Download selected articles by Regie in PDF format. All articles are reproduced with the permission of the publisher.
Kid's Poems: How to Introduce Poetry Into the Elementary School Classroom
Reprinted from Scholastic, 2020
A renowned language arts teacher shares the joy of teaching young children to write — and love — poetry.
Storytelling: The Heart of Teaching and Learning
Reprinted from MiddleWeb, 2019
Storytelling – speaking, writing, hearing, and appreciating our own and other’s stories – can be an equalizer for ensuring all students’ lives are respected, honored, and recorded.
Rethinking Guided Reading to Advantage ALL Our Learners
Reprinted from MiddleWeb, 2019
Most guided reading programs emphasize daily ability grouping with too little emphasis on developing self-directed readers who love to read for pleasure or enrichment, says literacy leader Regie Routman, who points out equity issues revealed in recent research.
Want Classroom Equity? Seek and Value Diversity
Reprinted from MiddleWeb, 2019
Low expectations and inequitable classrooms persist in many of America’s public schools, writes Regie Routman, author of Literacy Essentials: Engagement, Excellence and Equity for All Learners. Here’s what Routman believes educators must do to address this moral dilemma.
Equity Matters
Reprinted from CCIRA Blog, 2019
The opportunity to pursue a happy, productive life and to actively participate as an informed citizen is an “unalienable right” and that “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” require that we fully educate all our students.
What You Need to Know About Professional Learning
Reprinted from Heinemann Blog, 2018
Ten essentials for becoming a more effective educator.
On the Level with Leveled Books
Reprinted from MiddleWeb, 2018
To level, or not to level? Like many educational dilemmas there is no simple right or wrong answer. Literacy coach and author Regie Routman explores the limited role book leveling might play in supporting students to become engaged, deeply comprehending, joyful readers.
10 Ways to Build the Trust Kids Need to Learn
Reprinted from MiddleWeb, 2018
Kids are always eager to learn. Our job is to find a way in, and that way in depends on students and families knowing they can trust us. We must do everything we can to ensure that trusting relationships are the foundational, caring heart of our teaching and learning.
Mistakes Teachers Make in Reading Instruction
Reprinted from Education Week, 2017
A Response to Education Week’s Classroom Q & A with Larry Ferlazzo
10 Surefire Ideas to Remove Writing Roadbloacks
Reprinted from MiddleWeb, January 2016
So you want to teach writing well. It’s not as hard as you think. Yes, it’s a challenge, but it can be exhilarating.
How to Fill Your Class with Joyful Learning
Reprinted from MiddleWeb, 2015
Schooling is often so regimented, test obsessed, and disconnected from students’ lives that deep learning and the joy of learning are rarely at the forefront. We can and must change that for students, and for teachers too. Here’s how.
A Good Learning Model for New Teachers to Use
Reprinted from MiddleWeb, 2015
Author and literacy consultant Regie Routman is a passionate cook who loves to make fresh fruit tarts. Here she draws connections between learning to bake and learning to teach, using her Optimal Learning Model as a framework. Fruit tart recipe included!
A Necessary Pleasure: Building a Sense of Agency Through Reading Aloud
Reprinted from Reading Today, May/June 2015
Reading aloud not only forges relationships with your students, but also ignites discussions, establishes a community, inspires writing, and sparks intellectual development.
Creating a Culture of Trust
regieroutman.org, March 2015
High achievement and good test scores cannot happen without a thriving culture of trust. In this article, Regie profiles three principals and demonstrates the impact of their leadership on school culture and teacher and student success.
Think Big, Teach Smart
Reprinted from Heinemann: Professional Development Services for K-12 Educators, 2014-2015 Catalog-Journal, November 2014
Instead of thinking of all the literacy pieces that need to be put into place, put students' interests, needs, and potential first and make curriculum more relevant for your students.
What Makes a Great School? Not Test Scores
Reprinted from Education Week, October 22, 2014
It's not very hard to raise test scores in the short run. However, these gains often turn out to be a mirage, especially in schools with a history of underperformance. Regie describes the factors that are crucial for enduring achievement gains.
Read, Write, Lead: Breakthrough Strategies for Schoolwide Literacy Success
Reprinted from Scholastic's Reader Leader newsletter, May 2014
How do we create schools where all learners—students, teachers, and leaders—are joyful, are engaged in meaningful work, and are self-directed? Regie shares her insights from her latest book.
To Raise Achievement, Let's Celebrate Teachers
Before We Evaluate Them
Reprinted from Reading Today, June/July 2013
Strict accountability measures for teachers and principals are making our educational climate one of increasing apprehension and distrust. Beginning with celebration instead of evaluation is the first step for raising expectations for what's possible.
Must-Know Tips for Effective Demonstrations
Published by the International Reading Association on Reading.org, Spring 2012
Explicit and relevant demonstrations are a necessity before expecting students to successfully “try and apply” the behaviors of problem-solving readers, writers, and thinkers.
Must-Know Tips for Shared Writing
Published by the International Reading Association on Reading.org, Fall 2011
Giving students many opportunities to first express their ideas orally—and without fear of failure or worrying about the actual writing—helps sets them up for writing success later.
Professional Guidance from a Master Teacher
Reading Today, August/September 2012
Reading Today, the membership magazine of the International Reading Association (IRA), previews Regie's new book, Literacy and Learning Lessons from a Longtime Teacher (IRA Publications, 2012). Includes a Q&A with Regie on the vital things literacy teachers need to know to enhance their classroom skills and produce stronger learning among their students.
Mapping a Pathway to Schoolwide Highly Effective Teaching
Kappan, February 2012
Raising achievement is the by-product of a comprehensive plan linking strong principal leadership, higher teacher expectations, and a focus on literacy—all held together by trusting relationships.
Reflections on Literacy Teaching and Learning
Reading Manitoba, Fall 2011
Regie highlights three core practices that she sees as essential for raising and sustaining literacy achievement, engagement, and enjoyment for students, teachers, principals, and curriculum specialists.
Engaging and Empowering Students to Write: The Principal Influence
The New Hampshire Journal of Education, 2011
Regie describes the powerful impact a building principal can have on literacy development in the elementary classroom.
Teacher Talk
Reprinted from Educational Leadership, March 2002
Even the best professional development may fail to create meaningful and lasting changes in teaching and learning—unless teachers engage in ongoing professional dialogue to develop a reflective school community.
The Uses and Abuses of Invented Spelling
Reprinted from Instructor, May/June 1993
Invented spelling does not mean "anything goes." In this article, Regie shows how you can get the best results from invented spelling in your own classroom.