Two Great Books

Ask a teacher for a good book about reading and writing and I guarantee the will spout off a list with the usual names: Fountas, Pinnel, Fletcher, Caulkins, Graves, Allington and so on. This past year I was introduced to a new name that I keep reading ever and over. Aimee Buckner, writes Notebook Connections: Strategies for the Reader's Notebook and Notebook Know-How: Strategies for the Writer's notebook.. Ive read the readers/writers worksop bibles by the authors who most teachers list but these two books are my go to books. If you want to find out what readers/writers workshop is and want some theory then read from the list but if you want practical advice on how to apply the principals set forth by the gurus then read Aimee Buckner. I suggest reading Notebook Know-how first. You'll want to run to your classroom and try the activities out. Then read Notebook Connections to learn to guide your students towards having deeper responses to their reading and connect their reading to writing. I promise I am not being paid by Aimee but just believe in her work. Both books are short reads but be aware that if you don't sit down to read them with some sort of page markers and a highlighter you WILL get up to get them during your reading. Enjoy!!