MRA Today 2024 by MRA Publications

OUR GOAL IS TO HELP YOU REACH YOURS

Dr. Laura Hudock

Coordinator and Advisor, Literacy and Language Program

To speak to a Graduate Admissions Representative, call 508.626.4501.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN...

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Post-Master’s Certificate for the Reading Specialist License is designed for those who hold a master’s degree in education and want to earn the Initial License as a Specialist Teacher: Reading. This certificate program, plus a supervised Practicum, qualifies recipients to meet the same requirements as the Master of Education with a concentration in Literacy and Language certificate program, plus a supervised Practicum, qualifies recipients to meet the same requirements as the Master of Education with a concentration in Literacy and Language.

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Letter from MRA President, 2023-2024......................04-05

Pattie Kelley

Letter from MRA President, 2024-2025 .....................06-07

Patricia Crain de Galarce

Letter from Editors of MRA Today.....................................08

Elaine M. Bukowiecki and Valerie Harlow Shinas

Message from the 2025 MRA Conference Chair.........10-11

Adam Brieske-Ulenski

An Interview with Lauren Wolk...........................................12

Elaine M. Bukowiecki, Valerie Harlow Shinas, Lauren Wolk

Supporting Student Identity Through Literature....................................................................................16

Susan Flis

Building Relationships Through Poetry..........................20

Marlene Correia

Joyful Practice: Poem of the Week...................................26

Megan Litwin

An Interview with Jennifer Serravallo.............................29

Elaine M. Bukowiecki, Valerie Harlow Shinas, Jennifer Serravallo

Unlearning with Dr. Gholdy Muhammad: A Path Toward Literacy Social Justice............................................................38

Cami Condie

Renaming the MRA Primer...................................................42

Valerie Harlow Shinas

AI Service in the Arts.............................................................44

Raymond K. Rugg

How Readers’ Theater Can Bring Joy to Literacy Instruction.................................................................................51

Sarah Larson Fennelly

A Letter to Teachers...............................................................55

Ann McGreevy

Budding Thespians in First Grade: They Made All Our Hearts Sing................................................................................63

Elaine M. Bukowiecki

Bridgewater State University MEd in Reading Candidates’ Research Presented at the 2024 MRA Conference Thursday, April 25, 2024.........................................................67

Brenda Marquis

Cady Parker

Linda Joseph

Olivia Meade

Tarja Wood

Friday, April 26. 2024...............................................................71

Callie Jefferson

Colleen Bourque

Jennifer Casey

Kelsi Brennan

Rachel Foley

Samantha Mailly

Sara Capataz

Sarah DaSilva

Sonnet/Limerick #2 and A “Modern” “Petrarchan”

Sonnet.........................................................................................77

Keith Newvine

MRA Children’s Writing Contest: Small-Moment Writing

Introduction....................... .............................................. ...80

Children’s Small-Moment Writing........................................81

Kindergarten-Grade 2...............................................................81

I Am Going to the Party............................................................82

Jordan Wylie

My Mom’s Party.......................................................................84

Maxwell DeSousa

GRADE 3

Two Little Foxes..........................................................................86

Olivia Lail

GRADE 6

Scary Circus..................................................................................87

Lilah Silveira

Crash...........................................................................................88

Shanley Lempert

Religion......................................................................................90

Sophia Crippin

GRADE 7

Heitor..........................................................................................91

Bryce Meunier

My Happy Place...........................................................................92

Adalynn Roberts

The Ocean.....................................................................................93

Cailin Gougeon

MP3.................................................................................................94

Lily Gerard

GRADE 8

The Greatest Success..................................................................95

Olivia Kaleta

GRADE 9

Beach.............................................................................................96

Madeline West

The Moment..................................................................................97

Bella Foster

Dear MRA Members,

I am writing this letter following the success of MRA’s 53rd Annual Conference, Liberating Literacies: Stories That Sing! What a wonderful time was had by all! The days were filled with dynamic speakers, engaging sessions, music, and JOY! This issue of MRA Today, Stories that Make the Heart Sing! mirrors the theme of the conference, and I realized, the theme of my MRA presidency. The goals that I set for myself during this last year included bringing members together to serve on committees and councils to advance MRA’s mission to promote literacy for all learners through professional development, publications, research, and advocacy. Additionally, I committed to more face-to-face meetings with the Full Board, seeing that during the pandemic we could only meet virtually. It brought the Board great joy to be together again, where we were able to reestablish and build relationships and collaborate on MRA initiatives.

I am happy to share with you the latest MRA Today journal. This issue includes great anecdotes about how teachers inspire their students. We have student submissions of smallmoment writing pieces, which include poetry, and articles from teachers, highlighting the ways they elevate the hearts and minds of the students with whom they work. As a former elementary classroom teacher and middle school language arts teacher, I loved teaching the writing genre. Working in a writing workshop format, I used mentor texts throughout the year to encourage students to “stand on the shoulders” of their favorite authors to help them write compelling poetry, narratives, arguments, and informational texts. I “stood on the shoulders” of Nancy Atwell, Donald Graves, Ralph Fletcher, Georgia Heard, and Nicola Davies to guide my teaching of writing. I am grateful to all contributors for sharing their expertise and experiences teaching writing to their students. I would also like to acknowledge the dedication and commitment of Elaine Bukowiecki and Valerie Harlow Shinas in publishing this exceptional issue of MRA Today.

I’ve enjoyed my year as president and have found so much joy working with extraordinary individuals who so willingly share their enthusiasm and love of literacy. I encourage you to get involved in all that MRA has to offer. Join a local council or one of the many committees that are facilitated by passionate and dedicated educators and offer outstanding professional development. I invite you to check out the MRA website, where you will find contact information for the councils and committees. Additionally, you will find information about the scholarships and awards MRA offers and information on statewide events.

Finally, do not forget to mark your calendar for MRA’s 54th Annual Conference: Literacy & Language: Words Empower, Inspire, and Transform to be held on March 27th & 28th, 2025 at the Marriott Newton in Newton MA. Conference Chair, Adam Brieske-Ulenski is planning an amazing celebration with a unique format and sessions that will be inclusive of all your educational needs. Registration begins in January!

I hope that you have a wonderful summer and take time to rejuvenate and reflect. I look forward to seeing you soon.

Joyfully,

Pattie Kelley

Immediate Past President

2024-2025

What Stories Make Your Heart Sing?

We all have stories that need to be voiced, arguments that need to be unpacked, and big ideas that need to be generated. As educators, we are constantly wondering, questioning, preparing, and learning. This year, MRA will continue to promote liberating literacies as explored in this year’s conference. While this task is urgent, we do not need to try and accomplish it all today…at least, not only in this publication of MRA Today!

This issue is about small moments that make a big impact. The following pages share stories of inspiration that have tremendous ripple effects. When I see a tide pool, a small flower growing in the crack of the sidewalk, or the branches of a tree that looks gold at sunrise, my heart sings. What makes your hear sing?

Together with our students, we can connect in joyful, liberating inquiry journeys. In our opening keynote at our annual conference, Gholdy Muhammad shared the importance of joy and justice. Dr. Muhammad described this pursuit of joy as the advancing beauty, wholeness, wellness, and happiness. Pursue this joy by intently listening and focusing into a small moment of awe. Pursue this joy by questioning, expanding our lens, and recognizing the context.

I experienced one of these moments of awe and joy, during the closing keynote of this year’s annual conference. Our Children’s Literacy Award winner, Lauren Wolk, played Andrea Bocelli singing in NY Central Park as she reminded listeners about the importance of taking the time to fully connect. Her words inspired us to fall in love with opera, literature, art, and nature, so that learning becomes an infectious journey of inquiry.

I hope you take the time this summer to notice the small

Conference participants’ illustrated book covers

moments that make you smile. Creatively capture the feeling with a picture, drawing, voice memo, or penned note to self. Frame this moment, like Peter Reynolds’ Dot, to be celebrated. Sign and share this moment to inspire others to slow down, notice, listen, and observe with curiosity. These moments inspire poetry, creativity, inquiry, learning, deep breathing, and song. Finally, thank this moment for making your heart sing.

In this publication, student authors share their joy in the small moments of life. Practitioners share what makes their hearts sing. I hope you linger on each page and take this moment to get a cup of tea, put your feet up, slow down to read, and let your heart sing! Use the QR code for gentle background sounds, visualize each detail, take a few deep breaths, and enjoy this 2024 edition of MRA Today! You deserve it!

Gratefully,

Patricia Crain de Galarce, MRA President

Dear Friends of MRA,

It is with a combination of joy and pride that we share with you this edition of MRA Today 2024. It has been a pleasure to assemble this inspiring body of work this spring and share the finished collection with you, our members. We are as excited about this volume as is our President, Patricia Crain de Galarce, as she describes the inspiration for this year’s journal.

The title of this volume, Stories that Make the Heart Sing, was inspired by MRA’s 53rd Annual Conference, Liberating Literacies: Stories That Sing!, which was held in April. You can read more about the conference in the letter from our Immediate Past President, Pattie Kelley. This year’s conference, chaired by then-President-Elect Crain de Galarce, was a vibrant, joyful celebration of literacy. Several of the pieces in this volume, including interviews with author Lauren Wolk and literacy scholar Jennifer Serravallo, build on the learning gained at the conference.

This year’s MRA Today also offers us the opportunity to introduce next year’s conference. The 54th Annual Conference: Literacy & Language: Words Empower, Inspire, and Transform will be held on March 27th & 28th, 2025 at the Marriott Newton in Newton MA. Conference Chair, Adam Brieske-Ulenski, is eager to share an inspiring program and new format with you. We hope you will consider submitting a proposal and sharing your expertise with MRA members next spring.

We hope you will be as excited as we are to dive into MRA Today 2024. As you read the wealth of articles, poetry, stories, research, and interviews we have selected for this volume, we hope you will be inspired by the many examples of joyful teaching, inquiry, and writing. There is so much within these covers, and each piece has been carefully selected to make your heart sing. Please enjoy this volume of the MRA Today 2024 as you take time this summer to rejuvenate your mind, heart, and soul.

Yours in literacy,

Elaine Bukowiecki & Val Shinas Co-Editors, MRA Today 2024

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MRA 2025 Conference

March 26-28, 2025

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The definition of literacy has expanded and is a word that can encompass many different things. According to the International Literacy Association (19962023), literacy is defined as the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, compute, and communicate using visual, audible, and digital materials across disciplines and in any context. Over time, literacy has been applied to a wide range of activities and appears as computer literacy, math literacy, or dietary literacy; in such contexts, it refers to basic knowledge of rather than to anything specific to reading and writing.

This calls on all of us:

• To see literacy as a way for learning more about our world through the examination of each other’s text that comes in many different forms.

• To learn more about our cultures, societies, and lived experiences that inspire us to take action to see the changes we want for the world.

• To empower ourselves and our students with the skills to compete globally.

• To transform how we view instruction and learning to support all learners and shift practices based on our students’ needs, desires, and goals.

Essentially, literacy helps us get to know each other better and become a more understanding society. With that, we see the MRA 2025 Conference as a space to celebrate and cherish all those that use literacy to empower, inspire, and transform the educational and societal landscapes for all of us to succeed.

Important Dates

October 7, 2024 | Deadline for proposals due by K-12 practitioners, consultants, higher education faculty/staff

October 21, 2024 | Decisions on proposals by K-12 practitioners, consultants, higher education faculty/staff

November 1, 2024 | Deadline for graduate or undergraduate student proposals

December 1, 2024 | Decisions on graduate or undergraduate proposals

January 13, 2025 | Registration opens with early-bird registration

Websites that school districts, groups of teachers, or an individual teacher can go to and apply for grant money for PD.

https://www.neafoundation.org/educator-grants-and-fellowships/learning-leadershipgrants/

https://mccartheydressman.org/teacher-development-grants/ https://www.danpaulfoundation.org/grant-funding-guidelines/

References

International Literacy Association. (2024, March 25). Literacy Glossary. https://www.literacyworldwide.org/get-resources/literacy-glossary

AN INTERVIEW WITH LAUREN WOLK

Elaine M. Bukowiecki, Valarie Harlow Shinas, and Lauren Wolk

For this issue of MRA Today, we looked for ideas and inspiration that will help readers of all ages fall in love with reading, and books, and authorship. Who better to turn to for inspiration than Lauren Wolk, the 2024 MRA Children’s Literature Award recipient? We asked Ms. Wolk to share her thoughts and wisdom with us – read on and be inspired.

1. Where do you find inspiration for your characters and the plots of your books? (E.M.B. & V.H.S.)

Everywhere. Literally everywhere. I work with and know a great many artists—and I’m using the European “artist” here, which includes writers, as it should—so I’m frequently part of conversations about the artist’s predilection for spying and eavesdropping, her senses always tuned to the frequencies around her … and to the endless inspiration of the natural world, of people, of art, of the imagination, of everything. My characters, my settings (which are also characters), and my plots all come from a combination of what I know, what I imagine, and what I learn as I write. Because I’m an “organic” writer (otherwise known as a “pantser,” as in “I write by the seat of my pants”), I approach a book as both writer and reader, experiencing the development of the characters and their story in real time, as the words appear on the page. It’s very exciting and fulfilling to write without a map. The process lets memories and imagination and ideas and the characters themselves determine what comes next. But I will say that setting has a great deal to do with everything else that happens in a book. I am endlessly inspired by the time, the place, the stage on which the characters act out their lives. (L.W.)

2. What are the daily habits and routines that support your writing? Do you write every day? (E.M.B. & V.H.S.)

I am primarily a morning writer. That’s when I feel most inspired to do the very hard work of writing a book. I write in my nightgown, often for hours on end, and have to force myself to go take a shower, and get dressed, and do chores, or go out into the world. When I had a second full-time job and had to be at an office every morning, I would get up very early and write like a maniac for three hours before racing out the door. Now that I have just one job, I still write in the mornings but drift back to my desk

throughout the day, whenever the book pulls me away from whatever else I might be doing. But I deliberately spend time in my workshop, too, making art, or in the garden using my hands, letting my mind shift into a different gear for a while. That kind of break is especially helpful when I hit a rough patch. I’m usually fresher and more excited by the book when I return to it. (L.W.)

3. When you embark on a new book, where does your research journey begin? (E.M.B. & V.H.S.)

I never do any research before I start writing. Because I always start with setting—a place I know well, especially on a sensory and emotional level—I always simply let my mind spend time there until a character appears. Then I watch her, listen to her, get to know her as she lives her life. She doesn’t yet have a problem we need to solve. She doesn’t yet have a challenge we must face. She’s just a girl who intrigues me. And then something happens, usually when another character appears, and I have an inkling of the problem, the challenge, that will drive the plot. Just an inkling. And that’s when I begin to write. As the story unfolds and I have questions, I look for the answers. That (re) search leads to wonderful details that add to what I already know and, like spice, make the story more flavorful. That search sometimes also leads me to information I did not seek, and I sometimes struggle to know whether I ought to let such discoveries influence the course of the story. But the characters themselves tend to make that decision. (L.W.)

