About Gail Boushey

Trish Prentice records her reflections on teaching Daily 5 during the first weeks of school, and lets us in on the adventure.  

Teach students to find a good fit spot to work. Share this video with students and download a poster.

Aug. 2026 update: Behavior Conferences are now Engagement Conferences. Learn how to use them in your classroom to help students build the habits of independence.

A simple visual map that reveals how whole group, independence, and responsive teaching fit together across a day.

What if the problem isn't finding more time, but having a structure where every part of teaching works together instead of competing for time?

What are we missing when we choose a program and why are more educators starting to ask that question now?

As a literacy coach, you don’t start with literacy. You begin by building the classroom conditions that allow literacy learning to grow taller than a redwood.

If you have ever been asked to defend Daily 5 in a Science of Reading conversation, this article is for you. The research was always there. Now we can name it.

John Hattie's synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses identified the practices that most influence student achievement. Every one of them sits at the heart of The Teaching Practice. Here is what the research shows, and what it means for Science of Reading classrooms.

What does a classroom need to have in place before Science of Reading instruction can do its best work? Eight practices. All research-based. All already in Prepared Classroom.

When lessons are brief, focused, and followed by meaningful practice, students stay engaged, learning deepens, and understanding is more likely to stick.

What the current literacy landscape conversation is missing, and why the most important question is the one nobody is asking.

What most schools don't have is a shared answer to this question. The answer is here.

Why independence was always the real work and how that structure transfers far beyond literacy.

What every curriculum assumes teachers already know and why this skill is the foundation that makes any program work.

Five forces shaping classrooms today and why strengthening teaching craft matters more than another initiative.

In this coaching session, Gail shares practical, realistic ways to keep learning moving forward without turning every moment into a struggle.

Teaching students how to learn, independently and collaboratively, is just as important as what they learn.

The single most powerful thing you can do for student achievement has nothing to do with curriculum, it's helping them believe they can succeed.

Our brains can only hold focus for so long before they need a break or a shift. Take a look at the research.

A short coaching reflection from Gail on how a brief pause before independent work helps students aim their effort and take ownership of their learning.

The question that started Daily 5 is still the right one to ask — we've just learned to ask it deeper.

The look and the feel of our classrooms have evolved as we've learned how to best build engagement and independence in students.

This coaching session gives you a simple framework to determine what's working and not working. Perfect for March when you're ready for a reset.

Watch with the sound OFF.  When you see what happens at minute 7, your teaching will change forever.

Gail shares simple, practical ways to tighten up transitions and bring calm back to your classroom flow. A few small changes can add up to a big difference.

Enjoy your break without the mental load of “what happens when we get back.” In this quick training, you’ll learn how to make a simple plan before you step away so your return feels calm, predictable, and ready.

The document inside includes a printable chart of familiar methods of instruction.  Review the chart with a purposeful look at what they are, how they are used, and when they are needed. 

Discover simple ways to bring joy into your classroom without losing focus.

Reading strategies are added to the menu throughout the year. Referred to often, it becomes a valuable visual aid.

Let us help you find a place for this powerful learning tool.

Together, these eight steps form the backbone of effective instruction—anchoring every lesson in clarity, purpose, and responsiveness.

Having students make the strategy cards results in a direct increase in ownership and understanding of what is taught.

Learn how to keep students focused and engaged by using two powerful tools: brain breaks and hooks. 

If behaviors are getting rocky, it may be time to revisit expectations!

Gail and Janet give us a tour of how Janet makes this space inviting, engaging, and functional, no matter what age we teach.

Janet Scott gives us a tour of her classroom library.

View these seating options that may empower choice, enhance engagement, and improve stamina for your students.

See firsthand how plants, whether real or artificial, add warmth and a touch of homeyness to our classrooms.

See how textiles serve a variety of purposes in our classrooms.

Learn what a difference lighting can make as we tour this classroom.

Let's consider what role music should play in our rooms.

The CAFE Menu is an instructional workhorse. Listen in as we talk about setting it up and how we use it.

Watch this video to discover one way to honor student work and help create joint ownership of the classroom.

In this short video you'll learn how to use quick conversations to stay connected with learners, gather real-time data, and make meaningful instructional decisions. 

This is the interview that Allison referred to in the Tip. It's so good, and open for all to watch!

Watch this brief session to reflect on how small, everyday choices have a huge impact on how students feel in our classrooms. 

