Happy Daylight Savings Day! Well today, we officially leap into Spring by moving our clocks forward. For me, this tradition always serves as a metaphor that Spring is officially here and learning needs to get even more serious.   As I re-evaluate the first half of the year, knowing that I need to push forward strategically, and with urgency, in the limited number of teaching days ahead. Spring serves as a reminder to continue honing my craft to include the artful balance of goal setting, strategic and explicit teaching while encouraging my learners to continue to embrace the curiosity of learning and keep positive mindsets for the learning challenges ahead.

Recently, I am finding my research influenced by some young, but truly talented and inspiring literacy leaders, many who have grown up in the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project Organization: Kate Roberts, Chris Lehman, Jennifer Serravallo, Colleen Cruz, Christine Hertz & Kristine Mraz.

So today I want to share with you a fantastic book, A Mindset for Learning, written by two of these inspiring young educational leaders Christine Hertz and Kristine Mraz. 

With Saint Patrick’s Day just around the corner, I wanted to share this little timely post on what has consistently been a classroom favorite March activity... making a leprechaun trap.  Trapping Leprechauns appeals to imagination of all children, but especially the wee ones in the primary grades.  My grown children still remember the delight in finding their classrooms turned upside down by the mischievous leprechauns. 

This March, I am tweaking this tried and true favorite a bit to add some Common Core Writing Standards and Speaking and Listening Standards. It occurred to me that you might want to do this as well. So I’ve decided to share my Common Core Standard inspired tweaks, and welcome you to share yours. I’ll start by sharing the how-to make a leprechaun trap activity. 

In honor of world read aloud day this month and with Dr. Seuss' birthday coming up in a few short days I decided to share 10 of my favorite Dr. Seuss Inspired Quotes.

When I think about all the different jargon that educators use it’s enough to make a new teacher’s head spin, let alone trying to explain the literacy lingo to parents. And for us who have been teaching a while, it seems like just when you get used to using one term there’s a new mandate and the acronym you had been using is swept away in the sea of reform and replaced with yet another. 

Over the years, teachers from all over the country have asked me about what a Balanced Literacy Model is, and more specifically, what do some of the terms mean. It got me thinking… those of us who teach in a Balanced Literacy Model have our own way of talking about literacy instruction.  And… to those of us who teach a workshop approach it makes perfect sense, but to someone new to workshop these terms can be a little daunting.

What follows is my top 12 glossary terms of frequently used words with my own definitions…

For those of you who have stumbled across Pureliteracy.com and are new to the community I thought it best to introduce myself. My name is Kathi Zotovich and I am a literacy consultant, coach, staff developer, educator, mother, wife and author. 

My goal with Pure Literacy is simple: I want to create a community that revolves around empowering teachers with literacy best practices to help impact and engage their young learners. 

I am so excited to make my first blog post on my brand new Pure Literacy website!

Some time ago I decided to take the leap from blogging to starting a website where I could grow Pure Literacy in inspiring new directions. So for the past several months between staff development, consultations and product development I've been hard at work brainstorming and inching my way forward to bring this website to life.

I am thrilled to announce the day is finally here and the website is officially live!!!

There's so much in store for the Pure Literacy community...