In  preparation for teaching the new 6th grade module next year, I am reading The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan.  Fantasy usually isn't my thing, but this book is great, and ties in perfectly with the sixth-grade social studies curriculum here in New York. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series, and I can't wait to see the movie…

Ooh la la.  Today is Bastille Day, or the French National Day.  If you're looking for a quick summer read that will evoke the city of light, why not try French Lessons, by Ellen Sussman?  Ms. Sussman lived in Paris for five years, and her novel about three tutors and their American students in a French language immersion program will put you in the mood for all things French.  For a little French Chef nostalgia, enjoy the video of Julia Child's famous Boeuf Bourguignon…

July 11, 2013

Yesterday's Newsday contained this article on the two finalists for the redevelopment of the Nassau Coliseum.  If I were teaching summer school in Nassau County, I would use this informational text as a multi-day lesson for my students.  After a close read of the text, we would complete a…

July 10, 2013

I saw this on  an education writing blog:

NEED YOUR HELP ON AN ARTICLE

I originally posted this on November 30, 2011:

July 3, 2013

Happy (almost) Independence Day!

Yesterday, a friend and I took our children to the New York Public Library to see an exhibit of one of two known surviving copies of The Declaration of Independence, written in Thomas Jefferson's own handwriting.  According to the exhibit, before the Declaration of Independence was…

July 1, 2013

My book review in the July 2013 issue of Parenting: School Years is all about keeping kids reading during the long summer break, but what about writing?  How can you keep your kids from losing the  important literacy skills of writing?  Create summer journals!

Take ordinary composition notebooks ($1.00 or less on sale) and any craft materials you already have at home; construction paper, scrapbook paper, stickers, duct tape, seashells, etc., and…

June 29, 2013

Thanks to some professional development, I haven't really had a full week of summer vacation yet, but last year at this time I did.  I originally posted this on July 2, 2012:

July 2, 2012

June 28, 2013

June 26, 2013

June 20, 2013

I had the pleasure of working with Michael Keany, co-founder of School Leadership 2.0, on an article for the June 2013 issue of Parenting: School Years.  In the piece, Mr. Keany offers great tips for parents on ways they can help their children meet the rigor of the Common Core Standards.  If you haven't read the piece, you…