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.
Paragraph writing is a big challenge for many students. This post includes a step-by-step method to help your students write great paragraphs in no time.
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 »
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!
The creativity and generosity of the online teaching community never ceases to amaze me. I have spent a couple of weeks collating resources for my department from my Twitter back catalogue, an…
Get organized with a daily and weekly ELA plan so that you feel confident and prepared. Planning the structure of a class period varies by unit. Start here!
Teaching theme is not an easy task! Not only do students need to have a strong comprehension of the story's elements (like plot, setting, and characters), but they also have to be able to make inferences to find the author's message, since most themes are not overtly stated by the author. So, what are some of my favorite activities for helping kids understand theme? I'll list a number of them here. 1. Make an Anchor Chart Anchor charts are a great way to make learning visual and to have a record that kids can refer to when they need a bit of extra support. Theme may be defined in a number of ways. To me, the theme is the author's message or what he/she wants the reader to take away/learn from the story. It is a BIG idea, with a real-world or universal concern and can be applied to anyone. Besides talking about what a theme is, you'll also want to go over what it isn't. For example, some kids confuse the main idea of the story with its theme. To help students understand the difference, it's helpful to use stories that everyone in the class knows, like previous read alouds or classic stories like The Three Little Pigs. You can take each story and discuss the main idea (what the story was mostly about - specific to the story) vs. the theme (the lesson the author wants the reader to know - not specific to the story), to contrast the two ideas. The second area of confusion for some kids is that the theme is not specific to the characters in the story. In the book Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes, for example. The theme would not be that...A little mouse named Chrysanthemum learned to accept the uniqueness of her name. The theme would be larger than the book and would be something like...It's important to accept oneself. Also, you'll want to explain to your students that often times, a book has multiple themes and there are several answers which work equally well to describe a book's theme. Since theme is very subjective, I tell students that I will accept any answer, as long as they have the text evidence to prove it. For example, in the book, Wonder, by R.J. Palacio, one might argue that the theme is about friendship, another might say family, or even courage, or kindness. Any one of these themes would be right, and counted as such, since they each fit the story and could be supported by text evidence. 2. Use Pixar Shorts to Practice Theme Besides the sheer enjoyment which comes from watching these mini-films, your students can learn a lot about reading concepts from these. They're great for ELL students or for struggling readers, and for all readers really since the text complexity piece is removed. You can find these clips on YouTube, but you'll want to make sure to preview them first, so you're more familiar with the plot and are able to focus on theme questions. Here are some of my favorite Pixar Shorts for teaching theme: Piper Partly Cloudy Lava Boundin' 3. Use Mentor Texts Mentor texts are one of my go-to teaching tools as picture books are able to portray examples of just about any reading concept you need to teach. One thing I like to do when using mentor texts for theme, is to vary the types of questions I ask. Rather than always saying What is the theme?, I might ask... What is the deeper meaning of this story? After reading this book, what do you think matters to this author? Which idea from the story do you think might stay with you? What did the author want people to learn from this story?... Once kids answer, you might say, Ah...so that's the theme! Some of my current mentor text favorites for theme include the following: Ish by Peter H. Reynolds I Wish I Were a Butterfly by James Howe Journey by Aaron Becker (a wordless book) Beautiful Oops by Barry Saltzberg The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires Spoon by Amy Krouse Rosenthal Pete and Pickles by Berkeley Breathed If you're looking for more titles, I have a FREE Mentor Text List for Literature which includes a page on theme which you can download from my TpT store. 4. Use Posters with Themes to Chart Book Themes I like to choose 8 - 10 common themes and place posters of them in the classroom. These are included in my Theme unit but you could easily make them yourself if you'd like. After we finish a class novel, a read aloud, or a mentor text as part of a mini-lesson, I like to have the kids discuss the theme of the book. Once we decide on the theme, I place a miniaturized copy of the book's cover (about 3 x 3 inches or so) under the correct theme poster. You can also make the posters more interactive by allowing kids to write titles of books they have recently read on sticky notes, under the posters as well. 5. Use Songs to Practice Finding the Theme I love to add music to the classroom whenever possible. Not only does it add instant motivation for some kids, but it is also just good for them in so many ways. There are lots of songs you can use to teach theme, from current pop songs to oldies, rap songs, and country songs. While all of these work well, I especially enjoy using Disney songs. Disney songs are easily recognized for some kids, have catchy, fun tunes, and have lyrics that need no censoring (yay!). You can easily find the lyrics online to project on a smartboard or document projector, and the song clips may be found on YouTube, Here are some of my favorite Disney songs which work well for theme: Hakuna Matata from Lion King Just Keep Swimming from Finding Dory Reflection from Mulan Let it Go from Frozen Something There from Beauty and the Beast A Whole New World from Aladdin 6. Introduce Short Texts Using Task Cards Using task cards for theme gives your students a great deal of practice in a short period of time, which makes them a perfect way to begin to practice finding the theme using text. I love the fact that students can read multiple task card stories and practice finding the theme 20 - 30 times, in the time it might take to read a story and find the theme once. You can do task cards as a center activity, to play Scoot, or as a whole class scavenger hunt. One thing I like to do for the scavenger hunt is to make sure everyone has a partner and to pair stronger readers with struggling readers. 