Professional Resource Review: Teaching Reading and Writing with Jennifer Serravallo
by Anne Beamish
In my work as a consultant, I often get asked about professional resource books. My usual go-to authors are Penny Kittle, Kelly Gallagher, and Linda Rief, as what they have to offer are classroom-tested ideas for English Language Arts (ELA). Lately though, I attended a webinar with Jennifer Serravallo and now I understand what everyone has been talking about.
Jennifer Serravallo’s book list is long, however there are three titles that I think are essential for ELA teachers. Her work is easily accessed: excerpts from her professional development sessions and clips of her work with students can be found online, she has a podcast and an active social media presence, and there is a section devoted to her work on the Heinemann publisher’s blog. But, of course, it is her books that offer the most complete information on all aspects of teaching English Language Arts.
Jennifer Serravallo’s book list is long, however there are three titles that I think are essential for ELA teachers. Her work is easily accessed: excerpts from her professional development sessions and clips of her work with students can be found online, she has a podcast and an active social media presence, and there is a section devoted to her work on the Heinemann publisher’s blog. But, of course, it is her books that offer the most complete information on all aspects of teaching English Language Arts.
The Reading Strategies Book: Your Everything Guide to Developing Skilled Readers (2015)
Serravallo proposes a variety of “reading recipes” for teachers to follow. She states that a really good cookbook is a model for what busy teachers really need to support their practice. What she delivers is a comprehensive collection of tested ideas that can be used right away, or that inspire new ideas. Each idea offers a strategy, for example, “Map It” is a strategy that encourages monitoring for meaning and visualizing. Each strategy is accompanied by a “Teaching Tip”, in this case that the strategy be used with stories that have their characters travel around a lot. “Prompts” are also offered for each strategy. Here, students might be asked to recall the places where the character has been, compare the places with one another, show on the map how the character travels, describe the significance of each place, and consider how they are impacting the character.
Each idea is nearly a complete lesson, and there are 300 more strategies just like this one, organized into 13 goals or sections, such as, “Teaching Reading Engagement”, “Teaching Fluency”, and “Supporting Comprehension” both in fiction and nonfiction. The last section offers strategies to address student conversations about reading and improving writing about reading. In addition, the strategies are identified by reading level, genre / text type, and the different skills the strategy addresses.
Serravallo proposes a variety of “reading recipes” for teachers to follow. She states that a really good cookbook is a model for what busy teachers really need to support their practice. What she delivers is a comprehensive collection of tested ideas that can be used right away, or that inspire new ideas. Each idea offers a strategy, for example, “Map It” is a strategy that encourages monitoring for meaning and visualizing. Each strategy is accompanied by a “Teaching Tip”, in this case that the strategy be used with stories that have their characters travel around a lot. “Prompts” are also offered for each strategy. Here, students might be asked to recall the places where the character has been, compare the places with one another, show on the map how the character travels, describe the significance of each place, and consider how they are impacting the character.
Each idea is nearly a complete lesson, and there are 300 more strategies just like this one, organized into 13 goals or sections, such as, “Teaching Reading Engagement”, “Teaching Fluency”, and “Supporting Comprehension” both in fiction and nonfiction. The last section offers strategies to address student conversations about reading and improving writing about reading. In addition, the strategies are identified by reading level, genre / text type, and the different skills the strategy addresses.
The Writing Strategies Book: Your Everything Guide to Developing Skilled Writers (2017)
In this book, she offers strategies by grade level, genre / text type and process. Each section looks at 10 different goals, such as, “Composing with Pictures” for younger students to “Generating and Collecting Ideas”, focus and meaning, organization and structure, word choice and conventions of writing. Goal 10 offers strategies for collaborating with writing partners and clubs, and harnessing talk as part of the writing process. An example of a strategy here is “Talk Around the Idea, Then Write” that works with any genre or grade level to encourage generating and collecting, developing, and drafting. A student might tell a partner about an idea for a written text and have a conversation about the idea. They are encouraged to ask questions and then go back to their writing afterwards. This is an authentic strategy that even adult writers use to clarify ideas. Prompts such as “What are you wondering about the topic?” and a visual that can be used to model the strategy in the classroom offer the novice and experienced teacher alike a good model to introduce talk as part of the writing process.
In this book, she offers strategies by grade level, genre / text type and process. Each section looks at 10 different goals, such as, “Composing with Pictures” for younger students to “Generating and Collecting Ideas”, focus and meaning, organization and structure, word choice and conventions of writing. Goal 10 offers strategies for collaborating with writing partners and clubs, and harnessing talk as part of the writing process. An example of a strategy here is “Talk Around the Idea, Then Write” that works with any genre or grade level to encourage generating and collecting, developing, and drafting. A student might tell a partner about an idea for a written text and have a conversation about the idea. They are encouraged to ask questions and then go back to their writing afterwards. This is an authentic strategy that even adult writers use to clarify ideas. Prompts such as “What are you wondering about the topic?” and a visual that can be used to model the strategy in the classroom offer the novice and experienced teacher alike a good model to introduce talk as part of the writing process.
A Teacher’s Guide to Reading Conferences (2019)
This one of Serravallo’s shorter texts and takes the reader through the different aspects of reading conferences in the K-8 classroom. Serravallo asserts that it is during conferences with the teacher that “the magic happens” in reading. The strategies proposed are intended to help teachers engage in reading conferences with students.
This one of Serravallo’s shorter texts and takes the reader through the different aspects of reading conferences in the K-8 classroom. Serravallo asserts that it is during conferences with the teacher that “the magic happens” in reading. The strategies proposed are intended to help teachers engage in reading conferences with students.
Connecting to Students Online (2020)
This is her newest title, which was written purposefully to support teachers during the current Covid era in education. Serravallo shares the strategies she has used with her own students to help them connect with her and each other in the virtual classroom. She has been active online, through her podcast and professional development webinars. You can watch her most recent webinar "Connecting to Students Online" on the Heinneman blog.
Overall you cannot go wrong with any of Jennifer Serravallo’s books. The most difficult part is choosing which one to read first!
This is her newest title, which was written purposefully to support teachers during the current Covid era in education. Serravallo shares the strategies she has used with her own students to help them connect with her and each other in the virtual classroom. She has been active online, through her podcast and professional development webinars. You can watch her most recent webinar "Connecting to Students Online" on the Heinneman blog.
Overall you cannot go wrong with any of Jennifer Serravallo’s books. The most difficult part is choosing which one to read first!