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Read It Write It Love It
Step Up Your Planning to Engage and Inspire ELA Students

"Read It Write It Love It is a must-have for middle school ELA teachers who want both structure and heart in their classrooms. Emily Aierstok blends twenty years of experience with practical, research-based strategies that actually work. This book stands out and is a must for ELA teachers because it shows teachers how to balance classroom management with authentic reading and writing experiences, making it useful for both veteran and new teachers."
—Christina Schneider, The Daring English Teacher and author of Building Strong Writers

"In Read It Write It Love It, Emily has created a guide that speaks directly to the challenges teachers face when teaching reading and writing. The book is comprehensive without being overwhelming, weaving together theory, practice, and stories from the classroom in a way that feels both relatable and actionable. Emily's insight as a seasoned English teacher makes this an excellent companion for anyone working to strengthen their literacy instruction. It's a book you'll want to keep within reach!"
—Jenna Copper, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Education, Slippery Rock University, Author of Role Call, and Co-Author of Keeping the Wonder

"Have you ever wished you could shadow a veteran ELA teacher to find out how they do it all? Thanks to Read It Write It Love It, now you can! Emily pours her 20+ years of teaching wisdom into these pages to provide readers with a framework to STEP UP their planning!"
—Ashley Bible, Co-Author of Keeping the Wonder

"This book is a heartfelt and practical guide that helps ELA teachers bring joy back into their classrooms through the STEP UP planning system, offering clear, sustainable strategies that strengthen student learning. With nearly 30 years of classroom experience, Emily provides unique insights — including thoughtful ways to use AI — that make this book an invaluable resource for both new and veteran teachers."
—Dr. Jennifer Steimle, former ELA curriculum coordinator in Saratoga City School District and current superintendent in Greenwich Junior/Senior High School

Emily Aierstok (Author)

9781394319893, Wiley

Paperback / softback, published 5 February 2026

304 pages
23.1 x 18.5 x 1.3 cm, 0.431 kg

A complete toolkit for overworked ELA teachers looking for effective reading and writing exercises and lessons

In Read It, Write It, Love It, experienced middle school English Language Arts teacher, Emily Aierstok, delivers the ultimate roadmap to helping disinterested and struggling students succeed with reading and writing. Aierstok draws on her decades of professional teaching experience to explain practical, research-based strategies and activities you can implement in your own classroom for immediate results with learners from all levels. You'll explore solutions to common, longstanding problems—like running out of time for lesson planning and aligning compelling classroom content with academic standards—and find insightful tips on integrating tech and multimedia into your learning experiences.

Read It, Write It, Love It offers engaging student activities that make reading and writing fun, relevant, and meaningful. You'll also find:

  • Creative techniques to help you connect with diverse learners and accommodate different learning styles
  • Time-saving strategies, including easy-to-follow activities and low-prep plans – to make your teaching day easier
  • Ways to capture your students' interest in reading and writing lessons and help motivate them to achieve better outcomes
  • Strategies for stepping up your planning techniques to ensure you're prepared to meet needs and improve learning outcomes for every student

Perfect for secondary ELA teachers in grades 6 to 12 struggling with a lack of time to properly prepare lesson plans, Read It, Write It, Love It is also a must-have resource filled with easy classroom activities you can try out on your own.

Acknowledgments xiii
About the Author xv
The STEP Up Planning Technique: An Introduction xvii
The Magic of Teaching xvii
Planning Is Love xxi
The STEP Up Planning System xxii
How This Book Is Organized xxvi

CHAPTER 1 Planning for Your Learners 1
Lesson Planning Essentials 2
Know Your Learners 6
Reading and Writing Autobiographies 7

CHAPTER 2 Data Collection Strategies 11
Using Data for Good 11
Using Data to Empower 15
Reading Data 18
Writing Data 23
Modifying Assignments: Same Goal; Different Play 30
Augment with AI: Differentiating Instruction 33

