Sparks in the Dark

Sparks in the Dark

What sparks a lifelong love of learning?

Books have the power to shape the way we think. Stories—reading them, writing them, and sharing them—give us new lenses through which to view the world and the people we encounter. In short, words matter.

In Sparks in the Dark, Travis Crowder and Todd Nesloney share their experiences as educators who purposefully seek to spark a love for reading and writing in the learners they serve. The reason is simple: Writing and reading have the power to change the trajectory of a life.

Through the stories and real-life examples they share, the authors light the way to . . .

• Incorporating literacy skills in every subject in engaging ways.

• Empowering students and staff to ask and explore tough questions about the world.

• Encouraging learners at all levels to choose to read books that challenge them.

• Taking responsibility to seek and share learning for everyone’s benefit.

More standards, tests, and mandates are not the answer to improving literacy. Sparking a fire—a passion—for words, stories, and self-expression in learners is the surest path to instilling a lifelong love of learning. Let’s light up the darkness!

“Sparks in the Dark is a high-energy drink for teachers. Travis Crowder and Todd Nesloney invite readers to rethink (and, yes, discard) hidebound traditions and to open classrooms to choice, passion, and authenticity.” —Thomas Newkirk, founder of The New Hampshire Literacy Institutes

“Sparks in the Dark won’t stay long on your bookshelf; it will linger in your hands and will last longer in your thoughts.” —Kylene Beers, coauthor of Notice and Note, Reading Nonfiction, and Disrupting Thinking

“Travis and Todd have crafted a beautiful (and practical) narrative of their teaching lives.” —Sara K. Ahmed, author, speaker, and literacy Coach at NIST International School, Bangkok, Thailand

“Travis and Todd are both passionate educators who are continually rethinking and changing their teaching practices based on what they know about their students and themselves as readers, writers, and learners.” —Linda Rief, author of Read Write Teach