Looking for techniques to teach visual literacy? Read on to learn about the OPTIC strategy for rhetorical analysis of visual texts and images.
With my small group pull-out sessions limited to half-hour increments, I'm always looking for quick, engaging reading and writing activities to reinforce literacy skills. I used to think dice games were only for teaching math and probability, but I'm starting to discover that there are ENDLESS possibilities for using dice with literacy. Are you looking for a few ideas? Well... let's shake and roll! 3 Roll-a-Dice Activities for Reading & Writing My roll-a-dice resource collection continues to grow, but here are a few resources that I've added to my literacy toolbox that may be perfect for your students. 1. Roll-a-Story
I use a lot of tracing in my Orton-Gillingham lesson plans. When I introduce a new phonogram, students will trace the letters while saying the sound. When I introduce a new prefix or suffix, students
Looking for techniques to teach visual literacy? Read on to learn about the OPTIC strategy for rhetorical analysis of visual texts and images.
We must explicity teach reading strartegies. Reading strategies do not function in isolation; they work synergistically to help students fully access text.
Take a deep dive into the common 5 structure options for your ELA literacy block with benefits of each outlined in an informative & actionable manner.
"It was like herding cats!" That was my answer to my husband the other day when he asked how my day had gone. Seriously, the days I have first and second graders are just hard - fun, but exhausting. That is until I found the SECRET to STEM and the littles! Are you ready for
In this blog post, we’ll look at how to effectively scaffold your instruction and help students build increasingly sophisticated skills. We’ll also look at how you can help foster growth and independence through scaffolding. Scaffolding and Differentiating The methodology behind scaffolding is multi-faceted. Scaffolding can mean providing support
3 Alternatives to Accelerated Reader (AR) Guest Blog Post by Shaelynn Farnsworth Accelerated Reader, Reading Counts, and any other program which
Go away! You’re in the wrong blog post! Unlike Nicholas Ickle, the very frustrated narrator of Nick Bland’s The Wrong Book , I don’t really want you to go away. But I do want to tell you about this wonderful picture book and to offer just a few ways you can explore it, pull it apart and bring it
Simple STEM Stories will help you merge literacy and STEM with fun and engaging, hands-on STEM challenges based on a children's book.
Looking for techniques to teach visual literacy? Read on to learn about the OPTIC strategy for rhetorical analysis of visual texts and images.
Visualizing the text is such an important strategy used for building your students’ reading comprehension. It is very versatile as it can be used in different ways with students of all ages and reading levels. I
Will you be teaching Wonder by R.J. Palacio in your curriculum? This post describes how I taught it to my 6th grade English langauge arts class.
If you are looking for a fun way to motivate your struggling readers or to increase engagement during your fluency interventions, consider using reading trackers and reading pointers! Trackers and pointers are fluency tools that I always keep in my literacy toolbox. Not only do they help students get excited about practicing reading fluency, but they are helpful for students who need extra support with fluency and accuracy. Keep reading to learn more about how you can use reading trackers and pointers as fluency tools to increase engagement with your students! (Please note that I’ve used affiliate links throughout this
Visualizing the text is such an important strategy used for building your students’ reading comprehension. It is very versatile as it can be used in different ways with students of all ages and reading levels. I
Theme is such an important concept when teaching reading. Students are asked to determine the theme of a text over and over again. However, many students struggle with how to identify the theme. That's why I'm sharing some of my favorite ways to teach theme. You'll find theme lesson ideas, theme activities, and theme passage suggestions to help your students finally figure out how to find theme! Sometimes when thinking about theme it is easiest to think about what it is not. Theme is NOT the subject of the text. The subject would be a single word like "childhood" or "friendship." It is NOT a summary. A summary would be several sentences describing the text. Instead, it is the underlying idea of a text. It is what the writer wishes to convey about the subject. Therefore, it is usually written in a phrase or clause. When teaching theme, I find that it's best to introduce the critical components of theme through notes and a class discussion. My favorite kind of notes are theme doodle notes, of course. Since doodles are more