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.
*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
Try this free, fun, and interactive middle school ELA games in your classroom to teach grammar and literacy ELA skills!
As students head back to school, ELA teachers everywhere are considering how they are going to begin the school year, so I wanted to walk you through one of my favorite lesson plans entitled, “Why do we read?” As an educator, there are few things as exciting and rewarding as introducing a young person to […]
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.
Get an outline for teaching all the reading and writing standards in your Middle School ELA class.
Grab your copy of FREE ELA Curriculum Maps grades 6th-8th and save yourself a year's worth of planning! Digital maps with a planner, calendar, and more!
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!
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
Looking for inspiration for teaching middle school reading skills? Read on to see how I teach the essential elements in a 6th-grade classroom.
Hey Friends!! It's been a minute!Let me just start by saying that I've had such a great summer. I had intended to do a lot of work, but I just couldn't. I needed a little
Are you looking for a stress-free first week of ELA activities for high school classroom? Look no further! Keep reading for ideas, tips, and lesson plans for the first week (and beyond)! #backtoschoolactivities #elateacher #highschoolela
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
So… you’re a first-time middle school ELA teacher. Welcome to the madness, I guess! I’m kidding, but in all honesty, middle school isn’t quite like high school or elementary school. Middle school is its own unique level that you need to be prepared for as you get ready to run your classroom. But before we
Here are 15 engaging and creative TV episodes to use in ELA to teach genre, narrative techniques, characterization, and more. (Blog post)
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 […]
Read about eleven different ways to meaningfully incorporate art in ELA class. Keep the focus on students' learning, not their artistic abilities.
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, […]
Whether your students are lethargic or super-charged, adding movement to your lesson plans will help to solve both issues. Not only is it healthy to move throughout the day, but it can also help students focus and become more engaged with the content they are trying to master. Due to the nature of English classes, ELA ... Read More about 10 Ways to Add Movement in the ELA Classroom
If books are a uniquely portable magic, then podcasts are the wizard in your pocket. When you find interesting podcasts for teens that they want to listen to, you will open up a whole new world of literacy for secondary students. Did you know that podcast listeners are 29% more likely to have a household ... Read More about Why You Should Be Using Podcasts in Secondary ELA
The beginning of the school year is an important time to assess the writing skill levels of new students in our English classes. One way to do this is to assign a diagnostic essay in order to "diagnose" each student's writing level. This creative approach to essay writing helps students t
Much like students who spend more hours on the hook of an essay than they do the bulk of an essay, I often found myself with a case of English teacher writing block when it came to planning my first day of school activities. Though I have ten years (x two semesters each) of ... Read More about First Day of School Activities for High School and Middle School English
☘ Full video previews are available for the first 24 hours after a resource kit is uploaded. Follow my store to know when a new resource is available! ✎ Give your students an educational, yet much needed brain break! They can color and doodle in the first doodle page, then fill in the blanks on the second page, and then color and doodle some more! If you like this doodle resource, please come back to the product page and give it an A ⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and positive feedback. You can see the doodle pages before you download them in the preview! ❤️ Thank you :) Want to test your students' comprehension of the literary terms? Check out the Literary Terms Self Grading GOOGLE QUIZ! and the Literary Terms Digital Task Cards! Related Products ⭐ ELA Poetry "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" (Daffodils) Video & Activities ⭐ ELA Poetry "The Arrow and the Song" by Video & Activities ⭐ ELA: Poetry "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll Video & Activities ⭐ English ELA Writing I Bet You Can! Basic essay form/structure VIDEO KIT ⭐ English Language Arts ELL ESL Video & Activities Bundle ⭐ Poetry ELA Robert Frost BUNDLE The Road Not Taken & Stopping by Woods ⭐ Poetry Video & Activities BUNDLE - Jabberwocky, Daffodils, Road Not Taken +More ⭐ FULL YEAR VIDEO Writing Prompts Discussion Prompts + Worksheets Thanks to Illumismart for some of the clipart used in making this resource!
If your students are requesting some lighter literature, check out some of the funny short stories for high schoolers I've rounded up.
Wondering how to sequence grammar instruction? You'll want this list that scaffolds grammar lessons so that one skill builds upon the next.
Starting a new semester— whether at the beginning of the school year or calendar year— is a time of tough transition as we begin to restart our minds and work habits. Here are SEVEN engaging activities for the first week back to school in middle school and high school English Language Arts.
Get an outline for teaching all the reading and writing standards in your Middle School ELA class.
Hey there, fellow English teacher! I want to share what my secondary English curriculum for the first six weeks of school looks like.
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
I began elementary school in the era of phonics. Looking back, I can honestly say that it seemed to work okay. Matching pictures with their word families in plaid workbooks... I learned to read, but
At the end of each novel I teach, I like to have my students participate in some sort of culminating literary analysis project that allows me to assess their
This blog post explores innovative and engaging lesson plans for any novel unit... ranging from task cards to book instagram pages to a novel podcast project. Student choice is key here, and students can find something they would like to complete in order to convey their reading, comprehension, and
This blog post will introduce you to six simple, fun, and enriching project-based learning ideas for your English Language Arts classroom.
