My students set reading goals every six weeks, and over the course of the year, I want them to become readers who read along the x-, y-, and z-axes. If those math terms send chills up your spine, think of it as horizontal, vertical, and diagonal reading. All three dimensions are important to becoming a well…
Classroom Library Tips (with Penny Kittle)
I had the pleasure of speaking with Penny Kittle, who teaches freshman composition at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire. She was a teacher and literacy coach in public schools for 34 years, 21 of those spent at Kennett High School in North Conway. She is the co-author of 180 Days with Kelly Gallagher, and is the…
How Freed Reading Turned My Underperforming Freshpersons Into Honors-Ready Juniors
During the 2017-18 school year, I got serious about data collection for freed reading. I’d heard enough doubts that what I was doing was making a difference that I wanted some numbers to go alongside the anecdotes and student quotes that I shared. Last year, I taught two classes, one for freshpersons that scored below…
