Follow this step-by-step lesson plan to teach your students how

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Have you been looking for the perfect project based learning curriculum? If you've been on the lookout for a game-changing approach to captivate your upper elementary students and ignite a passion for learning, you're in for a treat! Buckle up as we dive into the world of project-based learning (PBL) – the secret sauce to turning mundane lessons into exciting adventures.

Learn Animal Classifications for Kids with 10 FREE printable Cootie Catchers! Fun animals for kids activity for all ages!

Do your students need help summarizing informational text? Use the TAAMIO strategy to write great informational text summaries.

Are your students too old for the traditional desk plate name tags? I want my students to have name tags but they feel that the ones with the number lines and other reference items are too young for them. Because of this I have my students design their own name tag. By having them design...

Engage your students AND improve their vocabulary with morphology word chains. Read more and grab freebies for this morphology activity!

How do you infuse the teaching of reading skills and strategies? If you use a basal reading series, you most likely focus on one skill and strategy for a 1-2 week period. Even if you don't use a basal and find your own texts to use, it's a great practice to focus on re-teaching and reviewing comprehension skills and strategies. They're all so interrelated anyway. When I teach reading skills and strategies, I like to display a poster on our class focus wall. This lets anyone who walks in the classroom know what we're targeting at the time, and is also a great reminder for students. Even better than that, I have the same posters available to students at their desks. I don't start the year with a full ring of cards because that would be overwhelming, but I do give students a card to add to their rings as we go over it. I find students referencing their comprehension rings often during their seat work, independent reading, and even group work. We use these during small group time as well. To use these cards, I print them (they come 4 to a page), laminate, cut them out and hole punch. The students do the rest. I know it can be tedious to laminate these bad boys, but I want them to last all year. Plus, it's a great task for my parent volunteer! There are the posters we use throughout the year. They're bright and fun, meaning they draw attention to themselves--which is the point! You can find these posters as well as mini-posters in my TPT store. They're bundled together as well for a discounted price!

