How to Order:

Welcome to Scholastic Professional Author TalkAbout video interviews and watch noted authors answer questions on important issues in education—from reading, writing, and vocabulary instruction to topics of special interest to literacy leaders. Author TalkAbout video interviews are designed to keep you abreast of the most current thinking and best practices in education.

	Janet Angelillo » Revision is Not Punishment (2:03). What advice do you give teachers who say the toughest thing about teaching writing is revision? » Study the Greats to Discover Great Writing Strategies (2:51). Why do you use mentor authors and mentor texts to help students learn to revise? » Give Students Ownership of Their Writing (4:46). Many students see revision as a chore, hard work that doesn’t have a point. How do you change this perception? » Write with Your Students (3:33). What can teachers do to help students understand that revision, according to Toni Morrison, is “the most delicious part?” » Punctuation is More Than Just Details (4:02). What do you suggest teachers do to get students to understand that punctuation matters? Buy Scholastic Professional Books by Janet Angelillo >Making Revision Matter >A Fresh Approach to Teaching Punctuation Back to Top
	Nancie Atwell In this TalkAbout series Nancie Atwell, discusses her book The Reading Zone, answers questions about reading comprehension, and shares advice on creating successful reading and writing workshops as well how to create passionate readers. » The Reading Zone (4:26). What core conditions are necessary for students to enter, and stay inside, the reading zone? » Comprehension (5:27). How do you know whether your students are understanding what they're reading? » Student Choice (4:19). Why is allowing students to choose their own books and topics fundamental to their success as readers and writers? » Reading & Writing Workshops (4:48). What is the best preparation for teachers who wish to teach reading and writing workshop-style? » Advice and Encouragement for New Teachers (3:30). Nancie shares advice based on her 30 years of teaching experience. » Creating Passionate Readers (4:27). Nancie tells about the childhood experience that helped her become a fluent, avid reader. » Buy The Reading Zone in The Teacher Store Now! Back to Top
	Jim Burke » New Series: Listen to Jim speak on some topics from his new series (3:26). Could you tell us a bit about the content and format of your new Teacher's Essential Guide series? » Advice for New Teachers: How to make a good impression on your students (2:51). Can you give us a little snippet of how to make a good impression on your first day-one piece of advice that you would give new teachers? » Buy The Teacher's Essential Guide Series: Classroom Management Now! Back to Top
	Ruth Culham Author Ruth Culham discusses how to teach and implement the Traits of Writing in primary classrooms. » Part 1: A writer's vocabulary: Traits are a foundation for young learners (2:25). » Part 2: Understanding what "good" looks like (2:05). » Part 3: The difference between the developmental scoring guide and the scoring guide for Grades 3 & Up (3:32). » Part 4: What the writing process looks like at the primary level and what the traits look like in action in a primary writing workshop (6:55). » Part 5: Empowering young writers (2:41). » Part 6: What advice would you give to new teachers? (1:37). » Buy Now: Inside the Writing Traits Classroom: K-2 Lessons on DVD Back to Top
	Carol J. Fuhler & Maria P. Walther In this video series Fuhler and Walther discuss the importance of using quality literature in the classroom. » Introduction: How has children’s literature played a role in your lives and in your classrooms? (2:40). » Part 1: How to get quality literature into curricular mandated schools? (2:52). » Part 2: How do children’s books help writers? (2:59). » Part 3: How do you recognize a good book? (3:24). » Part 4: How can you fit everything into a busy teaching day? (3:25). » Part 5: What advice can you offer to new teachers? (1:58). » Buy Dr. Carol J. Fuhler and Dr. Maria P. Walther’s Scholastic Professional book Literature Is Back! Back to Top
	Richard Gentry » Three Powerful Breakthroughs in Beginning Reading and Writing (2:16). What do you consider to be the major breakthroughs in teaching and understanding beginning reading and writing? » Five Different Phases of Reading and Writing (2:28). What do you mean by phases and how does one recognize a particular phase in development? » Phase Observation has Immediate Applications (1:53). How does phase observation differ from other research-based stances in beginning literacy? » Phase Observation and Early Intervention (1:15). How does phase observation change our view of early intervention? » Phase Observation in Practice (1:17). What can teachers glean from the DVD that accompanies your book, Breakthrough in Beginning Reading and Writing? Buy Richard Gentry's Breakthrough in Beginning Reading & Writing Back to Top
	Lester Laminack, Cracking Open the Author's Craft » Author's Craft: Lester on audible and visual craft (2:12). » Saturdays and Teacakes: Lester reads aloud his book (8:50). » Buy Cracking Open the Author’s Craft Now! Back to Top
	Linda Rief » Motivation: Linda talks about what gets kids motivated to write (2:25). How do we get students to start writing, especially when they say, "I don't have anything to write about." Is it more a question of confidence rather than competence? » Revision: Why it shouldn't be the most difficult part of the writing process (3:27). Teachers as well as students view revision as the toughest part of writing. How do we motivate and encourage students to revise their writing? How do we get teachers involved in the revision process? » Buy 100 Quickwrites in The Teacher Store Now! Back to Top
	Jeff Wilhelm » Inquiry-Based Instruction: Jeff shares how to use inquiry in any subject you teach. (4:19). Are teachers using inquiry in classrooms now, or do they even know about it? » Using Inquiry in Language Arts. (3:13). With pressure now more than ever on test scores and grade competencies, how does inquiry and the use of questions promote reading and understanding in language arts? » Buy Engaging Readers & Writers With Inquiry and other Jeffrey Wilhelm Scholastic Professional books Now! Back to Top