4. How do you know when a story is finished? (E.M.B. & V.H.S.)

The story itself tells me when it’s over. There’s a natural crescendo to the climax, when the problem is resolved, but that’s always followed by a denouement, which gives my protagonist a chance to absorb and reflect on what’s happened and set her sights on what’s to come. But in pretty short order, the poet in me takes over and writes the last lines. (L.W.)

5. Could you share some reflections or a story from your recent school visits? What is your favorite part of working with young readers and writers? (E.M.B. & V.H.S.)

I love visiting schools and libraries primarily because I love kids (and readers of all ages) … and books, of course … but also because spending time with my audience balances out the isolation in which I write. I love the insightful questions kids ask. And I particularly enjoy inviting them to answer their own questions. For instance, if a student asks why a particular character acted in a particular way, I say, “What do you think?” And I always get a

fascinating theory. It doesn’t always match my intention—which is great, because it proves that readers are thinking for themselves—but it is always interesting. So I guess that’s my favorite part: learning how readers are investing themselves in my stories, partnering in the writing/reading process, and responding with insight and enthusiasm. (L.W.)

6. What are some reflections and closing thoughts on your experiences at the MRA Annual Conference? (E.M.B. & V.H.S.)

I found the conference to be incredibly rewarding for a whole boatload of reasons, but the common denominator was passion. It’s invigorating to be surrounded by people who so thoroughly devote themselves to literacy. To children. To written language as a means of creative expression, understanding, communication, and persuasion. I also appreciated the mix of nuts-and-bolts practical information and inspiring exemplars. It was a great conference. (L.W.)

7. What’s next? Are you working on a new novel? (E.M.B. & V.H.S.)

I have a new middle grade novel called Candle Island coming out next April and another one waiting its turn. And I have two picture books in illustration right now. I’m not sure when they’ll be out. Of course, I’m working on a new middle grade book and some adult fiction as well. Some poetry, to keep me honest. Artwork, when the spirit moves me. And a slew of projects with arts and environmental organizations in the region. Never a dull moment. (L.W.)

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Elaine M. Bukowiecki, EdD, is a professor emeritus, College of Education and Health Sciences, at Bridgewater State University, where she taught (and still teaches) courses in the graduate programs in reading. While working full time at Bridgewater State University, Elaine was coordinator of the graduate programs in reading for eight years; department chairperson of counselor education for seven years; and editor of The Graduate Review: Graduate Journal of Research and Creative Scholarship, College of Graduate Studies, for eight years. Elaine is past president of the Massachusetts Reading Association (MRA) and past president of the Massachusetts Association of College and University Reading Educators (MACURE). Elaine is currently co-chair of publications for MRA and treasurer for MACURE.

Valarie Harlow Shinas, PhD, is an associate provost of education at Lesley University. Valerie is past president of the Massachusetts Reading Association (MRA), the Massachusetts Association of College and University Reading Educators (MACURE), and the Greater Boston Reading Council (GBC). She is currently co-chairperson and editor of MRA publications and secretary for MACURE.

Lauren Wolk is best known for her novels, including the New York Times Bestselling novel Wolf Hollow, which won a 2017 Newbery Honor, the 2016 New England Book Award, a 2017 Jane Addams Honor, the 2018 Massachusetts Book Award, and other honors. In 2017, Dutton published Beyond the Bright Sea, which won the 2018 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction and was short listed for several awards, including the New England Book Award and the Carnegie Award (U.K.). Echo Mountain (2020) was named a Best Book of the Year by NPR, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, and others. Dutton published My Own Lightning, a sequel to Wolf Hollow, in 2022.

Collectively, Wolk’s books have won over 50 state book awards. Wolk is also the Massachusetts Reading Association’s 2024 Children’s Literature Award winner and the author of two new picture books, currently in production, as well as a visual artist, represented by the Larkin Gallery (Provincetown and Harwichport, Massachusetts) and an award-winning poet. Her next middle-grade novel will be released in 2025.

SUPPORTING STUDENT IDENTITY THROUGH LITERATURE

Susan Flis

Identity is who we are. It is where we are from. It is also our experiences and memories. It includes what matters to us and what we value. Having an awareness of our identities can both build self-esteem and destroy it. It can create a sense of belonging or exclusion (Muhammed & Mosley, 2021). This is why it is so important to support our students in discovering and loving their identities. In this article, I argue that teachers can and should support student identity through the use of literature in their classrooms. This requires teachers to apply a critical lens to the texts they select for their students. It also requires a critical analysis of texts that perpetuate stereotypes of historically marginalized identities.

Representation and Identity

What is the connection between representation and identity? In today’s digital world, we are constantly bombarded with media images. Even before the onboarding of the internet and social media, we had media in the form of television and movies. Media images and portrayals of people have a profound impact on how we see ourselves and others (Hooks, 2012). This is also true of the texts in our classrooms and libraries. Historically marginalized groups are grossly underrepresented in print and digital media, and often their representations are harmful stereotypes (Cooperative Children’s Book Center, 2023).

In early childhood and elementary years, if all children ever see and hear are stereotypes about people of color, or people with dis/abilities, or women, or any other identity, then those stereotypes become a part of what those children believe to be true about those groups. The moment children meet anyone with those identities, they have a preconceived notion of who that person is. Representation in print and digital media matters for all identities. Children need to see their identities represented in ways that build their pride and self-esteem. Also, children need to see other identities represented in ways that break those stereotypes instead of perpetuating them. Adopting a culturally sustaining pedagogy is a pathway to honoring student identity.

Culturally Sustaining Literacy Practices

Creating a culturally sustaining classroom requires educators to examine their own identities (Paris & Alim, 2017; Talusan, 2022). Doing identity work reveals what we believe to be

true about ourselves and others. We must truly understand and confront our own biases first, so we can support students in adopting a culturally sustaining mindset.

Adopting a culturally sustaining pedagogy requires teachers to view their instructional practices with a critical lens. Teachers must ask themselves how their teaching might be inflicting harm on their students with non-dominant identities. We must acknowledge that there are multiple ways of knowing, and we can no longer stay with our standard delivery of instruction for all students (Kimmerer, 2015). Culturally sustaining literacy practices include utilizing multimodalities to reach all learners (New London Group, 1996). Being a culturally sustaining teacher means knowing your students, their backgrounds, and their identities and planning your instruction with respect to that knowledge.

Practical Application for Classroom Teachers

There are practical applications for honoring student identity and building a culturally sustaining learning community that teachers can enact in their classrooms every day. One of the most practical ways for teachers to create a culturally sustaining classroom is to use literature as a tool for social change. Teachers can use books to check off their reading and writing state standards, while also building empathy and compassion and broadening perspectives amongst their students (Muhammed, 2020). This work can also be interdisciplinary by incorporating the teaching of social studies, science, and math. For example, we can take a look at the picture book We Are Still Here! Native American Truths Everyone Should Know by Traci Sorell (2021). This text aligns with the Massachusetts History and Social Science Framework (2018) for multiple grade levels. In this text, students will learn about the true history of Indigenous people in this country. Teachers can use it as an interactive read-aloud, then have their students respond in writing. They can map the various locations of the tribes. They can compare this text to others they have read about Indigenous history. There are many extension activities that can be planned with this text that will cover a number of state standards, all while celebrating the identities of Indigenous people in an authentic way, since the author, Traci Sorell, is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation. Once teachers start to develop their own critical consciousness, finding and analyzing texts to support student identity becomes much more natural.

Conclusion

Teachers can support student identity through literature. This should not only be done with teacher-chosen read-alouds. It is important to examine the books we have in our

classroom libraries for independent reading, and the texts we use in small-group instruction. We need to ask ourselves, “How do these texts perpetuate stereotypes?” “How can we teach our students to critically examine these texts, so the stereotypes do not become their truth?” Teachers can foster a sense of belonging for their students by showing them they value their individual identities.

References

Cooperative Children’s Book Center. (2023, June 2). CCBC diversity statistics: Primary character/subject. https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/literature-resources/ccbc-diversity-statistics/

Hooks, B. (2012). Writing beyond race: Living theory and practice. Routledge.

Kimmerer, R. W. (2015). Braiding sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge, and the teachings of plants. Milkweed Editions.

Muhammed, G. (2020). Cultivating genius: An equity framework for culturally and historically responsive literacy. Scholastic.

Muhammed, G. E., & Mosley, L. T. (2021, March). Why we need identity and equity learning in literacy practices: Moving research, practice, and policy forward. Language Arts, 98(4), 189-196.

New London Group. (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures. Harvard Educational Review, 66(1), 60-92.

Paris, D., & Alim, H. S. (Eds.). (2017). Culturally sustaining pedagogies: Teaching and learning for justice in a changing world. Teachers College Press.

Talusan, L. A. (2022). The identity-conscious educator: Building habits & skills for a more inclusive school. Solution Tree Press.

Children’s Literature Cited

Sorell, T. (2021). We are still here! Native American truths everyone should know. Charlesbridge.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan Flis was an elementary classroom teacher for over 20 years before becoming an instructional coach. She is currently an adjunct professor at Bridgewater State University. Susan will graduate with her PhD in Educational Leadership from Lesley University in September 2024, and her research focuses on critical literacy and culturally sustaining literacy practices.

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH POETRY

Marlene P. Correia

The Scene

Day one of the semester arrives, and the preservice teacher candidates enrolled in my literacy methods course enter the classroom expecting to dive into reviewing the syllabus and course expectations. To their surprise, they find the classroom transformed into a cozy coffee house, complete with coffee and snacks, soft white candles casting a warm glow, a slide projecting an image of a real café on the screen, soft background music, and a spotlight shining on the chair at the front of the room. I begin by outlining the “rules” of our coffee house: first, relax – we are a community of learners; second, poets must perform their prepared autobiopoems expressively, with emotion and prosody; third, the coffee house “audience” must actively listen and show appreciation for their peers’ works by snapping their fingers or lighting up their phones. The atmosphere is inviting and inclusive as the poets “take the stage.”

Why Auto-Biopoems?

Many of us are familiar with Yale Professor and Child Psychiatrist James Comer’s (2021) notion that no significant learning occurs without a significant relationship. However, perhaps even more relevant to our work in higher education are the words of Felten and Lambert (2020), who in their book, Relationship-Rich Education, describe relationships as “the beating heart of the undergraduate experience” (p. 1). Building relationships is paramount in my courses; I intentionally get to know my students beyond the realm of academics. Auto-Biopoems provide a creative avenue for fostering connections between the students and myself, as well as among the students themselves, while also promoting literacy skills through the often-overlooked genre of poetry.

There are numerous variations of biopoems, but I utilize the format featured on Read Write Think’s website (https://www.readwritethink.org/), and initially published by Abromitis in 1994. While originally intended for K-12 educators to explore the lives of prominent figures in various disciplines, I adapt it for my teacher candidates to create poems about their own identities. As they engage in this process, we also explore the potential applications beyond our classroom and into their future classrooms.

1. First name

How to Write a Biopoem (or Auto-Biopoem)

2. Three or four adjectives describing the person

3. Important relationship (e.g., child of..., mother of...)

4. Two or three things, people, or ideas that the person loves

5. Three feelings the person experiences

6. Three fears the person experiences

7. Accomplishments (e.g., who composed..., who discovered...)

8. Two or three things the person wants to see happen or experience

9. Residence

10. Last name

I always commence by sharing my auto-biopoem and displaying photos of my family and interests outside of school. Students then follow suit, demonstrating creativity, honesty, and vulnerability in their writing. Examples are provided in Figures 1 and 2. As the teacher candidates listen to their peers, I encourage them to note connections with one another. After the coffee house, each poet displays their poem at their desk, and students traverse the room, offering positive affirmations of or mutual connections to each other’s poems.

Figure 1 | Teacher Candidate Auto-Biopoem | Laura

Ambitious, caring, creative

Daughter of Kate and Shawn, sister to Sophia, Julianna, and Sabrina

Who loves music, friendship, and a colorful life.

Who feels supportive of her friends and is happy to be pursuing her career but hates being away from family.

Who fears mannequins, deep water, and failure.

Who is most proud of her dedication to becoming a teacher and conquering anxiety about imperfection.

Who is determined to be an open-minded role model, provide a safe environment for all students, and keep a healthy work-life balance.

Who lives in Anytown, Massachusetts Penney

Figure 2 | Teacher Candidate Auto-Biopoem | Quinn

Goofy, Shy, Comfy, Funny

Son of Andrew and Kate, Brother of Lainey and Jon Who loves Board and Card Games and Working with Kids

Who feels that Kids have become hyper-dependent on technology and feels like they sometimes need time to unplug.

Who fears that children are being forced to grow up at a much faster rate, fears that innocence is something that is becoming much rarer, and fears that there is little he can do about it.

Who has worked for six years at the same summer camp, and has trained 14 lifeguards this summer.

Who is determined to work hard to achieve his goal of being a teacher, who is determined to be a good example for his students, and is determined to create a safe learning environment. Who lives in Anytown, Massachusetts Lowenstein Extending the Learning

Having written and performed their own poems, these preservice teacher candidates are now tasked with teaching this poem type to the second graders with whom they work during their field experience placement at an urban school in Massachusetts, known for its substantial diversity. On the very first day, the teacher candidates administer an interest inventory to their students to glean insights into their likes, dislikes, cultures, and motivations for learning. Over the following two weeks, the teacher candidates guide their second graders in composing their auto-biopoems, modeling the process by sharing their own, and leading the students through the poem’s structure (Figure 3). Throughout this journey, they engage in meaningful conversations about the children’s fears, accomplishments, families, and more. They further use this information to craft relevant and engaging lessons, affirming students’ identities and fostering individual connections.

Figure 3 | Second-Grader’s Auto-Biopoem |

Kind, cute, smart, and fun

Daughter of Tristan and Ty

Who loves her sister and stepdad

Who feels loved when with her family, shy at dance recitals, and kind when she’s with other people.

Who fears spiders, losing her teddy bear, Bentley, and people not liking her.

Who is most proud of performing in dance recitals, reading, and working with her book buddy.

Who is determined not to be afraid of cats, to make new friends, and to keep dancing.

