# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
6th personal narratives conferring practice 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Writing Conference: Teaching a Student to Write for Audience (3-5)

# data[].attributes.body
cailin@erinkentconsulting.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Classroom Essentials Series

A foundational guide to the principles, practices, structure, and daily routines of Writing Workshop.

*How can I get started with writing workshop, or refine my workshop?
*What are the essential elements of a writing workshop?
*How can I create daily structures and routines that support writers?

In this foundational guide, Katherine Bomer and Corinne Arens describe the elegant simplicity of a Writing Workshop focused on just three essentials-time, choice, and response. Based on the research-based belief that children learn to write best when we provide a predictable, daily structure for writing, Katherine and Corinne introduce teachers to the rituals and routines of writing workshop and suggest ways to take small, incremental steps toward implementing them. Shared from the viewpoint of two veteran educators who understand the issues and obstacles teachers face day to day, A Teacher's Guide to Writing Workshop Essentials also serves as a refresher for experienced workshop teachers looking for a chance to refocus, clarify, and extend the work in their practice. If your teaching has become more complicated and more focused on curriculum than on the writers sitting in front of you, if you're not sure what your students really need to support them as writers, or if you're just not sure how to get started with Writing Workshop, this guide is for you.

(click any section below to continue reading)

Contents

Part One: Writing Workshop Essentials
Writing Workshop Structure

Part Two: Time
Working In Time
What Students Do in the Writing "Bubble of Time"
What Teachers Do in the Writing "Bubble of Time"
Predictable Time Matters
Work That Extend Across Time
Protecting Writing Workshop Time
Benefits of Breaking Out of the "Bubble"
Writing Workshop and Multilingual Students

Part Three: Choice
Understanding Decision Making
Choice Matters
Possibilities for Maximizing Student Choice
Starting with Choice Right From the Start
Writing Workshop and Multilingual Students

Part Four: Response
Response Matters
Structures and Routines for Daily Response
Teaching Students About the Give and Take of Response
Extending Response Beyond the Walls of the Classroom
Writing Workshop and Multilingual Students

Part Five: Time, Choice, and Response Across a School Year
What You Will Likely See Early in the Year
What You Will Likely See as the Year Progresses
"I'm the Kind of Writer Who..."

Companion Resources

Related PD Services

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Teacher's Guide to Writing Workshop Essentials: Time, Choice, Response

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A foundational guide to the principles, practices, structure, and daily routines of Writing Workshop. - Heinemann

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Compliment & Teach- 3-5 Narrative Writing

# data[].attributes.body
TP: Generating Ideas- Think of Important People
TP: Planning - Storyboarding

# data[].attributes.body
3rd Grade Narrative Example

# data[].attributes.body
colleen@erinkentconsulting.com

# data[].attributes.body
Skill Progressions, J. Serravallo

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Strategies and lessons for teaching writing in Kindergarten through elementary to seventh grade with differentiation and inquiry. Complete guide with ideas for small group guided, shared, and interactive writing. Improve engagement and independence though social support and teacher feedback.

# data[].attributes.body
Overview from Literacy Teacher's Playbook

Interactive & Shared Writing Examples

# data[].attributes.body
jordan@erinkentconsulting.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Introduction
A Very Brief Introduction to Principles, Research, and Theory, and How to Use This Book
The idea for a book of writing strategies exists many times over. This one is possible only because of the great books that have come before it. There are books suggesting writing strategies meant for professional writers and college students, such as those by Noah Lukeman, Roy Peter Clark, and Janet Burroway, among others. There are countless examples of excellent compilations of writing strategies in books written for teachers of writing, such as Fletcher and Portalupi's Craft Lessons Series, Barry Lane's After "The End" (1993), Carl Anderson's Strategic Writing Conferences series (2008-2009), Donald Graves' many books, Katie Wood Ray's Wondrous Words (1999) and other titles, Katherine Bomer's books, Georgia Heard's books, Nancie Atwell's In the Middle (2014) and other resources, Lucy Calkins' Units of Study series, and many more. My aim in this book is to offer my favorite, most useful collection of strategies that span all aspects of the writing process, all genres and modes of writing, and that will work well with students in grades K-8. I want to offer you a little bit of everything. I streamlined the language and examples, and I present the strategies in a format that is organized so that the busy teacher can find just the right strategy at just the right moment. Of course, you'll elaborate on the streamlined language and make it your own.

