Required Reading and Some Alternatives

Throughout the summer, many educators on Twitter have been discussing how to get students interested in reading during this upcoming school year. Often the comments have been about requirements that teachers set up for their students' reading: what students are told that they must read (or do with that reading) or that they are not allowed to read (or do).

Yes, a Conference on Grammar!

The Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar (ATEG) held its annual conference July 27-28 at Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ. As an assembly of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), ATEG is a membership group of individuals who share a common interest in helping students to understand the importance of grammar, to learn it, and to put their knowledge of it to good use when communicating in speech or writing.

Your Classroom Library

Many teachers spend a good chunk of their summers reading. I'm in communication with a lot of PreK-12 teachers who are catching up on their own pleasure reading while relaxing and rejuvenating. Many others are reading professional books on teaching as they plan for the school year ahead.

Progress Report on America's ELA Teaching These Past Five Years

Today's release of Reading and Writing Instruction in America's Schools (here) by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute is the subject of these online postings:

• "Implementing Higher Literacy Standards or Putting on a Show?" (here) from Timothy Shanahan's blog Shanahan on Literacy
• "New Study of Common Core Reading Standards Finds Teachers Aren't Giving Students Appropriately Challenging Texts" (here) by Carolyn Phenicie from The 74

YAL Titles on the Horizon

If you're like me, then you have a persistent feeling of low-key guilt that there are so many works of young adult literature that have been recommended for reading but that you haven't read yet (yet!).

Well, either get crackin' or else get ready to double down on the guilt because new titles are on their way! Check these out:

Evolution of Young Adult Literature

Have you been watching The Great American Read on PBS? It's a TV series "that explores and celebrates the power of reading, told through the prism of America's 100 best-loved novels (as chosen in a national survey)" (see this).

Online Resources

Free lessons online -- Edutopia

Collaborative projects online that a teacher can have his/her students join -- Edutopia

Reflection activities (to help students' learning "stick") that utilize high-tech tools -- Edutopia