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Teaching your students positional words? Need practice sorting pictures by their position and reviewing shapes? This pack is for you!What's included?Included in this pack are 6 worksheets to teach the 4 positional words - in front, on top, below, and under. There are 3 cut and paste worksheets and ...
Teach EVERY reading literature and reading informational text common core state standard using inspirational and engaging short films and video clips! For an entire year of highly engaging, no prep…
Teaching area is engaging and authentic with this hands-on applied math activity! Students arrange furniture to find the area and perimeter of their house.
I like using Gerald McDermott's Native American folktales to teach the Common Core literature standards. The trickster tales are always a delight!
Learn three free ways to track your reading standards. This will help you keep up with the RL and RI standards you teach through the year.
The book Wonder literally allows you to teach all the Common Core Literature Standards with this book! Seriously....Read on to find out how.
Teaching text features to your primary students should be fun and engaging for your students. See many activities and suggestions!
Our state (Tennessee) is moving to the Interactive Read Aloud model as a component of our ELA instruction very soon. I have been using them for the past two years in kindergarten and first grade. I love that you can cover so many standards within each lesson, and I LOVE introducing my students to such quality literature at the same time! At first, I was concerned that students would grow tired of hearing the same text over and over, but it was just the opposite. (Plus, you don't read the whole text everyday.) Students became so engaged and attached to the books I used, that they wanted to hear them over and over again. They even wanted to borrow them during independent reading time. If you asked them for their favorite book titles, it was inevitably one of the books they heard during the interactive read aloud. I felt like I wasn't going deep enough in my read aloud instruction, so this summer, I read lots of research and decided to start creating my own. It's a huge task, but I am loving it! I feel like it has given me a greater grasp on choosing complex text and making sure I cover all the things that my first graders need to be successful readers. The purpose of this post is to take you through what an interactive read aloud lesson looks like and what it looks like over the span of the week. I always like to see what it looks like in other teachers' classrooms, so here we go into mine! And I know that creating interactive read aloud lessons is very time consuming. That's why I have created this series of lessons. Hopefully, they will save you lots of time and energy that you can then use to teach your little ones. Tennessee now uses the TN Ready standards rather than Common Core, but they are almost identical. I included both sets of standards within each month's pacing guides, along with a summary of the main skills or strategies covered with each read aloud. Not only are we expected to teach the Literature and Informational text standards, but we also have to cover the speaking and listening standards, as well as the vocabulary acquisition standards. I included a checklist of those standards, along with student grade sheets for both TN Ready and Common Core. Each unit includes posters for the skills and strategies covered. I have a reading bulletin board in my room where I hang these for the strategies covered that day. I keep the rest close by, so that they can easily be changed out when needed. I also have a mini-pocket chart where I store the vocabulary cards for the week. (A vocabulary instruction card is included that shows you the specific steps to take to teach each vocabulary word." And, of course, I had to include some interactive anchor charts! I show you how to print them as posters in Adobe. We complete these together to make them interactive. I print the weekly lesson plans the week prior to that read aloud. I like to print on Astrobrights so that I can do a different color for each day. I also print the questions that I ask during reading on sticky notes to match the color of the plans. This way, I am not having to refer to that piece of paper for my questions. I can just use my sticky note! The questions included for each day hit all of Bloom's Taxonomy's levels. The questions also progress each day from covering Key Ideas and Details, Craft and Structure, and finally, Integration of Knowledge and Ideas. You don't want to focus on solely one strategy during a read aloud. I might refer to one heavily, but I am hitting lots of others, too. At the end of the week, I give an assessment that assesses that skill I focused on more heavily than the others and include it at the top. Let's break down what a lesson looks like for one day. I always start with something that gets their attention! It might be a song related to our theme for the week. I might do a little activity related to the strategies or skills we are practicing that day, like the inferencing bag below. It's always something to get everyone excited and engaged! We then do our I can statement and cover or review our vocabulary for the week. I include in the unit the steps I take to teach the vocabulary. Vocabulary is a crucial component of the read aloud, so it's important that you hit it each day. We then move into the actual read aloud. On day one, you do not want to stop very much. I usually have students make predictions