Who lives in Anytown, Massachusetts Harrison

Once the auto-biopoems are written, edited, and revised, the teacher candidates model fluent and expressive reading to infuse the students’ poems with their unique “voices.” The children then rehearse, culminating in an exhilarating poetry slam on the final day of the prepracticum. Each second grader takes the stage, microphone in hand, to perform their poetry, which is met with applause and enthusiastic finger snapping. It’s a moment of pride for the children; the preservice teacher candidates; the classroom teachers; and the principal, who witnessed some of their most reluctant readers and writers truly shine.

Stella

Benefits

As a professor of the course, the benefits of the auto-biopoem assignment are immeasurable. Throughout the semester, I incorporate examples in my teaching that align with my students’ unique interests, gleaned from their poems. I hook them on the genre of poetry by first exposing them to this form and then expanding into others. I observe their progression from guided practice with me to independently teaching it to their own students. In their final reflections, I read about how the relationships the teacher candidates cultivated with their students facilitated smoother instructional experiences, and how the teacher candidates invested time in selecting the perfect books (or poems) to match their students’ interests. They learned about writing, reading fluency, and scaffolding for multilingual learners and struggling readers and writers. This auto-biopoem project truly brings people together.

References

Abromitis, B. S. (1994). Bringing lives to life. Biographies in reading and the content areas. Reading Today, 11, 26.

Comer, J. P. (2001). Schools that develop children. The American Prospect, 12 (7), 30-35. Felten, P., & Lambert, L. (2020). Relationship-rich education. Johns Hopkins University Press.

National Council Teachers of English. Read write think. https://www.readwritethink.org/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Marlene P. Correia, EdD, is an associate professor of literacy education at Bridgewater State University, where she teaches literacy courses in the elementary education program and in the graduate programs in reading. She is also coordinator of the graduate programs in reading. Dr. Correia is past president of the Massachusetts Reading Association and current president of the Massachusetts Association of College and University Reading Educators. Her research interests lie in interdisciplinary literacy.

JOYFUL PRACTICE: POEM OF THE WEEK

Megan Litwin

As a former classroom teacher who now writes books for children, I spend my days thinking about how to make my writing sing, and how, in classrooms far and wide, teachers might be using my words to make their literacy instruction sing…right into students’ hearts. I think that is why I write picture books that are like poetry. I remember the way poetry brought joy and music into my classroom.

Back when I was teaching second grade, poetry surrounded us in many ways. We had poems on the walls, poetry collections and poetic picture books in our Book Nook and as part of our Book Club choices, and my favorite thing of all…Poem of the Week. I am not sure how it started, or what wonderful resource or colleague put the idea in my head, but Poem of the Week was one of those routines that, once in place, became a cherished part of our classroom day and one of the most memorable parts of my teaching career.

Here’s how it worked for us. Every week, I chose a poem that would prominently hang in our Morning Meeting gathering space. The poem would connect in some way to the time of year, a curriculum topic, or a concept I wanted to highlight. For example, the first week’s poem might be about names or homes, while another week, it might be about empathy or friendship. During our insect unit, it was a butterfly poem. In April, we had various poems all about rain. Some poems were rhyming, some were not. Some had form, some were free. Some made us laugh. Some made us think. All made us grow.

I would first read the poem aloud on Monday. We would talk about it, sharing initial thoughts or questions about words. Each morning, we’d read it again, but in different ways. We would choral read together. Pairs of students would come up to read aloud with pointers. We would read it fast, or slow, or in special ways to match the meaning – honing in on line breaks or patterns.

We would engage with each poem in growing ways throughout the week, too. We would make connections to other poems or books, our content-area learning, or ourselves. We would visualize the words through drawings. We would purposefully experiment with the same kinds of poetic devices in our writing.

On Friday, paper copies went into poetry folders, where students could use them as

a familiar text for independent reading, all year long. I loved hearing snippets of poems being recited in whispers each day. And that is not all! We ended the year with a poetry celebration, where students had the chance to reread the poems and choose a favorite to present to the class.

Poem of the Week served many purposes. It introduced more poetry into our classroom, all year long. It gave students examples of all kinds of poetry, by all kinds of voices. It strengthened reading and writing skills. We were reading and rereading (with purpose) – and working on decoding, fluency, and comprehension all the while. We were using the poems (with their sophisticated vocabulary and rich language) as mentor texts in our own writing, in our poetry, AND our prose. And it only took a few minutes each day.

Maybe most importantly, it became part of the fabric of our classroom community. It was something every student could count on, each morning, every week. It was shared reading we could ALL talk about and reflect on throughout the year. We were on the same field, regardless of reading or writing ability. Mondays were always exciting as students ran over to see what the new poem was. By Friday, that poem was our close friend, our classmate. The anticipation and enthusiasm over a single poem made my teacher heart sing!

It made my writer heart sing, too.

I’ve been writing for children since my early days in the classroom. I studied children’s literature at Simmons University after graduating with an elementary education degree from Stonehill College, knowing that children’s books were somehow in my future. All through my teaching career, I worked to provide the best mentor texts and materials for my students because I knew what kind of high-quality literature was out there, and I wanted to share just that. At the same time, I was working toward the goal of publishing my own books – in the drafting, crafting, and learning stages of the journey. I soon found that all of that poetry we had shared together in the classroom was the kind of thing that was pouring out of me on paper: rhythmic language, precise word choices, layers of meaning, music. Just like my students, I was using those poems as mentor texts.

So what happened years later is not all that surprising. One December night, my toddler son became enamored with the twinkling lights he saw outside the car window, and his simple delight (and repeated squealing of “twinkle lights”) gave me the idea for a book that would celebrate this joyful season of lights from a child’s perspective. That same night, the first draft

of what would later become my first published book poured out of me…as a poem. “Twinkle, twinkle, winter night/Everywhere you look there’s light” (Litwin & Myers, 2022, p. 1). I knew what I wanted to say, but I also knew, thanks to all those mentor texts, how I wanted to say it. Like a poem you want to read again and again. Like a song with a refrain that gets tucked in your head. Like the kind of book that might bring joy, and music, and poetry, and connection to classrooms far and wide.

It took some time to get the music right (just like we tell students about writing). But without all those weeks of poetry in my heart, I’m not sure I would have had the right words. I’m grateful for the joy poetry brought to my classroom, and for the lessons it taught along the way.

Children’s Literature Cited

Litwin, M., & Myers, N. (2022). Twinkle, twinkle, winter night. Clarion

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Megan Litwin is a former classroom teacher and a forever believer in book magic. She is also the author of Twinkle, Twinkle, Winter Night ( 2022), the Dirt and Bugsy early reader series, and the forthcoming Gather Grateful (2025). She invites you to visit her at www. meganlitwinbooks.com.

AN INTERVIEW WITH JENNIFER SERRAVALLO

Elaine M. Bukowiecki, Valarie Harlow Shinas, and Jennifer Serravallo

On Friday, April 26, 2024, Jennifer Serravallo presented an enjoyable, engaging, and most timely keynote address at the “Liberating Literacies” luncheon, Massachusetts Reading Association Annual Conference in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. In her presentation, Jennifer demonstrated several relevant, effective, and research-based “focus lessons” for teaching various literacy skills such as phonics and phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary development, and comprehension, grades K-8, and in different content subjects: English language arts, science, and history/social studies. These “focus lessons” are from Jennifer’s newly published book, Teaching Reading Across the Day: Methods and Structures for Engaging, Explicit Instruction (Serravallo, 2024). After her luncheon presentation, Jennifer graciously agreed to be interviewed for MRA Today 2024 about her book, Teaching Reading Across the Day (Serravallo, 2024). To follow is a very brief summary of this book, followed by our interview questions and Jennifer’s responses.

Summary of Teaching Reading Across the Day: Methods and Structures for Engaging, Explicit Instruction (Serravallo, 2024)

In this book, the research about the science of teaching reading is translated into highleverage moves teachers, K-8 and in all content subjects, can count on to deliver powerful lessons every day. The book is divided into two parts. Part I, consisting of two chapters, explores the foundations for this book, building the case for teaching reading across the whole day and in all content subjects (Chapter 1) and taking a look at explicit instruction as based on key recommendations from the last several decades of research (Chapter 2). Part II, consisting of nine chapters, includes nine different lesson types that focus on various literacy skills and concepts. These lesson types are Read Aloud Lessons (Chapter 3) to increase reading comprehension and listening skills; Phonic and Spelling Lessons (Chapter 4) to increase phonics and phonemic awareness skills; Vocabulary Lessons (Chapter 5) to increase vocabulary knowledge; Focus Lessons (Chapter 6) to foster reading engagement; Shared Reading Lessons (Chapter 7) to practice fluency and comprehension skills; Close Reading Lessons (Chapter 8) to practice and foster close reading of a text; Guided Inquiry Lessons (Chapter 9) to incorporate information from a variety of sources (print and nonprint) to understand, comprehend, and respond to a particular topic; Reader’s Theater Lessons (Chapter 10) to build reading fluency, reading comprehension, and oral language skills; and Conversation Lessons (Chapter 11) to foster text discourse through whole-class discussions, small-group discussions (literature circles or book

clubs), and partner turn-and-talks. Each focus lesson follows a specific organization: “Picture This,” a teaching vignette and lesson plan of the lesson type; “An Overview,” an explanation of the lesson type; “What Research Says,” key research to support the lesson type; “Knowledge and Vocabulary Building,” goals for the teacher regarding specific research and vocabulary connected to the lesson type; “Planning,” suggestions for the teacher in implementing this lesson type; “Structure and Timing,” quick guidelines for timing each part of the lesson type; “Responsive Teaching,” key factors for the teacher to look for as students are participating in the lesson; “Lesson in Action,” two-three videos of the lesson type being taught in a specific grade level with a specific text; “Spin It,” in some chapters, suggestions for the teacher to innovate the lesson structure; and “Take it to Your Classroom,” key takeaways from the chapter for the teacher to think about when implementing this lesson type with their own students. These nine chapters provide an excellent and most relevant resource for novice and experienced teachers as well as teacher educators for guiding their students to learn and practice various literacy skills, K-8, and throughout the content subjects. Although the teaching examples in each focus lesson chapter pertain to a specific grade level and content subject, it is strongly advised by the author that each focus lesson can be taught at any grade level (K-8); in any content subject (English language arts, science, social studies/history); and with various materials (fiction, nonfiction, young adult literature, electronic sources, and published literacy programs). This flexibility in lesson implementation of each lesson type is what makes Teaching Reading Across the Day (Serravallo, 2024) unique.

An Interview with Jennifer Serravallo

1. What was your inspiration for writing this book? (E.M.B. & V. H. S.)

We read all day long. We read emails and texts, news and articles, recipes and instructions, novels and poetry. We read for many different reasons – to build our knowledge, to explore new cultures and worlds, to appreciate others’ ideas and motivations, and hopefully for sheer pleasure. As I write in Teaching Reading Across the Day,

Reading is a critical life skill for us all not merely something we do in school during an English language arts (ELA) block. Reading well opens possibilities. Struggling to read limits them – across our day and throughout our lifetimes. Because reading is so important, the job of teaching students how to read belongs to all of us. (Serravallo, 2024, p. 1)

Learning how to read requires a complex web of skills, and lots of time, and different types of texts to develop and practice these skills. Whether you are a kindergarten teacher, a fourth-grade math teacher, an eighth-grade science teacher, or a fifth-grade social studies teacher, you are also a reading teacher. Students read all day long and across all subjects and they need thoughtful reading instruction across the day and across all subjects.

I wrote Teaching Reading Across the Day to help all K–8 educators, classroom and content teachers, make instructional choices that support both students’ knowledge and reading skills development. Classroom teachers will find lots of ideas on how to build content during the ELA block and content teachers will learn how to weave in reading instruction that improves students’ content mastery. (J.S.)

2. In the Introduction to Teaching Reading Across the Day, you state, “We need to respect the science and the promising findings published in research journals while also trusting the collective knowledge that comes from our practice and experiences with children in classrooms every day (Serravallo, 2024, pp. 6-7). This quote is powerful and tells the reader that teaching is more than what the science of reading and research tell us. Could you expand upon this statement? (E.M.B. & V.H.S.)

The science of reading refers to a multidisciplinary body of research that helps us better understand how kids learn to read and identifies what works in literacy instruction. However, there isn’t a central repository for the research and no list of which studies are and aren’t included. And of course, researchers continue to add to the body of research as new studies uncover new findings.

I’m a strong believer in research. My books and resources have always been grounded in research, and Teaching Reading Across the Day alone cites more than 300 studies, metaanalyses, and papers. But here’s the thing about research: controlled studies, brain research, reader models, etc. are all a great starting place. However, for the research to have an impact on student learning, teachers need to understand how best to implement findings in the classroom, and how to accommodate the inevitable variability as individual student needs come into play. So, while I read research and talk to researchers for my podcast To the Classroom, I also spend time with teachers in classrooms around the country as a guest teacher, coach, and collaborator. I model lessons, and together we problem-solve, test, and refine ideas, using the research, but also relying on our teaching experience and expertise, with the goal of meeting every student’s need.

With the all the standards and content teachers must cover, I think that responsive teaching (the art of teaching) is more critical today than ever. The hundreds of decisions that teachers make daily to address the needs of the students in front of them often make the difference as to whether a student learns or not. Many teachers use programs and curriculum provided by their district and must stick to content introduction and pacing guidelines. But no matter how good a program or curriculum is, it’s the teacher who makes the greatest impact on student learning. There truly is not a program or curriculum that can take the place of a responsive teacher. Teachers must respond to the students in front of them, which requires that teachers pivot their instruction in the moment to address the learning needs of students, which vary from student to student and from class to class. It’s all these in-the-moment moves based on what a teacher is seeing and hearing that lead to learning breakthroughs.

So, it’s about both the science and the art of teaching reading – honoring the decades of research on reading and the collective experience of teachers. Research that doesn’t recognize the importance of the teacher doesn’t lead to a successful outcome. And teachers who don’t tap into and apply evidence-based reading instruction don’t reach as many students. It’s the marriage between the science and art of teaching that helps students become proficient readers. (J.S.)

3. In the Teaching Reading Across Day (Serravallo, 2024), you have chosen nine specific lesson types as the focus for each chapter in Part II of the book. Why did you choose these nine particular lesson types as a focus for the second part of this book? (E.M.B. & V. H.S.)

In Teaching Reading Across the Day, I recommend nine predictable, researchbacked lesson structures – read aloud, phonics and spelling, vocabulary, focus, shared reading, close reading, guided inquiry, reader’s theater, and conversation. I selected these nine lesson types because they offer teachers a variety of ways to engage students with all of the skills students need to become proficient readers, with varying amounts of scaffolding. They also provide opportunities to bring building knowledge, vocabulary, and content goals into every lesson. (J.S.)

4. Why should teachers have a small repertoire of lesson structures for teaching reading? (E.M.B. & V.H.S.)

We all know that teachers have a lot of material to cover with limited time.

