If you are looking for some high-interest activities, try using animated shorts to teach inference. Free handouts focus on student learning.

Are you looking for a fun way to reinforce teaching similes to students? Making simile monsters is always a huge hit! Students will create a fictitious monster and use similes to describe the 5 senses about their monsters. To hook students, I love to read the text Quick as a Cricket by Audrey Wood (affiliate […]

In my classroom, students start each morning by completing a page from my Daily Morning Work resource. Before we started a morning work routine, our mornings were chaotic. Students were were lingering in the hallway, socializing, or using the time to read or finish work from the previous day. Trying to complete those important morning...

Analyzing writing curriculums, planning writing workshop and teaching writing lessons can be overwhelming. You might think, how am I going to fit everything in and produce successful writers? Where do I start? What skills do they need? This post will share the 7 BASIC WRITING LESSONS that every teacher should teach! With this basic knowledge, students will be able to perform other writing assignments more effectively. The following skills are not only effective in upper elementary, they are often needed at the middle school level for review or the primary level for differentiation. So yes, every teacher should teach them! If you start with these 7 fundamental skills, it will set the expectations for your writing lessons and assignments throughout the year! Frequently Asked Questions What are the basic skills and what order should I teach them? Sentence Structure 1. Complete Sentences Lesson for complete sentences 2. Fragments Lesson for fragments 3. Run-ons Lesson for run-ons Paragraph Writing 4. Topic Sentences Lesson for topic sentences 5. Relevant Details Lesson for relevant details 6. Transition Words Lesson for transition words 7. Closing Sentences Lesson for closing sentences How much time should I dedicate to teaching these fundamental skills? I recommend one day for each skill. If you spend a whole writing block for each skill, students will benefit from the practice. How do I teach each skill? First: Start with an anchor chart explaining the skill. (See each lesson link above for effective anchor charts.) Second: Provide examples. Students can share examples too! Next: Students should take notes. I love using Interactive Writing Notebooks to take notes. Research supports the use of interactive notebooks through studies on multiple intelligences, the brain and note taking. Here are a few videos to Set Up Interactive Writing Notebooks. Click photo for the Upper Elementary Version. A Primary Version is also available. Then: Identify the skill. Provide practice sheets and task cards for students to practice identifying the skill in sentences and paragraphs. Last: Apply the skill. Students should have the opportunity to write their own sentence or paragraph to apply the particular skill. What if I can't fit the lesson in one writing block? If you can't extend the days to complete them, there are other ways to get the whole lesson in. You can put practice sheets or task cards in a center, or you can have students apply the skill for homework or morning work the next day. What if my students, some of my students, or absent students can't do interactive notebooks? Make a small anchor chart to put in their notebooks with the same information! If you don't have a printable poster, take a picture of the anchor chart you used in class and print them off! I hope you found this post helpful and your students become successful writers this year! Connect With Me! TPT Store Facebook Pinterest My Blog

Teach kids to use guide words, word forms, find definitions and more with dictionary detective! Print FREE dictionary skills worksheets.

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 »

Looking for games to play with a classroom? This list of English games in the classroom is exactly what you need to engage students!

Free reading comprehension passages for grades 2 - 3

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!

When teaching narrative writing in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade, there are so many writing skills to cover. They range from creating a sequence of events (beginning, middle, and end) to more difficult

Ready to rock teaching beginning of year writing in first grade? These early days of writing instruction must be targeted and on point. Click to learn more.

Have you been looking for the perfect project based learning curriculum? If you've been on the lookout for a game-changing approach to captivate your upper elementary students and ignite a passion for learning, you're in for a treat! Buckle up as we dive into the world of project-based learning (PBL) – the secret sauce to turning mundane lessons into exciting adventures.

FREE 5th grade literacy pacing guide! This free 5th grade ELA pacing guide includes reading, writing, and language skills.

ELL students with sufficient language skills may use this checklist to indicate which learning style fits them best: tactile-kinesthetic, auditory, or visual.

Build a deeper understanding (and love) of language that'll last a lifetime with worksheets that boost understanding, bolster vocabulary, and challenge kids with complex text.

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.

Use this free printable book report sandwich idea to recall what you read. Print in black / white or color and use with elementary age kids.

When I look back to my first experience teaching five paragraph essays to fifth graders, I can remember how terribly unprepared I felt. I knew that the five paragraph essay format was what my students needed

Learning to read is such a fun and special time: it's a valuable skill, and sparking an early love of reading can make it become a lifelong passion. In order

What is Oral Language? Oral Language skills are an important component of language development. It is made up of at least five key components (Moats 2010) including phonological skills, pragmatics, syntax, morphological skills, and vocabulary. Students need opportunities throughout the day to practice their speaking and listening skills. For English Language Learners this is particularly important

These worksheets for main idea and supporting details are a great way to build reading comprehension in young students. Grab the free sample.

Teaching similes and metaphors is the first step in moving your students beyond literal meaning and teaching them to mature as writers. Students need to see and hear figurative language many times before they will use it in their own writing. Transferring these skills into writing is a long...

Cute ending punctuation activities for first week of school! Print worksheets, cut into pencil strips. Add marks to punctuation exercises.