Ignite Literacy Services

Shifting the Balance: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Upper Elementary Classroom by Katie Egan Cunningham, Jan Burkins, and Kari Yates

This book (copyright 2024) clarifies the current reading research and offers practical implications for classroom teachers in grades 3-5. They also have a K-2 version.

Wondrous Words: Writers and Writing in the Elementary Classroom by Katie Wood Ray

Fundamental to my early career, this book taught me that writing is a skill everyone can become better at, and how to view all text as a mentor for imitation.

The Writing Thief: Using Mentor Texts to Teach the Craft of Writing by Ruth Culham

Expanding on Katie Wood Ray’s work, Ruth Culham is direct about common practices that don’t work and is clear in offering solutions, chiefly in how to use authentic literature to teach writing. This book is applicable to all teachers, even middle and high school.

Mechanically Inclined: Building Grammar, Usage, and Style into Writer’s Workshop by Jeff Anderson

The original explanation of how to use authentic texts to teach grammar. Jeff Anderson is our nation’s leading expert on grammar, presenting methodologies that actually stick and transfer into students’ writing. Also check out his Patterns of Power series for grade-band specific support.

Texts and Lessons for Content-Area Reading by Harvey “Smokey” Daniels and Nancy Steineke

This is part of a series that I find myself returning to over and over. Need engaging strategies to get students involved in an authentic text? This book series is for you. There is one focused on literature and one on writing as well. While mentor texts are provided, the strategies are transferrable to your own texts and topics.

Reading Poetry in the Middle Grades by Paul B. Janeczko

I love poetry because you can teach so many standards with one concise text. This book will jump-start your poetic pedagogy, showing you how to engage students in analyzing meaning, craft, and structure including figurative language.

Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It by Kelly Gallagher

I love all things Kelly Gallagher. He’s got tons of great resources about preparing high school students for real life beyond the classroom. This particular book is seminal to the pushback against an overemphasis on state testing.

When Kids Can’t Read: What Teachers Can Do (A Guide for Teachers 4-12) by Kylene Beers

Literacy expert Kylene Beers walks us through her early career, vulnerably identifying common teaching mistakes and how to better our practice to reach the students that struggle the most with literacy.

The Inner Wealth Initiative: The Nurtured Heart Approach for Educators by Tom Grove and Howard Glasser

Classroom management is often the first battle for a first-year teacher. Some kids are always going to behave, some kids are always going to cause trouble, and most kids are going to wait and see which way to lean based on your classroom management. This book helps you convince the troublemakers it’s worth it to do the right thing so every student in your class can focus on learning.