The focus of this week's podcast is encouragement for readers and writers. Cathy Mere and Ruth Ayres join the conversation. Each week Choice Literacy shares the Big Fresh newsletter with a round-up of features around a key topic in literacy education. Click here for ALL links discussed. Timeline 00:00  Welcome 00:28  Lead Essay by Ruth Ayres 04:00  Free For All Content Highlights 09:23  Classic Classroom Content Highlights 15:44 Literacy Leader Content Highlights Free for All Join the Choice Literacy Book Club! Melanie Meehan selected the picture book Octopus Stew by Eric Velasquez as our November read. Grab a copy, and join the conversation using the hashtag #ChoiceLiteracyBookClub.  Tara Barnett and Kate Mills use the Sara Bareilles song "Brave" to help their fourth-grade students move from bed-to-bed stories to more emotive writing early in the year. This article was first published in 2016. Katrina Edwards moves her first-grade class out of a rut with writing shares by introducing many new options. This article was first published in 2017. Ruth Ayres catalogs her favorite types of share sessions (from old favorites to creative innovations) in writing workshops. This article was first published in 2018. Shawn Achor shares the happy secret to better work. Become a Choice Literacy member! Click here to find out more about membership options.