The school bells are ringing, classrooms are buzzing, and we're off on this year's adventure with a new group of students. NCTE has the resources, lesson plans, and activities to support you now and throughout the year.
Check out these fresh ideas to feel empowered, and renew yourself as you head back to school!
View the digital edition of the NCTE 2011-2012 Catalog and watch for it in the mail soon!
The ReadWriteThink website provides quality lesson plans, interactive student materials, web resources, and ELA standards to classroom teachers.
Check out these examples of some elementary lesson plans with a focus on back to school and creating classroom community.
Becoming Writers in the Elementary Classroom: Visions and Decisions
Katie Van Sluys demonstrates how to (re)claim our professional practice to ensure that young people have the opportunity to become competent, constantly growing writers who use writing to think, communicate, and pose as well as solve problems.
Learning to Read the Numbers
Phyllis and David Whitin show how critical readers dig beneath the surface of data to understand how numbers are constructed by authors to portray a certain version of reality.
Click here for related ReadWriteThink lesson plans by Phyllis and David Whitin.
David and Phyllis Whitin are members of NCTE's Professional Development Consulting Network. Learn more about how you can bring David and Phyllis to your school or district today!
Teaching Phonics in Context
Through myriad classroom vignettes, experienced educators David Hornsby and Lorraine Wilson show just how phonics is taught and learned in literacy-rich classrooms.
Also, check out the On Demand Web seminar featuring David and Lorraine on Reading and Writing in the Elementary Classroom: Teaching Phonics in Context.
Common Core State Standards
Supporting Students in a Time of Core Standards: Grades K-2 or Grades 3-5
“No one knows as much about your students as you do . . . Your knowledge about your students guides the instructional choices you make, and it shapes your response to any mandate, including the Common Core State Standards.”
Anne Gere, Core Standards Series Editor
These books reinforce a focus on student learning by demonstrating ways of addressing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in grades K-2 and 3-5 while also adhering to NCTE principles of effective teaching.
Virtual Conference recordings also available for Grades K-2 or Grades 3-5.
We invite you to join us at the Elementary Section Get-Together on Thursday evening. At this event, you will get to meet authors of mentor texts and will honor Kathy G. Short as this year’s Outstanding Educator Award winner. Join us at the Books for Children Luncheon on Saturday and sit with a favorite author and listen to Pam Muñoz Ryan as the featured speaker. There is an affiliate breakfast on Saturday if you are involved or interested in knowing more about your local affiliate.
Start planning your convention experience now by viewing the digital edition of the Convention Preview!
Check out these sessions on key topics for elementary literacy educators:
Convention Sessions by Elementary Level (Pre-K-5)
In this 60-second conversation with, Frank Chiki, NCTE Elementary Section Chair, he explains why attending the NCTE Annual Convention is the "best experience ever!"
Language Arts
Treat yourself to digital features of Language Arts made possible by the new Editorial Team. Incoming editors, Amy Seely Flint, Teri Holbrook, Laura May, Peggy Albers, and Caitlin Dooley invite you to take advantage of the extended features, beginning in the September issue, including podcasts. Podcasts will feature a conversation with one of the authors from an issue, as well as highlights from the LA section, “Conversation Currents.” Members receive six issues of LA for only $25/year. Not a subscriber? Subscribe today!