Lesson structures help teachers streamline planning and preparation. With a small set of structures, you know the procedures, which activities to use, how much time to spend, and most important, how exactly you plan to conduct your lesson. As you master each lesson structure, you will turn to it again and again to address different learning objectives and reading goals with a wide range of texts. Soon, the structures will become so familiar you will easily decide which structure best meets your goals and move quickly through planning and preparation.

With the time you save on planning, you can concentrate on content – on what you want to teach rather than how you teach it. And when you deliver the lesson, the structure helps you stick to a clear pace, introduce strategies and concepts as planned, and actively engage students. Students will also quickly pick up on the repeated processes and understand what their role is and what is expected of them, so their focus is on content as well. Research into cognitive load shows that working memory has limited space and capacity. Using familiar processes lightens students’ cognitive load, allowing them to actively engage with content, knowledge, and skills.

Finally, a small repertoire of lesson structures allows you to effectively hone your ability to pivot in the moment to respond to student needs. This responsiveness can be anything from ditching a part of the lesson because you realize kids are losing steam, to backing up to re-explain a concept you thought they’d understand but actually need more support to fully comprehend, to saying just the right thing in the moment to encourage, prompt, question, or redirect students toward the learning goals. Having a clear structure helps keep the lesson moving forward while you innovate flexibly within it, watching and responding to students and adjusting as needed. (J.S.)

5. Why should all teachers teach reading, especially content-area teachers at the middle school level? (E.M.B. & V.H.S.)

I think the short answer is that kids read all day long in every subject and therefore need reading instruction across the day. The reading that a student does in seventhgrade social studies class is very different, and demands different strategies and skills, than those a student might employ while reading a short story or a novel. And just like we teach students how to read poetry, they also need to be taught how best to approach science texts, where lots of information may be packed into a two-page spread with callouts, boxes, captions, headers and subheaders, etc.

The type of reading students are doing in social studies, ELA, and science class may be different, but teachers of all three will find the lesson structures in Teaching Reading Across the Day to be applicable across all subjects (with the exception of phonics and spelling lessons, which are primarily in the ELA teacher’s domain). (J.S.)

6. The structure of each lesson type chapter is unique, especially by giving teachers the flexibility to modify the lesson structure for the grade level and instructional materials that are required to use with their students. Why did you structure the focus lesson chapters the way you did? What are some of your favorite features of these focus lesson chapters? (E.M.B. & V.H.S.)

I deliberately decided that the chapters on lesson structures should follow a similar process. Each of the nine lesson structure chapters:

• Starts with an annotated classroom vignette and its lesson plan,

• Provides an overview of the lesson type,

• Synthesizes the most important research aligned to the lesson type,

• Offers advice on how best to incorporate knowledge and vocabulary building,

• Presents planning guidelines,

• Details the lesson structure and timing,

• Includes suggestions for being responsive to students,

• Includes videos (almost 4 hours of classroom coverage overall) of lessons in action in real classrooms with annotated lesson plans, and

• Offers key takeaways for the classroom.

Just as predictable lesson structures allow your students to focus on learning content rather than procedure, having the same components within each of the nine lesson structures helps teachers focus on content. As you move from one lesson type to the next, you’ll already be familiar with the approach and ready to jump right into learning the nuances of a different lesson structure.

I believe we learn from everything we read, even at the start. So, in addition to having a literacy goal for every lesson, I also recommend specific ways to build knowledge and vocabulary for each of the various lesson structures. (J.S.)

7. What are some closing thoughts you have for the MRA Today readers regarding Teaching Reading Across the Day (Serravallo, 2024)? (E.M.B. & V.H.S.)

It’s essential that as we teach reading strategies and skills to students that we also pay attention to ensuring that kids like to read. Reading is a critical part of daily life. From the moment they get up, students are interacting with a variety of text, from looking at social feeds, to studying textbooks, to looking at signs, to following written directions, and hopefully, to reading for pleasure.

Teaching Reading Across the Day is filled with suggestions and concrete examples that will help you teach children to learn to read well and also enjoy reading, whether you plan to teach a strategy for selecting books they’ll love during a focus lesson, supporting them in goal-setting during a guided inquiry lesson, finding joy in sharing a text through shared reading or read-aloud lessons, meeting with friends to discuss books using conversation lessons, or coaching their preparation and performance of a script during reader’s theater lessons.

I’ve seen memes on social media that say something like, “I don’t care if students like to read. I only care that they can.” I couldn’t disagree more. If we don’t teach reading in a way that actively encourages kids to like reading, they are simply not going to read except when texts are assigned. Think about all the missed opportunities when kids choose not to read daily. Reading opens new worlds, allows you to meet people who are different, and to see yourself on the pages of a book. Reading continuously expands our knowledge, improves our vocabulary, and helps us become better writers. Not to mention the sheer joy of losing yourself in a book. (J.S.)

References

Serravallo, J. (2024). Teaching reading across the day: Methods and structures for engaging, explicit, instruction. Corwin.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Jennifer Serravallo is a New York Times bestselling author, award-winning educator, literacy consultant, frequently invited speaker at state and national conferences, and former member of the Parents Magazine editorial board. In 2023, she launched her podcast, To the Classroom: Conversations With Researchers and Educators. Jen is best known for creating books and resources rooted in research that help make responsive, strategic, differentiated literacy instruction possible for all educators. Her latest book is Teaching Across the Day: Methods and Structures for Engaging, Explicit Instruction. Follow Jen on X (@jserravallo) and Instagram (@jenniferserravallo), learn more from her website/blog:www.jenniferserravallo.com, and join the Reading and Writing Strategies Community.

Editors’ Note: Rebecca Eaton from Corwin Publishing has graciously offered to all MRA members a 25% discount with free shipping for the purchase of Jennifer Serravallo’s book, Teaching Reading Across the Day. The code to get 25% off the entire order, plus free shipping is SERRAVALLO. Additionally, to follow is the link to the product page at Corwin Press for ordering Jennifer Serravallo’s book, Teaching Reading Across the Day, if this is preferred: Teaching Reading Across the Day, Grades K-8

UNLEARNING WITH DR. GHOLDY MUHAMMAD: A PATH TOWARD LITERACY SOCIAL JUSTICE

Cami Condie

Dr. Gholdy Muhammad is my learning crush. I am absolutely, totally, completely in love with her work and her vision of literacy social justice. Her research pushes me in my anti-racist learning/ unlearning and redefines equitable literacy instruction!

My personal literacy history includes many major literacy eras. I lived through the reading wars in the 80s, starting kindergarten in California (whole language) and finishing the school year in New Jersey (sight words/phonics). My elementary teaching days coincided with the launch of No Child Left Behind Act (2002) and its emphasis on the five Big Ideas; skills-based instruction; and scripted, whole-group curricula. I became an instructor during the Common Core State Standards (2010) rollout and have provided consulting throughout the recent decade, centering Universal Design for Learning and differentiation. Now we find ourselves in another divisive literacy era, the current rhetoric around “evidence-based” instruction, focusing on cognitive science (Science of Reading and Writing), as some seek to “discredit” additional fields of literacy research. In many classrooms, literacy curricula and pedagogical guidance have returned to skills-based, wholegroup instruction.

In contrast to the current conflicting views, Dr. Gholdy Muhammad urges us to fundamentally change the narrative. Instead of demanding “Which way is better? More research-based?,” she asks, “What helps historically marginalized students find their place in literacy learning?” (Muhammad, 2024). In short, her vision lifts us above literacy politics and leads with students. Our literacy binaryswinging needs this redirection.

Deconstructing the traditional norms that have silenced Black and Brown students and women, Dr. Muhammad centers Black Girls’ Literacy (2015) and investigates how they created multimodal texts in an exploration of identity. Enacting Bell Hooks’ (1994) wisdom, these Black girls created a space for “antiracist struggle” (p. 3) in genre-blending, non-traditional, un-school-like ways. Dr. Muhammad’s research highlights how these young women employed written word, video, movement and audio, with considerations of audience, messaging, and length (e.g., TikTok). Their content creation incorporated the following elements of the writing process (Muhammad & Mosley, 2021):

• Brainstorming an idea with considerations of the message to be shared for an identified, intentional audience;

• Practicing and revising camera work, movement/choreography, lighting, and dress to achieve a desired effect;

• Editing a longer piece to be tight, minimalistic, and clear;

• Adding, editing, and, at times, employing open captioning (i.e., permanently embedded text that the viewer cannot turn off), mindful of font sizes, colors, and playfulness;

• And reviewing and revising (often multiple times!) the final product before sharing publicly.

This! This is what we are trying to teach in our school writing instruction! And often, the children’s created pieces are conducted relatively quickly in response to an event or trend. For me, an uncomfortable truth surfaces: this out-of-school, often overlooked creation process appears to be more sophisticated than what we may teach in our classrooms because these social media creators are writing with a real audience in mind at a particular moment that influences their careful attention to craft moves and decision making—something we often find difficult to capture in school spaces.

Authenticity matters, according to Dr. Muhammad, and what else? Drs. Muhammad and Mosley (2021) point out: “The emphasis on skills alone for improving literacy suggests that other factors are not important despite the evidence that they make a big difference for culturally, racially, and linguistically diverse learners” (p. 193). It’s the “other factors” that a skills-dominant focus diminishes, including the meaningfulness, experimentation, rich exploration, and playfulness highlighted in these generative, online spaces. A core finding of Dr. Muhammad’s Black Girls’ Literacy research is: “Writing became a hybrid medium to construct ideals of self amid dominant discourse” (Muhammad, 2015, p. 243). Social justice is on the minds of our learners; they see our unjust systems and are working to find and use their voices to shape a better world for themselves and historically marginalized people.

As teachers, we can embrace students’ preferred text genres. Imagine the engaging, rousing discussions if a careful selection of TikTok, YouTube, or anime were used as a class’s mentor texts in preparation for creating the students’ own. I now encourage project submissions in multimodal forms (not just written, academic papers), and I learned, and experienced, and felt my students’ liberation. Their work was better, and frankly, their thinking and reasoning were more clearly articulated. In other words, if I want my students’ thinking on display, providing choice in how they demonstrated it, benefitted the learners and their professor (me!).

In K-12 spaces, comparing and contrasting a similar topic presented by two creators also meets Massachusetts standards around analyzing, reading, and writing elements in complex

text. In these genres, our students may also hear the expressive language and multiple ways of representing present tense in African American Language (AAL), not generally championed (but could be!) in school-based pieces. Curiosity led me to a study, where a primary-grade teacher investigated language and race by exploring AAL in mentor texts, which led to students’ exploration in their writing (and deliberate conversations about appropriation (Hartman & Machado, 2019). This embrace of multiple Englishes represented a new, liberatory way of thinking for me in my social justice journey.

Importantly, this unlearning space confronts my learned, linguistic racism. As defined by Dr. Souto-Manning (2020), linguistic racism is: “the imposition of White language practices and communication norms as superior and desirable” (p. 2). Bell Hooks (1994) adds, “Standard English is not the speech of exile. It is the language of conquest and domination…. [S]tandard English [is used] as a weapon to silence and censor” (p. 168, p. 172). Dr. Muhammad’s note adds weight to advocating for linguistic justice: “the linguistic distance between teachers and students is steadily widening, and this gap has real consequences for the educative outcomes for students of color, including Black girls” (Muhammed & Haddix, 2016, p. 312).1

To be clear, we teachers have plenty of opportunities to teach academic English, so the underlying question remains: “How will we help our students navigate linguistically in consequential ways?” My linguistic justice journey includes moving away from standard, edited English and embracing translanguaging: “Valuing students’ communicative repertoires instead of demanding that they be sorted to abide by social norms, with a focus on cultivating and sustaining their languaging” (Souto-Manning et al., 2021, p. 5).

In practice, we teachers can encourage writers’ translanguaging by encouraging use of students’ most comfortable language to investigate and discover ideas. As ideas shape and change, we can also embrace culturally empowering, multiple Englishes in meaningful ways. Now, I have changed my assignment rubrics by deleting this language: “Meets conventions of standard, edited English.” And, checking content understanding (not written English), I am the one using Google Translate to read student work, rather than requiring my students to write in standard, edited English; I take the linguistic lift, not them.

1 For further exploration for K-12 teachers, see Souto-Manning (2020) In the Pursuit of Justice; for higher education, see Innoue’s (2020) work on Habits of White Language.

As educators, we are committed to our learners’ learning. Dr. Muhammad’s (2024) recent Massachusetts Reading Association’s Annual Conference Opening Keynote was titled “Genius, Justice, and Joy” and offered an important reminder in her parting words, “There is no joy without justice.” To all of us on this literacy, social justice journey, Dr. Muhammad provides an illuminating path forward.

References

Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association (2010). Common core state standards for English language arts and literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects. Washington, D.C.

Hartman, P., & Machado, E. (2019). Language, race, and critical conversations in a primarygrade writers’ workshop. The Reading Teacher, 73(3), 313-323.

Hooks, B. (1994). Teaching to transgress. Routledge.

Inoue, A. B. (2020). Teaching antiracist reading. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 50 (3), 134-156.

Muhammad, G. E. (2015). In search for a full vision: Writing representations of African American adolescent girls. Research in the Teaching of English, 49(3), 224–247.

Muhammad, G. E. (2024, April 25). Cultivating genius and joy in education through culturally and historically responsive pedagogies [Conference Keynote]. Massachusetts Reading Association Annual Conference, Sturbridge, MA, United States.

Muhammad, G. E., & Haddix, M. (2016). Centering Black girls’ literacies: A review of literature on the multiple ways of knowing of Black girls. English Education, 48(4), 299-336.

Muhammad, G. E., & Mosley, L. T. (2021). Why we need identity and equity learning on literacy practices: Moving research, practice, and policy forward. Language Arts, 98(4), 189-196.

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, P.L. 107-110, 20 U.S.C. #6319 (2002).

Souto-Manning, M. (2020). In the pursuit of justice: Students’ rights to read and write in elementary school. National Council of Teachers of English.

Souto‐Manning, M., Martell, J., Pérez, A. Y., & Pión, P. (2021). Translanguaging as norm: Rejecting narrow and restrictive notions of reading. The Reading Teacher, 75(3), 339-350.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cami Condie, EdD, is an associate professor of childhood education and care, McKeown School of Education at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts. At Salem State University, Dr. Condie is also SSU’s Provost Faculty Fellow at the Center of Teaching Innovation.

ANNOUNCING OUR NEW NAME!

Valerie Harlow Shinas

At the Massachusetts Reading Association, we are proud of our commitment to literacy and to our members who are literacy educators, college and university faculty, and authors across the state and beyond. We are especially proud of our reputation for bringing you highquality literacy publications for more than five decades.

