely,
Dr. Kylene Beers
Teacher

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To all politicians, business leaders, town leaders, school board members and everyone else who thinks they now really know about teaching and learning because kids have been at home for a full five months (heavens!): When you say or hear someone say, "You must reopen the schools," remind them that they left out one word.

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Ten Tips with Kylene Beers & Robert E. Probst: Tip 6 Give Kids Choice

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Twitter Book Recommendation Wall | Scholastic

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Students recommending books to students is a winning strategy. Here's a way to update the process using Twitter as the communication platform for students to share - and

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Receiving post is incredibly exciting for children (and adults!). As we are all forced to slow down our pace of life, it's the perfect time to pick up a pen and spend some time writing a letter. Not only will it give students an authentic purpose and audience for their writing, but it will also (hopefully) result in a really special letter to treasure and keep for a very long time! The possibility of receiving a reply from their favourite author will do wonders for their engagement!

Not only that, letter writing is also an essential life skill - we've all had to write a letter at some point in time - and encouraging children to write letters will improve their communication skills, their handwriting and will teach them about how to structure letters properly. So, let's get cracking!
(Note to parents/teachers, before you start this task you may wish to double-check their favourite author is still alive, particularly if the book is an older classic). Activities:
1) Talk about your favourite book

Make a cuppa or a glass of juice, grab a snack or treat, your favourite book and a blanket and settle down for some lovely book blether!
What is the best book you have ever read? What did you like best about this book? What did you like least about this book? What other books did this remind you of? Which characters in the book did you like best? Which characters did you like least? Why? Did it have illustrations? What did you like about the pictures? Did someone recommend the book to you? If you were making a movie of this book, who would you cast? Share a favourite quote from the book. Why did this quote stand out? What other books by this author have you read? How did they compare to this book? Would you read another book by this author? Why or why not? What feelings did this book evoke for you? What did you think of the book's length? If it's too long, what would you cut? If too short, what would you add? What songs does this book make you think of? If you got the chance to ask the author of this book one question, what would it be?
[Please note: If your child does not have a favourite book/author and you're struggling with this task, consider who else they might like to write to... The editor of their favourite children's magazine? Their favourite sportsperson (Joe Wicks is doing a great job at the moment!)? Or perhaps simply friends or family who are self-isolating?]
2) Introduce letter-writing
Show a few examples of different letters (this could include informal postcards and birthday cards etc too). Consider whether they are formal or informal - how do you know? Which were written to friends? Which are from businesses? You could look specifically at:

Addresses - where are these, how are they laid out on the page, whose addresses are they?

Greeting - is it formal or informal?

Style of letter - is it friendly or business? Can you pick out key words that tell us whether it's formal or informal?

What is the body of the letter about?

How does the letter end?

Allow children to sort the letters into two piles - 'formal' and 'informal'.

Follow this with a discussion about different types of letters that you have all written. Why did you write them? Who were they for? Then discuss which letters you have each received. How did it feel to receive a letter? Why is it so special? Discuss who you would write a formal letter to and who you would write an informal letter to. What about authors?
3) Writing a formal letter to your favourite author
Letters to your favourite author should be quite informal as you don't actually know them in person! Formal letters are usually written on A4 paper and include the following layout:

The sender's address is put in the top right hand corner (always ask permission from parents/teachers before including any personal details. If you're writing this at school use the school's address if possible).

Leave a line, then write the author's address on the left hand side.

Leave a line, then write the full date, e.g. Tuesday 7th April 2020.

Leave a line, then write your greeting.

The body of your letter (usually 2-4 paragraphs - if you're not sure what to include read Wiki How's Guide to Writing Fanmail for some ideas to expand on).

Complimentary close (Yours Sincerely or Yours Faithfully).

Your signature.

Your full name in block capitals to ensure the author knows exactly who is sending the letter (once again, do double-check check parental consent for use of names when letter writing!).

Remember to write a draft first so that you can revise and improve it. Then ask someone to help you proofread it for spelling and punctuation errors before you write it up in neat.

