Valerie Bolling – författare

Goal setting is an integral part of life. But when and how do we teach this important skill to students? And how can we do so in ways that are engaging, rewarding, and nestled into our other priorities in the writing classroom?In Goal Setting in the Writing Classroom: Building Student Agency, Independence, and Success, Valerie Bolling breathes new life into the work of goal setting with students. Bolling guides teachers, step by step, through helping students set goals, monitor progress, revise (and sometimes even abandon!) goals, and celebrate their achievements along the way. Moreover, Bolling illustrates how teachers, themselves, can set their own goals so that they are learning alongside their students and serving as models for them.Goal Setting in the Writing Classroom draws on Valerie Bolling’s experiences as a teacher, instructional coach, and children's book author to offer relevant and engaging stories, lessons, strategies, and graphic organizers to help all students become successful and independent goal setters and writers.

Many teachers know the magic of students writing poetry in the classroom, but these days it seems like there’s just not enough time in the curriculum to do so. But what if there were small ways to make space for students to write poetry each and every month of the school year? Award-winning educator and children’s book author Valerie Bolling shares a way to do just that in Writing Poetry Month by Month: Inspiring the Poet in All Students.In each of the core chapters (one for each month of the school year), Writing Poetry Month by Month:Introduces readers to a type of poemSuggests a variety of mentor text read-alouds that immerse students in this poem typeOutlines ways to teach students to write this type of poem (whether you have time for just one day of poetry writing or many)Offers organizers to help students get startedProvides scaffolds that support and extensions that challengeIncludes several student examples (across grade levels) of the poem type for teachers to share as mentor textsShares ways to celebrate students’ poetryWriting poetry helps students develop important literacy skills and brings joy to the classroom. Writing Poetry Month by Month helps teachers make space for this vibrant classroom practice!

Mama and I are on our way to the Women’s March. I wish we were going somewhere else. Some place fun.Overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the protest, Hope is unsure of how she fits into this movement and how she can make her voice heard—after all, she didn’t seem to have any power when her teacher discriminated against her in class. But when she and Mama join a group of Black women protesters, Hope sees herself in them and discovers that one voice, no matter how small, can make powerful change.With propulsive writing and vibrant, accessible artwork, The March for Hope is an electrifying call to action and a heartfelt reminder of our own inherent strength.

A joyful, rhyming celebration of music and communitySounds soar!Tunes galore.Music trance . . .Gotta dance! This upbeat picture book—a companion to Ride, Roll, Run: Time for Fun!—follows the nine children from the first book as they help plan a big, musical block party. Author and educator Valerie Bolling’s rhyming text makes for a rollicking read-aloud and features instruments from all around the world including the agogô, banjo, daegeum, djembe drums, double bass, erhu, maracas, piano, steel drums, and trumpet. Sabrena Khadija’s stunning illustrations depict the joy of dancing, playing music, and feasting with neighbors and friends. Readers will clamor to plan jam sessions of their own!

Jabari Jumps meets Hair Love in this encouraging ode to a mother and son's relationship and those first swimming lessons. Jumping into the water can be more than a little scary! But with Mom's steady arms there's no fear of sinking. With a kick, a splash, and his family's cheers of encouragement, one determined boy finds his groove, making waves in this fun-filled day at the pool. Embrace the feeling of accomplishment in this joyous, reassuring story about perseverance and new experiences. With lyrical rhyming text and vibrant illustrations, Together We Swim is destined to become a family read-aloud favorite!