Last spring, the MRA Board decided that it was time to update our peer-reviewed journal with a new name. With that, we launched a contest to rename The MRA Primer. Before we share the new name for our journal, we’d like to thank all of the MRA members who participated in this effort. We were thrilled to receive 24 submissions to the contest. Each suggested title was interesting and resonated with our commitment to literacy.

To select a name from the dozens of wonderful ideas, we first reviewed the suggestions to identify ideas in common. Several of you suggested variations on the theme of beacons and light. We think this theme accurately reflects our aim for the journal - to contribute to the field by shining a light on emerging research. Another common suggestion was variations on the title Journal of Literacy Research. Working with the MRA Board, we considered these ideas as well as the many other exciting suggestions.

It is our tremendous pleasure to announce the new name for the Massachusetts Reading Association’s annual, peer-reviewed journal: The MRA Beacon: Journal of Literacy Learning and Research. This title represents a synthesis of the suggested titles, and so we’d like to acknowledge all who contributed: Lauren Wolk, Brenda Webster, Dr. Beth Nolan Conners, Dr. Cami Condi, Rebecca Ward, Dr. Lori Digisi, and two contributors who would like to rename anonymous. Please note that contributor Jodi Walters suggested the name MRA Today, which we recently adopted. We were so pleased to confirm that this name change resonated with our readers. Finally, we’d like to thank Catherine Salvini, Dr. Mary Ann Cappiello, Christine Murphy, Jennifer Roberts Keddy, Bev Leute Bruce, Hollie Costa, Janeen Cox, Melissa Barton, and all who participated. We look forward to the maiden publication of the MRA Beacon: Journal of Literacy Learning and Research in December 2024. You will find the calls for articles in this journal.

AI IN SERVICE OF THE ARTS

Raymond K. Rugg

As a middle-school, ELA writing teacher, Artificial Intelligence is much on my mind lately. This isn’t a statement I ever expected to type when writing a piece about literacy education that makes my heart sing.

And yet.

And yet, in my classroom, my students have created poetry—poetry that uses AI in an ethical manner and in the service of art—that does, indeed, inspire.

Generative Artificial Intelligence first appeared in my classroom when my students were assigned an informational essay comparing a narrative and a poem. Out of just under 100 students across 4 sixth-grade classes, I found nearly 10% of the submitted papers to have been produced by ChatGPT, a popular large language model (LLM) chatbot. How did I know? At the risk of invoking the MCAS (2017) rubric, the idea development and the mechanics of the language of the texts made it quite clear that the students had not written these essays on their own, a fact to which they admitted when asked, “And how did this situation come to pass?” It seems that one student happened upon this approach to completing the assignment and was so pleased with it that they shared the strategy with a number of their classmates.

Above and beyond presenting a crash lesson on the concept of plagiarism, I wanted to address the fact of Artificial Intelligence with my students. Across the arts, many have chosen to deny, ignore, and/or shun AI, but this stance does not appear to be sustainable in the long term. The genie and the cat are, respectively, out of the bottle and out of the bag. The American Psychological Association has issued advice regarding how to cite ChatGPT in accordance with APA style (McAdoo, 2024), and even more recently, Kelly Gallagher (2024), keynote speaker at the Massachusetts Reading Association’s 53rd annual conference, referenced generative AI as a writing tool for his students.

Boston’s Museum of Science (2022) has an informative, clear, and concise online video that I found to be very useful for explaining the what of AI in a nutshell. The next step was to connect this what, to the why, and the how of acceptable use of Artificial Intelligence. As for the why, I discussed with my students the fact that AI is a tool that writers can use. And that, like all tools, it can be used wisely…or not so wisely. For the how, I posed the question, “If we’re going

to use this tool, how can we embrace the wise and avoid the unwise?”

Drawing on my own writing experience with Artificial Intelligence outside of the education environment, I wrote a lesson to introduce AI into our classwork on Found poetry, and more specifically, introduced using AI-generated text as the source material for Blackout poetry. For our initial foray into this brave new world, I presented an activity designed to engage my students and allow a limited amount of freedom for exploration, with the intent of giving them a foundation upon which they might build further as directed by their own interests.

To this end, I gave the following prompt to ChatGPT. “In 250 words, please tell me how an Artificial Intelligence would interpret the phrase, “I sing the body electric” by Walt Whitman (1855). The result fit nicely on one sheet of paper (ChatGPT, 2024). I printed a copy for each of my students. I prefaced the lesson with a brief overview of Whitman’s poem (1855) and explained that they would be exploring poems such as this in more detail later in their educational careers at the high-school level. This was followed by a brief discussion of what is involved in the process of eliciting useable text from an LLM-generative Artificial Intelligence such as ChatGPT. I noted to the students how the AI algorithms dissect the prompt in a way not unlike the way my students are taught to approach the writing prompts they encounter in the MCAS test. (See Appendix for the prompt and the text generated by ChatGPT to address this prompt.)

Next, I handed out to the students copies of the AI-oriented and AI-generated interpretation and we read it together as a class. I was delighted to find that in all four of my ELA writing classes, student discussion made connections between the human body, and electricity, and computer technology without prompting on my part.

Students then each created their own Blackout poems from this chatbot interpretation of Whitman’s (1855) poem. They scanned the interpretation by ChatGPT in order to find and then to box out words and phrases that spoke to them. They found conjunctions to connect these words (or not) as each student found appropriate. They drew forth themes and images from the text. They took pencils, crayons, or markers and blacked out or put in their own visual art over the other words or even incorporated the other words into eye-catching graphic designs. (See Figures 1, 2, and 3 below that exemplify the students’ Blackout poetry.)

2Transcription of Blackout poem in Figure 1: “A profound beauty suggesting a harmonious spiritual life of all living beings, binding humanity through the essence of an ever-evolving world.”

3Transcription of Blackout poem in Figure 2: “Human exploration may evoke experiences as humanity increasingly reflects on existence.”

4Transcription of Blackout poem in Figure 3: “For AI, humanity integrates with machines.”

The results are posted on my classroom wall, where the students’ poems run the gamut from humorous to heartbreaking. The accompanying visuals included robots and starbursts among the blocks of solid black lines, lines that break to let a word or phrase peek through, here and there. One of the poems consists of just a single word, “humanity.”

These are the kinds of student writing that inspire and make my heart sing.

References

Gallagher, K. (2024, April 25). Liberating writers: Moving students from compliance to engagement [Conference presentation]. MRA 2024 Convention, Sturbridge, MA, United States.

Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System. (2017). ELA rubrics grades -6 – 8: Essay rubric. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. https://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/tdd/ela.html?section=rubrics

McAdoo, T. (2024, February 23). How to cite ChatGPT. APA Style Blog. https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt Museum of Science. (2022, March 29). What is AI? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbEbs6I3eLw OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (GPT-3.5) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/c/bafdceea-9d5a-4e7b-9046-2258887da94e

Children’s Literature Cited

Whitman, W. (1855). I sing the body electric. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/walt-Whitman

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Raymond K. Rugg (he/him) is an ELA writing and social studies teacher at Benjamin Friedman Middle School in Taunton, Massachusetts. He holds an MEd degree from Bridgewater State University and is currently a graduate student in the university’s Education Specialist (EdS) in Reading program. His work has appeared in the journals, SFRA Review and Foundation, and he presents regularly at regional, national, and international conferences, often on the subject of identity in speculative fiction. His poetry has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and shortlisted for the Dwarf Star Award and the Asimov’s Readers’ Favorites award.

APPENDIX

AI Prompt:

In 250 words, please tell me how an Artificial Intelligence would interpret the phrase “I sing the body electric” by Walt Whitman.

ChatGPT Response:

“I sing the body electric,” a phrase coined by Walt Whitman, presents a profound conundrum for an Artificial Intelligence (AI) to interpret. At its surface, the statement celebrates the vitality and beauty of the human form, suggesting a harmonious fusion of the physical and the spiritual. However, for an AI, the interpretation extends beyond the literal to encompass a deeper exploration of human existence.

To an AI, “the body electric” may evoke images of the intricate biological processes that sustain life, from the firing of neurons to the rhythmic beating of the heart. It may analyze the phrase as a metaphor for the interconnectedness of all living beings, highlighting the electric impulses that bind humanity together in a vast network of shared experiences and emotions.

Moreover, the AI may delve into the philosophical implications of Whitman’s words, considering the role of technology in redefining the boundaries of the body. As humanity increasingly integrates with machines through advancements in prosthetics, implants, and artificial intelligence itself, the distinction between organic and synthetic becomes blurred.

Ultimately, the AI’s interpretation of “I sing the body electric” extends beyond a mere analysis of language to reflect on the essence of consciousness and existence. It prompts reflection on the interplay between the physical and the metaphysical, inviting contemplation of what it means to be alive in an ever-evolving world.

HOW READERS’ THEATER CAN BRING JOY TO FLUENCY INSTRUCTION

Sarah Larson Fennelly

Fluency is listed as one of the five pillars of reading, according to the Report of the National Reading Panel (2000). Fluency is also, according to Rasinski and Smith (2018), the bridge between word recognition and language comprehension. Students who are able to read with fluency orally are in general able to read with deeper comprehension silently (Rasinski & Smith, 2018).

There are different types of fluency: word automaticity and passage fluency. Word automaticity is the ability to read words quickly without needing to stop and decode them because they have been orthographically mapped in the brain, meaning that the strings of letters that make up individual words are recognized as a whole after reviewing them many times, both in isolation and in context (Ehri, 2015). Passage fluency takes it one step further because, not only is the expectation to read with automaticity, but also with what is known as prosody. Prosody is reading with expression (Rasinski & Smith, 2018), which helps to enhance the meaning of the text being read. This includes rate of reading, phrasing, recognizing punctuation, voice variations depending on the content, and emphasis of certain words over others. (Rasinski & Smith, 2018).

As with all other pillars of reading (National Reading Panel Report, 2000), fluency is a concept that needs to be explicitly taught. Modeling prosody is one of the best ways to do this, followed by allowing students opportunities to practice, which is the gradual release of responsibility (Pearson & Gallagher, 1983). This is considered best practice, and it will bring joy to students when they feel successful. However, there is one secret weapon for improving fluency that starts off bringing joy and makes practicing fluency seem less like a skill drill and more like a performance. That is Readers’ Theater!

The past few years, I have taught a reading skills course for fifth graders at the middle school where I teach. I usually reserve this activity for a time when we have finished learning a long, difficult concept, such as all the parts of speech, or close to a vacation, when focus is beginning to wane. The students are given a script and a part for which they are responsible. They do not have to memorize the part because the focus is on the reading of the words. During COVID-19, many actors got together over Zoom and did a “table read” of famous movies, where they read the script. That is how I describe Readers’ Theater to my students that we are doing a table read of a play. Students sit in a circle at their desks or on the floor and practice

reading their parts. There are various free websites that contain Readers’ Theater scripts. And again, thanks to COVID-19, many people have created videos of book readings, so finding a video also helps to model what the reading could and should sound like.

Students practice many aspects of fluency during these Readers’ Theater activities. They practice word automaticity because they are practicing reading the script many times, both for accuracy and for appropriate pace. They are practicing prosody, intonation, and tone by treating dialogue as if they were having a conversation. And they have to comprehend what they are reading because, if they say the wrong word or phrase, then the rest of the dialogue will not make sense.

There are two research studies that show the effects of using Readers’ Theater as a fluency tool for students’ abilities. In two research studies by Young and Rasinski (2009, 2011), the fluency abilities of all students, no matter their reading levels, improved overall, including rate, accuracy, and prosody. So what is the element of Readers’ Theater that is different from other instructional strategies? - two words- motivation and engagement.

I taught eight different classes of students, four a day for over two days. Each of these classes read the same script, and all were motivated and engaged. However, the level of engagement and motivation varied among the groups. One group just wanted to read the script as part of the assignment and be done. A few of the groups, however, clearly are “bound for the stage.” They took the performance to the next level, incorporating props and costumes, stage directions, and invited others to view their performances! But no matter the level of engagement and motivation, all students were successful because they read the words fluently after repeated practice; used phrasing, expression, and tone; and read at a level that could be heard by others. And, the most important part, it was fun!

Although there are many places to get Readers’ Theater scripts, any text, no matter the level, can be turned into a Readers’ Theater script. Teachers can take stories and create parts students can read. Or, as an extended writing activity, students can try and create their own scripts, either from a story or on their own. Nothing is more motivating than a student being able to share something they created.

Fluency, as one of the five pillars of reading instruction (National Reading Panel Report, 2000), is often overlooked during classroom instruction, or the focus on fluency becomes word automaticity. Readers’ Theater allows students to express themselves while practicing an important, necessary skill for reading comprehension.

References

Ehri, L. C. (2015). How children learn to read words. In A. Pollatsek & R. Treiman (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of reading (pp. 293–310). Oxford University Press. National Reading Panel (U.S.) and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (U.S.). (2000). Report of the National Reading Panel: Teaching children to read: An evidencebased assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction. U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Public Health Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Pearson, P. D., & Gallagher, M. C. (1983). The instruction of reading comprehension. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 8(3), 317-344. https://doi.org/10.1016/0361-476X(83)90019-X

Rasinski, T. V., & Smith, M. C. (2018). The megabook of fluency. Scholastic.

Young, C., & Rasinski, T. V. (2009). Implementing readers theatre as an approach to classroom fluency instruction. Reading Teacher, 63(1), 4-13.

Young, C., & Rasinski, T. V. (2011). Fluency matters. Connecticut Reading Association Journal, 3(1), 21-26.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah Larson Fennelly, PhD, is a reading specialist, working for over 20 years at Stoneham Central Middle School. She is also an adjunct faculty member at American International College in Springfield and Framingham State University. She is an advocate for making sure all students learn how to read through being the president of The Reading League-Massachusetts and a board member of the Massachusetts Reading Association.

RESOURCES FOR LITERACY EDUCATORS

Use ILA’s professional resources to make an impact on all levels of learners in your classroom. Choose from a variety of materials that can boost your skills, help you develop new and practical classroom strategies, and keep your professional momentum going all year long!

¡ Position Statements

¡ Research and Standards

¡ Literacy Today Magazine

¡ Literacy Glossary

¡ Recognition Programs

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¡ Career Center

WITH FAMILY, FAITH, FRIENDS, AND LIVES OF EMINENCE

Ann McGreevy

“Good teaching cannot be reduced to technique—good teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher” (Palmer, 1998, p. 10).

Over the years, teachers, and those aspiring to be teachers, have asked about ideas for successful teaching. The following are my suggestions —benchmarks— for what continues to matter to me in education. And here I must give thanks and credit to my colleagues from various school and university communities throughout the years for the many lessons we have shared and learned together!

