Betsy Sisson – författare

Learn how to become a more effective literacy coach to ensure lasting changes in teaching and learning at your school. In this second edition, literacy experts Diana and Betsy Sisson offer clear, research-based strategies that encourage professional development and growth. You’ll discover how to … Understand the various roles that a literacy coach plays, from "change agent" to "data analyst"; Partner with administrators to build a school instructional team; Determine which coaching model to use with your teachers; Support your classroom colleagues and raise student achievement; Tackle the literacy concerns present in today’s schools, and any resistance from classroom teachers who don’t want to be coached; Discover innovative ways to provide multimodal coaching in the digital age; Design a plan to promote growth centered on assessment and collaboration; and Manage the multi-faceted responsibilities of literacy coaching with practical strategies. Each chapter contains special features such as Coaching Moves, Coaching Questions, Working With Administrators, and Additional Readings to help you apply the information to your own situation. In addition, the Appendices offer photocopiable PD tools and study guide questions so you can discuss the ideas with others. With this practical book, you’ll have all the guidance you need to overcome challenges and thrive in your coaching role.

Many literacy experts believe close reading has the power to create strong, independent readers, but what does that really mean, and how does it work in the classroom? This book is your must-have guide to getting started! It provides step-by-step strategies and scaffolds for teaching close reading and improving students’ comprehension of complex texts. You will learn how to teach close reading based on text type, how to accelerate learning through increasingly challenging texts in both print and digital media, how to use close reading as a springboard for close talks and close writes, and how to support your students to move forward confidently with a repertoire of tools to employ as they navigate complex text in their daily lives.Special Features:A clear explanation of what text complexity really means and how it varies by studentAn easy-to-use framework for creating a close reading lesson that builds student reading staminaScaffolds to help students at all ability levels to do a close readingClose reading strategies for a variety of literary and informational genresIdeas for strengthening reading through targeting comprehension skills, including analyzing text structure and evaluating argumentsSuggestions for helping students read with increasing levels of rigorTechniques for how to lessen student technology distractions and dig deeper into digital textGuidelines and procedures for close talks – purposeful, focused discussions about textProcedures for close writes that vary based on genre and student ability levelRecommendations to ensure students have the close reading skills to be effective readers in and out of the classroomIn addition, each chapter includes study guide questions to help you apply the ideas in the book to your own classroom. With this practical book, you will have all the tools you need to make close reading a reality!

Learn how to become a more effective literacy coach to ensure lasting changes in teaching and learning at your school. In this second edition, literacy experts Diana and Betsy Sisson offer clear, research-based strategies that encourage professional development and growth. You’ll discover how to … Understand the various roles that a literacy coach plays, from "change agent" to "data analyst"; Partner with administrators to build a school instructional team; Determine which coaching model to use with your teachers; Support your classroom colleagues and raise student achievement; Tackle the literacy concerns present in today’s schools, and any resistance from classroom teachers who don’t want to be coached; Discover innovative ways to provide multimodal coaching in the digital age; Design a plan to promote growth centered on assessment and collaboration; and Manage the multi-faceted responsibilities of literacy coaching with practical strategies. Each chapter contains special features such as Coaching Moves, Coaching Questions, Working With Administrators, and Additional Readings to help you apply the information to your own situation. In addition, the Appendices offer photocopiable PD tools and study guide questions so you can discuss the ideas with others. With this practical book, you’ll have all the guidance you need to overcome challenges and thrive in your coaching role.

Many literacy experts believe close reading has the power to create strong, independent readers, but what does that really mean, and how does it work in the classroom? This book is your must-have guide to getting started! It provides step-by-step strategies and scaffolds for teaching close reading and improving students’ comprehension of complex texts. You will learn how to teach close reading based on text type, how to accelerate learning through increasingly challenging texts in both print and digital media, how to use close reading as a springboard for close talks and close writes, and how to support your students to move forward confidently with a repertoire of tools to employ as they navigate complex text in their daily lives.Special Features:A clear explanation of what text complexity really means and how it varies by studentAn easy-to-use framework for creating a close reading lesson that builds student reading staminaScaffolds to help students at all ability levels to do a close readingClose reading strategies for a variety of literary and informational genresIdeas for strengthening reading through targeting comprehension skills, including analyzing text structure and evaluating argumentsSuggestions for helping students read with increasing levels of rigorTechniques for how to lessen student technology distractions and dig deeper into digital textGuidelines and procedures for close talks – purposeful, focused discussions about textProcedures for close writes that vary based on genre and student ability levelRecommendations to ensure students have the close reading skills to be effective readers in and out of the classroomIn addition, each chapter includes study guide questions to help you apply the ideas in the book to your own classroom. With this practical book, you will have all the tools you need to make close reading a reality!

How do you ensure you’re using literacy instruction effectively to meet the needs of all of your students? In this book from Diana and Betsy Sisson, you’ll learn an innovative approach to using the literacy block in a gradual release model that allows you to provide grade-appropriate teaching as well as meaningful, individualized instruction to close the academic gaps of struggling learners and offer accelerated experiences for advanced students. What’s Inside·Part I of the book lays out the authors’ framework for the Core Block.·Part II explains how to use the re-envisioned block to integrate the core components of word study, vocabulary development, strategic reading instruction, writers’ craft, and expanded reading opportunities,, ·Part III reveals how to use differentiation, project-based learning, and assessment to prepare students for new literacy demands. ·The appendix provides literacy block schedules, tools for phonics development and morphology study, and correlations to the Common Core.Each chapter includes practical tools and examples, as well as "In Action" boxes show how the ideas look in an authentic classroom.