Some of My Favorite Professional Texts

  1.  A Fresh Look at Phonics: Common Causes of Failure and 7 Ingredients for Success by Wiley Blevins (This was my introduction back into the world of teaching phonemic awareness and phonics. I highly recommend as an elementary school book study.) 
  2. About the Authors: Writing Workshop with Our Youngest Writers by Katie Wood Ray and Lisa Cleaveland (This is a great resource for any K-2 teachers implementing writer's workshop!) 
  3. Book Love: Developing Depth, Stamina, and Passion in Adolescent Readers by Penny Kittle (This is a must read for all HS ELA teachers!) 
  4. The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller (I reread this one whenever I need to be re-inspired!) 
  5. Choosing and Using Decodable Texts: Practical Tips and Strategies for Enhancing Phonics Instruction by WIley Blevins (This is the book you've been waiting for to get started with using decodable texts to help students practice the phonetic principles and build automatic word recognition!) 
  6. The Common Core Companion: The Standards Decoded, Grades (K-2 or 3-5 or 6-8 or 9-12) What they Say, What They Mean, How to Teach Them by Jim Burke  (I cannot write a unit of study without one of these books in my hand! ) 
  7. Conquering Dyslexia: A Guide to Early Detection and Intervention for Teachers and Families by Jan Hasbrouck (This is an excellent introductory text about dyslexia for the regular classroom teacher.) 
  8. Energize Research Reading and Writing: Fresh Strategies to Spark Interest, Develop Independence, and Meet Key Common Core Standards, Grades K-8 by Christopher Lehman
  9. Finding the Heart of Nonfiction: Teaching 7 Essential Craft Tools with Mentor Texts by Georgia Heard (Fresh and practical strategies teachers can use right away to improve nonfiction writing!) 
  10. Heggerty's Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and Primary Phonemic Awareness curriculum books. (EVERY K-2 classroom should be using this curriculum to teach the critical foundational skills in phonological awareness! See also, Bridge the Gap: Phonemic Awareness Intervention Lessons.) 
  11. How to Plan for Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3 by Sharon Walpole and Michael C. McKenna (Practical information and ideas for small group instruction including example lessons.) 
  12. Know Better, Do Better: Teaching the Foundations so Every Child Can Read by David Liben and Meredith Liben (Completely overhauled my view of reading instruction!)
  13. Meaningful Phonics and Word Study: Lesson Fix-Ups for Impactful Teaching by WIley Blevins (This is a great book to read as a follow-up to A Fresh Look at Phonics also by Blevins.)
  14. Mechanically Inclined: Building Grammar, Usage, and Style into Writer's Workshop by Jeff Anderson (I've owned more than three copies of this book, I use it so much it keeps falling apart!) 
  15. Nonfiction Notebooks:Strategies for Informational Writing by Aimee Buckner
  16. Notebook Connections: Strategies for the Reader's Notebook by Aimee Buckner 
  17. Notebook Know-How: Strategies for the Writer's Notebook by Aimee Buckner
  18. Notice and Note: Strategies for Close Reading by Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst 
  19. Phonics from A to Z (Grades K-3): A Practical Guide by Wiley Blevins (This is an older book, but still a very strong tool box for best practices and example lessons. 
  20. Reading and Writing in Science: Tools to Develop Disciplinary Literacy 2nd Edition by Maria C Grant, Douglas Fisher, and Dianne K.Lapp
  21. Reading with Presence: Crafting Mindful, Evidence-Based Reading Response by Maryilyn Pryle (Must have for 3-12th grade teachers that use reader's notebooks.) 
  22. Response and Analysis 2nd Edition by Robert E. Probst (Great text for secondary teachers that want to get better at teaching response and analysis.) 
  23. Reading Ladders by Teri Lesesne (This book really helped me think about how to move readers into more challenging texts.) 
  24. Reading with Meaning 2nd Edition by Debbie Miller 
  25. Speech to Print: Language Essentials for Teachers by Louisa Cook Moats (Highly technical, but invaluable for building linguistic knowledge.) 
  26. Starting Strong: Evidence-Based Early Literacy Practices by Katrin Blamey and Katherine Beauchat 
  27. Talking, Drawing, Writing: Lessons for our Youngest Writers by Martha Horn and Mary Ellen Glacobbe
  28. Text-Dependent Questions, Grades K-5: Pathways to Close and Critical Reading by Doug Fisher, Nancy Frey, Heather Anderson, and Marisol Thayre (I lead a book study on this book this last year, the teachers and I LOVED this book! The video links are extremely helpful!) 
  29. Text-Dependent Questions, Grades 6-12: Pathways to Close and Critical Reading by Doug Fisher, Nancy Frey, Heather Anderson, and Marisol Thayre
  30. With Rigor for All 2nd Edition by Carol Jago (A must read for 6-12 ELA teachers to think about  the culture, engagementent, and authentic literacy instruction in the HS classroom.) 
  31. Write Beside Them by Penny Kittle (A must have for 6-12 ELA teachers.) 

These are just a FEW of my favorites! I get new professional books every month because I believe there's always more to learn from my colleagues. Watch this page, I promise to keep it current by changing some of the titles as I discover new favorites.