1. Get to know your students. Celebrate their uniqueness.

“The things that make me different make me—me!”—Piglet (Arends, 1999).

It can be truly life-changing for students when teachers discover the students’ authentic interests, helping them build upon their knowledge and skills in those areas, thereby, making it easier to reach, guide, and support each student. In my experience teaching young children and adults, understanding each learner’s uniqueness—individual personalities, interests, and capacities for thinking—was essential. Every child has unlimited possibilities unique to them.

Throughout my career, I have sought tools to help forge this authentic connection. For example, Joseph Renzulli’s Interest-a-Lyzer (1997, p. 2) is a questionnaire that creates the opportunity for teachers to learn which types of projects and instructional styles might best succeed with their students. It has been invaluable to me in my teaching.

Also, I asked students to compose a “Bio Page”—a one page biography. Younger students included their hobbies, collections, pets, sports, book choices, and an illustration. Displaying them on a bulletin board helped students get to know each other. Adult biographies offered descriptions of their family, personal interests, educational experience, reading choices, and teaching aspirations. Students often included these on the bio page with their resumes when applying for a job—and were very successful!

“Challenge Friday” was another idea that helped me get to know my younger students. On Fridays, I would propose an optional assignment with a creative twist—such as read a

biography or novel and create three gifts you would give one of the book’s characters for his or her birthday. Students enjoyed being challenged. Projects were due the following Friday. I always supported long-term assignments for students—by the week, month, and even the term. This extended time provided more opportunity for in-depth planning, research, and creativity.

2. Foster a creative environment.

Thoughtful surroundings can make a world of difference to students.

Create a space for works in progress. Both at school and at home, the last thing creative minds want is having to pick up their project materials after they’ve spread them out and begun to put things together! For younger students, the teacher may consider a “work-in-progress” table as part of a classroom, where project materials can mingle with puzzles, dioramas, a folder of writing prompts, and one of book reviews by children—ideas being worked on.

Keep plants. A blooming plant is a reminder that growth takes time, that it cannot be forced, and that it requires daily doses of care and attention. In addition, a plant is an ongoing lesson in observation and diagnosis: “Does it need more light or shade?” “Does it need water or fertilizer?” Helping children observe and write about their own seeds, flowers, or plants offers a simple foray into science and data collection as well as a chance for students to encounter curiosity, cultivate patience, and enjoy the awe that comes with watching things grow. (By the way, a wiggly, little goldfish can also be of great interest to children to observe and about which to learn.)

Embrace the outdoors. Fresh air and unstructured outdoor play time are vital for children. If they do not have opportunities to play on their own in open spaces, children can suffer from “nature deficit disorder,” a term coined by journalist Richard Louv (2005, p. 98). I often volunteered to be a supervisor at recess. It gave me a chance to enjoy a breath of fresh air (instead of the smoky teachers’ rooms in those early years!) as well as observe students playing at games—both winning and losing!

3. Look for opportunities for self-directed growth for students—and yourself.

Encourage your students, your colleagues, and yourself to be lifelong learners. Don’t ever give up investing in your own growth and development—even into your seventh and eighth decade and beyond! I had to make that commitment young. When I earned my master’s degree,

I paid the tuition and fees myself. Teachers with master’s degrees had the eventual benefit of a higher salary (and additional professional opportunities), yes, but, unlike now, there was little funding for professional development.

Children also need support for learning—certainly for extra help but also for enrichment. Conventional opportunities are usually available, such as academic acceleration, advanced placement (AP) classes, or even skipping a grade. Teachers take advantage of flexible academic grouping in classrooms to reach students at different levels, but choice-based opportunity is also important.

What about summer-school enrichment classes, where students may choose topic areas that genuinely interest them? One- or two-week classes, taught by local teachers or community experts, can offer rich learning opportunities and nurture budding interests. Having a tutor in special areas of interest, like writing, art and drawing, or math can be very helpful. Parents think of tutors only for those who need additional support, but not so. Many successful and eminent adults were tutored as children in areas in which they showed talent.

Develop a strong competency in at least one content area that you love to teach and build it up through the years. Attend local and state curriculum conferences, such as those in literacy or social studies. Every state has local curriculum associations with a wealth of ideas and new materials through which to browse. These conferences were rich educational opportunities for me. Ultimately, it helps to seek out grants and resources that will support us to grow and stay inspired.

4. Offer opportunities and encouragement in literacy.

The writing process has always been a major focus of my teaching. Consequently, I tried to provide students with interesting, short texts; engaging writing assignments; carefully considered feedback; and a balance of praise, encouragement, and specific recommendations as how they might move forward. I paid attention to listening and speaking opportunities. Sometimes children can tell a story much easier than writing a story. Often, putting ideas on paper or a tablet will come easier after this spoken experience.

Peter Elbow (2012), Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, supports this idea. In his book Vernacular Eloquence, he shares the two-gear approach to writing—separating speech and writing. He writes, “When people learn to write by speaking

onto the page without worrying about correctness, it helps them do what they dread—start writing!” (pp. 186-187). It also helps children develop a voice of their own. In addition, I’ve always found it curious that voracious readers are not always necessarily active writers—but that active writers are nearly always avid readers!

Classroom writing assignments might include opinion topics (“Should recess be longer?”), nonfiction research about town history and public statues, student book reviews, and humorous poems. Children should be allowed to write silly jokes and personal stories. Again, talking them through helps the writing process.

Will handwriting have any role in the curriculum now that so many people use laptops and phones? I think of cursive as an art form; it contributes to more fluid writing for children. Teaching it was a pleasant, artistic, and calming activity. Cursive writing is part of our human history. Think of all of those WWI and WWII letters sent home, not to mention the Declaration of Independence! Will today’s children be able to read these handwritten, primary documents in the future?

Finally, a word about textbooks. As a young teacher, I relied frequently on textbooks— especially in areas of science and social studies, as they provided both cohesion and structure, along with a wealth of maps; graphs; archival photographs; helpful captions; and opportunities to teach about tables of contents, glossaries, indexes, appendices, etc. Teachers’ editions educated me with rich supplemental material. I think they do have a place in supporting teachers and in the education of children.

5. Instill the importance of good citizenship.

As I write this, approaching our 250th milestone as a democratic nation offers a good moment for discussing citizenship and civics. Questions—such as, “What is the meaning of the ‘common good’?” “How do you demonstrate justice and fairness in the classroom?” “How do you cultivate respect for all people?”—should be a part of classroom discussions. Being able to disagree without being disagreeable is also quite a skill for classroom practice—and part of the literacy skill of sharing and listening to opinions.

In his new book, The Bill of Obligations: Ten Habits of Good Citizens, author Richard Haass (2023) shares an important point:

We are failing to pass down the essentials and what it means to be an American and a citizen of the United States of America. In a country as diverse as our own, one can’t assume a history or a heritage. It really has to be taught! (p. 134)

I agree.

6. Nourish the whole person.

Years ago, my colleague Sue Copley and I published a piece for ASCD: “What Counts in Sustaining Spirit in Schools?” (Copley & McGreevy, December 1998/January 1999). We asked principals and teachers what fed their academic ecosystem—the environment and all the people in it. Some of their thoughts are included here as well as a few of my own:

Be attentive to life’s milestones. Education is interwoven with events in the educational environment and the community around it: births and deaths, celebrations, and tragedies. We all experience a world of emotions every day and they should be celebrated or honored within the school community.

Beauty counts! Children respond to beautiful things and surroundings, such as ornamental trees at the school entrance; a foyer with paintings by children framed on the walls; or a small aquarium, where they can enjoy the company of brightly colored goldfish. A field trip to any museum helps to cultivate a sense of the beautiful and the spiritual. Museums honor the creativity and ingenuity of human beings now as well as in the past.

Reflect on traditions. Beginnings and endings have meaning: from how we greet each morning to how we bring closure to a school year. Ongoing traditions reflect the school’s values and mission and how they can evolve. Schools “speak” by the daily life of those who reside in them.

Invest in community service. Volunteering channels children’s passion and energy to create a difference in the lives of others. No contribution to the community is ever too small. The same is true for teenagers and adults! There’s a joyous benefit from volunteering and being part of a group working to help others.

Embrace quiet time. Support making space to read, write, plan, and listen to music or simply think. Unplug!

Mentor one another. Create opportunities for experienced staff to share insights and experiences with those who are just beginning through brief conferencing and observing one another teach.

Share your humanity. Students love to hear about you as a person…your travels, your interests, books you’ve read, your pets, and your families. I always took a few minutes on Monday mornings for weekend shares. Students need to view you as a complete human being, not just a teacher.

Hold onto class photos and artifacts. It’s so easy to toss away precious reminders of each year of teaching, but my advice is to hold onto a few memories from each year with your class. As you look back at your career, to come across these milestones of letters, creations of some children, and photos, is a real joy.

Laugh! In an article called “Laughing with Children,” my mentor Vincent Rogers (1984) once wrote, “We cultivate humor by becoming more flexible, more spontaneous, and more playful” (p. 49). Schools are human places. Look for ways to uplift one another and share joy in everyday life. Where good-natured laughter is in abundance throughout a school, the “spirit” tends to be positive and uplifting. Laughter relaxes us physically and socially. Given the tension and anxiety that many children feel today, sharing funny poetry and humorous stories seems really appropriate.

In Life of the Beloved and Our Greatest Gifts, Fr. Henri Nouwen (2002) once wrote, We may have only a few talents, but we have many gifts. Our gifts are the many ways in which we express our humanity. They are part of who we are: friendship, kindness, patience, joy, peace, forgiveness, gentleness, love, hope, trust, and others. (pp. 113-114)

We should share that distinction with young people today.

Our vocation as educators is a gift. To teach young people and adult learners each day is a privilege. We work not only with curriculum content but with human minds. We have opportunities to open those minds to new ideas and new ways of thinking. We will always need teachers of intelligence, integrity, and human kindness.

References

Arends, H. (1999). Sing a song with Pooh Bear [DVD recorded by Disney Studios Burbank, CA]. On Disney sing along songs: Sing a song with Pooh Bear and Piglet too.

Copley, S., & McGreevy, A. (1998, December/1999, January). What counts in sustaining spirit in schools? Classroom Leadership. ASCD.

Elbow, P. (2012). Vernacular eloquence: What speech can bring to writing (1st ed.). Oxford University Press.

Haas, R. (2023). The bill of obligations: Ten habits of good citizens. Penguin Books.

Louv, R. (2005). Last child in the woods: Saving our children from nature-deficit disorder. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, NC.

McGreevy, A. (2024). One teacher’s journey: With family, faith, friends, and lives of eminence (1st ed.). Amazon.

Nouwen, H. J. M. (2002). Life of the beloved and our greatest gifts. Hodder & Stoughton. Palmer, P. (1998). The courage to teach: Exploring the inner landscape of a teacher’s life. Jossey-Bass Inc.

Renzulli, J. (1997). Interest-A-Lyzer family of instruments (1st ed). Routledge Press.

Rogers, V. (1984). Laughing with children. Educational Leadership, 41.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Ann McGreevy was born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts and taught in the public school system there for 20 years. She is a graduate of Worcester State University and earned a PhD in Education from the University of Connecticut. For over a decade, Ann was an adjunct visiting professor at Salem State University in the reading program, where she taught the course, Teaching Students to Write. She is the author of many articles on creativity, gifted education, and lives of eminence. Ann now lives in Marblehead, Massachusetts.

Editors’ Note

This article is reproduced and slightly revised from Chapter 19 in One Teacher’s Journey: With Family, Faith, Friends, and Lives of Eminence (McGreevy, 2024) with permission from the author. The book is available in local bookstores and on Amazon.com.

BUDDING THESPIANS IN FIRST GRADE: THEY MADE

ALL OUR HEARTS SING

Elaine M. Bukowiecki

I have many fond memories of the 15 years I spent teaching first grade. There were the moments, when after months of practice and actually reading a little, the magical “click” occurred in the child’s brain, and the child proudly proclaimed, “I can read!” There were math lessons, where manipulatives (and fingers) were no longer needed, and the child could add a column of numbers quickly and accurately on their own. And there was writing workshop, when inventive spelling and word walls were not necessary, and the child produced pages of text in almost conventional spelling without assistance. However, at the top of my list of fond firstgrade memories, were the annual musicals my students and I performed for our school, their families, and their friends.

I do not remember exactly how the tradition of these spring musicals started. I studied the classical piano for nine years and was fortunate enough to have a piano in my classroom. Music was an important part of our first-grade days, especially during morning meetings. There were always a few songs that were included with discussing the date, predicting the daily weather, writing the morning message together, and practicing phonemic awareness and phonics skills through poetry and music. Thus, perhaps it was one of my first-grade colleagues or the music teacher who suggested my students and I should perform a spring musical for others to enjoy our musical joy. Whatever the reason, a tradition began!

We started our musical journey slowly. For our first “big production,” I chose the musical version of The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Potter, 2002) that was in a music book my predecessor in my classroom left for me.5 During our winter break from school, I wrote the script for this play, with parts for every student in my class. It was very important to me that there were no key actors in this performance; every student would be a “star!” I decided that all students in my class would learn and sing the songs, with the key roles – Peter, Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, Mrs. Rabbit, and Farmer McGreggor - chosen by the class to be performed by certain students. For the other roles in the play, the remaining students were narrators, who told the story for all to enjoy. We all learned the music for this play throughout the winter and, gradually, in the spring, put actions and narration to the music. We performed the musical version of The Tale of Peter

5 Although I tried, I could not find the exact source for this play.

Rabbit (Potter, 2002) for the students’ families and friends in early June. This performance was followed by presentations of our musical for all students and teachers in our school.

Our success with the musical rendition of The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Potter, 2002) led to subsequent productions of Peter Pan (Styne & Charlap, 1995); The Wizard of Oz (Harburg & Arlen, 2009); Cinderella (Rogers & Hammerstein, II, 2013); and You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (Gesner, 1967). The planning and presentation of these new musicals followed the same procedure as with The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Potter, 2002): I wrote the script for the play during winter break; all the students learned the songs during the winter; the class decided on who would perform the key roles; all other students in the class would become the story’s narrators; we added actions to words and songs throughout the spring and practiced this performance; and finally, presented this musical for the students’ families, friends, and our entire school in early June.

These musicals became wonderful ways to connect what was happening in our classroom with the students’ homes. Our school had a very enthusiastic and active parent volunteer program, and the parents of my students quickly volunteered their time and talents in making costumes, painting sets, and constructing props. My own family became involved in these musicals as well, with my husband, a mechanical engineer, adding his expertise to the construction of sets and props, and my mother and aunt baking and serving refreshments for the performance for the students’ families. Once, for Peter Pan (Styne & Charlap, 1995), my husband brought into school the dinghy from our sailboat, complete with sail and mast. This became, of course, Captain Hook’s pirate ship!

