The days leading up to winter break can feel a little wild, and it’s easy to overlook all the quiet reading growth happening in your classroom. In this episode, we’re slowing down just enough to notice those moments. I’m sharing simple, low-pressure ways to celebrate reading wins—nothing fancy, nothing time-consuming—just meaningful moments that help students feel seen as readers.

These small celebrations can bring a surprising amount of calm to the December classroom. They help students recognize their progress, feel proud of their efforts, and walk into break with a stronger sense of confidence in their reading. And the best part? These tiny boosts now can help set the stage for a smoother, more motivated return in January.

See more in the show notes.

Related episodes and blog posts:

• Embracing Holidays as Learning Opportunities in Middle School
• Holidays in Secondary Resource Roundup
• How to Celebrate the Holidays in Your Classroom
• Winter Break Countdown: Easy, Inclusive Activities for Middle School ELA

Be sure to join the Secondary ELA Facebook group. If you’re loving this podcast, please rate, review and follow!

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In this episode I’m talking about those familiar one-line reading responses like “I liked it” or “I don’t know” and how we can help students move beyond them. Students are capable of deeper thinking, and sometimes they just need a few simple routines to help them slow down, notice more, and explain what they’re seeing in a text.

We’ll explore practical, low-pressure ways to strengthen student conversations around reading and create a classroom environment where students feel comfortable sharing what they’re thinking. If you’re looking for small shifts that lead to more meaningful discussions, this episode will give you a few easy places to start.

Read more in the show notes.

Get your FREE set of Reading Support Posters here!

Resources you may find helpful:

• Reader Response Cards
• More Reader Response Cards

Related episodes and blog posts:

• Building a Reading Culture Where Students Feel They Belong
• Task Cards: An Engaging Tool for Middle Schoolers
• How to Reduce Reading Anxiety

Be sure to join the Secondary ELA Facebook group. If you’re loving this podcast, please rate, review and follow!

Website: https://middleschoolcafe.com/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/secondaryela
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/middleschoolcafe
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middleschoolcafe/
TPT Shop: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Middle-School-Cafe

Looking for new ways to make reading more meaningful? In this episode, we’ll explore how pairing fiction and nonfiction can benefit all readers, helping every student, from those who need a little more support to those ready for deeper analysis, make stronger connections and think more critically. Together, these texts can deepen comprehension, build empathy, and help students see how reading connects to the real world.

You’ll hear easy-to-use ideas for blending the two, from short articles and infographics to full-length novels, along with examples you can try right away. Whether you’re following a set curriculum or designing your own lessons, this episode will help you use nonfiction to bring stories to life and strengthen your students’ understanding of what they read.

Read more in the show notes.

Get your FREE set of Reading Support Posters here!

Seasonal Nonfiction

• Holiday Traditions Reading/Writing Activity
• History of the Poinsettia
• History of New Years Eve in Times Square

Resources you may find helpful:

• Reader Response Cards
• More Reader Response Cards
• Reading Reflection Sheets
• Genre Review Scavenger Hunt
• Titanic Text Structures

Related episodes and blog posts:

• How to Use Nonfiction to Engage Reluctant Readers
• Building a Reading Culture Where Students Feel They Belong
• How to Build Reading Stamina

Website: https://middleschoolcafe.com/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/secondaryela
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/middleschoolcafe
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middleschoolcafe/
TPT Shop: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Middle-School-Cafe

Nonfiction doesn’t have to be dry or something students just “get through.” In this episode, we’ll share how high-interest nonfiction can spark curiosity, build confidence, and help even the most reluctant readers see themselves as capable readers. You’ll hear why nonfiction belongs in everyday reading instruction, not just as a single unit, and how small, intentional shifts can make it feel relevant and engaging for your students.

We’ll also share practical ideas you can use right away, like incorporating nonfiction into book talks, connecting it to your existing curriculum, and helping students find real-world topics that matter to them. You’ll walk away inspired to rethink how nonfiction fits in your classroom and ready to help your students discover that reading true stories can be just as powerful as fiction.

Read more in the show notes.

Get your FREE set of Reading Support Posters here!

Seasonal Nonfiction

• Holiday Traditions Reading/Writing Activity
• History of the Poinsettia
• History of New Years Eve in Times Square

Resources you may find helpful:

• Reader Response Cards
• More Reader Response Cards
• Reading Reflection Sheets
• Titanic Text Structures

Related episodes and blog posts:

• Building a Reading Culture Where Students Feel They Belong
• Why Independent Reading Still Matters
• Short Stories with Purpose

Be sure to join the Secondary ELA Facebook group. If you’re loving this podcast, please rate, review and follow!

Website: https://middleschoolcafe.com/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/secondaryela
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/middleschoolcafe
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middleschoolcafe/
TPT Shop: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Middle-School-Cafe

Short stories are quick to read but powerful when used with purpose. In this episode, we’ll look at how short texts can strengthen reading skills, spark discussion, and build confidence for even the most hesitant readers. You’ll discover how these smaller pieces can fit naturally into your curriculum, giving students frequent opportunities to think deeply, practice key skills, and experience success as readers.

