Do you have reluctant readers in your classroom? Or students who need to tackle more complex text? Or learners who need to be encouraged to read outside their favorite genre? If so, you might want to borrow this fantastic idea from Mrs. Phippen’s blog. Her author showcase project is one way of turning kids on to new authors and reading selections. It can also familiarize students with the practices and habits of highly successful authors.
Mrs. Phippen teaches young children, but this idea can be used in any classroom. Differentiate by choosing authors based on the needs of your students. You can feature popular authors that many students will enjoy, but you can also use this format to pique the interest of particular student. For instance, if you have a student who only reads fiction, you could feature an author who writes great non-fiction in a novelistic style (e.g., Erik Larsen).
How might this work in other subject areas? You might feature a scientist of the month in biology or fun facts about historical figures.
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