But wait-before you dive in, I'm so glad you're taking the time to spend a few moments with this "Getting Started" introduction. In this introduction, you'll gain a helpful overview of the thinking that undergirds this book's ideas as well as an overview of its organization. You'll learn about strategies and all the aspects that I chose to include to elaborate on them-mentor texts, prompts, lesson language, teaching tips, and more. You'll learn how to navigate the pages of the book so you can find what you're looking for quickly and easily, for this is not a read-every-single-page kind of book (unless you want it to be). You'll get a quick crash course on some important terminology and concepts that will help you use this book to its fullest- thoughts about writing as a process, and modes and genres of writing, for example. And finally, you'll learn how to adapt what's in the book to fit your students' writing time in the classroom, no matter what form that time takes.
Click here to download more of the introduction of this book.
Goal 1: Composing with Pictures

Strategy Go back to your picture(s). Point to the part or picture that teaches something important about your topic. Touch or turn to the next part. Tell what new fact about your topic this part of the picture or this page teaches.

Lesson Language If I wrote or drew to teach, then when I read my writing back I'm going to make it sound like a teaching book. I'm going to tell my reader the facts I wrote about. Let me show you. I drew a picture of a big T. rex. I know a lot about them so I added a lot of details in my picture. I'm going to touch one part and teach what that part says. "The T. rex had very large jaws with big sharp teeth." Now I'm going to touch a new part and teach what that part says. "The T. rex had very short arms. It would only run using its hind legs."

Goal 2: Engagement - Independence, Increasing Volume, and Developing a Writing Identity

Strategy First, identify the problem you're having. Then, check the spot in the room, a resource, or a friend that might help you solve the problem. Try a solution. If it doesn't work, try something else.

Teaching Tip This strategy, like "Use the Room" that appears earlier in this chapter, assumes that there are things in the room that can be helpful, and that you've taught children how to use them. For example, in a primary classroom a word wall may help a writer to spell high-frequency words. If you've introduced and used mentor texts, then having these available for children to reference on their own could help them. Sometimes the problem might be that they need to work in a new spot in the room because of the amount of distractions at their current spot. Brainstorm possible problems with your students, and come up with a list of resources and solutions. Or, this strategy can be like a culmination of past teaching from this and other chapters.

Goal 3: Generating and Collecting Ideas

Strategy Decide on a new place to visit. Go there with no more than a notebook and a set of listening ears and observing eyes. Let yourself pick up on conversation and details of the person. Jot down what you observe, and also what you imagine, about the people you see.

Teaching Tip This strategy will take you outside of the classroom, so it would work well as a whole-class lesson followed by a field trip, or as a suggestion to a student, group, or class for independent writing outside of the school day.

Goal 4: Focus/Meaning

Strategy Think about a memory and all the events that are part of that memory. Think about what's important about that memory, or the big idea the memory leaves you with. Identify the one part of the memory that feels the most important. Write some ideas about what's important about it, and why it's important. Try to write just that one smaller part of the larger moment. Tell it bit by bit.

Teaching Tip The amount a writer will be able to reflect on the overall significance of a small moment will depend on her maturity level and experience with writing. For younger children, you may want to suggest choosing a small moment that will make a good story, rather than one imbued with a deep or heavy significance, or simply encourage them to narrow down the window of time

Goal 5: Organization and Structure

Strategy Before beginning to draft, visualize the shape of what you're going to make. Create some sort of quick visual, in pictures or in words, to represent the overarching structure. As you write, check back to see where you are in your plan.

Teaching Tip This is going to be most helpful after students have learned a variety of ways to structure their pieces and have been introduced to a variety of graphic organizers that would help them to organize, or shape, the information into a structure.

Goal 6: Elaboration

Strategy Think about the subtopics for which you'll want to collect information. Write each of your subtopics as a heading on a notebook or booklet page. As you find new information for your topic, think, "What page in my notebook should this go on? Which subtopic does it provide details for?"

Lesson Language I just found this interesting fact: Ballerinas really wear out their shoes. Many go through as many as 2-3 pairs per week! I'm going to look across the pages of my booklet to see where this would best fit. Would it belong in the section called "Types of Ballet Positions?" No, that's not about the positions. Would it go in the section called "Famous Ballets?" No. "What Ballerinas Wear?" Well, I do talk about pointe shoes in this section, so it might be cool to add this fact about how many pairs of pointe shoes the average ballerina needs. I'll keep the fact here.