You may also wish to include an illustration of your favourite character or part in the story! Authors always love to see your drawings as well as your letter writing!
4) Addressing the envelope
If you're writing to an author, you will usually need to address your letter to his or her publisher so that they can ensure it gets to them. Look inside the cover of your favourite book and you will usually find the name of the publisher (and usually their address too!). Alternatively, if they have their own website you may be able to find an address on their 'Contact Me' page.

Neatly address the envelope and add a stamp. For example:

Author Marcus Sedgwick
c/o Orion Publishing Group Ltd
Orion House
5 Upper St Martin's Lane
London
WC2H 9EA

You may also wish to decorate your envelope to make it really stand out! Add your stamp in the top right hand corner and post it when you are out for your daily walk!

Don't forget to add your stamp!

5) Wait for a response!
There is something really special about receiving post that is delivered by the postman or woman (they are also essential key workers doing anincredible job to keep our lines of communication open!). Seeing a brightly coloured stamp and knowing that there's a letter inside for you is very exciting! You cannot always guarantee that the author will respond, but often they do! And if they do, it will be a really special letter for you to treasure and keep and read over and over again!

Poetry postcard from A.F. Harrold

...Share and Connect!

We'd love to hear whether or not you enjoyed writing your letter and whether you received a reply! You can either comment in the box below or post a photo on social media (you can find me on Facebook and Twitter) using the hashtag #literacywithmissp

Happy Writing!

Miss P x

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#13 Write a letter to your favourite author!

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Receiving post is incredibly exciting for children (and adults!). As we are all forced to slow down our pace of life, it's the perfect time to pick up a pen and spend some time writing a letter. Not only will it give students an authentic purpose and audience for their writing, but it will also...

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The new year is the perfect time to set new reading goals! We've got just the thing to help you stay on track. Download our "To Be Read" list template for

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Research tells us that when schools provide rewards as incentives for reading, despite their best intentions, the results lead to a decrease in long-term reading motivation for students. Authors Barbara A. Marinak and Linda Gambrell led the study on this topic and, combined with their classroom experience, have written No More Reading for Junk: Best Practices for Motivating Readers. Below is a section from the opening of chapter one, written by Barbara. This is followed by a video of Barbara talking about one reluctant reader who made it clear she wasn't interested in reading. Or was she?

Written by By Barbara A. Marinak

They say the first step in recovery is admitting that you have a problem. Well, I admit it. I spent many years of my career wanting so badly for my students to love reading as much as I did that I sometimes resorted to motivation practices that were, shall we say, not helpful. However, that admission puts me a little ahead of the story. I spent several decades in public education in a variety of positions including special educator, reading specialist, reading supervisor, elementary curriculum coordinator, and acting superintendent. Along the way, in each position, I worked tirelessly-though sometimes unwisely-to nurture intrinsic motivation in the students for whom I was responsible. So this is my journey, from an educator with a little knowledge and good intentions to a literacy professional with the same good intentions and more insight. Experiences, studying, working with colleagues, and, most important, listening to children have taught me a great deal about nurturing intrinsic reading motivation. This initial discussion shares a few of the lessons learned-the most powerful from the children I have been privileged to know.

"If you tell anyone... I'll never read another book."

In the video below, Barbara explains how she worked with a reluctant student who, in the classroom, was openly against any book suggestion. Barbara had an idea.

Learn more from co-author Barbara Marinak when she presents the session "Motivating Adolescent Readers and Writers with Dr. Barbara Marinak" at the Lenawee Intermediate School District in Adrian, Michigan. For more information, click here.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Barbara A. Marinak, Ph.D., is a Professor and Chair of the Education Department at Mount St. Mary's University where she teaches literacy and research courses.

Linda B. Gambrell is Distinguished Professor of Education at Clemson University. She is past president of the International Reading Association.

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We Can't Nurture Intrinsic Reading Motivation Using Rewards or Punishment

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Research tells us that when schools provide rewards as incentives for reading, despite their best intentions, the results lead to a decrease in long-term reading motivation for students. Authors Barbara A. Marinak and Linda Gambrell led the study on this topic and, combined with their classroom experience, have written No More Reading for Junk: Best Practices for Motivating Readers .

