Hope everyone reading this and your families are doing ok.

Teaching and learning look very different right now. Although I am personally hoping that the only literacy work that students are doing is reading and keeping a journal, I think we can support that work by doing book talks and offering writing ideas and reminders, like tips for making books at home or capitalizing first word in a sentence (only accessible through LPS Google accounts). Students have a lot of unique experiences and feelings right now, so encourage them to document them as much as possible.

Here is this week’s roundup of literacy links for some quick inspiration, tips, and refreshment:

• “Students’ Journals Could Be Primary Sources” by Lauren Brown has some GREAT writing prompts if your students are documenting this historic event.
• Filing away this info about meaningful digital feedback…
• LOVE this idea from author/teacher Kristi Mraz for having kids choose “something they want to learn about/get good at” to create an independent work project. Similar to Jess Lifshitz’s “Learn Something New Project”. All of the planning sheets seem like a helpful tool to work on executive function skills!
• Teaching Tolerance’s “A Trauma-Informed Approach to Teaching Through Coronavirus” has thoughtful ideas for supporting students
• Look at all of the different forms of writing that fall under the “big 3” genres in CCSS!
• Resources GALORE on teacher/author Kristin Ziemke’s Read the World Distance Learning Support site
• For LPS teachers: Need a distraction? Try doing my latest Writing Clinic on demo pieces as on-demand PD!
• Mental health break: digital Harry Potter escape room