We LOVE lists.  We love making them.  We love living off of them.  Sometimes lists can feel stressful (too many things to do!) while other times they can make us feel productive (checking things off that we’ve accomplished.)   Look at this cute list!

This is one of Julie’s favorite lists, written several years ago by her son who was home sick from school.  Julie remembers his Motrin had kicked in and he was feeling better and antsy. Julie had some work to do so she suggested he create a list to keep track of his day.  Julie recalls him checking things off one by one, even the rest time. She has fond memories of his two-part plan of either playing or resting from 3:00 to 4:00 depending on how he felt.  Julie’s son used his list to keep the day moving. He wanted to have a plan in place and he smiled with a sense of accomplishment as he checked things off as the day progressed. Not only did Noah create (produce) this list, he also read it (consume) which made this short text meaningful to him.

Lists are just one example of short texts. There are SO many and they are EVERYWHERE. Here are just a few:

• Poem

• Short story

• Picture book

• Infographic

• Podcast

• Script

• Song Lyrics

My friend and colleague, Elizabeth Keim, and I are are working on a new project focusing on using SHORT TEXTS with students across the grade levels & subject areas.  If you, or anyone you know, would like to weigh in and share ideas and perspectives, we’d love to hear what you have to say!  

PREVIEW THE QUESTIONS & SUBMIT YOUR RESPONSES HERE

STAY TUNED—we have a new book coming out focused on SHORT TEXTS later this year!