Studying morphology (affixes, bases, and roots) is a great way to connect decoding, vocabulary, and comprehension. Using these morphology warmups is a great way to implement morphology into your instruction in small group, whole group, or even reading centers. Note: If your 5th graders have received morphology instruction in 3rd and 4th grade and are ready for more advanced roots and affixes, this may be too easy for them. What is Morphology and Why is it Important? Morphology is the study of meaningful word parts in a language. It is the “building blocks” of words. These include roots, bases, prefixes, and suffixes. When students understand how words are built, they can use that knowledge to figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words, make connections between words, and support their reading comprehension. Morphology instruction can also help students with decoding and encoding skills (spelling). ***THIS GROWING BUNDLE IS NOW COMPLETE. IF YOU PURCHASED BEFORE ALL SETS WERE INCLUDED, PLEASE DOWNLOAD NOW TO ACCESS ALL WARMUPS.*** About the Morphology Warmups This includes 10 sets of Morphology Warmups. To learn more about a warmup or to see examples, click on the title. 1. Morphology Warmups Set 1: Reading Base Word Families - This set of reading warmups has the students reading base word families. The purpose of this morphology warmup set is to: Practice reading fluency with similar word families Potentially expose students to new words with similar bases as familiar words Allow students to see how affixes can be added to create new words 2. Morphology Warmups Set 2: Base Word Creations - This set of reading warmups presents a base word to the students. The students must use the base word and different affixes to create words based on given meanings. The purpose of these morphology warmups is to: Provide students practice with creating new words with given bases Review affixes and how they impact the meaning of words 3. Morphology Warmups Set 3: Adding Affixes - This set of reading warmups has the students reading a base word and three sentences with blanks. In each sentence, the missing word is the base word with an affix added. The purpose of this morphology warmup set is to: Allow students to see how affixes can be added to create new words Familiarize students with the process of adding affixes to change the meaning and function of words Have students determine which affix is needed to make a word that best completes each sentence 4. Morphology Warmups Set 4: Match the Meanings - Focus on Affixes - This set of reading warmups has the students reading a base word, three sentences, and three definitions. Each of the three sentences includes a word containing the base word with additional affixes added. The students read the sentences, underline the word in each sentence, and then match the meaning that best defines the underlined word in each sentence. The purpose of these morphology activities is to: Allow students to see how affixes can be added to create new words Familiarize students with the process of adding affixes to change the meaning and function of words Help students uncover the meaning of words by analyzing affixes 5. Morphology Warmups Set 5: Prefix Warmups - Introduce your students to a variety of prefixes in bite-sized instructional timeframes using these morphology warmups that focus on prefixes. The purpose of these morphology warmups is to: introduce and explicitly teach a variety of prefixes expose students to grade-level words that use a variety of prefixes provide practice opportunities for using and reading words that contain prefixes 6. Morphology Warmups Set 6: Suffix Warmups - Are you looking for way to introduce your students to a variety of grade-level suffixes in small, manageable chunks of time? These morphology warmups that focus on suffixes are perfect for that! The purpose of these morphology warmups is to: introduce and explicitly teach a variety of suffixes expose students to grade-level words that use a variety of suffixes provide practice opportunities for using and reading words that contain suffixes 7. Morphology Warmups Set 7: Root Word Families - This set of root word warmups has the students reading a root word and its meaning, words and definitions, and sentences with blanks. The students read the words and their meanings and then pick the word that best completes the sentence.  The purpose of these morphology warmups is to: Familiarize students with common root words and their meanings Model for students how the meaning of a word can be connected back to the root word it contains Allow students to see how knowing common root words can help determine the meaning of unfamiliar words AND help them decode unknown words 8. Morphology Warmups Set 8: Using Roots, Affixes, and Context to Define Words - This set of reading warmups has the students reading a word, a sentence containing the word, and some information about what we already know about the word. Then the students provide their own definitions of words in their own words. The purpose of these morphology activities is to: Allow students to see how knowing the meaning of roots can help them determine the meaning of unknown words Allow students to see how roots and affixes work together to create the meaning of words. Give students practice with breaking unknown words into morphemes (roots and affixes) to uncover the meaning of those words 9. Morphology Warmups Set 9: Two Truths in a Lie - This set of morphology warmups has students reading and analyzing a given word. Then they will read three statements about the word. They will determine which statements are true and which one is false (the lie). Finally, they will prove their answer by correcting the false statement. The purpose of these morphology warmups is to: Continue reviewing affixes and bases/roots with your students Give students practice with analyzing words and the morphemes that make up those words 10. Morphology Warmups Set 10: Spelling with Suffixes - This set of 55 morphology warmups reviews the three basic suffix spelling rules: 1-1-1 Doubling Rule Silent E Rule The Y Rule. ***THIS GROWING BUNDLE IS NOW COMPLETE. IF YOU PURCHASED BEFORE ALL SETS WERE INCLUDED, PLEASE DOWNLOAD NOW TO ACCESS ALL WARMUPS.*** Using the Morphology Warmups Use the printable morphology warmups to start your small group reading instruction. Use the digital morphology warmups for whole group lessons and activities. Use the digital OR printable morphology warmups for independent practice, reading centers/stations, or word study activities. About the Digital Versions Digital versions of EVERY warmup are included. The content is exactly the same as the printable warmups, but the activities have been redesigned to work in Google Slides. Students will need to be in "edit mode" in order to manipulate moveable pieces or type in editable text boxes on each slide. More details about the digital versions are included in each PDF. Looking for more reading warmups aligned with the Science of Reading? Morphology Warmups BUNDLE Morphology Warmups Set 1: Reading Base Word Families Morphology Warmups Set 2: Base Word Creations Morphology Warmups Set 3: Add an Affix Morphology Warmups Set 4: Match the Meanings - Focus on Affixes Morphology Warmups Set 5: Prefix Warmups Morphology Warmups Set 6: Suffix Warmups Morphology Warmups Set 7: Root Word Families Morphology Warmups Set 8: Using Roots, Affixes, and Context to Define Words Morphology Warmups Set 9: Two Truths and a Lie Click here for ALL of my SOR-aligned resources!

Discover grammar games that are engaging, rigorous, and fun! These I CAN Grammar Games are perfect for grammar review, practice, and literacy centers!