Goal 7: Word Choice

Strategy Find all the action verbs in your piece. Focus on any that you think aren't as clear, precise, or exact as they could be. List several options for what might replace that word (use a thesaurus if you need it!). Choose the word that best matches your meaning.

Teaching Tip For this strategy to work, children will need to understand what an action verb is, so identification of verbs is a first step in this strategy. Many teachers weave in some instruction during other balanced literacy components such as word study, read-aloud, and/or shared reading. You could also plan to teach direct minilessons to the class or small groups for those who do not understand parts of speech.

Goal 8: Conventions - Spelling and Letter Formation

Strategy When trying to spell a word, try to visualize where you've seen it written and how you've seen it written before. It may help to close your eyes. Then, in a margin or on a piece of scrap paper, write how you think it's spelled. Try it a second or maybe even third way. Look back at what you've written and ask yourself, "Which of these tries looks right to me?"

Prompts

Check off the parts that look right to you.

Write the word as you think you've seen it before.

Which parts look right? Which part looks off?

Do you think there are some letters missing?

What part of that word is tricky for you?

The part you're trying to spell is also in the word _______. Does that help?

Goal 9: Conventions - Grammar and Punctuation

Strategy Find two sentences that talk about the same topic. Think about the relationship between those sentences. Choose a connector word and try combining the sentences into one. Reread and decide if you like the combined way or original way better.

Lesson Language Here's one spot in my draft where I have two sentences that I
think go well together. I wrote: "A dog is something that can keep you company. A dog
can cheer you up." What's the relationship between those two sentences? They both have
to do with something that is positive about owning a dog, so I think they are related. I'm
adding more information on. I'll try using and to combine those sentences: "A dog can
keep you company and cheer you up." Here's another spot: "I would love to have a dog.
My mom won't let me have a dog." What's the relationship between those two sentences?
The second sentence gives more information that feels in contrast to the first. I'll combine
them with however: "I would like to have a dog, however my mom won't let me." The
new sentence I made seems clearer and more to the point.

Goal 10: Collaborating with Writing Partners and Clubs

Strategy Talk with your partner about your goals (for the writing period, for the week, and/or for writing work to take place at home, and so on). Discuss together how you might get that work done. Write the goal, and make the promise...then check in with your partner soon.

Teaching Tip Reflect on your own life and goals you've set out to accomplish. Now think about how successful you've been and whether or not you made your goals public ahead of time. I know that when I share my goals with my partner, my friends, my colleagues, my editor, I am more likely to get things done. The built-in accountability, the opportunity to celebrate together, the lifeline of support in case something does not go according to plan-these are invaluable.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Writing Strategies Book by Jennifer Serravallo.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Collection of strategies that span all aspects of the writing process, all genres and modes of writing, and that will work well with students in grades K-8. Organized so the busy teacher can find just the right strategy at just the right moment.

# data[].attributes.body
3rd Grade: Open Genre
4th Grade: Personal Narrative

# data[].attributes.body
A two-minute overview of pedagogical translanguaging from
Eowyn Crisfield

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Launching Reading Workshop teaching points

# data[].attributes.headline
Empowering Learners - Conferring Questions

# data[].attributes.subject
Empowering Learners - Conferring Questions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Empowering Learners - Conferring Questions.pdf

# data[].attributes.body
Skill Progressions, TCRWP

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"These assessment tools make progress in writing as transparent, concrete, and obtainable as possible and put ownership for this progress into the hands of learners, allowing students and teachers to work toward a very clear image of what good writing entails."
-Lucy Calkins, Writing Pathways
Lucy Calkins' groundbreaking performance assessments offer instructional tools to support continuous assessment, timely feedback, and clear goals tied to learning progressions that have been aligned with world-class standards. Originally published as part of the bestselling Units of Study in Opinion/Argument, Information, and Narrative Writing, grades K-8, Writing Pathways is ideal for writing workshop, but suitable for any writing instruction context or curriculum.

