Author Archives: Annie Campbell

My sister and I can read each other’s minds. Really. On Thanksgiving the table was set, the turkey was in the oven, the flowers were in place, and the doorbell was about to ring. I dialed her number in Mexico, … Continue reading →

I learned how to “jump in” as a third grader and wondered if my own third graders would thrill to the jump-snap rhythm of shared competence. First, I needed a jump rope. You know the kind: one that is actually … Continue reading →

I have a secret: I love bluegrass music. People who know this about me think this must come from my West Virginia roots. The truth is I was exposed to every kind of music except bluegrass by the musicians on … Continue reading →

Do you remember the Magic Eight Ball toy? I think those are still around. You ask the ball a question and then shake it–shake, shake, shake. An answer appears in a tiny triangular window. I remember asking the Eight Ball … Continue reading →

I can breathe again. My son left Iraq early this morning, This summer (thanks to the Fox PTA) I attended the July Writing Institute at Columbia Teachers College. This program is the root of the reading/writing workshop you see in … Continue reading →

I’ve known for a long time that good language is better caught than taught. A sprinkling won’t work–nothing but full immersion will do! Throughout the year we will read (and write) information books, folktales, biographies, novels, and poetry. To make … Continue reading →

Lots of parents call out morning reminders as their children leave car doors or screen doors slamming behind them. “Pay attention!” they call out. It is the best writing advice there is. “Take notes!” my father would bark as we … Continue reading →

Teachers are paid to know the answers in the back of the book, but the questions are what keep me interested. How do we teach children point of view? I pondered this as I looked at the world through plate … Continue reading →

On this crisp autumnal Sunday morning, I am at the National Storytelling Festival in the mountains of Tennessee. I will bring back new stories to spark the imagination of my own young tellers. In a bag of teaching tricks, there … Continue reading →

Reading is a conversation. A book on the shelf is dormant, but in the hands of a reader it springs to life. I’ve seen books that I’ve known for years suddenly take a class (and me) by storm. I gave … Continue reading →