Over three decades ago, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM, 1991) proposed that "for students to develop the ability to formulate problems, to explore, conjecture, and reason logically, to evaluate whether something makes sense, classroom discourse must be founded on mathematical evidence" (p. 34). As math interventionists…

Purpose: The purpose of the current application paper is to integrate previous literature with recent results from practitioners on effective practices for utilizing small groups in the leadership classroom. Design/methodology/approach: We use these integrated findings to innovate practice on maximizing the role of undergraduate teaching…

Analyses of classroom interaction have frequently spotlighted reasoned dialogue as beneficial for student learning, and research into small-group activity amongst students offers empirical support. However, the evidence relating to teacher-student interaction has never been compelling, and one of the few studies to investigate the issue directly…

This article provides a brief overview of the instructional strategy known as team-based learning (TBL). It then focuses specifically on the use of one of its integral components in a biblical studies classroom--namely, the "4S application task." The 4S application task, which is one of the fundamental pieces of the learning experience…

In this article, the authors revisit the common practice of small-group reading instruction. They challenge the idea of grouping readers based on text levels and instead review supplemental intervention group research that suggests targeted skill practice as a more optimal use of time in small groups. They then present the ABCs--a focus on…

A book introduction during small-group instruction may seem like a simple task, but it actually involves multiple layers of decision making. The authors examine the why, how, and what of book introductions as a means of supporting students' growth as readers.

In this article, we explore how character perspective-taking can support students' reading comprehension, as well as opportunities to engage social-emotional learning (SEL). We start by defining character perspective-taking and SEL. Then, we present strategies for practicing character perspective-taking in classrooms, how these strategies are…

When Dr. Tina Lupton and Dr. Timisha Barnes-Jones joined the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, Opportunity Culture implementation was happening in the midst of COVID. Lupton, the executive director of professional learning, and Barnes-Jones, the area superintendent for a network of 15 transformation schools, used their experience in other…

This article shares an approach specifically for fostering equitable small-group, student-to-student discourse (S[superscript 3]D). The S[superscript 3]D approach is a two-phase process focusing on implicit strategies. Phase 1 involves assessment of current small-group discourse through three lenses: group dynamics, discourse quality, and teacher…

When Dr. Tina Lupton and Dr. Timisha Barnes-Jones joined the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, Opportunity Culture implementation was happening in the midst of COVID. Lupton, the executive director of professional learning, and Barnes-Jones, the area superintendent for a network of 15 transformation schools, used their experience in other…

High-quality early learning programs should ensure that all children have a variety of opportunities throughout their day to engage in play that is meaningful and promotes peer interactions (National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2009). Given the importance of play for all children, but especially those with developmental…

Journey with a third-grade community of writers as they develop their writing identities and abilities in a responsive approach to writers' workshop. Instruction is framed around the writers' workshop approach, where students' choice and voice are centered within extended periods of time for writing, alongside daily mini-lessons addressing the…

Mathematics language routines (MLRs) are a form of ambitious multilingual mathematics instruction that can be used to engage students in rigorous mathematical thinking while supporting English language and literacy development. MLR Co-Craft Questions allows students to get inside of the context of a problem before solving it, without feeling the…

In this article, the author explores the Fountas & Pinnell Levelled Literacy Intervention efficacy as a tool to enhance both supplemental and whole-classroom instruction to support literacy gains for students. Exploring the efficacy of Levelled Literacy Intervention will also act as a vehicle to explore how school divisions can more…

If educators want to improve reading achievement on scale, Shanahan notes, we need to organize school days more effectively, so they support increased literacy learning--not hinder it. He presents suggestions for increasing the amount of literacy instruction elementary students receive, through more flexibility of scheduling and more wisely…