Exploring human experiences through personal stories promotes discussions that focus on facts and individual realities rather than generalizations and stereotypes and helps students develop empathy, compassion and understanding, writes Kasey Short. Reading suggestions included!
What might students learn about the “invisible process” of reading prose fiction by a comparative study of a novel and its graphic novel counterpart? Jason DeHart promises high interest and aha moments as readers see the story not only with their minds but with their eyes.
Mentor Texts That Multitask by Pam Koutrakos is a perfect ELA resource for working smarter, not harder. It leads readers through the why, what and how of using mentor texts to design flexible, integrated, multifaceted literacy learning – and includes free online resources.
Pamela Koutrakos’ example-filled “Mentor Texts That Multitask” shows teachers how to design lessons that meet multiple instructional priorities. Sherry Liptak found it to be “a great fit for my professional bookshelf – though I think it will spend more time in my hands!”
Discover how mentor texts and text sets become multitaskers, providing vision, purpose, and the confidence students need to take learning risks. ELA consultant Anne Anderson highly recommends Pamela Koutrakos’ Mentor Texts That Multitask as a tool for literacy integration.
When we transform a text into a multitasking mentor text, we increase the instructional mileage we can get from one power-packed teaching tool, writes veteran teacher and literacy consultant Pam Koutrakos. She includes five “energy star” ideas and a text set to get started.
A Teacher’s Guide to Mentor Texts offers a winning combination – a structured lesson approach, a range of suggested mentor texts, and an overall message adaptable to specific students. Teachers at multiple levels of experience will find it invaluable, writes Sara Pennington.
Literacy experts Robb and Harrison draw directly from their current middle grades teaching practice to identify the causes of reading hesitancy. Their tested lessons focus on improving student reading and vocabulary using videos and high-interest texts included in the book.
Using the ideas in The Literacy Workshop: Where Reading and Writing Converge can transform literacy teaching, writes Linda Biondi. The authors offer an easy-to-follow, research-based guide as teachers journey into making a dual reading-writing workshop a reality.
In The Elementary School Grammar Toolkit Sean Ruday shows how to use mentor texts as a tool to help kids connect with engaging material as they learn proper writing conventions. Teacher Kathie Palmieri says the book will enrich writing in the intermediate grades and beyond.