or visualize. They really want to just hear the story at that point. But on other days, there is lots of questioning, partner talk, and think alouds during reading. After reading, students always respond in their journal. I use this time to assess their understanding of the standard and to incorporate some language instruction. It also gives me insight into how they are interpreting the text. (It's very easy to differentiate during this component, which I love.) I usually have them write independently. Afterwards, we get with a partner and share our thoughts. They discuss what is the same and what is different. Lots of higher order thinking going on! Afterwards, we wrap up our lesson and discuss what we did that day. We also talk about what tomorrow's read aloud will look like. Finally, we finish up with an exit ticket. Usually, I have it displayed on my PowerPoint and they respond on a sticky note or a whiteboard. Nothing fancy! Friday, or the last day, of the unit looks a little different, since we take the assessment. I also always include something fun to do related to the theme. It might include a craft, an art piece, a STEM challenge, or a science experiment. Of course, you don't have to do that on Friday. You could include it on any day of the read aloud. I am still working on a storage plan. So far, I am organizing in binders. But I may move to clear file storage bins. I am knee deep in MISSION ORGANIZATION! Lol! August Interactive Read Aloud Lessons are posted! September will be posted by July 31st. I will always try to have each unit posted one month before it is needed. I will also post it on sale for a short time, so be sure to follow my store and Instagram so that you can a notification as soon as it is posted! I hope these help with your read aloud instruction and make this a favorite part of your day!
Froggy Gets Dressed book activities unit with literacy printables, reading companion activities, lesson ideas & a craft for Kindergarten & First Grade
KINDERGARTEN REPORT CARDS MADE EASY! It is now so easy to assess students and record report cards! These kits are now available in both quarters and trimester versions. The photos on this blog post show the quarters version. Plus, you can now print a FREE kindergarten assessment kit right her
Organize your middle school ELA resources for standards-based learning by starting with the Common Core standards that work together and support each other.
I was tired of flipping through 50 pages to figure out what a certain standard was, so I decided to make this 1 page “Cheat Sheet” that has every Common Core ELA (English Language Arts) standard on 1
Speaking and listening skills need to be explicitly taught and students need time to practice these skills with intentionality.
Caps For Sale book activities unit with literacy printables, reading companion worksheets, lesson ideas, and a craft for Kindergarten and First Grade
I totally forgot to tell you about this great item I made because I started making it over April Vacation stopped and didn't finish till the first days of summer. Labor of Love!!! I have found that many of my kiddos struggle with writing a claim because they just can't recognize one themselves. I created these task cards to help them. On each task card, students are given two to three pieces of evidence supporting one side of a contemporary debate. Using the evidence, students have to choose the best possible claim from three possibilities. This is great as a quick review, a launch to claims, or remediation for your struggling writers. Head on over and check it out!!!
Supercharge your morning work with I Heart Literacy! Each page features a fun theme so your students will not only be practicing reading and ELA skills, but will also be learning about a curriculum-based topic. A wide variety of Common Core skills are addressed. Try these five free pages for free! Happy Teaching! Rachel Lynette ... Read More about Morning Work ELA and Reading Freebie!
So - after planning for hours this weekend, and reading Señorita Reina's comment - I am not alone! WooHoo! I know - it sounds crazy ... but many times I think I am the only one experiencing trouble or that has an issue...chances are ... many others have the same issue.. So - I did some blog stalking research today - Here is what I've found.... First up - WIDA blog This blog - by Tammy King - has been up and running for two years. She highlights trainings, ACCESS for ELL's, ed tech, and data analysis with EL's in mind. She has also written a book on implementing effective instruction for EL's into the classroom. This blog has been added to my bookmarks - I've enjoyed what I have read so far :) #2 Another great ESOL blog - I may have blog stalked Laurah for a while..... :) She has a giveaway running now {hint, hint} and has some WIDA/CCSS aligned units in her tpt store. I was really sad to learn that someone stole their MacBooks and even more heart-broken that her Donor's Choose project to replace them expired in April! Boohoo! #3 ColorínColorado.org This page has a wealth of information - in ABC order! It is also a bilingual site! #4 They also have a blog dedicated to Common Core and ELL's :) The blog *might* be my favorite thing....ever.... The first post that comes up is the back to school writing prompt - with CCSS and expectations for each level of ELL student! #5 The National Writing Project This site addresses issues with Common Core and EL focusing on writing. There are links to journal articles and books for further PD {uh....Christmas Break?} night peeps - time for more cold meds and bed.... yay for bts germs.