FUN Solar System Projects for kids of all ages with creative crafts, activities, and experiments to bring the planets and stars to life.

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A poster for the classroom on commas. Can be given as a handout, too. - ESL worksheets

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Did you think teaching students to write would be a snap? I mean, you are a college-educated, certified individual. How hard could it possibly be? Well, it’s a challenge, especially when just starting out. In my classroom,

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Set of FREE printable world map choices with blank maps and labeled options for learning geography, countries, capitals, famous landmarks

Morphology walls are a great tool in 4th and 5th grade classrooms! Read more and sign up for free posters to make your own morphology wall!

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Digital Language Spiral Review with Google Forms. Fully practice and review grammar and word study standards all year! Now for Google Classroom!

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I have so much to share with you about writing interventions, but first things first: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE NEW BLOG DESIGN?!?!? Please share your thoughts! Every year, I meet lots of middle schoolers who struggle with writing. And every year, I play around with lots of different interventions to meet their needs. Last year, I made establishing sound writing interventions one of my big goals. I spent lots of time (and money!!) on resources that I could use, and by about March, I had something that I thought I was pretty happy with. This year, I'm starting off with those interventions that worked so well last year and I couldn't be happier with the results! In fact, I'm so pleased with how they are working, I feel confident enough to share my practice with my blog readers. I can say that these are definitely KID TESTED, TEACHER APPROVED!! Creating a Time and Space for Intervention within your Classroom I teach by myself. There are no aides, special ed teachers, BSI teachers... just little, ol' me! So, when I want to create and manage small groups, I'm on my own. This is hard. It would be so much easier if there was another adult in the room to help, but there is not, so I just have to deal! It's work, but it absolutely can be done! A few weeks ago, I wrote about the Power of Bell-Ringers. Establishing a quiet and smooth transition into writing class is a great way to get started, but it also provides me with a window of time where I can pull a small group! By mid-October, my bell-ringer time gets extended to 15 minutes. The kids get started immediately and are clear on the expectations during this time. Now the environment for working with small groups is set: the room is quiet and engaged, allowing me to focus my time on the handful of kids in my group. I pull my kids to a table that I have set up in front of our classroom library. I have a "teacher station" at one end where I do my instruction. I usually stream some jazz or piano music during this time so my group doesn't distract the rest of the class. Establishing Interventions In my district, by middle school, there are no longer district-mandated interventions in place. There are no clear resources for teachers to use or personnel to help. So, when we have a struggling reader or writer in 7th or 8th grade, it's the job of the classroom teacher to meet their needs. In my tenure of working with middle schoolers, I've found that there are two types of students who need more support than my writing curriculum provides (and please remember... I am not a researcher/specialist/writer of books/etc. I'm just a teacher, like you, who loves my job, tries to do the best by my kids, and is compulsively reflective about what I see happening... to me, teachers are the best EXPERTS, but I know that we are hesitant these days to trust a "lowly" teacher and rather find ourselves relying on big publishers and educational researchers to show us best practices... I don't have lots of "data" to support what I'm sharing with you... just my actual observations I've made while working with real, live kids in an average classroom setting!!). Type One: Students Who Struggle with Structure The first type of students who need intervention are those who struggle with structure. These are the kids that can't organize their thoughts in a way a reader could follow. They simply write whatever their brain thinks at the time. They can generally stick with a broad topic, but because they are just writing whatever pops into their head at the time, there are lots of places where their writing veers off track and becomes confusing. Here is an example written by a former student struggling with structure: My dog Henry is my most special treasure. He is always there for me whenever I need him in sad times and happy. In many ways, he's my best friend. He has brown fur and a white chest. He is such a good dog to have around when you are sad because he always knows just how to cheer you up. His eyes are brown, like a Hersey bar. His favorite toy is a yellow tennis ball. Once he almost got hit by a car chasing the ball down the street. I have loved him ever since he was a puppy and we first got him. I was only 4-years old when that little ball of fluff was brought home by my parents to be best friends. His soft fur is always so smooth and warm when you pet him while watching TV on a cold night. He is my best friend and that is why