Doug Lemov's field notes

Reflections on teaching, literacy, coaching, and practice.

02.12.20 Emily DiMatteo Builds Knowledge Through Embedded Nonficiton

I’m excited to share this video of Emily DiMatteo’s English class. First, it’s a great example of how Embedded Nonfiction can infuse a discussion with background knowledge and thus build its rigor. That’s an idea we’ve been passionate about for a while but have recently come to realize it hard to implement well without a curriculum….


02.18.15 Close Reading Case Study: Ellie Strand teaches Animal Farm

As many readers of this blog know, Colleen Driggs, Erica Woolway and I are in the midst of writing a book on reading. Our MO, as always, is to learn what we can by watching teachers in action.  Colleen visited a colleague last week to observe her Close Reading lesson and loved what she saw. She…