hold students accountable while they independently read with these easy to implement reading tips and tricks and strategies
Do you belong to a book club? I never understood the true value of a lively book discussion until I joined a book club as an adult. I am an avid reader, so when I was invited to join a book club, I jumped in with both feet! I gained so much knowledge by debating and discussing the merits of a book and wanted to share this experience with my students. There are a couple of key points I try to remember when I organize literature circles. Mix up your students, personalities and interests will make for livelier discussions. Talk to your students about how to object or give a dissenting opinion in a respectful manner. Although everyone has genres that we naturally gravitate towards, it's important for readers to stretch themselves. One of the book clubs I belonged to, read a book from a different genre each month. I don't necessarily enjoy every genre, but because of this experience, I discovered a couple of new ones to love. Sometimes it's a matter of reading the right book! Focus on two genres when you organize literature circles. Organized this way, you can let students meet with groups of the same book and groups of the same genre. For a whole group lesson, compare and contrast the two genres with a venn diagram. The great thing about Literature Circles is that it can be used with such a wide range of age levels. When I taught first grade, two of my reading groups were reading G.E. 2.5 or higher. I still met with these groups for skill work, plus I gave them time to meet as a Literature Circle for enrichment. This is also a good way to differentiate if you teach older students. I've been helping my daughter's 6th grade teacher, Sandy, set up Literature Circles for her classroom. (the pictures are from her classroom) When you have 30 students for half a day, time is a valuable commodity. Differentiating with young students is hard, but half a day with 30 students is a greater challenge. It took the two or us working together three days to put 60 kids in 22 groups! Yes, you heard me right . . . 22 groups. Putting a 1st grade class in literature circles and a 6th grade class in literature circles has similarities, but also some differences. In 6th grade you see a greater difference with fluency rates. Sandy's wanted her students to finish their book in 6 weeks. Fluency rate and ability level were the first two things we considered when putting them in groups. Then we looked at personalities. Some students work well in large group, others do better in small groups. Our largest group has 4 students and our smallest has 2. I will never complain about meeting with 4 or 5 reading groups again. Here are the tubs, ready to begin the first rotation on Monday. Each folder has a blue note attached with the students' names and title of book they will read. Behind the folder are their books. Inside the folders I attached page protectors to the prongs to hold the necessary assignments. In the past, I had a tub of files folders that held the assignments. But, I hated the long lines. Although this took more time to put together, I believe in the "pay it forward" philosophy. The student who is the C.E.O. of the group will be in charge of getting their group's folder from the tub. Since each folder has assignments for 5 jobs and only one student will get it, that means 4 students or 80% less students standing in line. Here is the bulletin board where the students find out their job assignment. The orange and yellow wheels are the job wheels. The green notes are the charts showing the groups. To save time and space, you can put two groups on one wheel. I typed up even numbered groups in red and odd numbered groups in blue. I can use the same wheel each year. Just put a new label over the top! There are many wonderful literature circle printables on the internet. There were a couple of specific things I was looking for, so I tweaked the forms and made my own. My jobs are: C.E.O.: This is the boss of the group. The C.E.O. is in charge of getting the folder, handing out assignments, and leading the discussion. The C.E.O. also has an assignment to do. The C.E.O. will complete a connection assignment. It can be connection to self, world, or text. He or she will draw a picture with at least 5 different colors and write at least 3 sentences. The Dictionary Director will find 3 words from the reading assignment. The words will be whatever our current grammar/writing focus is during our lessons. I.E. If we are studying adjectives, the D.D. will find 3 interesting adjectives from the reading assignments. The D.D. can look up the words in a dictionary or can use the computers or iPads. The Map maker has a choice of 3 assignments. He or she may complete a character map, venn diagram, or story element chart. The Newscaster is looking for the main ideas in the reading assignment. He or she will take notes of important characters and events and give a "newscast" when the group meets. The Quiz Whiz is in charge of testing the group's knowledge. No basic knowledge questions are allowed! Questions should either be predictions, explain: how/why's, connections/comparisons, or opinion questions. Literature Circles Looking for more ideas? An InLinkz Link-up
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs book activities unit with literacy printables & reading companion worksheets for Kindergarten, First Grade, Second
Improve comprehension with these engaging and fun reading comprehension strategies! They'll learn important skills that are easy to remember.