Whether you’re following a set program or curating your own collection, this episode offers practical ideas to make short stories meaningful and engaging for every learner in your classroom. You’ll leave with strategies that help students grow their stamina, connect with a variety of authors and genres, and rediscover that reading can be both manageable and rewarding.

Read more in the show notes.

Get your FREE set of Reading Support Posters here!

Seasonal Short Stories

• Dracula’s Guest
• The Elevator
• A Kidnapped Santa Clause
• The Elves and the Shoemaker

Resources you may find helpful:

• Unit Plan for Any Short Story
• Short Story Min Unit
• Raymond’s Run
• Silent Debate
• Literature Circles

Related episodes and blog posts:

• The Value of Short Stories in Middle School
• 7 Short Story Ideas to Enrich Your Curriculum
• Peer Conversations About Reading: Easy Strategies for Student Engagement
• Easy Ways to Start Peer-to-Peer Academic Conversations

Be sure to join the Secondary ELA Facebook group. If you’re loving this podcast, please rate, review and follow!

Website: https://middleschoolcafe.com/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/secondaryela
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/middleschoolcafe
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middleschoolcafe/
TPT Shop: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Middle-School-Cafe

Stamina is harder than ever for middle schoolers, and independent reading often feels like an uphill climb. In this episode, you’ll learn how reading sprints, short, focused bursts of reading, can help students strengthen attention, build confidence, and develop the endurance they need for longer texts.

In this episode, we’ll explore different ways to bring reading sprints into your classroom, whether it’s starting class with a quick warm-up, building community through partner shares, or helping students discover new favorites with short genre previews. We’ll also talk through common challenges like restlessness and fake reading, and how to keep students genuinely engaged as they build stamina.

Read more in the show notes.

Get your FREE set of Reading Support Posters here!

Resources you may find helpful:

• Building Reading Stamina
• Finding Just Right Books
• Independent Reading Challenges

Related episodes and blog posts:

• How to Build Reading Stamina (Episode #57)
• Helping Students Find Just Right Books (Episode #44)
• How to Keep Independent Reading Alive with a Required Curriculum
• How to Build Independent Reading Routines in Secondary ELA (Episode #31)

Be sure to join the Secondary ELA Facebook group. If you’re loving this podcast, please rate, review and follow!

Website: https://middleschoolcafe.com/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/secondaryela
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/middleschoolcafe
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middleschoolcafe/
TPT Shop: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Middle-School-Cafe

September brings an extra Tuesday, which means you get a bonus episode! In this short and practical episode, I’m sharing quick wins to help your students pick out the just-right book for right now. Whether you’re planning your very first library visit of the year or heading back for another round, these strategies will make sure students walk out with a book they actually want to read, not one that ends up forgotten in their backpack.

From setting the tone before you go, to teaching students the “right now” question, to normalizing abandoning books, these simple tips build confidence, independence, and momentum for your readers.

Get ready for simple, actionable strategies to help your students leave the library with books they can’t wait to open.

Read more in the show notes.

Get your FREE set of Reading Support Posters here!

Resources you may find helpful:

• Finding Just Right Books
• Independent Reading Challenges

Related episodes and blog posts:

• Helping Students Find Just Right Books
• Finding Just Right Books: How to Stretch them without Frustration
• How to Keep the Reading Momentum Alive Beyond the First Month

Be sure to join the Secondary ELA Facebook group. If you’re loving this podcast, please rate, review and follow!

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Website: https://middleschoolcafe.com/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/secondaryela
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/middleschoolcafe
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Peer recommendations are one of the most effective ways to spark interest in reading. Students are much more likely to pick up a book when a classmate suggests it. In this episode, I share ten practical ways you can bring student voices into your classroom and help create a living TBR list that students will actually use. These ideas make reading feel less like an assignment and more like a community experience.

You don’t need to try all ten ideas at once, just choose one or two that fit your style and your classroom. Whether it’s building a recommendation wall, spotlighting student picks, or weaving in seasonal themes, these strategies will help you strengthen your classroom reading culture and keep students motivated to read all year long.

Read more in the show notes.

Resources you may find helpful:

• Book Review and Recommendation Templates
• Student Led Book Talks

Related episodes and blog posts:

• Book Talks with Mary Pat (Episode #38)
• How to Increase Student Motivation Through Choice and Voice (
  Episode #5)
• Student Led Book Talks:A Meaningful Way to Keep Students Reading (Episode #49)
• Unlocking the Power of Student Led Book Talks

Be sure to join the Secondary ELA Facebook group. If you’re loving this podcast, please rate, review and follow!

Website: https://middleschoolcafe.com/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/secondaryela
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/middleschoolcafe
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middleschoolcafe/
TPT Shop: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Middle-School-Cafe