engaging, they're a great way to get students focused as you begin teaching about theme. Once students have a general understanding of theme, you might want to have a discussion with students. During the discussion ask students to think of texts that have a theme like "Be careful what you wish for" or "Never give up on your dreams." Then, have students discuss the theme of fairytales or fables like "Beauty and Beast" and "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." The notes and discussion will drive home the idea that the theme is not a single word subject, nor is it a multi-sentence summary. Students will realize that the theme is a truth about life revealed in a phrase or clause. A work's theme can apply to multiple texts. When you teach about theme you'll want to help students realize that themes need to be general enough to apply to many different texts. Take the theme "Be careful what you wish for." That theme can apply to "The Little Mermaid," "Jack and the Beanstalk," and even "Macbeth." It's important for students to realize that themes are universal. You'll also want to expose students to different genres of writing so that students understand that themes are evident in all writing including fiction, nonfiction, prose, and poetry. I've compiled different genres in this theme unit. Since poems are short and compressed, I love using poems to help students develop an understanding of theme. Take a poem like, "Life Doesn't Frighten Me" by Maya Angelou. In Angelou's poem, the speaker is a child. Angelou's message and the poem's theme is to "be brave when faced with your fears." You might share poems like this or some of my other favorites to help students read several texts and practice determining universal themes. The theme is the message that the writer wishes to reveal about its subject. It's what the reader is supposed to learn about life after reading the text. Therefore, it is usually not directly stated in the work. Instead, students will need to think about the plot, conflict, characters, and setting and then make an inference or educated guess. When students consider all the elements of the text, they'll need to infer the theme. One way to help students understand that the story is built around the theme is to have them develop their own stories with a theme in mind. At first, you can have students do this by providing them with themes that they will need to portray in a comic strip or skit. For instance, you might have students doodle a comic for the theme "Two heads are better than one." Or, you could have students work in small groups to come up with a skit that has the theme "Friends always show up when you need them." By writing their own texts, students will begin to see how the theme is infused throughout the work. As students determine the theme of a passage, they'll need to consider a text's plot, characters, conflict, and tone. In other words, they need to think about the entire writing piece and reflect on its message about life. That can be challenging for students. That's why I like to give students many opportunities to practice finding the theme. Task cards and mini-passages work especially great for this. I've taken the idea of theme task cards even further with Learning Take Out activities. Students read fiction and nonfiction passages that they grab from take out containers. The passages are the perfect way for students to develop the ability to identify a text's theme. ------------------------------------------------- As you can tell, there are many ways to teach theme. I think the more chances we can give students to develop their reading skills, the better! If you're looking for some ready-to-teach resources, grab these THEME resources: ⭐--- FINDING THE THEME MINI-UNIT - Doodle Notes and Activities ⭐--- THEME UNIT - 3-Day Theme Unit ⭐--- LEARNING TAKE OUT - Theme Task Cards Thanks for stopping by! Mary Beth P.S. Here's my latest resource for teaching theme!
Kumon Blog is for parents looking for tips, news, and advice, that can help advance their children’s ability in math and reading.
No matter what you teach, at some point you will be a reading teacher. When students struggle in social studies or science, it is often because they are struggling with reading comprehension. This also applies
Looking for techniques to teach visual literacy? Read on to learn about the OPTIC strategy for rhetorical analysis of visual texts and images.
Tips for getting students' attention and quieting a chatty class. Behavior management
Take a deep dive into the common 5 structure options for your ELA literacy block with benefits of each outlined in an informative & actionable manner.
Hi, I'm Magy. I love reading and writing, and I love to teach reading and writing. Currently, I'm a K-8 Reading Specialist, but I've also taught in High
Teaching growth mindset can be done with read-alouds! Rosie's Glasses is a great book for this. Get ideas for using this book to teach being positive.
