Rebeca Itzkowich, Jie-Qi Chen, Anita Evans, Martha Pott
Publication Date: August 22, 2025
Pages: 176
Transform classrooms into dynamic “thinking playgrounds” with these culturally and linguistically responsive routines.
In this practical book, teachers reveal how instruction and assessment can be two sides of the same coin through the implementation of four literacy and math routines for pre–K to grade 3: Photo Chats, Counting Collections, Storytelling/Story Acting, and Numberless Word Problems.
These routines offer rich observational data for ongoing formative assessments, such as those used for kindergarten entry. They also provide embedded differentiation while offering teachers a window into their students’ understanding. These culturally and linguistically responsive routines are designed to spark curiosity, build classroom community, and foster habits of mind for lifelong learning—transforming classrooms into dynamic “thinking playgrounds.”
These economical routines require minimal materials, preparation, and classroom time. They have been field-tested by over 250 public school teachers, who use a wide range of curricula and work in urban, rural, and suburban settings with diverse students, including English language learners. This book demonstrates how these instructional routines worked for these teachers and how they can work for you too!
Book Features:
Rebeca Itzkowich is a teacher educator and director of Project Connect at Erikson Institute. Jie-Qi Chen is an endowed professor and holds the Barbara T. Bowman Professorship in Early Education at Erikson Institute. Anita Evans is a doctoral candidate in child development at Erikson Institute. Martha Pott is a distinguished senior lecturer in the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development at Tufts University.
“For generations, philosophers and educators have encouraged teachers to provide children with time and opportunity to learn through action, experience, and reflection, rather than repetition, memorization, and rote exercises. This book, rich in examples, detailed protocols, and inspired stories from committed teachers, provides a unique and imaginative roadmap for bringing early childhood classrooms to life.”
—Samuel J. Meisels, founding executive director emeritus, Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska
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