7. Add Some Writing After students have worked on theme for a week or two, I like to have students create their own short stories which show a strong theme, without directly stating it. This changes each student's role from a theme finder, to a theme creator and gives students insight into how authors create a situation that allows a theme to unfold. When I introduce this project, we refer back to the task cards we just completed, as an example of story length and rich content. In a matter of 2 - 3 paragraphs, students learn that they can include enough information to let our readers know our message. After students are finished creating these short stories, it's fun to share them in some way, to give more theme practice. Sometimes I have students meet in small groups to share out, with group members guessing the theme. Other years, I leave a stack on my desk and grab several if we have a few minutes. Either the students or I read the short story out loud, and the class discusses the theme. 8. Move to Passages, Short Stories, and Novels. Once we have scaffolded a great foundation for the understanding of theme, there comes a point where kids have to move on to text which is more challenging. I like to use page-long passages which I have created, before using short stories, and ultimately novels. If you're looking for some ready made materials to help you teach theme, here's a packet I love to use which works well for 4th and 5th Graders. Click here to read more about the Theme unit. Want some more teaching ideas and activities to teach theme? Click here to read Teaching Themes in Literature. If you like this post, make sure to share it with a teacher friend! Thanks so much for stopping by! For more ideas and strategies focused on upper elementary, be sure to sign up for The Teacher Next Door's free email newsletter! Bonus, you'll also gain access to my FREE Resource Library which contains exclusive upper elementary freebies that you won't find anywhere else! I'd love to connect with you! The Teacher Next Door's Website Pinterest Facebook Instagram TpT Store
Get an outline for teaching all the reading and writing standards in your Middle School ELA class.
Novel Brochure - Pamphlet for Google Classroom Freebie! This resource allows students to create a pamphlet that can be edited for ANY novel! The file contains a Google Drive link that can be used for Google Classroom. **Be sure to MAKE A COPY of the link and save to your own Google Drive Enjoy! Ratings on freebies are greatly appreciated! :) YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY: 5th Grade Novel Studies Bundle (5 Novels) Wonder Novel Study Holes Novel Study Number the Stars Novel Study Esperanza Rising Novel Study Bridge to Terabithia Novel Study ______________________________________________________________________ Tips for Savvy TpT Shoppers: How to receive credit on TpT to use for future purchases: • Go to your My Purchases page. Under each purchase you'll see a Provide Feedback button. Simply click it and you will be taken to a page where you can give a quick rating and leave a short comment for the product. I value your feedback greatly as it helps me determine which products are most valuable for your classroom so I can create more for you. Be the first to know about my new discounts, FREEBIES, and products: • Look for a green star near the top of any page within my store and click it to become a follower. You will now be able to see FREEBIES and customized emails from my store! ©2017 StudentSavvy All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only. (unless you purchase the multiple license)
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
Scrambled paragraphs are a fun literacy activity your kids will love. This activity contains 5 interesting passages to scramble and re-arrange correctly. Students will use logic and transition words like "for example", "however", and "finally" to determine the correct order. Great activity to reinforce text structures!Each passage contains six sentences. The passages increase in difficulty, making this activity easy to differentiate. This works great as a station activity for helping teach students organization in writing. It can be useful scaffolding for students who are struggling with constructing paragraphs of their own.Answer key is included.No prep, ready to print and use! Teachers are saying: "We loved this resource. I set these up as stations. The kids went around in their groups and tried to put the paragraphs together in the correct order. It was interesting to see how the sequential one was the easiest one for him to complete. This was the perfect activity for our class needs." Format: PDF
Teaching blackout poetry is an engaging way to help spruce up your poetry unit. Show a few examples, and your students will be eager to create a blackout masterpiece of their own. Keep reading to learn what blackout poetry is and just what you need to do to teach it. So, you’re thinking about teaching… Read More »A Beginner’s Guide To Teaching Blackout Poetry
teaching ideas, upper elementary classroom ideas, reading ideas,resources for the upper elementary classroom, teaching grammar, graphic organizers
Do you need parts of speech posters for your classroom? This post has several classroom décor resources to help teachers prepare an engaging learning environment.