This practical guide includes:

Learning progressions for opinion/argument, information, and narrative writing, which map the specific benchmarks students will master for every grade level

On-demand writing prompts that support schoolwide performance assessment

Student checklists to help students set goals and integrate crucial self-assessment into their work

Rubrics to support individual teachers and professional learning communities as they evaluate mastery and plan instruction within and across grade levels

Student writing samples that illustrate different ways students have exemplified standards and highlight essential features of each writing genre

Annotated exemplar pieces of writing on the same topic for every grade level that highlight the traits you can expect to see at each level of the learning progressions.

Who needs Writing Pathways?

Educators who are not yet ready to implement the full Units of Study curriculum can use Writing Pathways to get started with Lucy Calkins' proven approach to writing assessment and instruction.

Coaches and administrators who are supporting implementation of Lucy Calkins' Units of Study will find Writing Pathways to be an ideal resource to guide their work.

Who doesn't need Writing Pathways?

The content in this stand-alone edition is the same as in the previous editions found in Lucy Calkins' Units of Study (K-5 and 6-8 are combined in this new edition). Teachers who have the Units of Study do not need this new edition.
For more information, visit UnitsofStudy.com.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"These assessment tools make progress in writing as transparent, concrete, and obtainable as possible and put ownership for this progress into the hands

# data[].attributes.headline
Checklist for Launching Independent Writing

# data[].attributes.subject
Checklist for Launching Independent Writing

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Setting Up for Independent Writing - Checklist & Ideas - Summer 2023

# data[].attributes.body
EKC

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Your Research-based Guide to Developing Skilled Readers. 300+ strategies with learning progressions support 13 reading goals, with each strategy cross-linked to skills, teacher tips, prompts, research, and reading levels—everything from fluency to literary analysis.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
PYP Minilesson Lesson Planning Sheet - Intro to WS 2022 K-2

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
1. Getting Your Classroom Conferring-Ready
What Is Conferring? Why Confer?
But . . . What Is the Rest of the Class Doing?
Spotlight on Emergent Bilinguals: Tips for Book Selections
Preparing an Environment for Conferring
What Are the Types of Conferences I'll Read About in This Book?
Mentor Spotlight: Richard Allington

2. Understanding What Readers Know and Need
Aligning Goals, Skills, Assessments, and Questions
Spotlight on Emergent Bilinguals: Assessment
How Do I Confer with a Reader When I Don't Know the Book?
Assessment Conferences: Structure and Timing
Watch and Read: An Assessment Conference Example
Finding a Goal
Take It to Your Classroom
Mentor Spotlight: Marie Clay

3. Setting Goals
Deciding on a Goal Together
Spotlight on Emergent Bilinguals: Goal Setting
Preparing for a Goal-Setting Conference
Goal-Setting Conferences: Structure and Timing
Watch and Read: A Goal-Setting Conference Example
Making Goals Visible
A Close-Up Look at Guided Inquiry
Take It to Your Classroom
Mentor Spotlight: John Hattie

4. Noticing and Naming Strengths
The Anatomy of an Effective Compliment
Spotlight on Emergent Bilinguals: Supporting Growing Language Skills
Compliment Conferences: Structure and Timing
Watch and Read: A Compliment Conference Example
Take It to Your Classroom
Mentor Spotlight: Peter Johnston

5. Teaching Strategies to Individuals and Groups
Building on Strengths
Spotlight on Emergent Bilinguals: Building on Strengths
Providing Feedback and Coaching Readers
Research-Compliment-Teach Conferences: Structure and Timing
Watch and Read: A Research-Compliment-Teach Conference Example
Coaching Conferences: Structure and Timing
Watch and Read: A Coaching Conference Example
Strategy Lessons: Structure and Timing
Watch and Read: Strategy Lesson Examples
Take It to Your Classroom
Mentor Spotlight: Lucy Calkins

6. Supporting Conversation and Collaboration
Partnerships and Clubs in the Classroom
Spotlight on Emergent Bilinguals: Leveraging Talk Time
Partnership Conferences with Young Readers: Structure and Timing
Watch and Read: A Partnership Conference Example
Teaching Talk (Speaking and Listening)
Partnerships and Book Club Conferences for Conversation: Structure and Timing
Watch and Read: A Book Club Conference Example
Take It to Your Classroom
Mentor Spotlight: Ellin Keene

7. Planning and Managing Conferring Time
Planning Your Conferring Time
Which Conference Type Do I Choose?
Balancing Individual Goals and Class Goals
Note-Taking
Take It to Your Classroom

