All types and purposes of writing take place daily in every class at Northwood Elementary, and students are celebrated as real authors. This block is real-world reading. This is where students in all grades pick books on their independent reading levels and read silently for 20 to 30 minutes daily. While the students are reading, teachers are conducting individual reading conferences. At these conferences, students give a brief summary of the book and the teachers ask general questions about the setting, characters, mood, theme, and plot.
Teachers also ask higher-order thinking questions to help students think beyond the story.