✨ BEST-SELLER✨ This nonfiction graphic organizer works w/ any type of informational text or nonfiction passage: use it again & again. Students love the non-fiction text activities like the Nonfiction Text Features scavenger hunt & the fun dice Nonfiction Game | Nonfiction Reading response worksheet. Perfect for summarizing nonfiction text, teaching nonfiction reading skills, nonfiction centers, no-prep sub-plans, close reading, teaching nonfiction reading strategies, informational writing research breakdown, nonfiction book reports...etc! Includes print & digital versions. Looking for a fun & engaging activities for nonfiction text | informational texts that's age-appropriate for your upper-grades? (Upper-Elementary - Middle School, Secondary) Do your students struggle with reading comprehension when it comes to nonfiction passages or informational texts? This best-selling Informational Text Breakdown & Nonfiction Reading Response is just the thing! ***Use again & again & again Magazine articles (Time for Kids, National Geographic, Scholastic News...) Websites (Newsela, Read Theory, Common Lit, Read Works...etc Brochures (I have students bring back brochures from their trips!) Nonfiction Reading Comprehension Passages ...etc This nonfiction graphic organizer has been updated to include both the PDF print & (editable) digital | google slide versions. PDF Version works as EASLE activity or assessment. Each response page is JAM-PACKED with Common Core aligned ELA concepts. #NOFLUFF ✅ DOWNLOAD the PREVIEW to Learn More These Informational Text Summary Activities are ALL on a single page: Pre-Read Section: Prediction Activate Schema Ask a Question Reading Response Section: Main Idea Supporting details | evidence Author's Purpose | text evidence Reflection Connection to text Questions I still have Vocabulary Text Feature Scavenger Hunt Section Author Information | Boldface Words | Bullet Points | Picture Captions | Graph Chart Diagram | Contact Information | Drawing Fact | Opinion | Italicized Words | Glossary Heading | Index | List | Map | Subheading | Subtitle | Photographs | Questions | Answers | Table of Contents | Title | Timeline | Pronunciation Guide Click Here for my ✨FREE✨ Nonfiction Text Feature Anchor Chart Editable Nonfiction Roll & Respond Extension: After reading the article students can dive in deeper to the text with one of these fun activity suggestions! Students decide which response activity they will complete by rolling a dice. Valuable Vocabulary Favorite Facts Text Feature... Feature From the Editor Illustrated Infographic Quiz Me Both of these tools are intended to be used again, and again, and again! I like to model the activity as a whole class, then allow students to work independently. Teachers have suggested using these with Time for Kids or Scholastic News in reading centers or rotations. Others have left them as a meaningful and effective activity to be completed with a substitute or in their emergency substitute plans. SEE WHAT TEACHERS ARE SAYING… Recommended for 4th - 10th Grades ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I love using the graphic organizer to reinforce how important text features are to gather information about the passage. IT is a great tool to use over & over. Many times I pair this with Scholastic articles for a sub assignment. - 5th Grade ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I love that I can use this resource with any informational text! it is super detailed and really worked well as an independent activity! I can't wait to try using it as a whole group! - 6th Grade ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I use this weekly with my AIS kids to examine articles from NewsELA. It really forces them to look carefully at the text and the text structures. - 7th Grade ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️This resource has worked well with my students to support them in understanding informative text and using informative texts for research purposes without plagiarizing the text. A great reference tool! - 9th, 10th, 11th Grade Click Here to Read the Blog Post for More Information and Ideas on FUN & EFFECTIVE ways for Teaching Informational Text! (Freebies Included) Looking for more Informational | Nonfiction Text Activities? Try this new Informational Text Response Choice Board: These two products make the perfect pair! Use these activities again and again with ANY TEXT :D Snag Both and Save BIG with the Informational Text BUNDLE Here at Teaching on Lemon Lane my goal will always be to provide you with "fresh" ideas to add a little zest to your teaching. I specialize in upper-elementary, middle school, junior high, secondary, and high school activities. As a teacher, I know how precious and in demand your time is. I aim to create detail-oriented products that are ENGAGING, curricuiulm-aligned, and effective. I'm known for offering high-quality ✨FREEBIES✨ Sign-up for MONTHLY | Seasonal Freebies delivered straight to your inbox HERE Copyright © Teaching on Lemon Lane Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Please purchase additional licenses if you intend to share this product.