Students often know their own strengths, but when they are unsure, our conferring notes help us zero in on their targets. 

Watch how quick and easy it is to collect and use this powerful formative assessment tool.

Make sure your walls are purposeful right up until the last day! 

How do you know if setting an engagement goal is right?

We begin CAFE with this powerhouse comprehension strategy. 

Whether we are in-person or virtual, recording student information is vital. 

A family favorite of Gail Boushey. 

Take a look at a few ideas to get you started. 

Here is the reading conferring sheet for use with the paper/pen conferring notebook. 

Meet Steph!

Here are some ideas for organizing the teacher space so it will work for students too.

Watch how a calm, respectful, focused conversation like this one can lead to accountability and growth.

By sending information ahead, students and teachers can pick up right where the learning left off. 

Now is the time to take first steps toward designing a classroom space that best supports students and their learning. 

We streamed a first-grade classroom setup live via Facebook. Did you miss it? Don't worry, you can watch it again and again right here.

Take a look at how teachers in one Michigan district set their classrooms up and review the 7 components that we think are most important/essential. 

Watch as Gail explains the importance of routines in the classroom.

Having many options ensures students can choose well each and every time. 

Peek inside Janet Scott's K-2 Intervention Room with Janet and Gail Boushey to see how it's set up and reflect on possible improvements.

Here is an article explaining how we introduce choosing good-fit books with our students as well as a pdf of the I PICK form for you to use in your classrooms.

Do I really need a robust classroom library? The answer is yes! Read on to find out the why.

Get 10 ideas to promote adult literacy in your school, and a reminder about the Tucson Literacy Festival (March 12-13, 2022)! 

Watch this creative idea from Karen Shannon.

How do you stay on top of the latest education research?

Listen to the recently released podcast from Stenhouse Publishers with Gail & Allison.

You won't want to miss the detail in this writing journal!

Read about an idea we shared at our Denver Workshop for a whole group lesson on I PICK. 

Download the documents we use to inform parents, ready students, and ensure that important information is shared. 

This chart is easy to make and a wonderful way to build new vocabulary together.

Use this tool to stay organized and on track with everything you need to teach.

Gail tells us all we need to know to teach this essential skill to students. 

Consider these options when looking for your perfect book containers.

Watch how we encourage students to use text evidence when making mental images.

Watch Hollie in action. You may want to let her teach this to your students.

This simple conversation after a read-aloud will help anchor strategy instruction.

Any time is a good time to review the I-PICK method of choosing a book. 

Evaluate how you can boost the welcome factor of your classroom and school with this two-video set.

This easy idea can be a source of valuable information and raise accountability in your classroom. 

Joan models what it looks like to stop when a text is confusing and try a few things to clarify and deepen comprehension.

Danielle French works closely with her students, which enables her to discern what they do well and what she can layer on to help them elaborate their work. 

Shannon Campbell shares some alternative seating options for her fifth-grade students with Gail.

This may help students improve their reading by reflecting on their learning.

This powerful tool leads to improved conferring.

When students walk in the door they will experience a room ready for their learning.

These 5 essentials can help transform a room.

Here is a simple and powerful way to foster meaningful sharing during math time.

Curriculum tells teachers what to teach. It does not tell them how to build the classroom where that teaching works. These eight practices do. All backed by John Hattie's Visible Learning research. All higher than his threshold for meaningful impact on student achievement.

Read about this powerful tool to help students identify their challenges, set meaningful goals, and take ownership of their learning behaviors.

Take a look at a few simple ways to make the most of your well-earned holiday break! 

One of the most powerful things we can do to impact learning! 

One of the most powerful influences on learning is something we often feel before we even say a word.

Daily routines are one of the most effective ways to create a learning environment where students thrive.

Learn more about this high-leverage practice that builds relationships, deepens learning, and creates space for student voice and ownership. 

Creating beauty in our classrooms is achievable. Janet shows us small additions we can make to our rooms that create a comfortable and livable space for our students.

The way you pause, whisper, and pace your words creates the invisible architecture of engagement in your classroom. Here's how to notice—and use—your voice with greater intention.

In just ten minutes, you can capture the exact things that will have a meaningful impact moving forward. Don't skip this!

When progress monitoring becomes part of daily classroom practice, it feels more sustainable and more useful. Here's 5 ways to integrate it.