Spring has officially sprung here in the Sunshine State! It is only fitting that we’re working on plants. To kick off our plant unit, we discussed the life cycle of a plant. We watched this little video to help our discussion along. Then it was time to get dirty and have some REAL plant fun! […]
This post features literacy center ideas and printables for 4th-grade classrooms. It includes reading centers for fourth grade.
Blank books provide a great way to encourage kids to write. Here are 3 easy ways to assemble blank books for your writing center, literacy center, and beyond.
For years, I have witnessed, over and over again, the value of using pictures to teach reading skills in my classroom. I always use them to introduce reading skills like inference, story elements, ca
Je t'ai eu! is a fun, engaging literacy game en français that will help your French primary students practice just about any skill you like!How to play:To play, students need approx. 20 cubes, a partner, a game board, corresponding instruction page, and a die.One at a time, they will roll the die an...
Whether you call them literacy centers or literacy stations, big kids at the upper elementary level love center time and get so much out of it! How do literacy centers benefit kids? They add variety to learning and to the routine. They allow teachers to easily differentiate learning. They are a great way to help cover and reinforce all of the standards. They give students a place to practice important social skills, like collaboration, problem-solving, and communication. So how do you set up literacy centers and run them successfully? Here are a few things to keep in mind: 1. Plan Centers and Center Spaces Plan Centers: Since I've been teaching for quite a few years, I have a pretty good idea of what I'll be teaching and when. Of course, I make small changes as needed with each class, but generally, my pacing is pretty set. This information helps me make a skeleton plan for the major concepts, games, and activities I'll plan for the year. If you aren't sure of your yearly schedule, maybe you could schedule them a month ahead of time as you go. Another idea is to meet with your grade level team to talk about your reading themes for the year and to plan together. Plan Center Spaces in Your Classroom: Classrooms never seem big enough, so this can be a challenge. I like to have 4 - 5 kids at each center (the smaller number the better) but it depends on the class size. If I have 28 kids, that means about six center areas. Since my classroom is pretty small, when kids do the independent reading center, they stay at their desk/seat. That leaves me with 5 center areas to plan. 2. Types of Centers One of the questions teachers often ask is what kind of centers to include. Here are some suggestions that I've used in my classroom. I don't use all of the centers suggested at the same time but do mix up some of the centers every now and then for a bit of variety. Each center lasts 20 minutes long and the total center time is one hour, which means students should visit 3 centers each day. A. Independent Reading - This is one that ALL students do every day! It's important to me that students self-select books based on motivation and not reading level. One of the rules is that kids need to have a book ready before reading time. I don't want them to waste time searching the classroom library during this time. B. Teacher Time - This could be guided reading in a very structured setting or it could be reader's workshop style, where students meet with me to read a bit and to discuss concepts. C. Word Work - At this center, students work on spelling, grammar, context clues, and vocabulary. They may have a worksheet but more often they play a game. Since I couldn't find any games already made, I created a bundle of 30 Grammar Games, one for third grade and one for fourth grade to cover all language standards. They target grade-level skills and really make grammar fun. A huge time saver for sure! D. Magazine Center/Informational Text - This center is filled with children's news magazines (some from last year) like Scholastic News. I also include kid's magazines, like National Geographic Kids. I have graphic organizers I use for a bit of accountability. Students read an article, fill out the template, and then are free to continue reading whatever they'd like at this center. E. Technology Center - Every school is a bit different but whether you are blessed with tons of technology or are scraping by with a few older computers, there are still lots of great websites students can access with your direction at this center. Here are some you might want to check out: Freckle Education (formerly Front Row) Edcite Newsela MobyMax.com ABCYA.com Edmodo National Geographic Young Explorers Big Universe Spelling City I've also created standards-aligned reading units for 3rd - 5th grades. They give lots of focused, paperless practice. CLICK THE PHOTO BELOW TO LEARN MORE. F. Genius Hour - If you've never done Genius Hour with your students, you'll want to definitely look into it. I used to call these independent projects. Students are able to research and read about topics of interest and then prepare some type of presentation to share what they've learned with the class. Genius Hour projects are ongoing projects which students complete on their own time table, although you can set guidelines for how many they need to complete a semester for example. I tend to let it be more open-ended, as long as I see them engaged and focused. I know that some projects may take a number of weeks, while others may take two center rotation times. G. Reading Skills - At this center, I tie in worksheets that match our current reading strategy. Reading is my very favorite subject so I have lots of reading units already prepared which are no-prep, print and go. Click here if you need some fresh reading units for this center. H. Writing - Students may create poetry, write a letter to the principal, or create a personal narrative in their writer's workshop notebook. This is NOT our main writing time, however. It's more of a chance to let students experience low-pressure writing which is not specifically connected to a writing lesson. I. Reading Games - I love this center because it is rigorous while masquerading as fun! Kids at this center play games which are connected to the topic we are highlighting, like main idea, cause