Life's Literacy Lessons: Stories and Poems for Teachers

by Steven Layne

Overview

This poignant collection of stories and poems honors literacy educators for the often difficult and always essential work they do with students of all ages. A well-loved classic, Life's Literacy Lessons , is back in print by popular demand and now includes stories as well as new poems. From reading aloud to grammar, from handwriting to standards, Steven Layne highlights the tears and laughter, the challenges and rewards that inspire today's teachers. And Steven reveals his motivation-;the events, words, and thoughts that led him to capture his musings in verse and prose. Whether you read them to inspire or entertain, these delightful poems and stories are sure to capture your imagination.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781571109880
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	04/10/2013
Pages:	96
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	5 - 17 Years

About the Author

Steven L. Layne serves as Professor of Literacy Education at Judson University in Elgin, IL, USA where he teaches courses in children's literature and directs the university's Master of Education in Literacy programme.

Table of Contents

A Word from Steven viii

About Beginning and Early Reading 1

Miss Porter… and Miss Hickory 2

Kindergarten 1.0 5

Kindergarten 2.0 7

Reading Orphans 10

First Grade 11

For the Phonics Advocate 12

For the Whole Language Advocate 13

For the Balanced Instruction Advocate 14

A Poem Written Exclusively for the Immense Pleasure of Those [Proud but Few] Who, 25 to 30 Years Ago, Had an SRA Kit in Their First-Grade Classrooms and Were Overachievers 15

Aliteracy Poem 16

A Word About Vocabulary Instruction 17

Early Literacy Assessment 18

About Grammar, Spelling, Handwriting, and Composition 19

"I've Got a Semicolon, and I'm Not Afraid to Use It!" 20

A Tale of Spelling Woe 23

Comma Man 24

The Ivory Tower 25

Grrrrr! for Grammar 26

Spellingitis 28

Milford's Mom 29

Mrs. Peacock: Craftsman at Work 30

Cursive Writing Sparks a Revolution 31

Mail Drop 32

Staff Development 33

Why the Teachers' Lounge Has a Door 35

A Poem About Kids Who Move into Your School District from a District Where They Do Too Much Training in Preparation for State Writing Examinations 37

Oops! 38

About Junior High and High School Literacy Issues 39

Mrs. Warner: A Radical in All the Right Ways 40

The Book Report 44

The Transfer 45

Why I Love Teaching Junior High 47

Stage Fright 48

Literature Circles 49

Dissection 50

Censorship 51

So Honored 53

Lifesaver 55

A Cautionary Poem for Content Area Specialists 56

About Reading Aloud 57

The Statistical Significance of the USPS 58

Priorities 62

What Is It That You Like to Do 64

Readin Worries 65

Another Time, Another Place 66

Observations From on High 67

There's Something 68

Read to Them 70

About Standards and Teachers 73

Have You Ever Been to Fullers Bookshop? 74

The Common Core 77

The Standards 79

Out-of-Date 80

Model Teacher 81

Teachers 82

Sometimes Teachers Wonder 84

… and Sometimes We Don't 85