Teaching Strategies

LEADERS is pleased to provide these teacher-friendly resources on a wide variety of topics.

Reading Assessment

• Where can I go online to learn more about reading assessment?
  Kimberly Simons, LEADERS Pittsburgh Staff Member

Classroom Environment

• What will the rest of the class do while you're working with individuals or small groups?
  Barbara Milton, Pittsburgh Public Schools
• Responsive Classroom ®
  Dr. Gregory Morris, LEADERS Project Co-Director
• Flexible Grouping
  Dr. Bruce Fischman, LEADERS Regional Co-Director
• Differentiated Instruction
  Dr. Bruce Fischman, LEADERS Regional Co-Director

Comprehension

• Oral Questioning
• Doing the Story
• 5 Finger Retelling
• Written Retelling
• Understanding Basic Directions
• Shaping Up Comprehension

Decoding

• Applying Letter-Sound Knowledge
  Dr. Rita Bean, LEADERS Project Co-Director
• Blending Sounds into Words
• Word Building
• Word Building Preparation
• Word Building Sounds Sequence
• Word Building Sample Lesson
• Word Walls in a Nutshell
  Renee Sunder, Pittsburgh Public Schools
• A Word Wall Idea
• Bananas for Sight Words
• Sandwich Drill

Emergent Literacy

See the Emergent Literacy section of the LEADERS Links Page.

Fluency

• Reading Words Per Minute
• Partner Repeated Reading
• Color Coding the Word Wall
• Activities for Fluency by Kim Gennari
• Ways to Improve Reading Fluency by Kristen Sacco and Kristy Fisher

Parent Involvement

• Story Sacks
• See the Parent section of the LEADERS Links Page.

Technology

• How can I use the LEADERS Listserv?
  Allison Swan and Kimberly Simons, Pittsburgh LEADERS Staff Members
• How can computers and the Internet help me as a classroom literacy teacher?
  Kimberly Simons, Pittsburgh LEADERS Staff Member
• See the LEADERS Links Page.

Phonemic Awareness

• Phonemic Awareness

Vocabulary

• Story Vocabulary Writing
• Personal Word Bank
• Silly Voice Vocabulary

Writing

• How can I use Interactive Writing in my Kindergarten classroom?
  by Sandra Alleman and Tammy Heidecker, Muhlenberg Kindergarten Teachers
• How can I teach young writers during Writing Workshops?
  by Melissa A. Butler, Pittsburgh 2nd Grade Teacher
• How can I use the "I Can't Stop Writing" strategy to help students with writer's block?
  by Sandy Preston, Muhlenberg Teacher
• Anderson, Carl (2000). How's it going? Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH.
• Areglado, Nancy & Mary Dill (1997). Let's write. A practical guide to teaching writing in the early grades. Scholastic: New York.
• Atwell, Nancie (1998). In the Middle. Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH.
• Avery, Carol (1993). And With a Light Touch. Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH.
• Calkins, Lucy (1994). The Art of Teaching Writing. Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH.
• Cunningham, Patricia & Richard L. Allinton (1999). Classrooms that Work. Lorgnan: New York.
• Fletcher, Ralph (1993). What a Writer Needs. Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH.
• Freeman, Marcia S. (1999). Building a Writing Community. Manpin House Publishing: Gainesville, FL.
• Graves, Donald (1994). A Fresh Look At Writing. Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH.
• Karelitz, Ellen Blackburn (1993). The Author's Chair & Beyond. Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH.
• Law, Barry (1993). After The End: Teachers & learning creative revision. Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH.
• National Council on Education & the Economy Writing Monograph Series (2001)
  
  1. Drafting
  2. Revising Writers
  3. Editing
  4. Response Groups
  5. Authors Chair
• Pinnell, Gay Su & Jrene C. Fountas (2000). Interactive Writing. Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH.
• Ray, Katie Wood (2001). The Writing Workshop. National Council of Teachers of English: Illinois.
• Tompkins, Gail E. (2000). Teaching Writing. Merrill: Upper Saddle River, NJ.

Celebrating Literacy!

• 100th Day Celebration
  Written by Roosevelt Elementary Teachers, Allentown, PA: Martha Henninger, Mike Keefer, Linda Kern, Mary Phillips &, Kate Steinmetz
• An Olympic Event
  By Jo Ann Trach
• A Groundhog Day
  By Joanne Whetstone

Many of the strategies above were drawn from "The Handbook of Early Literacy Strategies and Activities." The handbook was compiled by Rebecca Knaub, who offers a special thanks to Allison Swan and Angela Villella.

We acknowledge and thank the Pittsburgh Year One LEADERS teachers for sharing their ideas and successes.