Every school year is different. Different students, different needs, different plans. But one thing always remains constant: The need for engaging, SHORT novels. Maybe you're filling a shorter amount of time. Maybe you're dealing with short attention spans. Maybe you just need a quick read! Today I’m sharing 10 books your students will LOVE. These books are all 120 pages or less, making them an efficient read. BONUS: You'll also find 4 books that are 140 pages or less that I just couldn't leave off. Explore the list below of the BEST short novels for your school year. Let me know in the comments what I’ve missed and which are your favorites! Engaging Novels under 120 pages: 1. The Tiger Rising by: Kate DiCamillo Rob and Sistine's surprising discovery of a tiger gives them the courage to face past trauma. >>View my read aloud companion for this title on Teachers Pay Teachers!<< 2. Frindle by: Andrew Clements Join Nick Allen as he sparks a language revolution by inventing a new word, 'frindle', and learns about the power of creativity in the process. >>View my read aloud companion for this title on Teachers Pay Teachers!<< 3. Sideways Stories from Wayside School by: Louis Sachar Explore the eccentricities of Wayside School, a thirty-story building with a classroom on each floor, and encounter its quirky students and teachers. >>View my read aloud companion for this title on Teachers Pay Teachers!<< 4. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by: Judy Blume Peter Hatcher navigates the challenges of sibling rivalry and growing up with his mischievous younger brother, Fudge. 5. My Father's Dragon by: Ruth Stiles Gannett A resourceful young boy named Elmer sets off on an adventure to rescue a baby dragon. 6. The Chocolate Touch by: Patrick Skene Catling A boy named John discovers the consequences of his insatiable love for chocolate when everything he touches turns into chocolate. 7. Sounder by: William H. Armstrong A young African American boy and his dog, Sounder, face hardship and injustice in the rural South as they strive to reunite their family. 8. Sarah Plain and Tall by: Patricia MacLachlan A widowed farmer and two children eagerly await the arrival of Sarah, a kind-hearted woman from Maine, as they hope she will become their new mother. 9. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by: Betty MacDonald Enter the whimsical world of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, a magical woman who helps parents solve their children's misbehavior. 10. Fantastic Mr. Fox by: Roald Dahl Mr. Fox outsmarts three mean farmers who are determined to catch him and his family by relying on his cleverness and love for adventure. Engaging Novels under 140 pages: 11. Number the Stars by: Lois Lowry Two young Danish girls, Annemarie and Ellen, display bravery and resilience as they help Ellen escape the Nazis during World War II. >>View my read aloud companion for this title on Teachers Pay Teachers!<< 12. Tuck Everlasting by: Natalie Babbit A young girl named Winnie Foster discovers the Tuck family's secret of immortality and must decide between eternal life and the natural cycle of life and death. >>View my read aloud companion for this title on Teachers Pay Teachers!<< 13. Stuart Little by: E.B. White A small and adventurous mouse named Stuart Little embarks on a series of daring escapades in New York City, searching for his friend Margalo the bird. >>View my read aloud companion for this title on Teachers Pay Teachers!<< 14. Mr. Popper's Penguins by: Richard and Florence Atwater Mr. Popper's life takes a chaotic turn when he unexpectedly receives a penguin as a gift. >>View my read aloud companion for this title on Teachers Pay Teachers!<< Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. The compensation received will never influence the content, topics, or posts made in this blog.
Unsure of how to teach inference? These fun and engaging inferencing activities for middle school will excite your students!
Logical fallacies are best taught by the discovery method. Students look at examples and develop their own definitions of what they see.
Want to help kids develop literacy AND creative thinking skills, all at once? Me too! Next time you have a few spare minutes for a quick and creative literacy break, challenge your kids to try one of these activities! ANALYZE Illustrations Look closely at two different illustrations from two different books. Analyze how the illustrations […]
You can use these kinesthetic activities right away! Incorporate hands-on learning into your child’s lessons and improve long-term learning.
Looking for ways to use comprehension passages in your classroom? Come check out how use mine plus check out my new comprehension one pagers!
Looking for esl task cards to use with your english language learners? Try these picture cards that are perfect for quick and effective language practice!
This blog post explores engaging resources, lessons, and activities for making media literacy relevant in the 21st-century classroom.
Find resources for teaching story elements to kindergarten, first, second, and third grade students including books and hands-on activities.
Revising and editing seem like one in the same, but they're not! This is a simple overview of the difference between the two.
Filler Activities for ELA (blog post) What can you do with five extra minutes in secondary ELA? Here are a few ideas to engage students until the bell.
Find powerful point of view teaching activities and ideas including strong books and anchor charts to strengthen students' understanding.
A blog about reading and writing, and sharing ideas about literacy and RTI for your classroom/ reading, writing, & RTI resources
If Montezuma had an Instagram account, what would he say when Cortez arrived in 1519? My fourth graders have some ideas. We are finishing our study of the conquests of the Inca and Aztec empires and have been reading about … Continue reading →
This really is probably going to be the most disjointed blog post ever! There were a few different education and non-education topics s...
Take close reading to the next level in your classroom. Use the six Close Reading steps guide from Appletastic Learning for a deeper understanding of text.