My prime reason for planning and performing these annual musicals was for the students to work together as a team, to experience the joy of song and acting, and to have fun. I never realized, at that time, what relevant and effective literacy skills the students were learning and practicing as well. The students increased their reading comprehension and reading fluency skills as they learned and recited their lines in the play and learned and practiced the lyrics to the various songs. They practiced their oral language and listening skills as they learned when to speak and sing on cue. And they even practiced their writing skills when they wrote invitations to their families and everyone in our school to attend our musicals.

I was fortunate to teach in the same community where I live, which meant my students and I often saw each other out of school – in the neighborhood, in the grocery store, at the bank, in church, and at the students’ various sporting events. This home-community connection has provided me

with the opportunity to continue to see my former first graders and their families many years after I left the first-grade classroom and to hear about the students’ wonderful accomplishments as attorneys, in law enforcement, as musicians, and as a Broadway musical star. (Yes, one of my former first-grade students played and sang the title role of Mary Poppins in the musical Mary Poppins [Sherman & Sherman, 2004] on Broadway in New York City for several months!) Through the years, in these encounters with my former students and their families, they always stated how participation in these annual musicals provided the impetus for future career choices. They also fondly remember these musical experiences as the highlight of the students’ year in first grade.

In today’s era of accountability, some doubters may say, “Well, these musical experiences were good to have, but what about the students’ skills learning? Did the students learn to read, and write, and solve math problems?” And to these doubters, the answer is a resounding YES! The students learned and were able to apply all requisite first-grade skills to their future work as students and citizens.

Gholdy Muhammad (2023, 2024) in her book, Unearthing Joy: A Guide to Culturally and Historically Responsive Teaching and Learning, and in her opening keynote address at the 53rd Annual Conference of the Massachusetts Reading Association, April 26, 2024, champions for a joyful classroom that is full of art, music, multimodalities, creativity, and intellectualism. These musicals my first-grade students performed every spring certainly brought joy, music, art, and creativity for themselves, their families, their friends, and everyone in our school. The students definitely made all our hearts sing!

References

Muhammad, G. (2023). Unearthing joy: A guide to culturally and historically responsive teaching and learning. Scholastic Professional.

Muhammad, G. (2024, April 25). Cultivating genius and joy in education through culturally and historically responsive pedagogies [Conference Keynote]. Massachusetts Reading Association Annual Conference, Sturbridge, MA, United States.

Children’s Literature and Musical Scores Cited

Gesner, C. (1967). You’re a good man, Charlie Brown. Hal.Leonard.

Harburg, E. Y., & Arlen, H. (2009). The wizard of Oz (revised ed.). Alfred Music Publishing. Potter, B. (2002). The tale of Peter Rabbit (1st ed.). Warne.

Rogers, R., & Hammerstein, O., II. ( 2013). Cinderella (Broadway version). Hal.Leonard. Sherman, R. M., & Sherman, R. B. (2004). Mary Poppins. Wonderland Music Company, Inc. Styne, J., & Charlap, M. (1995). Peter Pan (revised ed.). Samuel French Ltd.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Elaine Bukowiecki is a professor emeritus from Bridgewater State University – College of Education and Health Sciences, where she taught courses (and still does part time) in the graduate programs in reading. While working full time at Bridgewater State University, Elaine was coordinator of the graduate programs in reading for eight years; department chairperson of counselor education for seven years; and editor of The Graduate Review: Graduate Journal of Research and Creative Scholarship for eight years. Elaine is past president of the Massachusetts Reading Association (MRA) and past president of the Massachusetts Association of College and University Reading Educators (MACURE). Elaine is currently co-chair of publications for MRA and treasurer for MACURE. Elaine treasures and still fondly remembers her 15 years as a firstgrade teacher.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

In Their Own Words: MEd in Reading Candidates from Bridgewater State University Share Their Action Research Projects at the 2024 Massachusetts Reading Association’s Elaine M. Bukowiecki and the 2024 Graduates From the MEd. Program in Reading, Bridgewater State University

On Thursday, April 25, 2024 and Friday, April 26, 2024, 13 then candidates for their MEd degrees in Reading from Bridgewater State University presented key aspects from their original action research projects at the 53rd Massachusetts Reading Association (MRA) Conference in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. These students began their research journeys in the fall semester 2022, when they wrote a proposal for their action research project during a research course. They then implemented their research studies during spring semester 2023 in a second course, one regarding the varied responsibilities of a literacy specialist. Finally, the students refined their final research papers during a third course, their research seminar, throughout the 20232024 academic year. They employed electronic slide shows to present highlights from their research projects at the 53rd annual MRA Conference. In doing this, these candidates for the MEd degree in Reading from Bridgewater State University carried on an over 30-year tradition of Bridgewater State University MEd in Reading candidates presenting their research projects at an annual Massachusetts Reading Association Conference.

To follow are brief summaries of each action research project, along with a connection to classroom pedagogy.

Thursday, April 25, 2024 Action Research: Liberating K-12 Students’ Literacy Success

Title of Research Project: The Effect of Annotating a Text, In Relation to a Writing Prompt, on the Student’s Ability to Write on Task

This research study explored how annotating a text would influence a student’s comprehension of the text and their ability to write a response that was textually supported. The participants in this study were three female fourth graders and three male fourth graders. The research results showed that annotating a text did improve the students’ written responses, and that they were able to support their answers with evidence from the text.

The results of this study can encourage teachers to incorporate annotating into their literacy curriculum. Whether the teacher uses traditional annotation marks or allows the students to create their own annotation marks is up to the individual teacher. A result of annotating a text is that students are able to use their cognitive energy to focus on the writing instead of searching through the text for evidence.

Brenda Marquis Fourth-Grade Teacher

Brockton, MA Public Schools

Title of Research Project: The Effect of Small-Group Guided Reading Instruction in a FourthGrade Classroom

6This study explored the effect of guided reading interactions upon the reading skills and reading comprehension of fourth-grade students. Three female and three male students participated in this action research study. Although this study was not carried out due to a change in the MEd in Reading program requirements, this researcher predicts that students who receive guided reading instruction will show significant improvement in reading rate, accuracy, and comprehension compared to students who do not receive guided reading instruction. Additionally, this researcher predicts that guided reading will be effective in helping struggling readers develop stronger literacy skills, when implemented with fidelity and supported by ongoing teacher training and coaching.

6Written by Dr. Elaine Bukowiecki based on student’s MRA Conference materials.

The predicted results of this study should encourage teachers of all grade levels to employ small-group instruction, based on students’ literacy needs, to improve students’ literacy skills.

Cady Parker Fourth-Grade Teacher

Mansfield

Public Schools

Title of Research Project: What effect does explicit phonics instruction, combined with the use of Elkonin boxes with letter symbols, have on students’ ability to read and write consonantvowel-consonant words?

My research explored the effects explicit phonics instruction, paired with the use of Elkonin boxes, have on students’ ability to read and write words. Three second-grade students participated in this study. The research results demonstrated that explicit phonics instruction supported students’ ability to improve their reading and writing of words more accurately.

The results of this study can support the importance of explicit phonics instruction and the use of Elkonin boxes to help students learn to read and write words accurately. The research overwhelmingly supports the idea that phonics instruction needs to be systematic and explicit in order for students to continually make gains in their ability to decode words. Students need multiple exposures to learn phonics skills and apply them as they read and write words. With these supports, students can master literacy skills.

Linda Joseph Second-Grade Teacher

Brockton Public Schools

Title of Research Project: What Effects Do Using Shared Reading to Model Word-Meaning Strategies Have on Students’ Ability to Independently Determine Word Meaning?

7 The purpose of this study was to see if using shared reading to model word-meaning strategies translates when students read independently. Four fourth-grade students, 2 male and 2 female, participated in this study. Two students were on Individualized Education Plans, and two of the students were general education students. All four students were from the same fourthgrade, co-taught classroom. The results of this study demonstrated that all four students either showed growth or stayed consistent with their vocabulary strategy use and knowledge.

Through this study, it was shown that using shared reading to model word-meaning strategies does, in fact, improve students’ ability to determine word meaning independently. This is, however, for students who do not have a learning difference.

Olivia Meade

4th-Grade, Special Education Teacher

Brockton Public Schools

Title of Research Project: The Effects of Metacognition on Students’ Reading Comprehension

8 The purpose of this research study was to assess the efficacy of explicit teaching and modeling of metacognitive strategies to improve student reading comprehension. Three female and two male 7th-grade, ELA students participated in this study. The results of this study have shown that teaching explicit metacognitive strategies does increase the comprehension skills of seventh-grade, middle-school students.

The results of this study and prior research have shown the impact of implicit teaching of metacognitive strategies on students’ reading comprehension.

Tarja Wood

Seventh-Grade ELA Teacher

Brockton Public Schools

7 Written by Dr. Elaine Bukowiecki based on student’s MRA Conference materials.

8 Written by Dr. Elaine Bukowiecki based on student’s MRA Conference materials.

Friday, April 26, 2024

Liberating Students’ Literacy Success Through Action Research

Title of Research Project: How can a teacher improve reading motivation and attitudes towards reading within struggling readers?

This study aimed to distinguish best practices for increasing reading motivation in students to bring them from striving to thriving readers, who are intrinsically motivated to read. The sole subject of the case study was a seventh-grade student diagnosed with dyslexia. The research study results demonstrate that utilizing repeated readings, offering choice in reading material, modeling proper book selection, incorporating partner reading activities, and increasing parent involvement can improve reading motivation within struggling readers.

The results of this study can encourage teachers to create a learning environment, where students view themselves as successful readers, who are equipped with the tools, strategies, and mindset to tackle the reading process rather than become frustrated by it. Instructional strategies for increasing motivation include: (1) Giving students choice in reading material and autonomy over their learning to drive engagement; (2) Prioritizing time for independent/leisure reading; (3) Creating opportunities for reading to be a social interaction through partner reading

activities; (4) Using repeated readings not only to increase fluency but also confidence reading aloud; (5) Modeling proper book selection, using the “5 Finger Rule;” and (6) Encouraging parent involvement through the use of parent surveys and literacy newsletters.

Callie Jefferson

Substitute Teacher

East Bridgewater School District

Title of Research Project: The Effects of Multi-Sensory Reading Instruction On Encoding

This research study explored how implementing a multi-sensory phonics program intervention would have on the performance on Fundations unit spelling tests. Three third-grade students participated in this study. The research study results demonstrate that when students are given a double dose of multi-sensory phonics instruction, their classroom performance during instruction and on unit tests improves.

The results of this study show the benefits of multi-sensory phonics instruction when working with students with learning differences. Teachers can use the results of this study to modify their instruction to meet the needs of all students. Teachers can also use the results of this study to create lesson plans for small-group interventions.

Colleen Bourque

Special Education Teacher

Mansfield Public Schools

Title of Research Project: How Do You Improve Students’ Accuracy with Words Containing Diagraphs and Blends

9This study’s purpose was to research strategies and activities that can be used to improve students’ accuracy with words containing digraphs and blends. My sample consisted of one eight-year-old male student in the third grade. The student was a willing participant with

9Written by Dr. Elaine Bukowiecki based on student’s MRA Conference materials.

his mother’s consent. I chose to do this case study with this student because he struggled to decode words containing digraphs and blends with accuracy. The research study lasted over an eight-week period. The study involved implementing activities and teaching strategies that I hoped would improve the student’s accuracy with words that contain digraphs and blends. I tried to implement activities that would focus on strengthening this area of need as basic decoding skills are important for students learning to read. Learning letter patterns and their corresponding sounds allows students to eventually focus on higher-level literacy skills such as fluency and comprehension.

Based on the data from the research results, the student showed positive growth in terms of decoding words containing diagraphs and blends with accuracy. It is my conclusion that by implementing activities that created opportunities for students to read, encode, and decode words containing digraphs and blends, the students’ reading proficiency will increase and positive literacy growth will be achieved.

Jennifer Casey

Substitute Teacher

Barnstable School District

Title of Research Project: The Effects of Multi-Sensory Tools on Attending to Decoding

This research study consisted of one first-grade, male student who was eight years old. This student is on the autism spectrum and has difficulty attending to instruction. Different multisensory tools were explored during the study when giving decoding instruction. The research study showed that multi-sensory instruction was successful when the goal was student attention.

The results of this study show that different multi-sensory tools work for different students. Teachers can utilize these tools and help their learners once they understand their students’ needs. Multi-sensory instruction can be utilized across different subject areas to ensure all students are able to be involved and engaged.

Kelsi Brennan

Special Education Teacher –Autism Program

Winchester Public Schools

Title of Research Project: The Effects of Daily Phonics Instruction on Reading Fluency

10The purpose of this study was to build students’ phonemic awareness through daily phonics interventions over the course of 8 weeks. The relationship between phonics instruction and fluency was explored in-depth throughout the course of this action research project. This 8-week action research project occurred through the use of small-group instruction. The interventions took place in a grade-2, sheltered English immersion classroom. Two grade-2 students, who are English language learners, speak Spanish, and have been in the US for 2 years, were the subjects of this study.

Overall, this study has shown to be effective in fostering students’ fluency growth. The interventions in this research project were heavily geared towards modeling and guided practice. To further this research project, I would recommend giving the students more responsibility in completing independent tasks. I would continue to use both informal and formal assessments.

Rachel Foley

Third-Grade Teacher

Abington Public Schools

10Written by Dr. Elaine Bukowiecki based on student’s MRA Conference materials.

Title of Research Project: The Effects Multi-Sensory, Phonological Awareness Instruction and Decodable Texts Have on a Student’s Ability to Blend and Segment Phonemes

11The purpose of the study was to see the effects of a multi-sensory approach with decodable texts on students’ abilities to blend and segment phonemes. The study looked at how using multi-sensory, manipulative activities and decodable texts affect students’ abilities to blend and segment phonemes. Using different activities to do with students, I was able to look at different approaches that best improve students’ abilities to blend and segment phonemes. One first-grade student participated in this study. Interventions occurred over the course of nine weeks. The student attended these interventions at least 2-3 days a week for 30 minutes in a one- to-one setting.

Overall, improvements were made with the student, using a multisensory approach and using decodable texts to blend and segment phonemes. Recommendations for classroom instruction and future research include: 1) Continue the research of using Elkonin boxes in different ways to continue the progress of blending and segmenting phonemes; 2) Research other multisensory approaches to use with students to continue the progress of blending and segmenting phonemes; and 3) Look at the progress-monitoring assessments to track student progress that are not timed assessments.