These 2nd Grade I Can Checklists are written by The Curriculum Corner. Provided are free checklists, posters, tracking pages & more.
Find strategies for teaching ELA academic vocabulary with graphic organizers for students, a word wall, and engaging games from mixed-upfiles.com
It's been a while since I've posted a project - it always seems to be that I'll have a couple of weeks where we are "in process", then sudd...
*A DIGITAL OPTION HAS BEEN INCLUDED FOR GOOGLE SLIDES AND FORMS/GOOGLE CLASSROOM* Be sure to re-download! There are directions and links inside the pdf. Hello, ELA! This resource is a unique way to get your students warmed up at the beginning of your ELA block. Each month contains 4-5 weeks of ELA bell work, which will have a theme around the season, national holidays, or events associated with that particular month. The morning work is focused on ELA 6th Grade Common Core Standards. Each day has a thematic structure to cover language standards as well as enhance vocabulary and comprehension skills. Save money by purchasing the year long BUNDLE! ELA Daily Review 6th Grade {Growing Bundle} Each week follows a predictable and engaging structure: Meaningful Monday: Monday is focused on making meaning. Tasks will focus on synonyms, antonyms, vocabulary words, context clues, and making meaning in a short amount of text. Some tasks may require students to make meaning in the text (inference, message, adages, proverbs, etc.) or build vocabulary skills. Text Structure Tuesday: Tuesdays will have a paragraph that requires students to identify the text structure, signal words, main idea, author's perspective, or vocabulary, or any other question types related to the Craft and Structure standards. Wordy Wednesday: Wednesday is all about working with words. Tasks include working with shades of meaning, homophones, spelling, prefixes, suffixes, roots, and other word skills. Throwback Thursday: Thursday is all about grammar usage and conventions. Figurative Friday: Figurative Friday tasks include working with various types of figurative language including similes, metaphors, idioms, poems, alliteration, structures of poems and more! This ELA + Math Morning Work is available for the following grade levels: ELA + Math Bundles 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade ELA Bundles 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade ELA Weekly Assessments 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade 6th Grade Math Bundles 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade 🛑 Are you a member of the TLL Membership? These materials are already included. If you are not a member, click here to learn more. The TLL Membership gives you an all-access pass to hundreds of ELA resources for teachers in Grades 3-5.Let’s connect! The Literacy Loft Blog The Literacy Loft on Instagram The Literacy Loft on Pinterest The Literacy Loft on Facebook I hope this resource works for you! Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] with any questions, comments, or feedback. - Jessica
Visual literacy explicitly teaches a collection of competencies that will help students think through, think about, and think with pictures.
Making inferences worksheets and activities aren't always easy for students, but there are fun ways to teach this challenging reading skill.
Pigeon HAS to Go to School book activities unit with reading comprehension worksheets, book companion activities, printables, lesson ideas, and craft
Hi Friends…. The past two weeks we have been working on Prefixes and Suffixes in our second-grade classroom! My kiddos were having such a good time brainstorming words with prefixes and then figuring out the meaning. They really had a strong grasp of the concept… I was pretty impressed. After our whole … Prefixes, Suffixes and a FREEBIE Just for YOU! Read More »
A multiple choice quiz after reading is a quick and easy way to check student comprehension, but it doesn't allow you to assess deeper understanding and it certainly isn't fun or creative. If you are looking for more meaningful and engaging activities to use with students during literature circles or a novel unit, here's twelve ideas that are favorites in my classroom and the Common Core standards they align with.
ALL ABOUT FALL Fall is almost here! Those long hot days in August at the beginning of the school year are just about the hardest days of the entire year for me. I am just so tired. But as soon as the mornings are cool and the days start to get shorter, I get a huge burst of energy. Fall
Free reading comprehension passages for grades 2 - 3
