Character analysis can be a difficult concept to teach and practice since there are so many layers to it. From a test prep perspective, students need to be

Middle School ELA Solutions To Reach Every Learner - Differentiated Reading Writing Activities, Lessons, Ideas. Intervention for Reading and Writing

Hands-on and engaging activities help students learn and remember important concepts and key ideas. One way to get students actively engaged in learning is to use sticky notes in the classroom. Here’s a list of seven ways to use sticky notes in the classroom and what to do with the sticky notes at the end of the lesson. 1. Book flags for close reading and novel study I cut up sticky notes in thirds and distribute them to my students to use as book flags for when we read novels as a class. As we read the novel, I encourage students to write notes on the sticky notes and to jot down any important ideas. Since the novels we read in class are checked out from the school library, this is a way that I can model and teach text annotation and active reading to my students without destroying school property. For longer sections of text or after you finish a chapter, you can provide students with larger sticky notes. Instruct students to write a brief summary of the text on the note and then place the note in the book so that it flags the end of the chapter. This will help students remember what they read. 2. Collaborative Brainstorming and Gallery Walks Sticky notes are great for collaborative brainstorming activities and gallery walk exercises. Students participate in these activities by writing information on the sticky note and then posting the notes on chart paper or the whiteboard. This can be done as a jigsaw activity where students in different groups complete various aspects of an activity and then share their findings with the rest of the class. 3. Peer Editing For however many papers you would like your students to peer edit, provide them with that many sticky notes. For each paper that students peer edit, I have them write what the author of the paper did well on the front of the sticky note and how he or she can improve the paper on the back of the sticky note. Once they are done with that essay, they place the sticky note on the back of the paper and move on to their next peer editing task. This activity provides students with positive feedback and constructive criticism on how to improve their papers. 4. Literary Analysis Using sticky notes for literary analysis is a fun way to closely read fiction and gain a deeper understanding of the text. Whenever I use sticky notes for literary analysis, I only focus on one or two literary elements at a time. I have my students draw a picture of the literary element or device on the top of the note, write a supporting quote underneath the drawing, and explain the significance of the device underneath the note. I use this same method with this Sticky Note Literary Analysis Unit and Literary Analysis Mini Flip Book. Also, you can check out my post about 15 literary analysis questions you can ask your students. If you would like to try using sticky notes for literary analysis with your students, download this FREE ORGANIZER! 5. Exit Ticket One fun and easy way to use sticky notes in the classroom is to use them as an exit slip or a ticket out the door. I hand each student a sticky note and have them write their names and the answer to a question on the note. As they leave class for the day, the students place the notes on the door. 6. Class Survey I recently used sticky notes with my seniors to get their opinion about which rhetorical appeal was most effective in the speech we were analyzing. I gave each student a sticky note and had them answer the question before posting the note on the board in its designated area. Once we were done with the task, I had my students look at the results and discuss them as a class. 7. Multiple Close Readings When I told my seniors that they were going to read an article four different times, they looked at me as if I was a space alien. They were reluctant to believe that they would gain any additional information or insight from subsequent reads. After my students read the article once for understanding, I then had them read it three more times, each time analyzing the article for something specific: good arguments the author made, weak points in the author’s arguments, and the author’s use of emotionally-charged words. I had my students document their findings on a different sticky note each time they read the text. Once the exercise was complete, they were surprised to see just how much they gained and how differently they read the article each time by looking at it through a different lens. Also, here are some close reading strategies to use in the classroom that really work! What Do I Do with These Notes? Once my students are done with the sticky notes, I always have a difficult time tossing the then in the trash. Instead of throwing the notes away, I take pictures of the completed project and post the pictures onto a Padlet. A Padlet is similar to an online bulletin board that can be posted on Google Classroom. Posting the sticky note work on Padlet and Google Classroom is especially helpful if students are absent or if you wish to return to the content later on in the year. Looking for more ways to incorporate sticky notes in the classroom? Check out these ideas and resources! Sticky Note Review Game by Addie Williams Novel Scavenger Hunt by The SuperHERO Teacher Chart Paper, Post-Its, and Formative Assessments by Room 213 Close Reading and Student Accountability by Room 213

This is a great way to help children with retelling a story. It builds comprehension, sequencing and it is fun! It is simple – on a long piece of bulletin board paper – draw a winding path. At the beginning of the path, draw a visual clue of the first event. I did this Storytelling […]

