Standing on the Shoulders, Part 2

Through reading Debbie Miller, I started realizing that she came out of a awesome place and time in Denver with the Denver based Public Education and Business Coalition  (PEBC) that includes a lot of amazing teachers.  So I started reading their books also.  

Mosaic of Thought by Ellin Keene and Susan Zimmerman is another part of the Comprehension Strategy development that was happening in Denver. Keene directed staff development and Zimmerman was  director of the  PEBC, which has really shaped the discussion of comprehension strategies.  Mosaic of Thought  filled out ideas for me and helped me own them for myself. 

Then I read Strategies That Work written by Stephanie Harvey (former PEBC staff developer and Denver school teacher)  and Anne Goudvis  (another former PEBC staff developer).  Can you imagine Debbie Miller, Ellin Keene, Susan Zimmerman,  Stephanie Harvey, and Anne Goudvis all in the same room together?   I love this book, right now it is my favorite because I am working with 3rd through 5th grades and this book has so met me where I need to be for this age group.  Also I love how it gives the underpinnings and then lessons in each chapter.  You are going to see a lot of ideas form this book reflected in my anchor charts.

Presently I am taking a class in Nonfiction Reading and Writing and one of our textbooks is 

So now this year I will be trying to introduce more nonfiction and inquiry into our literacy program through the lens of this book.  Like Strategies That Work this has a lot of ideas that I could walk  into a classroom tomorrow and teach.

Finally, another textbook from our class,  I really wish all elementary teachers would read this book.  Not because it gives you lesson plan ideas (only a couple), but because it will give you the why informational text is hard and what you should do about it (which would lead you to make your own lesson plans)!