Online Resources: Videos
Grade 1: Ian (Assessment Conference)
Grade 5: Gavin (Goal-Setting Conference)
Grade 8: Justin (Compliment Conference)
Grade 2: Lucas (Research-Compliment-Teach Conference)
Grade K: Ana (Coaching Conference)
Grade K: Group of students (Strategy Lesson)
Grade 8: Group of students (Strategy Lesson)
Grade K: Gabbie and Ashley (Partnership/Book Club Conference)

In this book, you'll read about the different types of student conferences. The book is organized in the order you're most likely to use the conference types as you get started. Assessment conferences will help you get to know your readers, and then once you do, meeting with them in Goal-Setting Conferences helps you establish goals. As soon as everyone has goals, you can offer positive feedback (Compliment Conferences) and support those goals with strategies (Coaching and Research-Compliment- Teach Conferences). Once you start noticing patterns in what your students need, it makes sense to work efficiently and pull small-group Strategy Lessons (Teaching In a Group). Once that feels solid, you might shift your attention to conferring during the conversation and collaboration time (Partnership and Club Conferences). In the final chapter, Jen offers advice for how to use each type of conference with purpose and at a time that will be most helpful to you.

"I love that this book includes blank resources, like notetaking charts, that teachers can use. The combination of transcripts, charts, table tents, and annotated examples makes me feel like I have what I need to be successful in this work."-Lori Yoshizaki, 4th Grade Teacher
"The videos are SO valuable.Not only the video examples of conferences but the talking points in the book to highlight Jen's moves. It's so helpful to have her notes from each conference as well."-Jennifer Conley, Instructional Coach
"I believe that the reason why teachers don't confer during reading workshop is because they don't know how to manage all the pieces. Jen gives clear directions on how to set things up from start to finish, and information on how to manage everything."-Lisa Aker, Assistant Professor in Literacy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Teacher's Guide to Reading Conferences

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"If you are a reading teacher, a curriculum coach, or a school leader, order a copy of A Teacher's Guide to Reading Conferences right now. It is a must-have

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A Danielson Observation of a TCRWP Fourth Grade Writing Workshop in an Integrated Co-Teaching Class - An Observation of a Writing Minilesson

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Classroom Essentials Series

Writing conferences are a way to help both you and your students find joy in the writing process. And too, conferences can help you provide one-on-one instruction that covers a wide range of writing skills and strategies.

How can I get started with conferring or improve my conferences?
How can I fit conferences into my busy writing workshop schedule?
How can conferences help me meet the diverse needs of student writers?

Helping students become better writers is what writing conferences are all about.In A Teacher's Guide to Writing Conferences, Carl Anderson explains the underlying principles and reasons for conferring with students, and how to make writing conferences a part of your daily routine. With clear and accessible language, Carl guides you through the three main parts of a writing conference, and shows you the teaching moves and intentional language that can be used in each one. He helps you understand:
* how to get started with conferring, or improve your existing conferences
* how to use conferences to meet the diverse needs of your student writers
* how to fit conferences into your busy writing workshop schedule.
More than 25 videos bring the content to life, while Teacher Tips, Q&A's, and Recommended Reading lists provide everything you need to help you become a better writing teacher.

(click any section below to continue reading)

Contents

Part One: What Is a Writing Conference?
My First Writing Conference Was a Disaster
Writing Conferences Happen in Writing Workshop
What Is a Writing Conference?
Why Confer?
Part Two: Start by Discovering What the Student is Doing as a Writer
Invite Students to Talk About Their Writing
What Will Students Talk About?
Five Scenarios That Happen After You Ask, "How's It Going?"
Try It Yourself: Studying Your Conferring
Part Three: Assess and Decide What to Teach
Recognizing Patterns Is the Key to Good Decision-Making
Writing Patterns and Teaching Points
Try It Yourself: Building Your Knowledge of Writing Patterns and Teaching Points
Part Four: Then Teach Powerfully
Move One: Give Feedback
Move Two: Deliver a Teaching Point
Move Three: Coach
Move Four: Link to Independent Work
Studying the Four Teaching Moves in a Transcript of a Conference
Try It Yourself: Improving Your Conference Teaching

Companion Resources

Reviews

"With the videos included in this book, learning does not stop on the last page of the book. The art of teaching is taking something and creating a wonderful lesson that brings the learning to life. This is what the videos do for the book."-Lesley Miller, Director of Title I and Literacy, Frankfort, IN