This set includes a total of 40 "I can" learning objective posters aligned with Kindergarten Common Core standards. The posters are printable and easy to hang or post in your classroom when targeting specific skills. ALL English Language Arts (ELA) standards are represented, including literature, informational text, foundational skills, writing, and speaking & listening. The pages contain kid-friendly "I can" statements that you can refer to as you teach. The exact standard is also included at the bottom of each page as a teacher reference. Keep these posters up during literacy centers, literature circles, writing lessons, and other instructional time to highlight the standards you are targeting as you teach. ********************************************************************* Tips for Customers! Click on the ★ above to follow my store! If you have questions or problems please contact me through Product Q & A and I'll get back to you as soon as I can! Disclaimer: These resources and materials are for supplementary support/education purposes and not intended as a replacement for counseling, education, or other necessary supports. Educators, parents, counselors, and others who utilize these materials are encouraged to seek out additional support, as needed. *********************************************************************

This blog post features five free idiom activities, like a free idioms PowerPoint, game, task cards, and an engaging anchor chart!

This is a great way to help children with retelling a story. It builds comprehension, sequencing and it is fun! It is simple – on a long piece of bulletin board paper – draw a winding path. At the beginning of the path, draw a visual clue of the first event. I did this Storytelling […]

Executive functioning skills are the abilities in the brain that help kids plan, organize, initiate tasks, focus, and complete tasks. Read more about executive functioning skills here, or consider some resources to get started right away. Resources for Elementary Learners: Use an interactive

By Presto Plans With the pressure for secondary teachers to meet curriculum expectations in such a limited time, building a classroom community can sometimes be put on the back burner. What many teachers don’t realize is that by intentionally taking time to build a positive community in your classroom, you can ease the challenges of classroom management, improve student attitude toward learning, and create an environment where students feel welcomed and supported. Below are my 5 favorite ways to build classroom community in middle and high school. Establish a positive classroom community by having students complete short activities that encourage kindness, collaboration, teamwork, expression, and the sharing of ideas and opinions. These challenges don’t need to take up a lot of time. Have them last 5-10 minutes. They can be used daily as a bell-ringer, weekly as a fun Friday activity, or even randomly when you finish class a few minutes early! How it works: The teacher sets up a "Classroom Challenge" bulletin board display that includes 20 hidden activity prompts. Once a challenge is revealed, the teacher finds the corresponding activity, passes it out to the class, and they are ready to go! Here are a few of the prompts I include in my challenge to give you an idea of the types of activities can help build community: • Write a thank you card for someone you appreciate. • Talk for one minute to a partner about the topic you receive from your teacher. • Write a top 10 list on the topic of your choice. • Imagine you are stuck on a deserted island. Pick one book, one movie, and one other item to bring. • Play a game of 20 questions with a partner. You know that nostalgic feeling you get when you are reminiscing with your friends about times past? Bring that into your room with “Classroom Throwbacks.” Students use small cards to write down funny, interesting, and memorable moments that happen within the classroom and put it in the “Classroom Thowbacks” jar/box. You can have students fill out the cards randomly, or you can pass them out from time to time, put students in small groups, and have them fill the cards out with a couple memories. Once the throwback jar starts to accumulate some cards, you can begin sharing them in class. You might consider sharing one a week for a “Throwback Thursday” activity. Grab this free resource by clicking here. I once had a principal who left notes of appreciation (and a small treat) in teachers’ mailboxes for little things she had noticed them doing (staying late at school working, helping out at an after-school event, giving extra help at lunch etc.). It was such a small gesture, but it had a dramatic impact on the morale of the staff. Build this same kind of morale in your classroom by finding ways to celebrate your students for the things you see them doing that deserve some praise and appreciation. There are lots of ways you can do this. You can post student work in your classroom, call or email parents to brag up those students who don’t often get a pat on the back, or even have a student of the month/week display for those who deserve special recognition! I also like to keep funny cards tucked away in my desk for those occasions where a student surprises or impresses me. Ask for volunteers for “student paparazzi”. Their job is to take pictures of students in the classroom and send them to you via email to print and post. Of course, students should only take pictures when you deem it appropriate. They could take some before and after the bell rings or during a class activity (when appropriate and with permission) or at the end of the period if class finishes up a couple minutes early. When you post the pictures in your classroom, consider framing them! I pick up low-cost frames at the dollar store and put them in different locations in my classroom (on the wall, on my desk, on the desk at the front of my room, on a bookshelf). No need to go use expensive photo paper. Simply print the pictures on regular letter paper to fit the frame's size (pictures below from the classrooms of @CamilaCdipietro and @Tarafarah7) Framed photos create a home-like, family atmosphere where students feel welcomed and accepted. If you have a classroom website or social media account, you could also post the pictures there as long as you have parent media release permission forms. Providing students with an opportunity to reflect on the positive moments of the week and look forward to the next week is another way to help foster classroom community. One way you can do this is by starting a weekly tradition called “Friday 5-4-3-2-1”. Students fill out the sheet by jotting down 5 things that made them smile, 4 words to describe the week, 3 things they have planned for the weekend, 2 things they learned, and 1 goal they have. Give students a few minutes to fill it out and have them share with a partner, a small group, or have a whole class discussion. If you’d like to try this out with your students, you can download it for free here. You can also choose to make up your own 5 prompts, as a blank version is included! Just write the prompts on the board and students can fill it out. Looking for more ways to promote class community? Find more ideas below! Student-Teacher Conferences from The SuperHERO Teacher Classroom Community Bell-Ringers from The Daring English Teacher The Kindness Project from Room 213 Do you have any other ideas for fostering a positive classroom community? Click the comments button at the top of the post and share your ideas! SaveSave SaveSave

