Carol Jago offers readers a handy guide for bringing this celebrated author's work into the classroom, including biographical information, ideas for literature circles using Walker's short stories, sample writing lessons using Walker's poems, suggestions for teaching The Color Purple, and a wealth of resources for further investigation of Alice Walker and her work.

This guide introduces silent conversations, a collaborative learning technique that has students thinking, sharing, and reflecting about important questions—but through writing rather than talk.

This guide shares the steps to take to get more students talking by dividing the group into speaking and non-speaking circles.

Use independent, imaginative artwork and varied writing prompts to assess understanding of a given topic for a student body with differentiated needs.

In this guide, you will learn how to use the Concept Circles strategy to support vocabulary development and comprehension of complex text.

In this guide, you will learn how to use Word Walls to support vocabulary development and retention.

In this guide, you will learn how to use the disciplinary facets strategy to support vocabulary development across contexts and academic disciplines.

In this guide, you will learn how to use generative sentences to give students opportunities to apply their knowledge of new words in writing.

Most students struggle when adding detail to their body paragraphs. This guide serves as a means of instruction and provides models for the students to master development.

This strategy guide introduces Consensus Decision Making, a method for facilitating and engaging students in a critical discussion of the central ideas of a text.

Teachers need to create text-dependent questions to elicit close reading. When answering these questions, students learn to reread and think deeply about the text.

Complex texts promote deep thinking and critical analysis by students. Through close reading of a complex text, students' independent reading abilities also increase.

This guide provides strategies for choosing text that is appropriate for close reading and to plan for instruction.

In this Strategy Guide, learn how to prepare yourself and your students for reading and note-taking in mobile environments.

Close readings allow primary students to engage with complex texts. Through repeated reading, students build a deep understanding of the text and critical thinking skills.

In this strategy guide, you'll learn how to use kidwatching to track and support student learning. Teachers observe and take notes on students' understanding of skills and concepts and then use the observations to determine effective strategies for future instruction.

This strategy guide describes the techniques used in effective persuasive writing and shares activities you can use to help students understand and use persuasion in their writing and critical thinking.

Effective differentiation begins with purposeful assessment. In this strategy guide, you'll learn how to construct an authentic performance-based reading assessment that will give you access to students' thinking before, during, and after reading.

In this strategy guide, you'll learn about Partner Talk—a way to provide students with another learning opportunity to make learning their own through collaboration and discussion.