Exemplary Literacy Teachers

Identifying what exemplary teachers know and do to promote literacy achievement at every grade level, this highly motivating book provides step-by-step guidance for professional development. It helps teachers assess their strengths and build their competencies in six key domains of literacy instruction directly linked to student success. Featuring skills-building exercises, sample lesson plans, book lists, and over a dozen reproducibles, the book illustrates specific actions that teachers can take to emulate their most effective colleagues in school districts around the country. New to This Edition * Revised and updated based on the authors' professional development work with over 20,000 educators. * Expanded to cover K–12 (prior edition covered K–5). * Now includes material for literacy coaches and administrators, as well as teachers. * "Teacher-in-Action" cases offer vivid snapshots of exemplary practices. *Many of the activities and reproducibles are new or revised.

Based on a widely cited study of exemplary teachers, this accessible book illuminates the instructional techniques and behaviors that result in the most significant achievement gains at each grade level. It guides teachers in assessing their strengths and building their skills within six key domains of literacy instruction that are directly linked to student success. Students in reading methods courses and reading practica will find it a useful resource and text. Including numerous reproducible materials, the book features: *Profiles of the characteristics of exemplary teachers at each grade level *Self-assessment exercises to help teachers determine their strengths and areas for improvement *Sample lesson plans, learning activities, and resources for different kinds of learners *Skills-building exercises to be used by teachers individually or in groups *A clear explanation of the national study, its findings, and how it was conducted

Based on a widely cited study of exemplary teachers, this accessible book illuminates the instructional techniques and behaviors that result in the most significant achievement gains at each grade level. It guides teachers in assessing their strengths and building their skills within six key domains of literacy instruction that are directly linked to student success. Students in reading methods courses and reading practica will find it a useful resource and text. Including numerous reproducible materials, the book features: *Profiles of the characteristics of exemplary teachers at each grade level *Self-assessment exercises to help teachers determine their strengths and areas for improvement *Sample lesson plans, learning activities, and resources for different kinds of learners *Skills-building exercises to be used by teachers individually or in groups *A clear explanation of the national study, its findings, and how it was conducted

This innovative book helps K–6 teachers infuse the entire school day with research-based literacy best practices. Classroom-tested strategies are presented for planning and implementing each component of the "exemplary literacy day"--vocabulary and word study sessions, literacy work stations, differentiated guided reading groups, reading and writing workshops, and interdisciplinary projects. Teachers get tips for organizing a print-rich classroom, supporting students' social–emotional well-being, and using assessment to guide instruction. User-friendly features include vivid vignettes, classroom management tips, questions for discussion and reflection, and 15 reproducible forms, checklists, and lesson templates. Purchasers get access to a Web page where they can download and print the reproducible materials in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size. Note: this book is a contemporary follow-up to Morrow's influential earlier title Organizing and Managing the Language Arts Block.

Fourth-graders around the country face new, high-stakes standardized tests, drawing increased attention to the need for effective literacy instruction in the upper-elementary grades. This essential book goes beyond political catch-phrases to examine what actually works in the fourth-grade classroom. After reviewing current research on upper-elementary reading instruction, the book takes readers directly into the classrooms of six highly successful teachers. Like the previously published Learning to Read, which focused on the first grade, Reading to Learn offers a rare view of the techniques and strategies good teachers use to engage students, help them develop as thoughtful readers and writers, and bolster self-directed learning and literate conversation. Bringing to life the complexities of day-to-day work with diverse students, the book provides inspiration and practical ideas for any teacher in the upper-elementary grades.

Using in-depth interviews and storytelling, Ladson-Billings depicts deeply personal portraits of these scholars' experiences to confront race and racism, not only theoretically, but within their everyday professional lives in "the Big House" of the academy. Ladson-Billings gives these portraits even greater resonance and meaning by pairing these teacher educators with historical figures,such as Harriet Tubman, Nat Turner, and Charlotte Forten, whose contributions to the struggle for social justice are a wellspring of hope and courage to all educators, and a tribute to African Americans whose political, scientific, and spiritual efforts made life better for us all. This compelling book is important reading for all educators who want to transform teacher education for the better.

Literacy Teacher Educators: Preparing Teachers for a Changing World brings together the perspectives of 26 literacy/English teacher educators from four countries: Canada, U.S., UK, and Australia. In this unique text the contributors, of whom many are renowned experts in critical literacy and multiliteracies, provide readers with an overview of trends in literacy/English teacher education. The chapters begin with authors’ personal stories and current research, giving readers insight into the personal and professional worlds of the contributors. Included in each chapter is a rich description of approaches to literacy instruction in teacher education. These exemplary teacher educators show in concrete detail how they are addressing our evolving understanding of literacy . This timely text, written in a highly engaging style, will be of value to teacher educators throughout the world. I have never read anything quite like this book. It contains explicit representations of the conceptual frames and work of distinguished literacy teacher educators at various stages in their careers, accounts that provide a strong counter-narrative to the mainstream discourse in policy and education, that fully embrace the uncertainties and complexities of practice." From the Forward by Susan L. Lytle, Professor Emerita of Education in the Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania

Offering fresh alternatives to common instructional practices that fail to get results, this accessible, highly practical guide highlights ways to motivate middle school students while enhancing content-area learning. Each chapter features an enlightening case study of a teacher whose current strategies are not supported by research; describes effective instructional alternatives, illustrated with concrete examples; and lists online resources and lesson examples. Emphasis is given to supporting critical engagement with texts and drawing on technology and new literacies. The book covers specific content areas?including science, social studies, math, and literature?as well as ways to teach oral literacy and writing across the curriculum. ?