Rooted Report

Fish cutouts on blue paper cut out to have waves, as if under water. Words adding to each fish.

Fishing for Meaning

In an earlier blog, we talked about making our teaching both visible and enjoyable—for all students. We want to make teaching: Visible because children who struggle in any given area...

Fishing for Meaning

In an earlier blog, we talked about making our teaching both visible and enjoyable—for all students. We want to make teaching: Visible because children who struggle in any given area...

Ballet dancers feet on toes

Visible and Enjoyable

I like to compare reading and writing with dancing. I am not good at motor planning, so I need explicit dance instruction that shows each step slowly-practiced over and over-and...

Visible and Enjoyable

I like to compare reading and writing with dancing. I am not good at motor planning, so I need explicit dance instruction that shows each step slowly-practiced over and over-and...

Happy Thanksgiving word sums and morphology definition

Joy to the World

As the holiday season approaches, take this opportunity to do some word study of those delectably complex words that only escape our mouths a few times per year! Words like:...

Joy to the World

As the holiday season approaches, take this opportunity to do some word study of those delectably complex words that only escape our mouths a few times per year! Words like:...

Dry erase cards with one word on each to demonstrate the vowel team /oo/, You will shoot your eye out you fool! Not cool! Now go poop! In deed!

A C/oo/l Lesson

Last week I introduced the idea of vowel teams to one of my students—two vowels that, together, make one sound. We started with the vowel team /oo/ spelled <oo>.. Our...

A C/oo/l Lesson

Last week I introduced the idea of vowel teams to one of my students—two vowels that, together, make one sound. We started with the vowel team /oo/ spelled <oo>.. Our...

Whimsical tree with stone path leading to tunnel through tree. Sunlight on left side of tree. Moon and dark skies on right side.

Learning Setting from Picture Books

Setting can be a powerful ally to the writer because it can help establish the mood of a story. It can also add to a story's believability. Readers can enter...

Learning Setting from Picture Books

Setting can be a powerful ally to the writer because it can help establish the mood of a story. It can also add to a story's believability. Readers can enter...

Boy on floor reading picture book

Wordless Books for Writing in Bits and Pieces

Lately I've been practicing writing in bits & pieces with my students (see Rita's blog post, "Writing in Bits and Pieces"). As we engage in this process, it is helpful to...

Wordless Books for Writing in Bits and Pieces

Lately I've been practicing writing in bits & pieces with my students (see Rita's blog post, "Writing in Bits and Pieces"). As we engage in this process, it is helpful to...