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Once our students start reading, start setting personalized goals, and start to develop healthy reading lives, it's important to acknowledge their progress. Big, culminating classroom celebrations are a fun way to do it, but there are also ways to celebrate that don't take a ton of precious class time, and can mark the smaller moments worth celebrating along the way.

1. Penny Kittle encourages the book stack. Students gather the books they've read over the last semester, quarter, or other period of time that they've been reading. They stack the books up, which gives a visual representation of what they've accomplished with their reading. My ninth grade students recently did the book stack, and their smiles and pride were inspiring.

While some students loved the book stacks, I had a couple of students who had done much of their reading on e-readers, so the book stack wasn't such a great option for them. Our solution was the digital collage. Students gathered images of their book covers and collected them on a document, creating a digital quilt or collage. They then printed them on our color printer, and we made a patchwork mural in the hall with them.

This visual representation celebrates not only what individual students have been reading, but also serves as a hallway meeting place and inspiration for conversation about books. It's a great way to build a reading community.

Our learning support teacher encourages her readers with a creative, ongoing visual representation. She has a paper "tree" on a wall in her classroom, and as students read books, they add "leaves" to the tree. On each "leaf" the students write the title and author of the books, and it serves as both a reminder and inspiration for future reading. 4. That same teacher also keeps a quote wall on her white board. The words we read can reach us in beautiful ways, and when students experience that kind of moment, they are encouraged to share those lines on the white board. It's another public display of a healthy reading life. It's a conversation starter, and it helps build a sense of community within the classroom.

5. Another teacher in our department keeps poster paper on her walls. Students add titles to the lists as they complete their books. Because names are attached, students can reach out to one another with questions or when they want to talk to each other about a book that they read, too. It's another public acknowledgment and conversation starter, which is part of what we need when we build reading communities.

I think it's important to create opportunities for students to celebrate their reading accomplishments in a risk-free, nonthreatening way. Time is precious, so creating these opportunities in a relatively quick way within our classroom communities can be found time. Our classroom walls should reflect the needs and values of our classroom communities, and I find that these five strategies help move students forward with the development of their healthy reading lives.

How do you enable and encourage your students to publicly celebrate their reading lives and reading communities? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below.
Julie has been teaching secondary language arts for nineteen years, spending the first fifteen in rural Central Oregon, and the last four in Amman, Jordan. She's thrilled to report that she and her family will be moving across the agua to Managua, Nicaragua next year, where a new adventure will begin. Follow her on twitter @SwinehartJulie Follow her blog https://adventuresinhighschoolworkshop.wordpress.com/

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Five Ways to Publicly Celebrate Student Reading

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Once our students start reading, start setting personalized goals, and start to develop healthy reading lives, it's important to acknowledge their progress. Big, culminating classroom celebrations are a fun way to do it, but there are also ways to celebrate that don't take a ton of precious class time, and can mark the smaller moments...

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Now that I am done with NaNoWriMo, I am being haunted by my to-read stack. It is really out of control and only gets worse every three weeks when I go to the library. I can never bring myself to return books without checking out more. And then there's my Amazon Prime (affiliate link) membership, where I buy books with one click and free two day shipping. I'm addicted, that's all there is to it. Plus, I am now in an awesome book club, and I need to manage that reading list as well, otherwise it's just wine club (Although really, who is against wine club? Not me).

Read my full review of all of the above pictured books here.

Here is the to-read printable list I will be using, in purple:

To combat this I decided I needed a to-read printable. But I could not find one anywhere that fit my needs. I decided to make my own, and share them with you guys. It works for me, so hopefully it works for someone else. It is the first printable I've ever made, and I did a variety of colors.

I included the last few columns for a reason. First, if a book is recommended by someone I want to be able to tell them what I thought afterwards. Second, the date I bought the book or checked it out from the library matters to me for two reasons (a) to stop reading only new books and get to the bottom of my pile sooner; (b) so that I can keep track for my 101 in 1001. Third, "Finished" is because I love checking things off of a list! :)

If you would like to print your own list for keeping track of your reading list, you can download a variety of colors here:

What's the number one book on your to-read list right now?