"Carl does an excellent job of showing all the possibilities when conferring with writers. His teaching point library is probably the highlight of this book for veteran teachers. Excellent!"-Jill Hatcher, Literacy Coach

"This would have been invaluable to me in my first years of teaching. Not just the text, but as a way that teachers can talk to students, in ways that move the learning forward."-Tia Frahm, Assistant Professor

"I struggle with writing conferences, and this book was filled with helpful problem solvers. The many strategies offered quick and useful tools to support my teaching and the young writers in my classroom."-- Tiffany Jewell, Montessori Teacher

Related PD Services

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Teacher's Guide to Writing Conferences

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Writing conferences are a way to help both you and your students find joy in the writing process. And too, conferences can help you provide one-on-one

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
1. You Can Have It Both Ways: Reading Literature Deeply and Fostering Joyful, Independent Reading

2. Start with the Students: Identify the Skills Your Students Need

3. Look Beyond the Usual Suspects: Choose the Book Your Students Need

4. Map Out the Unit: Plan the Timing and the Strategies You'll Teach

5. Delight in the Details: Play Your Daily Instruction: Read-Alouds and Minilessons

6. Reach Everyone: Differentiate with Small Groups and Conferences

7. Keep Students Engaged: Address the Challenges of Teaching a Whole-Class Text

8. Track Growth: Assess Along the Way Through Writing About Reading

9. Launch Readers: Honor Choice to Develop Stronger, Independent Students

10. Celebrate Achievements: Assessing, Writing, and Making as an End to the Unit

Can't we provide both individualized instruction and challenging reading for our students? This book shows how we can do just that. In a nutshell:

1. We plan a unit in our classroom, naming the skill or skills that will be our primary focus.

2. We choose a whole-class novel that will both interest the kids and do the heavy lifting for the skills we plan to teach.

3. We plan our lessons accordingly.

That's it. Pretty simple. Of course, like many simple ideas in and out of education, the execution takes some doing. That's what the rest of the book is for. We'll begin with a deep dive into the troubles and triumphs of both whole-class novels and readers workshop and think about what we can aim for in our teaching (Chapter 1). Then, we'll follow the trajectory of a unit: choosing the skills and book you'll be using (Chapters 2 and 3), teaching with the whole-class novel (Chapters 4 and 5) and meeting individual needs while doing so (Chapters 6 and 7), assessing formatively (Chapter 8), helping students transfer the skills they've learned to book-club books (Chapter 9), and assessing summatively (Chapter 10).

- Introduction

"A Novel Approach dismantles timeworn methods for teaching whole class novels that consume class time, provide little relevance or rigor, and disengage students from reading. Kate Roberts offers an empowering road map for navigating whole class novels with your students while supporting their independent reading lives. A forward-thinking model for progressive literacy education."-Donalyn Miller, author of The Book Whisperer and Reading in the Wild

"I wish this book was around back when I completely stopped reading in High School. I lost years of my reading life, just as so many students turn away from reading in secondary grades because the assigned books are uninteresting, too confusing, or seem to drag on. Kate's approach shows us that when novel teaching is skills driven, brief, and complimented with book clubs, it can be more engaging to students and more rewarding for teachers."-Christopher Lehman, coauthor of Falling in Love with Close Reading and author of Energize Research Writing

"Increasing the volume of student reading starts with finding the right balance between independent reading, book club reading, and core work reading. And this is where A Novel Approach proves invaluable. Kate Roberts not only shows secondary teachers why achieving this balance is important, she demonstrates how to do it."-Kelly Gallagher, coauthor of 180 Days and author of Readicide

"There isn't a teacher among us who hasn't wondered, "How do I do all of this?" Reading this book is like having the world's best instructional coach by your side to help you craft a clear, manageable, and responsive approach to helping your students become better readers, thinkers, and people. Kate reminds us of the tremendous power of our instructional decisions on our students' reading lives, all the while, handing us resources, instilling in us a necessary confidence, and high-fiving us through pages of this book." -Allison Marchetti and Rebekah O'Dell, coauthors of Beyond Literary Analysis and Writing With Mentors