and effect, theme, or character traits. I actually created a whole series of reading games, just because I really needed them for my classroom and thought others might too. There is a game for each standard and they provide so much focused practice. I really love these! There's a set of 20 Reading Centers for 3rd Grade and 20 Reading Centers for 4th/5th. Each bundle of reading games has 10 Fiction Games and 10 Nonfiction Games. I also have digital reading units too. J. Read to a Friend - In this center, I have a variety of materials like poetry books and mini-plays to read together, to practice fluency. I also like to place high-interest picture books in this center! Even for 5th graders, you might be surprised at the complexity level of many picture books! Kids love them and they really are beneficial for them. Sometimes I have students bring their own independent books to share with each other. Other times, I have a book sampling basket at the center filled with book underdogs! These are some lesser-known books that I want kids to try. Their job is to read the book summary on the cover and to take turns reading either a paragraph or a page at a time. 3. Prepare Centers Once you've tentatively planned out your centers, the next step is to make or purchase the centers you'll need. I really do like to get the majority done in the summertime or at the beginning of the year because it's great to just pull out the center I need and it's ready to go. You can store the centers a number of ways. I really like the gallon size plastic baggies because I can put game boards, task cards, and anything else I might need (game markers or spinners...) in that bag. I just label the bag with a sharpie but you could make cute labels on the computer too if you want. You'll also want to have plenty of baskets and trays to organize center materials as you use them each week. The Dollar Store always has a great selection of these! 4. Decide How to Structure the Centers You can either have students do a rotation schedule that you create, or allow them to self-select within your parameters. Either works well, so you just need to decide which one works best for you. If students self-select, kids need to know expectations. For example, how many students can be at a single center at a time? How many centers do students need to complete each day or each week? I actually prefer a rotation schedule. I make some simple cards with center titles on them and create the schedule in a pocket chart with the days on the left side (vertically) and the center titles across the top (horizontally). 5. Set Expectations for Center Time Just like anything in the classroom, rules and procedures have to be explicitly taught and reviewed or chaos is bound to occur. First, I think through all of the possibilities of what could happen, and then I prepare for that by making up my list of rules on an anchor chart for all to see. We do some modeling of good and bad examples of behavior and discuss them together. If centers are going to work, this piece is crucial!!! There is no way for you to have quality teacher time if you are interrupted every few minutes to put out fires, answer questions, and give more directions. Take the time to set up centers well and you'll find it to be worth it. 6. Teach Each Center to the Whole Class Before Kids Use It Getting kids ready for centers is truly a process. To make it successful, you'll want to introduce the center to the whole class before expecting them to participate on their own. This is a great time for thumbs up and down questions to check for understanding, as well as modeling when appropriate. Once you've tried centers and have them operating smoothly, I think you'll really enjoy them. Want more information about why literacy centers are beneficial for kids in grades 3rd - 5th? Click here to read Why You Should be Using Reading Centers in Upper Elementary. If you like this post, I would love for you to pin it or to share it with a teacher friend. 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! Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to read it! I'd love to connect with you! The Teacher Next Door's Website Facebook Pinterest Instagram TpT Store
Description These insect theme printables are all fun and engaging activities for your math and literacy centers this spring. There are 11 insect math activities, 8 insect literacy activities, an insect craft, visual discrimination puzzles and a caterpillar building cards. As you can tell, it is jam-packed with lots of learning! The bundle includes 22 activities and over 120 pages of hands-on activities that your kids will love. Many of them include sensory components and fine motor components that will keep the kids engaged and having fun. There are a wide variety of levels and differentiation throughout the pack so that you can tailor it to meet the needs of individual learners. Have a look through all of the activities included in the insect theme pack by checking out the images in the gallery. Here’s a list of the insect math and literacy centers included in the bundle: Literacy Activities Swat the Letter Game Ladybug Name Activity Find and Color the Letter Bug Caterpillar Word Building Mats (Editable!) Letter Formation Cards Insect Word Cards Ladybug Rhyming Match Up Butterfly Beginning Sounds Puzzles Math Activities Swat the Number Game Roll and Color the Bug Caterpillar Counting Sticks Butterfly Egg Counting Cards Caterpillar Pattern Strips Insect Addition and Subtraction Mats Ladybug Shape Play Dough Cards Beehive Counting Clip Cards Butterfly Symmetry Activity Bug Jar Counting Cards and Game Other Activities Bug Eyes Headband Craft Building Caterpillars Fine Motor Task Cards Insect Visual Discrimination Puzzles ** This is a digital file only. The file will be emailed to you shortly after you place your order. ** *Having issues getting the printable pack? Please check out these helpful hints! If they don’t work, please contact me. Note: Due to the VAT, we ask that those of you in Europe to purchase our products on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Each resource consists of an original French rhyme (comptine) made up of French sight words and seasonal vocabulary as well as a large variety of activities ideal for centers, morning work, partner work, individual work, French guided writing or reading. 4 resources. You get one resource for FREE by...