Other Posts You May Like:

Brittany is a 30 year old lawyer, living in the Seattle-Metro area. She is the creator of and writer at www.WhereMySoulBelongs.com, a blog that focuses on appreciating life right where you are every day. At WMSB you'll find articles on faith, fitness, frugality and managing to somehow have work-life balance in the middle of it all.

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Now that I am done with NaNoWriMo, I am being haunted by my to-read stack. It is really out of control and only gets worse every three weeks when I go to the library. I can never bring myself to re...

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I love to read so I'm always looking for good book recommendations from people. The problem is, I never know what to do with them! Usually I'll write the title on a post-it, put it in my purse or bag and of course end up losing said post-it - along with the book recommendation. Recently, it dawned on me that I should be tracking these recommendations in my bullet journal! Enter the bullet journal book spread!

A bullet journal book spread is simply an easy way to keep track of all those books you want to read. It's an easy way to get more organized and efficient around your reading habits.

I'm planning to have a few "libraries"... One for work/business recommendations and another for personal/pleasure recommendations, Another for personal development and I'll probably start one for productivity too! Breaking recommendations into categories like these makes it a lot easier to find what you're looking for and to see where ideas are a bit light.

But what does a bullet journal spread actually look like?

To inspire your creativity and to give you a few ideas, here are some of the approaches of the book spreads I discovered as I scoured the bujo community.

[And if you keep reading right to the end. I've also included some good book recommendations so you can start creating your own bullet journal book spread 'libraries'.]

Bullet Journal Book Spreads - 14 examples

1. The book shelf spread

Source: Mycanadianseoul

2. A decorated book shelf

Source: Carley Cain

Thought: you could add a drawing on each shelf for a different genre or different symbols

3. A minimalist book shelf

Source: that_journal

4. Or the book shelves spread

Source: Amelie Edomstone

The book shelf approach is great because you can make the books as small or large as you'd like to fit your library. You can also add more info if you'd like too! Such as author, genre, etc.

5. The box-checker spread (for all those box-checking-addicts like me!)

Source: Currently Stu(dying)

This book spread is also perfect for keeping track of series which is a huge plus for my pleasure reading

6. A list view with the author included

Source: Sarcasm and Sweet Tea

7. Stack of books spread

Source: Rebecca Hales

8. The flip side approach: Books I've read

Source: Collectingthemoments_onebyone

This is perfect for those serial and speed readers!

9. Another take on books I've read

Source: Maryj13

10. If you have a ton of books... A book spread stencil!

Source: Moxiedori

11. Track your progress

Source: Pinterest

12. Categories - in this example it's childhood favorites

Source: My Inner Creative

13. A plan for the year

Source: The Fab 20s

14. A plan for the month

Source: My Inner Creative

Books to add to your bullet journal book spread

You've chosen your perfect spread and you've got your pages all marked up.

The next step is to decide what you're going to read. I know! It's a minefield, right?

I'm sure you're already got a long list of books you're wading through, but if you're looking for a few more recommendations then here's a list of 7 productivity and performance books we think you'll LOVE. They're available on Audible too - perfect if you want to listen to a good book while you're traveling, relaxing, or taking care of chores that don't require much mental bandwidth.

1. Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time - Brian Tracy.

2. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World - Cal Newport

3. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change - Stephen Covey

4. No B.S. Time Management for Entrepreneurs: The Ultimate No Holds Barred Kick Butt Take No Prisoners Guide to Time Productivity and Sanity - Dan Kennedy

5. The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results - Gary Keller

6. Life in Half a Second: How to Achieve Success Before It's Too Late - Matthew Michalewicz

7. Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers - Tim Ferriss

How do you track books you've read or want to read in your journal? What books would make your list of top recommendations? Let us know in the comments below.
This blog post was originally published in February 2016 and has since been updated and republished.

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Bullet Journal Book Spread (14 Ideas!) - Productive & Pretty

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I love to read so I'm always looking for good book recommendations from people. The problem is, I never know what to do with them! Usually I'll write the title on a post-it, put it in my purse or bag and of course end up losing said post-it - along with the book recommendation.

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Book recommendations by Grade 7 students