Escape rooms are not only the latest craze, but a tool that can help kids work towards their learning goals. An escape room is a challenge that allows kids to work together solving a variety of puzzles in order to "break out" of a room. There are different "reasons" for why kids are locked it. Somet

Updated Grade 4 IAR ELA practice workbook for the 2021-22 state test prep. Designed by expert teachers to help your student succeed on the Illinois student learning assessments.Lumos tedBook for Grade 4 English Language Arts Illinois state test prep offers online access to two realistic practice tests that mirror the 2021-22 Illinois test blueprints as well as a comprehensive review of 4th Grade ELA standards. It provides an efficient pathway for 4th Graders to succeed on the IAR for English Language Arts.Trusted by over 475,000 students, 69,600 teachers & 31,500 schools to improve student performance in assessments.Grade 4 ELA IAR Test Prep tedBook's Benefits for Students;Two online practice tests that mimic the 4th Grade Illinois ELA testPractice IAR tech-enhanced items (TEI)Personalized study plan tailored to address learning gapsBenefits of IAR 4th Grade ELA Test Practice Workbook for Parents as a Home Learning Resource;Performance reports to monitor learning progressionLanguage Arts lessons & practice resources to support skills masteryConvenient access to all resources & reports through the StepUp mobile appBenefits of the 4th Grade IAR ELA Workbook for Teachers;Access to teaching resources to boost ELA scores on Grade 4 Illinois state testsTools for differentiated ELA instructionDetailed standards reporting to pinpoint strengths & weaknessesEdSearch to build ELA resource kits, quizzes within minutesSmart Test Prep Methodology for Success on Illinois State AssessmentsWith over a decade of experience in developing practice resources for standardized tests, Lumos Learning has designed the Smart Test Prep methodology to help students succeed on Illinois assessments. This proven methodology offers students realistic IAR practice & the tools to overcome every proficiency gap.In the Lumos Smart Test Prep cycle, students complete the first online IAR practice test that will allow the system to identify proficiency gaps. A personalized study plan is then generated by the system precisely tailored to address each student's partial proficiency topics. Based on the study plan's recommendations, students can efficiently complete the appropriate lessons in the workbook. After completing the study plan, students can attempt the targeted remedials assigned online to reinforce the concepts and provide foundational skills practice where necessary. After completing the remedial practice, students can take the second online IAR practice test to demonstrate their readiness and standards mastery. This methodology saves test prep time and offers empathetic remediation to help students succeed with individualized practice.4th Grade Language Arts Printed Workbook for Illinois State Test Practice Includes;Complete Grade 4 English Language Arts Illinois standards practice;Reading: LiteratureReading: Informational TextLanguageELA questions with answer keys & explanationsStrategies to improve speed & accuracy on the testGive your student the Lumos tedBook advantage today!Illinois State Tests or IAR is the student assessment conducted by Illinois State Department of Education, which is not affiliated with Lumos Learning. Illinois Department of Education has not endorsed the contents of this book.The online access provided with the book purchase is limited and shall not include full access to the complete Lumos StepUp Program.

All grade and age levels need to concretely learn and practice active reading strategies. Just because reading comprehension strategies are more explicitly taught and focused on in primary grades doesn't mean that middle and high school level teachers shouldn't be teaching and reinforcing, too! Actu

If you are tired of searching for a solid reading program, look no further. Pathway to Fluency is a complete and comprehensive Science of Reading

As a teacher, I am always on the hunt for the perfect tools at the cheapest prices for my ELA classroom. Taking care of our students and keeping our learning

This is a great way to help children with retelling a story. It builds comprehension, sequencing and it is fun! It is simple – on a long piece of bulletin board paper – draw a winding path. At the beginning of the path, draw a visual clue of the first event. I did this Storytelling […]

If you are tired of searching for a solid reading program, look no further. Pathway to Fluency is a complete and comprehensive Science of Reading

