Promising Practices for Urban Literacy Instruction

This is probably the best text on reading instruction that I've come across. The editors compiled several studies on said topic, many which focus specifically on the African American community. One chapter offers a rubric for selecting culturally authentic African American children's literature. It is accompanied by a list of recommended texts. Promising Practices also describes effective ways to maximize our literacy-rich environment, as well as how to effectively incorporate parents into the general classroom. It's a must read!

Strategies That Work

Day one of student teaching. One word. Tired. And I really only observed. I'm excited though. It's ACCESS season, so we're testing all the English Language Learners in the school. My mentor teacher is the head over the program, which means I get to experience the full assessment/placement process. How do we decide who needs English language services? I'm THRILLED to find out.

My student teaching placement is with 3rd-5th grade. However, I'll be tutoring little ones for my literacy assessment course on Monday nights. This text is one of the three required for the course. I love it! The prose style reads likea conversation with an old friend. The strategies are presented clearly and well supported. Did I mention that this is a textbook??? I'm loving it. Harvey and Goudvis have done their homework and the result is a wonderful classroom tool for content and reading teachers alike. Read it!