Author(s): Lisa Donohue

Education

It is possible to create a literacy block where teachers meet with students for guided reading and writing conferences, and provide daily explicit instruction in both reading and writing. A comprehensive look at literacy and learning, "100 Minutes" shows teachers how to fit balanced literacy into a daily 100-minute literacy block using a framework of whole-class instruction and writing sessions, combined with independent work. It also offers strategies for dealing with the important elements of literacy instruction, including sharing and conferencing; using exemplars; creating success criteria; providing effective feedback; building in rich tasks, higher-level thinking, open-ended questions, and collaborative learning opportunities; and thinking critically and analytically about all kinds of texts.