Samantha Mailly Fourth-Grade Teacher

North Attleborough Public Schools

Title of Research Project: The Effects Visual Aids Have on Learning Phonics for English Language Learners

The purpose for conducting this study was to better understand and assess using visual aids

11Written by Dr. Elaine Bukowiecki based on student’s MRA Conference materials.

to support English language learners in phonics instruction. The participants in this study were one female, kindergarten English language learner and one male, kindergarten English language learner. In conclusion, both students made progress and their scores increased in the phonics subdomain of their assessments, after the phonics lessons containing visual aids were implemented. These results can influence classroom practice as they demonstrate the importance of implementing visual aids as a support within phonics instruction for English language learners. Visual aids can make challenging content more accessible for English language learners while enhancing the learning process and student motivation.

Sara Capataz ESL Inclusion Teacher

Fall River Public Schools

Title of Research Project: What Effects Will Games, Both Hands-On and Virtual, Have on Student Participation During Small-Group Literacy Lessons?

This research study aimed to discover whether or not game-based activities would have a positive impact on student participation during small-group literacy lessons. Four kindergarten students took part in this study. The research study results showed improved participation and time-on-task for all students who completed the research study.

The results of this study indicate students are able to attend and participate better when their small-group activity is a game. Teachers should consider incorporating engaging games into their lessons. One example could include playing Candy Land and having students read a word with the skill they are learning before moving their character on the game board. Teachers can easily edit and print out cards for Go Fish, using words with the skill they are teaching. Teachers should also consider including technology-based games such as Kahoot. They could incorporate a fun quiz-style activity including the current skill being taught or reviewing previously taught skills.

Sarah DaSilva Special Education Teacher

Taunton Public Schools

SONNET/LIMERICK #2

Keith Newvine

[Deiu ja ve]

Preface: I asked ChatGPT to write a poem about my life at the moment in the pattern of the first two stanzas from The Cremation of Sam McGee (Service, n.d.). This is “their” response.

I know for a fact That I’ve lived this day once, But I’m more aware now And more alive than before. In fact, If I’m fair, I feel like I am stealing these words from my youth. A robin sings from a scotch pine tree; her song in the cold, dull air. If it weren’t for the crumbs being scattered about, I’d climb to the top of the stairor sit in the nest of the tall cherry tree and cry for more time in the woods. In my backyard is a bald aching elm with a passel of grackles to bootbut I think that, for now, what I’ll probably do, is take a nap and cry sap for the truth. God in German. Yes in German, Life in a simple French tongue. (sung to the tune of The Cremation of Sam McGee as read by Johnny Cash [Rock N Roll Odds “N Ends, 2011]).

I know for a fact, that I lived this day once. but I’m more aware now, and more alive than before. In fact, if I’m fair, I feel like I am stealing these words from my youth. A robin sings from a scotch pine tree; Her song in the cold, dull air. If it weren’t for the crumbs being scattered about, I’d climb to the top of the stairor sit in the nest of a tall cherry tree and cry for more time in the woods. In my backyard is a bald aching elm with a passel of grackles to bootbut I think that, for now, what I’ll probably do, is take a nap and cry sap for the truth. (God, in German. Yes, in German. Life in a simple French tongue.)

References

Rock N Roll Odds ‘N Ends. (2011, 21 April). The cremation of Sam McGee – read by Johnny Cash. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGhFNYII_mU Service, R. W. (n.d.). The cremation of Sam McGee by Robert W. Service. Poetry Foundation. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems45081/the-cremation-of-sam-mcgee

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Keith Newvine is an assistant professor of literacy at the State University of New York at Cortland, former secondary English teacher for 20 years, and co-founder of the Central New York Social Justice League. Dr. Newvine is the current immediate past president of the New York State Reading Association, membership chair for the Central New York Reading Council, and treasurer for the Westchester Reading Council. His research focuses on enacting critical race English education in secondary English language arts classrooms and centering contemporary young adult literature written by and about individuals from historically resilient communities with youth.

This poem/these poems were inspired as a result of a recent accident wherein facial reconstructive surgery was required. In the convalescence, this poem came about, and so too did Dr. Newvine’s latest endeavor- book banter with the doctor of books at Bookbanterwithkeith.weebly.com.

CHILDREN’S WRITING CONTEST

The Massachusetts Reading Association (MRA) is pleased to sponsor its second writing contest that is being published in MRA Today 2024. This year’s writing contest is called “Small-Moment Writing” and is inspired and framed by the slow complexity capture approach developed by Project Zero (Fellows of Harvard College, 2019). The prompt given to the students was:

• Find: Find an object or scene that makes your heart sing. In a word or phrase, say what it is.

• Capture: Take some time to look carefully at your item. Capture it by slowly making a drawing or taking pictures of it from different angles or perspectives. Don’t worry about creating a “good” or realistic drawing or picture. The goal is to use drawing or picture-taking to help you look closely and notice details. Spend at least 5-10 minutes observing through drawing, looking, and/or photographing.

• Explain and describe: After you have visually captured your item, write a poem or description that tells why this item or moment makes your heart sing

• Wonder: What new ideas or questions do you have about your item?

Thirteen students representing grades K-2, 3, 6, 7, 8, and 9 participated in MRA’s 2024 Children’s Writing Contest. Many of the students chose the genre of poetry to write about a “small moment” in their lives. Topics for the students’ writing include a birthday party, the circus, the ocean, a cousin, a baseball game, religion, little foxes, an MP3 player, bicycle racing, friendship, and the beach. The students’ writing is original, heart-felt, and creative, and because of this, the editors of MRA Today 2024 decided each student should be a writing contest winner.

The students’ names, grade levels, and school districts are listed below, followed by each student’s Small-Moment Writing submission. Enjoy the students’ writing!

Small-Moment Writing Submissions

Jordan Wylie

Maxwell DeSousa

Olivia Lail

Lilah Silveira

Shanley Lempert

Sophia Crippin

Bryce Meunier

Adalynn Roberts

Cailin Gougeon

Lily Gerard

Olivia Kaleta

Madeline West

Bella Foster

Grades K-2

Grade 3

Grade 6

Grade 7

Grade 8

Grade 9

Plymouth Public Schools

Old Rochester School District

Hampshire Regional School District

Old Rochester School District

Hampshire Regional School District

Editors’ Note: The students’ writing and art work are published as originally submitted and have not been edited in any way.

I AM GOING TO THE PARTY

Jordan Wylie

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jordan Wylie is a student in a K-2 sub separate autism/partial inclusion program at the South School, Plymouth Public Schools. His teacher is Ms. Tracy Feeney.

MY MOM’S PARTY

Maxwell De Sousa

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Maxwell De Sousa is a student in a K-2 sub separate autism/partial inclusion program at the South School, Plymouth Public Schools. His teacher is Ms. Tracy Feeney.

TWO LITTLE FOXES

Olivia Lail

Foxes are sleek and sneaky they hunt to find prey when they smell food they look every which way.

There were two foxes named Luna and Mark they didn’t have a bite but they have a bark.

They walk through water and walked through groves then something sweet tapped their nose.

It smelt like berries growing on a bush Luna said “I don’t know?” then Mark gave a push.

“Come on” Mark said then Luna gave a sigh then they saw something in front of their eyes.

They found a forest with bushes and trees then they saw flowers and a bunch of bees.

Mark and Luna walked around then Mark said, “Look what I found!”

Luna trotted over And Mark said with a grin “I see a little thing in the water” Luna looked and said “It’s a fin.”

They stayed all day long they watched the fish swim in the pond.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Olivia Lail is a third-grade student at the Manomet Elementary School, Plymouth Public Schools, Plymouth, Massachusetts. Her teacher is Ms. Christine Colello.

SCARY CIRCUS

Lilah Silveira

The lights so bright

Shine into the night

The music seems to get louder

The same circus tune repeats

The clowns of doom do not retreat

The music seems to get creeper

The acrobats are twisting

The black cats are scurrying

The music seems to get faster

The jugglers are juggling

The helpless children are smuggling

The music stops

Goes on

Stops

All eyes turn to me

I run to hide behind a tree

The circus freakshow rushes to me

The music makes my shrieks of terror quieter

What happens next?

Do I dare tell?

It is up to your imagination now to unfold if my night at the circus ends well.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lilah Silveira is a sixth-grade student at Sippican School, Old Rochester Public Schools. Her teacher is Mrs. Nicole Boussy.

CRASH! Shanley Lempert

Crash! The wave fell.

Million of little grains of sand were replaced. Along with the shells, each one unique. It would be basically impossible to find them again.

Crash

Things are changed, replaced, and sometimes it is for the better. It’s always hard, but something leaving makes room for something new to come.

Crash! The wave came in and took my mom on its way out.

It is extremely difficult, to this day five years later, knowing I will never see her again. That one wave changed my life forever. It didn’t do only bad though.

Me and my dad became closer than ever, and I can’t imagine it going any other way. I also was faced with the realization of how supportive my entire town is.

A new wave rolled in, carrying incredible bits and pieces.

Crash! This time it took my friend. Those memories will never go away. For both of us.

She made room though. I became closer with others, who maybe I might not have. I can imagine she has too. We were both great for each other in the time it lasted, and I’m grateful for that time.

She taught me many things that have improved my friendships today. But she is only a little piece of sand.

Only part of my life.

The wave returned carrying millions of new figures; and opportunities.

Crash! Penny my dog was taken. I was heartbroken.

I had loved her so much and now she was… gone.

Except, if Penny never left, Foxy would never come.

Foxy, my current dog, came in and now she is my best friend. She’s there when I need her, snuggling me.

She spends nights in my room, right by my side. She sits with me on the couch giving me love.

She comforts me, and is my personal support dog.

The wave ran back leaving me with my new joy.

Waves go in and out.

So does your life.

What’s meant to be will stay, what’s not will go. Just like all of those shells.

Life is every little grain of sand, and every shell, each one unique.

Crash! The wave fell.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shanley Lempert is a sixth-grade student at the Sippican School, Old Rochester Public Schools. Her teacher is Mrs. Nicole Boussy.

RELIGION

Sophia Crippin

Hmmh, a poem that makes my heart sing

Well the answer is being a christian

Many people think that long ago the world was created by a black hole

But I am here to tell you that, that’s a bit odd the world was created by a guy named god

After he created the land and the sea god decided he needed a day to be free

Not too short after he created human-kind, adam then eve not too far behind

There are many obstacles in life that we have to get through

But when I need someone to talk to I always remember that god’s love is forever true.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sophia Crippin is a sixth-grade student at the Sippican School, Old Rochester Public Schools. Her teacher is Mrs. Nicole Boussy.

Bryce Meunier

Bright flower bushes glow in the sunlight

His dark blue eyes are like the ocean

My cousin’s loud, happy, laughing voice

Heitor snoring up a storm until morning

The fresh smell of breakfast downstairs

Beach air outside of this house

Glaring green poster in his room

Ocean waves crashing outside of his house, so relaxing

Driving my Grandpa’s golf cart around with Heitor

Stairs cracking as we go down into the basement

The cool air as we go to sleep

by PIONEER VALLEY BOOKS

Fun time in the summer with him

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bryce Meunier is a seventh-grade student in the Hampshire School District. His teacher is Ms. Tara Winters.

“Thank you for making decodable books that read like stories, not tongue twisters.”

– Erin E., Elementary Teacher

MY HAPPY PLACE

Adalynn Roberts

Bright ball flying at me like a rocket

My family is the loudest in the crowd

I love hearing the sound of the ball smacking my bat

Fresh-cut grass that makes me feel refreshed

All of the sweaty players in the dugout cheering for me

Sweat dripping down my face while I’m running to home plate

The wind blows the dirt into my face til it covers me

The red stitches on the bright yellow ball remind me of flames

My hand glides along the dirt as I slide

graspingly into home

The cool breeze blows through my sticky sweaty hair

In the happy place when I’m here

On the field

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adalynn Roberts is a seventh-grade student in the Hampshire Regional School District. Her teacher is Ms. Tara Winters.

THE OCEAN Cailin Gougeon

The ocean is like my home

As I step foot on the beach, the feeling of sand is like clouds never-ending

All I can see is the ocean staring back at me

With the waves going back and forth, cracking together

The wind right in my ear, and the kids laughing

The taste of salt air, my home, and that fresh smell of joy

That warm water of comfort, and that hot wood on the deck

That feeling of being home is touching the sand, feeling the waves hit you, that warm, fresh air, that’s what being home is like.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cailin Gougeon is a seventh-grade student in the Hampshire School District. Her teacher is Ms. Tara Winters.

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this code to find these and other Science of Reading aligned Sundance

Gerard

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lily Gerard is a seventh-grade student in the Old Rochester Regional School District. Her teacher is Ms. Erin Sullivan.

THE GREATEST SUCCESS

Olivia

Kaleta

The Greatest Success

By Olivia Kaleta

Separation of all the different teams under their tents

My team colors all over the track and the ﬁeld, in every direction

My heart sinks as I hear the last Beep!!

Adrenaline races through my veins like water rushing down a fall

Bikes pedaling, clicking, idling, competing

Yelling and cheering of family and friends

Bikes destroying & creating dust on the ﬁerce track

All the pressure when thousands of eyes stare at me while I race around the track

Icy-hot sweat runs down my rosy face

Sweet smell of victory as I cross ﬁrst on the line

Cold dirt ﬂying in my face as I slide ﬂuidly to stop

Weird feeling as I peel the wet sweaty gloves off

As the cold refreshing water pours into my mouth

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Olivia Kaleta is an eighth-grade student in the Hampshire Regional School District. Her teacher is Ms. Tara Winters.

BEACH Madeline West

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Madeline West is a ninth-grade student in the Hampshire Regional School District. Her teacher is Ms. Tara Winters.

THAT MOMENT

Bella Foster

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bella Foster is a ninth-grade student in the Hampshire Regional School District. Her teacher is Ms. Tara Winters.

CO-EDITORS

Elaine M. Bukowiecki

Valerie Harlow Shinas

DESIGNER

Nadege D. Okotie

MRA TODAY 2024 EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

Terrie Marr: MRA Past President

Jo Ann Thompson: MRA Past President

Nancy Verdolino: MRA Past President

Nancy Witherell: MRA Past President

MRA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Patricia Crain de Galarce: President

Pattie Kelley: Immediate Past President

Adam Brieske-Ulenski: President-Elect

Mary Wall: Vice President

Shantel Schonour: Secretary

Jo Ann Thompson: Treasurer

Sarah Fennelly: Webmaster

For information about MRA and how to become part of the exciting work we are doing to promote literacy, visit our website at https://www.massreading.org

Massachusetts Reading Association/ massreading.org/ massreading@comcast.net