I giggled to myself as I created the title to this blog post! If you are new to my blog, I'll have you know that this is the THIRD time I've written an "ELA in
Have you been wanting to try stations in your Secondary ELA classroom but aren't sure where to start? Read through this quick post where we share 8 station ideas and how to use them with your ELA students.
Freaking out over how in the world can you actually use centers and stations in your classroom without being completely overwhelmed? Concerned that you don’t have enough time, don’t know how to enforce student accountability, don’t know what the stations should look like, or panicking that you simply can’t keep up? These are absolutely valid
Sentence Starters Anchor Chart - Professionally Printed on Heavy-duty Polyester Material with Grommets Foldable for Easy Storage Stain Resistant (Protected by Scotchguard) Ready to use in the classroom from year to year (machine washable) Included is an Interactive notebook pdf to print for students- Contact Seller for custom Anchor Chart Designs (any topic/standard) Hard Goods (This is not a download - The item ships to you.) *****FREE SHIPPING PROMOTIONS APPLY TO DOMESTIC ADDRESSES ONLY***** * 3 YEAR PRODUCT QUALITY GUARANTEE! *We will replace any Anchor Chart 3 years from the date of purchase that: * FADES * DISCOLORS * FAILS DUE TO WORKMANSHIP
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
Ok, I get these Q’s frequently from teachers who reach out to me regarding setting up and running stations or centers (same thing, basically) in their middle school English / Language Arts / Reading / Writing classes: How do I make stations work so I can . . . >> teach my students while also
Below is my list of the 15 best books for 6th graders. As an ELA teacher, these are my tried-and-true tools for unlocking the reader buried within all of my
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…
How to facilitate successful Socratic Seminars in the secondary ELA
EDITABLE ELA Word Wall for Middle School As teachers, we are constantly referring to various terms in our content areas that we want students to know. I designed this word wall resource as a tool to display common ELA terminology in my middle school classroom. I am always looking for ways to make classroom décor mix with thoughtful teaching practices. Resource Features: Printable PDF files for 131 language arts and literature terms (full list below.) Many of the word cards feature relevant and engaging clip art to reinforce and visualize the concepts. Blank word wall cards (PDF and PowerPoint files) are included, so you can add your own word wall terms. Printable PDF file of matching bulletin board letters. The files are formatted to fit 2 words per 8.5 x 11 paper. This can be adjusted in your PDF view and print settings. Word cards can be printed in color or black and white. You could also print them as task cards by adjusting your print settings. Product Updates: This resource has had multiple updates and term additions since Version 1. Because of this, the 131 words are contained in 2 separate PDF files. Additional blank word wall cards and templates in both PDF and Powerpoint formats are included. Words are NOT sorted alphabetically, but they are loosely grouped that way. The best way to sort them alphabetically would be to print and laminate the individual cards and sort them manually. Follow these steps to make the most of these ELA Word Wall Cards: • Print and cut out the letters in the Word Wall Letters file or utilize your own pre-made letters. • Print out the Word Wall Cards. You can print in black and white or color. I chose to laminate my word wall cards because I am displaying them in a space where I want students to have access to them, but laminating is not necessary. • Display your word wall in a space where it is visible to students. I have eye-level cabinets that I utilize to display my ELA Word Wall. A complete list of vocabulary terms: VOCABULARY WORDS (PDF 1) alliteration, allusion, analysis, annotating, argumentative, bias, writing, biography, character trait, central idea, characterization, cite, claim, conflict, conventions, climax, dynamic character, credibility, drafting, drama, edit, evaluate, evidence, external conflict, fable, first person narrator, figurative language, foreshadowing, flashback, generalization, genre, hyperbole, idiom, imagery, implicit, indirect characterization, internal conflict, inference, informational text, informative writing, literary elements, irony, key details, metaphor, main idea, moral, motivation, mood, narrative writing, narrator, nuance, nonfiction, opinion, paraphrase, persuasive writing, plot, point of view, poetry, pun, primary sources, premise, publish, prewrite, resolution, purpose, revise, rhetoric, second person narrator, sentence types, setting, simile, speaker, stanza, standard citation, story elements, style, summarize, supporting details, synthesize, temporal words, text features, textual evidence, theme, transitions, third person, tone, validity, visualize, voice, writing genres ADDED VOCABULARY WORDS (PDF 2) onomatopoeia, personification, fiction, science fiction, realistic fiction, biography, autobiography, fantasy, graphic novel, fairy tale, folk tale, mystery, character, compare/contrast, chronological, cause and effect, connections, prediction, context clues, author's purpose, fact, narrative, memoir, rising action, falling action, exposition, counterclaim, rebuttal, explanation, hook, comedy, tragedy, novel, dialogue, monologue, oxymoron, repetition, rhyme, rhythm, synonyms, antonyms ************************************************************************************ This evergreen ELA tool is a resource you can use in dozens of different ways. It has become a classroom essential of mine, and with the editable templates, you can use it for years to come. You can find some examples of how I utilize this ELA word wall on my blog. I would love your feedback on this word wall resource. Did you know that by providing feedback you have the chance to earn points that will discount future Tpt purchases? Also, be sure to follow me so you are aware of new ELA products as soon as they are posted. Happy Teaching! Erin