Wondering how to structure your middle school language arts daily schedule? Here's the planning template I developed to find my ideal stride!
Teachers often have questions about what a literacy block should actually look like. How do you structure your time? When do you pull reading groups? How and when do you teach grammar? The list of questions is lengthy, and with good reason. No one really ever told us what to do! Probably because there is […]
Learn why one-pagers are one of my go-to activities for breaking down complex topics and texts. Understand what they are, why you and your students will love them, and how to implement them in your ELA classroom. I even have the advice to help you tackle the biggest obstacle you’ll encounter with this activity.
Learn 3 tips to help you teach your students how to use context clues. You'll learn the 5 types of context clues and how you can teach them to your students.
As teachers begin planning for back to school, I see an abundance of creative classrooms filling my Instagram and Pinterest feeds. I love seeing how other
Writing instruction often fits into a small corner of the day. This makes it so challenging to find time to teach grammar, spelling, punctuation, and all the other foundational skills students need to be more effective writers. While working through the writing process is an important piece of writing instruction, many
Get an outline for teaching all the reading and writing standards in your Middle School ELA class.
Some days you just need a break from the monotony! Preparing for exams, transitioning to a new unit, days when half your students are gone for a basketball tour
Back when I was a student, there is only one vocabulary activity I can ever remember doing in class or for homework. It was looking up the word in the dictionary, writing the definition, and using the word in a sentence. I can recall this assignment itself (probably because of the sheer number of times I had to do it), but ask me how many of those actual words I am able to remember. Couldn’t tell you a single one, to be honest!
Let's dive into some new options to teach vocabulary, for those who have the time and energy to pursue them. In this post and podcast, I'm sharing ten ideas for making the study of vocabulary something students might even look forward to.
This post breaks down how I teach reading in 5th grade and how my reading block is structured, including the materials needed.
Are your students disinterested and tired of the traditional ways of learning characterization? Have you been searching for a really fun, student-centered, interactive way to eliminate their boredom? Well, look no further! I present to you a wonderful student-collaboration activity that will get your students involved and excited for a character analysis for any novel, […]
5 Fail-Proof Ways to help you teach students how to identify the main idea & the supporting details of a passage, short story...
These engaging strategies to incorporate movement in the classroom are perfect for the fidgety students & kinesthetic learners in your class!
Movement in the classroom is beneficial for many reasons. First and foremost, getting up to move in the classroom might help anxious students relieve stress.
One of the most time-consuming things teachers deal with is student absences! I no longer worry about this because my students completely take care of it!
Looking for a way to get students to have fun learning new words AND remember them longer? Try these brain-based vocabulary activities.
Do your students need help with plural, singular plural, and possessive plural usage? Here is a Free Plural/Possessive Poster. Those plurals and possessives nouns can be tricky! It may take a few teaching lessons to master this skill! Use this poster below to help students remember when to use 's or s' or when it's just plural. Also added is 1 worksheet to practice this skill. Click the picture above to download this freebie! If you're still bugged by plurals and possessives, try this pack using the term "Bug" instead of Dog as in in the freebie above. This pack has a set of 30 task cards, an anchor chart, and a worksheet to extend this skill. Students decide if the word, "bugs" is used correctly in the sentence. If you need to step back and just review plurals, this Plural Pack is loaded with options. This pack will review the 8 most common rules when changing the nouns to plural. This pack has task cards, worksheets, games, and centers all about plural nouns. Click the picture on the left to read more about it. Here are some GRAMMAR resources you may like to use in the classroom: Grammar Games Pronoun Throwdown Say and Do Grammar Games Good luck teaching plurals and possessives. Thanks for stopping by today! See you soon,
Hey there, fellow English teacher! I want to share what my secondary English curriculum for the first six weeks of school looks like.
