Skippyjon Jones is a highly imaginative, mischievous Siamese cat. He goes on all sorts of adventures while being confined to his bedroom during a time-out. His imagination takes him to Old Mexico where he becomes a hero, but will his imagination be too much for his mother? Students can't help but join in as Skippyjon breaks into spontaneous song throughout this great read-aloud.

Plan ahead for January, and consider these titles for your read-alouds! 

Celebrate authors born in June by introducing or revisiting their contributions!

This Tip was emailed on 4/29/2022.

Here are five different ideas Jen McDonough uses in her classroom for supporting students who don't know what to write about.

One day a boy named Matti bakes a gingerbread baby, but just like in the original Gingerbread Man tale, the Gingerbread Baby escapes and leads the town on a wild chase.

This Tip was emailed on 5/10/2019.

This Tip was emailed on 7/10/2015.

This Tip was emailed on 10/5/2012.

Check out this fun technique to help children find an interesting book!

Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! begins when the narrator asks the reader to make sure a pigeon goes to bed on time. The pigeon tries everything to persuade the reader to let him stay up late.

Every student deserves a learning environment where he or she feels comfortable and can excel. Today we introduce a new series to challenge ourselves to create one.

Provide students the tools to help themselves self-regulate.

This Tip was emailed on 4/5/2024.

When a bus driver takes a break, he asks the reader to make sure the pigeon doesn't drive the bus. The pigeon begs and pleads and tries to persuade the reader to allow him to drive the bus.

Junebug, a fourth grader, finds an escape from the struggles of life when his imagination is opened by the world of reading.

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

This Tip was emailed on 6/8/2018.

This Tip was emailed on 3/17/2023.

Use these seasonal bookmarks as a fun tool for students to mark their place in between reading sessions.

Meet the indomitable Muddy Waters, the legendary blues musician who lived life his way and made music to match, music that became the foundation for what would become rock and roll.

How can we get students to try old classics that we know they'll love? 

A few tips to break it down, and make it less overwhelming.

Use these seasonal bookmarks as a fun tool for students to mark their place in between reading sessions.

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

This Tip was emailed on 6/2/2023.

The CAFE Literacy System was developed to help teachers apply what their research has shown—that reading instruction is not about the setting, the basal, or the book level. Rather, effective reading instruction is based on what that student needs in that moment. CAFE has changed the way teachers assess, teach, and track student information, and positively impacted the way students learn, practice, and talk about reading.

Conferring forms hold valuable information, but managing the papers can be a bit of a challenge.