I believe strongly in keeping the students engaged and having fun spelling, vocabulary, and word work activities throughout the school year.
Compound Words FreeHere is a FREE compound word anchor chart. It comes in both color and black and white!Looking for more compound word resources? Click here. You might also be interested in ALL-IN-ONE READING PASSAGESAll-in-One Reading Passages - Short Vowel Word FamiliesAll-in-One Reading Passag...
These FREE activities for kids are perfect for elementary and middle school teachers. So many great freebies here on a variety of topics. Check them out!
Characteristics of Fiction Banana Split Book ReportAfter reading any fiction book, students "build" their banana split while learning about characteristics of fiction.Each item in the banana split represents a different element. By the time students complete their project, they will have written ab...
Teaching morphology can be a great way to help students with understanding unknown words, decoding multisyllabic words, and spelling.
Structured Literacy is an approach to reading instruction that is explicit and systematic, with a focus on the structure of the English language.
Calling all 5th grade teachers! Literacy Centers written specifically for your kids! I know it’s the middle of the school year, but you can try the centers right now because I wrote set 4 for weeks 16-20 first! I know it’s a little crazy, but I wanted teachers to be able to use them right ... Read More about Fifth Grade Literacy Centers, Freebie!
Vocabulary instruction is so critical in today’s classroom! A vast vocabulary will help students to become better readers and writers. Vocabulary is also essential to their performance on standardized tests. Helping kids to develop their vocabulary is time that is well spent in a busy classroom. I have developed a routine to teach new vocabulary
In Friendly Frog's Valentine's Day Syllable Sort, Friendly Frog is back for more syllable practice and fun. In this literacy center, students will sort the word cards according to whether they have prefixes or suffixes. They will then place the cards on the appropriate work mat. For your convenience...
Ce document contient: Ce document contient: - Un texte court « Le lapin de Pâques » Voici les phrases du livre: Je lis… (petite lecture au sujet du lapin de Pâques) Je réponds aux questions… (Quatre questions de compréhension) Je fais le tri… (Tri les noms et verbes du texte) J’écris… (Si j’étais le lapin de Pâques, je …) Instructions: Imprimez la page d’images coloriable (Il y en a 2 par page). Imprimez les 2 pages de rabats pour chaque élève. Collez la page 5 au bas de la page. Collez l’image au haut de la page. Placez la colle sur la partie grise de la page 5 et collez-y la page 4. Placez la colle sur le rabat de la page 4, collez-y la page 3, etc. SUIVEZ-MOI! Vous aimeriez aussi: Vocabulaire de Pâques - Livre à rabats Écriture créative de Pâques - 16 cartes à tâches Trouve l'adjectif - PÂQUES - Cartes à tâches Écriture créative - Pâques - Texte narratif N’oubliez pas de me laisser un score parfait si vous aimez mon produit. Ceci m’aidera beaucoup! Ce document est à l’usage exclusif de la personne qui a acheté le produit. Toute reproduction est strictement défendue.
Retelling Sticks are a tool for students to help them retell stories, while identifying and describing story elements. The visual cues will aid students in providing key ideas and details as they retell and sequence. Glue the laminate circles to popsicle sticks and they are ready to use!
Take your word work reading center to the next level with these low prep and engaging word work centers! Plus, learn how to organize and run the word work center!
