Literacy at Bixby
The overarching vision of Bixby’s literacy program is to nurture children’s intrinsic joy for stories and foster the skills and practices that enable them to independently explore the worlds of…
Read Across America Day – A Celebration of Reading
Last Friday, I got to school early, dressed as Ms. Frizzle, and greeted not just Bixby students, but book characters! I got to meet Harry Potter, the Cat in the…
11 Picture Books That Live In My Heart
Like play, children use pictures books to make sense of the world around them. To give voice to the feelings and experiences they cannot yet articulate. At 43, I still…
Nurturing A Love Of Reading In The Preschool Classroom
One of my very first teaching mentors began the first day of school, with her kindergartners, with this message… She started out by asking her students to raise their hand…
Material Matters
“The freest child is the child who is most interested in what he is doing, and at whose hand are the materials for his work or play.” -- Caroline Pratt, progressive…
The Teacher and Bixby’s Rubric of Student Growth
As rubric season comes to a close at Bixby, I’ve been reflecting on the experience of writing these reports. For many years the rubric has been a Bixby hallmark. It…
The Zones
Late autumn brings with it a tremendous amount of excitement for children. There are Halloween costumes to choose, turkeys and pies to make and snow to wish for. The winter…
Getting Meta-Cognitively Connected!
The children have been working hard to become “wild readers” this fall. They are choosing and reading their own books, they are learning to think and write about their reading…
Who Am I?
The second and third graders have enthusiastically immersed themselves in the Hero Study by independently reading biographies of interest and then dressing up as their heroes.…
Field Trips and Glass Slippers
One of my favorite parts of teaching is when an opportunity arises for a meaningful field trip. Leaving the classroom is always an engaging way to extend learning, and it…
Name 10 Ways to Become a Better Reader…
Read, read, READ, read, READ, read, read, read, READ, read! At Bixby, reading is encouraged and celebrated at every opportunity—through comfortable reading nooks and lofts, class read-a-thons, author visits and…
It’s What You Bring To The Pot!
Stone Soup is a great book to read during this cold and snowy winter season. We introduced the kindergartners to the centuries-old folk tale Stone Soup by Marcia Brown. The…
Reading In Preschool
This month is all about reading and literacy at Bixby. We really enjoy reading to the children. In our preschool room, there are always books for the children to look…
Bixby 1st Graders Explore Ancient Egypt
Bixby first graders have been extremely busy! Over the past few months, they have been immersed in a cross curricular unit about Ancient Egypt. All first grade teachers have been…
Bixby Read-A-Thon
“Read. Read anything. Read the things they say are good for you, and the things they claim are junk. You’ll find what you need to find. Just read.” –Neil Gaiman…
Ready… Set… Read….
The annual, school-wide Read-a-Thon begins today! The intent of this long held Bixby tradition is to encourage the love and practice of reading. During this month long fundraiser, students are…
Read Aloud In Literature With Melodie
“Reading aloud with children is known to be the single most important activity for building the knowledge and skills they will eventually require for learning to read.” – Marilyn Jager…
Making Pigeon Books In Colleen’s Writing Room
In writing class, I always look for ways to create projects that are engaging and fun, yet still purposeful. One of my favorite projects is making ‘pigeon books’ with second…
Our Favorite Guest Speakers At Bixby…The Furry Ones!
When studying anything, it is always exciting to get first hand information from experts. Bixby teachers are always looking for interesting speakers, field trips, and demonstrations to enhance your students…
Inside 4th & 5th Grade Literature With Melodie
The Book Whisperer In 4th & 5th grade literature, the school year began inspired by Donalyn Miller’s The Book Whisperer and her 40 Book Challenge. Miller’s goal is to foster…