Published Work
Shared Reading in Small Groups: Supporting Struggling Readers
by Olivia Wahl
I will never forget when I first fell in love with shared reading. I was teaching in San Diego and had the privilege of attending a professional development session with Brenda Parkes, the author of Read It Again! Revisiting Shared Reading (2000). As she stood on a stage rapping (yes… literally beatboxing) one of her big books, The Wolf’s Story, I was mesmerized.
Why Every Kindergarten and First-Grade School Day Should Begin with Inquiry & Imaginative Play Setting the Tone for the Day.
by Olivia Wahl
I recently attended an opening reception for world-renown artist Simon Dinnerstein’s exhibit The Lasting World: Simon Dinnerstein and the Fulbright Triptych. While I stood surrounded by a phenomenal collection of his art, I was inspired by the emotion each piece evoked, feeling grateful that I was privy to the background stories of various pieces in the exhibit.
Living a Genre Collaborative Writing about Shared Experiences
by Olivia Wahl
Trying new things is always better when we do it with others-risks aren't taken alone, and successes can be celebrated together. When we ask students to write within a new genre, authentic collaborative practice can build the foundation they will stand on as they tackle this new work independently in the days to come. Collaborative writing practice is made even more powerful when focused around a relevant shared experience.
Making the Most of Team Time in Middle School
by Olivia Wahl
Transitioning from elementary to middle school is hard. Really hard. Changing classes, having different teachers for each period, merging children from several elementary schools into one building, getting (and staying) organized — these are just some of the obstacles that kept me up at night. Yes . . . me. My son, Benjamin, did not seem one bit concerned.
Must All Good Instruction Begin With Teacher Modeling? Reconceptualizing the To-With-By of Gradual Release
by Olivia Wahl
For the last twenty years as an educator I have believed the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model, first articulated by Margaret Gallagher and P. David Pearson in 1983, alongside a workshop approach are ideal ways to impart literacy instruction. Yet, over the last ten years, I have come to disagree with the notion that all instruction must begin with teacher modeling.