Motivate students with independent reading by adding engaging reading sprints...turn the traditional reading log upside down!
In this engaging activity, students make inferences and draw conclusions by analyzing a variety of text message conversations. Students are required to cite evidence for each answer. Digital & Printable Options: This product now includes a Google Slides option as well as a printable PDF. 2023 Update: In response to feedback, this resource now includes a guide for how to read the text messages, a variety of questions, and a larger format! Students love the text message layout! This is a great way for older students to practice making inferences and citing evidence in a format they relate to! Save money with the bundle! You will also like the following products: Middle School Bell Ringers Reading Comprehension Passages & Questions Bundle Informational Text Standards-Based Reading Comprehension Passages Bundle Differentiated Reading Comprehension Passages Bundle Make sure to follow me to be notified when I post new products!
Try this free, fun, and interactive middle school ELA games in your classroom to teach grammar and literacy ELA skills!
Are you a new 2nd grade teacher? Here are the best tips for taking on grade 2 and all the fun that comes with it!
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!
ELL, ESOL, LEP, ELD. We all have experienced English Language Learners at some point during our teaching careers. Learn some strategies to help both you and them be successful!
Alphabet Watches Craft Ideas. Free English Worksheets and Teaching Resources. English Activities For Kids. English Created Resources.
Fun and engaging grammar games for your secondary ELA classroom! These grammar games will get your students collaborating, moving, and discussing those critical sentence structure and grammar skills! Bring fun to grammar instruction!
Bell ringer journal for the entire school year including 275 journal prompts for middle and high school students. Looking for back to school activities? This bell ringer journal is a great way to create and establish routine while also strengthening skills! You'll never have to come up with another bell ringer prompt again! ✅ This product provides teachers with an entire school year of journal prompts in an organized and focused way. The journal is organized by month with 25 entries per section. Students will strengthen their writing and critical thinking skills with these unique, higher-level thinking bell ringers. NOTE: This bell ringer journal has completely different prompts and content from volume one. This bundle includes 3 formats: Printable bell ringer journal Digital bell ringer journal (compatible with Google Slides) Presentation bell ringers to be displayed on a smart board or white board This resource covers: 275 unique bell ringer prompts Open-ended response questions Vocabulary: 55 unique vocabulary terms that every middle and high school student should know before graduating. Answer key included. Creative Writing Prompts: 55 creative writing prompts that encourage students to think outside the box. Famous Inspiration: Quotes from 55 historically famous individuals. Students will read, analyze, and apply the quote. Critical Thinking Prompts: 55 prompts designed to help students think critically about their actions and choices in life. Literary Elements & Figurative Language: Students will define, analyze, and apply as different term each Friday. Timely events based on month Black & white AND color options available Teacher directions Cover pages for each of the months Tabs to keep students organized throughout the year Zero prep. Simply print and distribute. Check out what other teachers, just like you, are saying about this resource: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I have used this resource for both distance and in person learning. Students complete this during morning work time as it is a great way to get their brains going in the morning in a low stakes environment. Students enjoy learning about new people, words, and ideas. Parents have also shown interest in getting a coy for themselves." -Dahlia M. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "This is perfect! My students are aware of the expectation when they enter class to get out their journals and complete the daily prompt as bellwork, which allows me the opportunity to get class started in a calm way!" Allison B. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "This is a great resource and is one of my favorite purchases this school year! I like the variety of people and quotes selected. I also like that it comes with more than enough quotes, so I can keep the ones that I like and discard the ones I don't. The Monday activities really require my students to explain their thinking. The colors are beautiful, but I am glad that it also comes in black and white. Awesome job! I am looking forward to purchasing more in the future!" -Lola B. For the DIGITAL version of this product, click here: DIGITAL Bell Ringer Journal for the School Year VOLUME 2 If you liked this product, you might also like: Bell Ringer Journal for Grades 3-5 Growth Mindset Bell Ringer Journal Please download the preview for more information. The preview provides images of the bell ringer journal pages in action. Connect with Me SuperHERO Teacher Blog Find me on Facebook Find me on Instagram Find me on Pinterest If you like this product, please leave feedback!