Would you like to decorate your classroom with fun, hand-drawn anchor charts/posters? Do you simply not have the time to get them done? Well, you have come to the perfect place! I love making these engaging and appealing anchor charts. I also can draw/create any other topic you would like, just contact me directly and ask! My students absolutely love these posters and references them every day. Many of them are visual learners, so the colorful images really help them connect and remember what they have learned. This particular anchor chart is for readers/writers learning about annotation. I think the visuals for this really help students see what each marking should look like within their own writing! **These will be copies unless asked otherwise for a custom poster. They are not laminated, and are printed on normal, anchor chart paper. I ship these out ASAP after being ordered, but please keep in mind once shipped, it is outside of my control. Therefore, if shipping does not meet your expectations, I highly encourage you to please reach out to me first, and we have always been able to work something out to make up for anything that may have occurred after I have sent your package, thanks so much!! Hope you love it :)

Homophones drive adults crazy, let alone our students! Make the fun anchor chart on this post, then play learning games on the computer that make learning homophones not only easy, but fun! Don't miss the fun video and the freebie!

Foster a growth mindset in your upper elementary and middle school students this year with these four FREE learning activities! They can be set up as stations around your upper elementary classroom! Topics include the brain, positive self-talk, dealing with mistakes, and accepting feedback.

Luz de Jardim Solar em LED Redonda Ilumine seu jardim com eficiência e estilo com a Luz de Jardim Solar em LED Redonda! Se você está procurando por uma solução de iluminação para seu jardim sem fios e instalações complicadas, esta luz é a escolha certa. Com a eficiência da iluminação solar em LED e seu design redondo elegante e moderno, ela será um item perfeito para complementar a decoração do seu jardim. ESPECIFICAÇÕES Modo de trabalho: controle automático de luz, luz constante Fonte de luz: LED Cor da luz: branco frio, branco quente, várias cores Potência: 0,06-1W Voltagem: 1,2V DC Fonte de alimentação: Painel Solar, 2V 40mAh Bateria: 1,2V/40MA H, bateria Ni-MH (Ni-Cd) Dimensão: 10*15 cm (aprox.) APROVEITE A QUEIMA DE ESTOQUE Comprando hoje além garantir descontos de até 40% você ainda ganha:Entrega Grátis + Garantia ExclusivaClique no Botão COMPRAR AGORA e garanta o seu!À partir de 12x de R$ 11,58.   PRODUTO EXCLUSIVO A venda da Luz de Jardim Solar em outros sites é expressamente proibida. Garanta o acesso a compra exclusiva através deste site oficial de comércio Jardim e Casa evitando falsificações.

Social and emotional skills are foundational for kids to be successful in and out of the classroom. They involve everything: having a firm grasp of our values, recognizing our strengths and challenges, understanding social situations, developing strong relationships with others, managing our emotion

All kids benefit from practicing mindfulness. Who wouldn't love the kids and young adults we work with to become more focused, calm, in control, and self-aware? Mindfulness is a technique that can help teach and strengthen those abilities over time. By practicing mindfulness, people can learn to bec

A wonder wall has been a great addition to my classroom! These wonder bubbles can be used in a variety of ways. They are perfect to incorporate into your Genius Hour or into your Common Core curriculum. My kids love writing and re-writing their "wonders." First, decide which type of bubbles (no lines, dotted lines, single lines, colored, black & white) fits your students best and laminate them. Then, take a picture of your students in a “wondering” pose. Finally, display them along with the variety of choices for a heading. To use, have your students write on them with a dry-erase marker. You can have them write a specific wonder that goes along with a unit you are studying, or have them write and change their wonders as they answer them and have new ones! What is included: → Directions on how I use the bubbles → FOUR different headings for you to choose from to display with your Wonder Bubbles → 7 Wonder Bubbles without lines to write on → 7 Wonder Bubbles with handwriting lines to write on → 7 Wonder Bubbles with single lines to write on → TWO different color choices - Colored OR Black & White __________________________________________________________________ Don't forget that leaving feedback earns you points toward FREE TPT purchases! I love seeing how you are using them in your own classrooms! Also, click here to follow me and be notified when new products are uploaded. New products are always on sale for the first 48 hours they are posted. You'll be the first to know. Please contact me with any questions! Thank you so much, Sarah Barnett ❤️

Throughout my years teaching middle school, I have had the experience of seeing many "work refusals". These are the situations when kids, for a variety of reasons, just refuse to start the work you give them. They might shut down and rest their head on their desk or lash out in anger, shouting about

Use these digital social emotional learning resources to support students with SEL needs using Google Drive. Resources include materials for mindful breathing, managing emotions, executive functioning skills, and more.

Here’s an archive of our downloadable activities so far- feel free to download and print off any of these to use yourself or with your club / group / scouts troop / evil supervillain society&…