Thematic Educator Guide: Teaching Civic Engagement

Dear Educator, Elementary school teachers often organize reading instruction around guided reading groups, and groups read books that meet the instructional needs of members. However, like most of you in middle and high school, I have used one novel, biography, or informational text for an entire class. And, in doing so, I soon realized that

Dear Teacher, Mysteries appeal to students’ analytical minds as they bond with the protagonist-detective to solve the crime or series of crimes. A good mystery writer tries to trick readers by throwing red herrings into the plot. A red herring takes readers on a detour of misleading clues to confuse them about which suspect is

Building students’ social-emotional capacity through reading and discussing books enhances their ability to experience successful relationships in school and more importantly now the interactions they have at home and in their neighborhoods. By inviting students to read and then have meaningful conversations about books, you offer models for building trusting relationships with peers and adults

Dear Teacher, The informational text genre feeds students’ interests and curiosity while informing them about the natural world and specific topics. Students enjoy poring over and learning from these informational text features: photographs and captions, sidebars chock-full of intriguing details, diagrams, charts, excerpts from journals and interviews, and firsthand accounts by eyewitnesses. Authors of informational books breathe

Dear Teacher, A favorite genre of students, realistic fiction opens a window into their world and their hopes and dreams, and often validates their life experiences. Bonding to realistic stories can happen quickly as students connect with characters that experience a similar range of emotions, relationships, problems, and wonderings. When students relate to realistic plots,