SECTION 1 S Is for Standard 35

Choosing North Star Standards 36
Framing Your Lessons 40

CHAPTER 3 You Had Me at Hello (with Bell Ringers) 43
Build Your Frame with Standards-Based Bell Ringers 44
Hands-On Bell Ringer Experiences 48
Augment with AI: Generating Bell Ringers 51

CHAPTER 4 Goodbye for Now (with Standards-Based Exit Tickets) 55
Use Exit Tickets as a Frame 56 Create Out-of-Time Exit Tickets 57
Use Exit Tickets to Extend Learning 58
Augment with AI: Generating Exit Tickets 59

SECTION 2 T Is for Text 61

CHAPTER 5 Heart and Stretch Texts 63
Identify Appropriate Heart Texts 63
Add Stretch Texts 64
Love It: A Close Reading Routine 66
Use Text-Based Questions 77
Augment with AI: Using AI to Scaffold Close Reading 80

CHAPTER 6 Independent Reading That Works 83
Create Reading Journals 84
The Power of Setting Reading Goals 88
Independent Reading Engagement and Accountability 89
Motivate Reluctant Readers 95
Write Letters About Literature 96
Augment with AI: Using AI to Engage Readers 102

CHAPTER 7 Authors as Teachers 107
Reading as Writers 107
Teach Purpose and Audience with Mentor Texts 110
You Have Style: Learning Style from Authors 114
Break It Down: Using Mentor Sentences 115
Augment with AI: Finding Mentor Texts 118

CHAPTER 8 Building Community 121
Encourage Community from Day One 121
Give Students Ownership of the Classroom 124
Ditch Rules: Make a Class Motto 126
Build Reading and Writing Communities 129
Augment with AI: Tools That Build Community 133

SECTION 3 E Is for Engage 137

CHAPTER 9 Choosing Engaging Topics 141
Get to Know Your Students 142
Connect to the Texts 143
Build Authentic Experiences 146
Tap into Prior Knowledge 147
Augment with AI: Finding Topics That Engage 157

CHAPTER 10 Engaging with Media Literacy 161
Lateral Reading: A Yearlong Skill 161
Utilize SIFT Information and Author's Purpose 164
Implement an Article of the Week Routine 166
Augment with AI: Finding Online Sources for Practice 169

SECTION 4 P Is for Planning from the Assessment 171

CHAPTER 11 Grades as Communication 177
Failure Leads to Growth 177
Feedback Over Grades 181
The Power of Retakes and Revisions 190
Alternatives to Grading Behavior 193
Augment with AI: Using AI to Extend
Teacher Grading Practices 198
Use Rubric Templates 199

CHAPTER 12 Designing Assessments 201
Authentic Assessment Inspiration 204
Augment with AI: Using an
Assessment Generator 222

CHAPTER 13 Tackling Standardized Testing 223
Empower Student Test Takers 224
Embed Test Prep All Year Long 225
Conduct Student-Led
Data Analysis 228
Make Test Prep Fun! (Yes, It's Possible) 230
Augment with AI: Adopting AI Test Prep 234

CHAPTER 14 Empower Students with Grammar 235
Teach Grammar with Authors 236
Teach Grammar Through Writing 237
Teach Targeted Grammar Lessons 238
Augment with AI: Utilizing AI as a Grammar Coach 239

CHAPTER 15 Feedback That Works 241
The Power of the Proofreading List 242
Revision Stations 245
The 10-Minute Teacher Conference 247
Augment with AI: Using AI to Extend Feedback 249

CHAPTER 16 Getting Kids Actively Learning 251
Creating a Movement-Friendly Classroom 253
On-Your-Feet ELA Activities 256
Augment with AI: Using AI to Brainstorm On-Your-Feet experiences 258

CONCLUSION A Final Word: Tips for Longevity in the ELA Classroom 259

Index 261

Subject Areas: Education [JN]
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