The Common Core has raised the bar for students--and their teachers. In this comprehensive resource, master teacher Maria Walther describes the teaching shifts needed to help students meet the rigorous demands of the Core, showing teachers how they can build upon good practice already in place and take it up a notch to address the Core. With charts highlighting changes, sample lessons that take instruction to the next level, and plenty of practical tips and how-to's, this will be a welcome companion for any teacher working with the Common Core. Includes downloadable videos and teaching resources For use with Grades K-2.

The joyful path from rich read-aloud experiences toward supporting young readers' independence. When young readers join their voices together in shared reading, their literacy skills and confidence soar. Shared reading surrounds students with the language of stories and the delight of learning in community. In Shake Up Shared Reading, veteran teacher Maria Walther offers teachers a simple but robust scaffolding for moving from teacher-led demonstration of read aloud to student-led discovery of literacy skills-across the bridge of shared reading. This easily adaptable structure features short, targeted bursts of shared reading that are connected to and planned as a follow-up to a read-aloud experience. The resource includes: Read-aloud experiences drawn from 50 recently published works of children's literature from varied voices, that provide the foundation for the short, intensive shared reading interactions that follow. 100 short, laser-focused bursts of shared reading, two for each title, that invite students to dig deeper, with a precise aim in mind-perfect for a variety of learning contexts including virtual settings. Key vocabulary, kid-friendly definitions, along with a Nudge Toward Independence section for each shared reading interaction help teachers connect shared reading to guided reading lessons and students' independent literacy learning. A companion website offering reproducibles and a Learning Target Chart that gives an at-a-glance view of every read aloud learning target and shared reading focus, along related titles and additional links. Let the power of a read aloud and shared reading lead your students to read, talk, ponder, and react on the way to becoming joyful, independent readers.

The read alouds in this book will help teachers: Foster a strong sense of community Celebrate the written (and illustrated) word Build a foundation for future reading and learning Expand vocabulary (with a focus on Tier 2 words) Support budding writers Spark collaborative conversations Encourage perspective-taking, empathy, and a growth mindset