"Like any author worth her salt, Kate trusts her readers to bring their own expertise to the text. If you are expecting the definitive answer to the age-old question, "What's better: giving students opportunities for independent choice, or teaching with a whole class novel?" you won't get the answer. What you will get is Kate's straightforward, common sense approach on how to use both. Kate helps teachers weigh their options and make choices about what's best for their students. She shares her systems and structures and reassures readers that students of all levels can make growth."-Cris Tovani, coauthor of No More Telling as Teaching and I Read It, But I Don't Get It

"In A Novel Approach, Kate Roberts offers those of us in the classroom a witty, engaging, and thoughtful examination of a problem we are all grappling with one way or another: How to teach whole-classs novels in ways that challenge and engage not only our students but us! This thoughtful book provides a range of approaches that would work in different classes with different kids. Just as important, though, it shows us that it is still possible to be the sort of English teacher we wanted to be when we entered the profession."-Jim Burke, author of The English Teacher's Companion

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A practical framework for creating units that combine whole-class novels and independent reading to truly help students grow as readers. Take a deep dive into the troubles and triumphs of both to find a student-centered, balanced approach to teaching reading.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"Finally, a book that has the power to stop the literacy pendulum swings! In Shifting the Balance, Burkins and Yates skillfully explore 'balanced literacy' and 'the science of reading' to find the sweet spots where they overlap, connect, and actually complement one another. The result is a resource that raises our level of instruction while helping children discover and reap the joyful rewards of reading."

"What are the research-based, critical elements for teaching reading? In Shifting the Balance, Jan and Kari give you the information, classroom examples, and tools to help you make the best decisions around six key shifts for instruction. After reviewing the misunderstandings, the science, and the needs of your students, you will be able to audit your current practices (individually, in a PLC, or system-wide) to provide responsive and effective literacy learning for all your students."

"In Shifting the Balance, Jan and Kari invite us to reflect and reexamine our beliefs about teaching reading. They gently nudge us to rethink and possibly adjust our early literacy practices. Jan and Kari have taken on this controversial topic by embracing vulnerability and modeling what it means to be truly reflective practitioners. This book is a must read for new and veteran teachers!"

"In Shifting the Balance, Kari and Jan have masterfully dispelled many of the myths and misunderstandings associated with reading instruction. Additionally, they offer classroom teachers and coaches six simple, practical shifts that have the power to transform the way we teach children how to read. Indeed, balanced literacy and science do exist in harmony, and we practitioners can offer our children both concurrently. Thank you, Kari and Jan, for this important work that is sure to change lives!"

"In Shifting the Balance, Jan Burkins and Kari Yates provide a safe space for teachers to courageously examine some long-held balanced literacy practices and turn a critical eye to where those practices have gotten out of balance. If you're willing to be vulnerable and move towards resolving the gap between research and practice, this book provides actionable steps you can take to shift your thinking and bring instruction into alignment with the scientific evidence."

"Shifting the Balance is a welcoming opportunity to reexamine our familiar teaching practices. Without judgment, Burkins and Yates invigorate these practices by inviting educators to make scientific shifts in the systems that have been in place for years. This book will revolutionize reading instruction and in turn, the lives of countless students."

"This book speaks to teachers. It is overwhelmingly clear that Jan Burkins and Kari Yates have been and are immersed in the world of today's classrooms. Shifting the Balance will help many rethink instruction in ways that will support all students. In the current version of the Reading Wars, it is difficult for any of us to say we were wrong about some of our beliefs or practices. And thus, few do. However, Jan Burkins and Kari Yates have done just that. This is as commendable as it is unusual."

"This book found me at just the right time! Shifting the Balance gives voice to the questions I've had in my mind about Balanced Literacy and the Science of Reading and provides clear insights on how to connect the best parts of both to benefit early readers. Throughout the book, Jan and Kari confirm practices worth holding onto while providing actionable next steps I can't wait to implement with students to strengthen my reading instruction."

Dr. Jan Burkins was an elementary classroom teacher for seven years and a literacy coach for seven years. She has worked as a part-time assistant professor, a district literacy leader, and is currently a fulltime writer and consultant.

Kari Yates is an author, speaker, consultant and staff developer with a passion for helping busy literacy educators thrive. Her experiences include classroom teacher, special education, Reading Recovery teacher, elementary principal and district literacy coordinator.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Shifting the Balance: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Balanced Literacy Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Shifting the Balance: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Balanced Literacy Classroom