he is my special treasure [sic]. This student is clear about his topic - his dog, Henry - but he cannot organize his thoughts. He is thinking about his dog and writes down everything he knows about his buddy exactly as it comes to his mind. Clearly, he has mechanical and conventional skills, and you can see evidence of where he is practicing what we learned in our mini-lessons and from studying our mentor pieces. But, because there is no organization, it is too difficult to follow and all of the skills he has are lost to the untrained, teacher-eye. Kids who write like this need an intervention that focuses on structure and organization. Typically, I LOATHE teaching step-by-step process writing, but in cases like this, I'm left with little choice. The lessons that I put together for kids in need of this intervention consist of learning how to write a well-organized paragraph. Together, we will work on writing topic sentences, creating strong and clear supporting sentences, and finish up with writing a closing that sticks with our reader. My favorite plans for this type of writing come from Michael Friermood. His Fact-Based Opinion Writing products are geared toward teaching elementary students (grades 3-5) how to write a good opinion paragraph, and they are PERFECT for my struggling 7th graders. They also lack a lot of the "cutesy" images that you find with products for this age group, so my big kids don't feel like I'm making them do "baby stuff." (I do not use the stationary he provides for the final writing piece... it's adorable, but it would be pushing in with my kids! So, we just do our paragraph writing in our intervention notebooks!) My plan is to pull the intervention group for one week (at 15 minutes a pop, this comes to 1 1/4 hours of learning). Long before I ever pull a group, I work hard to make sure that my lesson is broken down into five succinct 15-minute increments. Since time is so precious, you need to make sure not one minute is wasted! I can say that it takes me much longer to plan for a small-group lesson than a 50-minute whole-class lesson because efficiency is so crucial. The first few times you plan a small-group lesson, don't be surprised if your timing is mess. It definitely takes practice to be an effective small-group instructor! After their week is up, then I send them back to completing the bell-ringer at the start of class. I will watch them closely and conference with them lots to make sure that I am seeing a transfer of skills. If I don't, then it is likely that I will put them back in an intervention group in a few weeks to practice again. This intervention model will continue all year. Right now, I have 8 intervention students in one writing class, and 6 in another. By the end of the year, those number should reduce to 3-4 and 2-3. Never in all my years of working with small groups, have I had 100% of my intervention students "graduate" from small group. Don't be frustrated if this is the case! If you can improve 50-60% of those kids, then consider that a huge success!! Type Two: Students Who Struggle with Motivation The next group of kids that I work with are those who struggle with motivation. These are the students who complain a lot about not having anything to write about, spend more time doodling or coloring in their notebook than writing, and who will write the absolute bare minimum for any writing assignment. Many times, these kids produce too little for me to gauge whether or not they also need help with structure. But typically, once I can get them writing, they will likely find themselves in a small group for structure work :) Come October, after we've spent lots of lots of time list writing, the kids who are still struggling to get their pencils moving find themselves using a very special Interactive Writer's Notebook called "Musings from a Middle Schooler." This product contains loads of interactive writing pages that will motivate even the most reluctant writers. The pages can be printed out and glued into a marble notebook. (Most often, I'll have the kids create their own... I don't always have them use all the pages, rather I let them pick and choose the ones they like!). Cover Table of Contents page Table of Contents cont. and an "All About Me" page "My Life Story in Two Pages" My Favorite Thing Comics I created this project just last school year and it's been an absolute smash! The kids (especially my boys!) LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! In absolutely no time, they are writing like crazy. And once I can get their pencils moving it doesn't take me long to get them producing some actual pieces. I don't necessarily pull these kids and work with them in a small group. The first few days, we will assemble our books all together at the back table, but then they go right back to the big group. Rather than do the bell-ringer with the rest of the class at the start of the period, they will work in their "Musings" notebooks. Fifteen minutes of that is usually enough to get them into writing mode for the rest of class. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * So, that's how I make writing intervention work in my classroom. Phew!! That was long, folks!! I apologize for my wordiness and I am grateful if you stuck it out until the end! Also, I'm sure that I've left out some crucial details of my practice, so please do not hesitate to ask me any questions you still have! Do you have any good intervention tips or strategies that work for you? I'd love to hear about them. Drop me a comment and share! Happy Teaching!!