This CIERA sponsored book is based on the premise that high-quality texts of all kinds are essential to good teaching in elementary classrooms. Experts on a variety of text-related topics were asked to summarize existing research and then apply it to literacy development in an "ideal" classroom. The most comprehensive and up-to-date book in its field, it moves progressively from an examination of discrete literacy processes and forms to a holistic overview and assessment of the classroom literacy environment. Content coverage in this outstanding new book includes: *Literacy Processes--Part I examines basic reading processes (instruction, comprehension, word recognition, fluency, and motivation) as they relate to text features. *Forms of Texts--Part II examines the wide variety of text types (fiction, nonfiction, leveled, local, and electronic) that comprise an effective classroom literacy program. Discussions include the nature of these texts, their qualities and quantities, how they fit into an instructional plan, and how a teacher might assess their effectiveness. *Text Selection--Part III examines special issues (linguistic diversity and teachers as censors) related to the selection of classroom texts. *Personal Applications--The final, hands-on chapter synthesizes the book's ideas and offers practical tools (checklists and inventories) whereby teachers can self-assess the literacy environment of their own classrooms. This book is suitable for anyone (graduate students, in-service reading specialists and curriculum directors, college faculty, and researchers) who deal directly with issues of classroom literacy.

Learn how to put children’s diverse and storied experiences at the center of the curriculum. Schools are more diverse than ever before, but the texts and materials that typify classroom curricula continue to prioritize so-called mainstream stories and perspectives. These canonical texts often exclude the nuanced identities and rich lived experiences of the very children sitting in today's classrooms. But kids thrive when they see themselves in texts and learn about the world around them by connecting with the experiences of others. Based on the authors’ work with elementary school teachers over the last decade, this resource offers strategies for moving away from canonical texts. The authors present a four-part framework for selecting, using, and engaging students with texts that promote children’s identity development, literacy engagement and comprehension, and learning across the content areas. The practical text provides guidance for setting learning goals that align with relevant standards and curricular directives, as well as classrooms examples, teaching strategies, and reflective questions. Book Features: An actionable way for teachers to move from theory to practice, using what we know about culturally relevant practice and critical literacy to create instruction that enhances children’s classroom experiences and learning. An inclusive and intersectional approach that supports all teachers in enhancing their classroom libraries and curricular resources for the benefit of all students. Specific ideas for texts and authors, as well as more generalizable themes and ideas that will guide future exploration and use of texts in classrooms. Tangible strategies and rich classrooms examples from 20 expert teachers spanning diverse elementary school settings. Reflective questions to help practitioners personalize the content to their own contexts.

Grade level: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, k, p, e, i, t.

This book presents a myriad of instructional techniques and critical literacy strategies while serving as a professional resource for inservice and preservice primary-grade teachers as they include informational texts in their classrooms. In each of the nine chapters, there is a particular topic that guides the focus of the chapter. These themes include: a rationale for incorporating informational texts in the primary-grade classroom; a discussion of the unique features of informational texts; the selection of high quality informational materials for primary readers; critical literacy; prereading, during reading, and post reading strategies; the writing of informational texts; and inquiry projects for the primary classroom. This book also contains a preface; an introduction; and an afterword, in which the controversy regarding the Common Core State Standards is discussed. Unique features of each chapter are specific standards reflecting the Common Core State Standards; strategies for all students to be successful with the Standards; transcriptions of lessons from primary-grade classrooms; examples of pupils’ work as they interact with informational materials; and a “Give It a Try” section, where a lesson plan or a pedagogical suggestion is presented for the reader to try out in his/her own classroom.

This teacher-friendly resource addresses one of the most important critical reading skills in the Common Core State Standards—reading across multiple texts. As the world grows ever more complicated, students more than ever need to become skillful at reading multiple sources, comparing, contrasting, and integrating texts. Responding specifically to Standards 7 and 9, this guide shows teachers how to work with students as they read, think about, critique, and evaluate multiple texts, including narrative and informational, print, graphic, and video, hard copy and online. The authors provide strategies for helping students answer text-dependent questions, find evidence in a text, and scan for information. Model lessons developed and taught by the authors and their professional colleagues will be especially useful to teachers whether they are beginning or expanding their own teaching of multiple texts. “Reading Across Multiple Texts in the Common Core Classroom, K–5 is the book for which elementary school literacy educators have been waiting for ever since the Common Core State Standards were released.” —From the Foreword by Robert J. Marzano, CEO, Marzano Research Laboratory “These authors provide a refreshingly realistic look at what it could mean to read across texts. Planning templates and examples illustrate the potential of CCSS to vastly improve students' text-based experiences. The combination of an extended application of comprehension research and a clear understanding of classrooms make this book a must read for teachers.” —Sharon Walpole, professor, School of Education, University of Delaware

Demonstrating the power of teaching global literature from a critical literacy perspective, this book explores the ways that K-6 educators can infuse diverse texts into their classrooms and find support for their endeavours in teacher inquiry communities. Through carefully analyzed, ethnographically informed portraits of classroom life alternating with teachers’ own accounts of their teaching and learning experiences, it demonstrates how students are moved to question, debate, and take action in response to global texts. This multi-vocal work both emerges from and responds to tensions and debates related to the purpose and practice of literature education in a time of Common Core State Standards.

Brimming with reflection and resources, this book is ideal for white elementary teachers who wish to host conversations about race with their predominantly white classes. This book is a clear-cut guide for integrating antiracism into teaching and education, along with policy reform needed for systemic change. Providing hands-on experience and practical insights from literature, it breaks down subject-specific strategies to approach racial conversations. The book acknowledges the variety of challenges that teachers face and encourages them to continue self-work as a step towards supporting students. While specifically targeting all-white and predominantly white classrooms, this resource is suitable for additional professional development and educator preparation programs when considering a variety of racial dynamics.

Showcasing assessment practices that can help teachers plan effective instruction, this book addresses the real-world complexities of teaching literacy in grades K-8. Leading contributors present trustworthy approaches that examine learning processes as well as learning products, that yield information on how the learning environment can be improved, and that are conducted in the context of authentic reading and writing activities. The volume provides workable, nuts-and-bolts ideas for incorporating assessment into instruction in all major literacy domains and with diverse learners, including students in high-poverty schools and those with special learning needs. It is illustrated throughout with helpful concrete examples.

Even young students can develop vital critical thinking skills when they have access to rich content, meaningful opportunities to practice, and guided instruction. Critical thinking—evaluating and analyzing data to make informed judgments—is essential in both the classroom and everyday life. Teaching critical thinking skills in the elementary grades is often an afterthought—if it's a thought at all. Veteran primary teacher and instructional leader Erin Shadowens proposes that students of all ages benefit when teachers expand the definition of what is possible by engaging young learners with real challenges and supportive, accessible learning environments. In Critical Thinking in the Elementary Classroom, Shadowens * Explores the concept of critical thinking, clarifies misunderstandings, and delves into relevant research. * Introduces the Critical Thinking Framework to help nurture deep thinking in the context of content-focused lessons. * Presents case studies of the framework in action. * Shows how to apply the framework at the unit and lesson levels, addressing common instructional pitfalls along the way. * Describes how a "virtuous cycle" of assessment and feedback promotes academic achievement and critical thinking. * Illustrates how to foster an intellectual community with young learners. Ultimately, this book guides elementary teachers in supporting students to think deeply about rich content, make insightful connections, and address issues in broader, more meaningful ways, both in and outside of school.