Switching literacy centers in and out every week is such a headache for teachers! This post shares 3rd grade literacy center ideas that work with any curriculum and last the entire school year! PLUS--you can grab some free printables at the end of this post! *This post contains affiliate links to Amazon for your convenience.
This week in Grade 1/2 We are working on finding the "Main Idea" when reading. Here are a few things we did... Main Idea Tab...
Bullying seems to be a pervasive problem in every school. Sometimes it seems that no matter what we do, the problem continues or gets worse. One effective way I found to deal with bullying, is to address it head-on using different picture books. Not only are the books engaging and entertaining, they also simply lay out what bullying looks like and how it makes the other person feel. I found that books on bullying helped to build empathy among my students. I'm going to list 10 of my favorite books on bullying that you (probably) haven't heard of, and 10 we all know and love.
A collection of math and literacy FREEBIES for pre-k through first grade! Books, games, centers, activities and more! FREEBIES!
Teach students how to have fun with figurative language by reading aloud these books with alliteration! #figurativelanguage
Mix Up Your Daily 5 Work on Writing routine with these FREEBIES!
Ready for higher order thinking for your students to be a NO BRAINER for you? This list of questions to use when teaching character traits will help! There are 6 questions for each level of Bloom's Taxonomy - 36 questions that get your students thinking so you don't have to!
Teach your students how to classify tricky quadrilaterals using the hands-on lessons, activities, and games in Classify It! This ready-to-use resource from Laura Candler includes a lesson, a sorting activity, a challenging (but fun!) math game, and two quizzes that will help your students master quadrilateral classification!
Check out Narrative Writing Prompts & Worksheets for kindergarten-4th grade! There is a variety of prompts & worksheets to use in your room!
Students will love these fun hands-on phonics activities that teach letter sounds, digraphs, letter blends, vowel sounds, and more!
hold students accountable while they independently read with these easy to implement reading tips and tricks and strategies
I know it might sound like a dream, but you really can get four different word building activities with just one prep. With the demands on your time increasing, you need to find ways to save time with your prepping and preparing for learning centers. One way is to find ways to reuse the materials from your literacy centers. I'm going to show how you can take one set of letters and use them for four weeks in one of your literacy centers. The letters cards can be made by you, or from a purchased set. For three of these activities you can also use letter tiles. I like the letter tiles from the game Banana Grams, but other letter tiles will work. The letter cards I've used in these examples are from my Winter Word Building set. For the first week, students can use letters you've selected to build words. The letters you choose should spell one long word. That word can be seasonal or go along with one of your current topics of study. My example uses the letters a, e, f, k, l, n, o, s and w. With these letters the students can make lots of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 letter words. The final challenge is to see if they can figure out the mystery word made using all the letters. Click here for a free recording sheet. For the second-week students are challenged with a word ladder. The idea is simple, but it can be quite a challenge to make it all the way to the top. Students (or teacher) chooses a two or three letter word to write on the lowest step of the ladder. Then they can change only one thing about the word to make a new word to move up to the next step. They can add a letter, remove a letter, or exchange a letter. It's also allowed to rearrange the letters to form a new word. The words going up the ladder might look like this: sit-sat-fat-at-bat-bit-bite-kite-tie-time-tame-same-came-come. Younger students will need to use letter cards or tiles to move around as they form the words and write them on the recording sheet. Click here to download the Word Ladder Recording sheet. Update: Google Slides version of Word Ladder added on Aug. 7, 2020! During week three students get to practice their spelling skills. Guess My Word is a little like hangman, only it can be played with multiple players. Each player needs a word mat and a set of letters. (extra vowel are provided) Players place their word mat in front of themselves with the Make My Word side facing them. The other players will see the other side that says, Guess My Word. Each player thinks of a word. The word can have 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 letters. The players lay the letters for the word, face down in front of them, on the side of their mat that says Make My Word. Once everyone has their word ready, they take turns guessing a letter for an opponent's word. The guess needs to be to a specific person for a specific letter. (Rachel, do you have a b?) If the player has that letter he/ she turns it over and places it on the side that says Guess My Word so all players can see it. A turn continues until the player receives a "no" for a guessed letter. When a letter is turned over it needs to be placed, face-up on the Guess My Word side. The letters should go in correct word order so someone looking from the other side sees the beginning letter in box 1. The numbers on the mat help players know where to put the turned over letters. Example: It's Kelly's turn: "Joey, do you have an a?" If Joey has an a in his word he turns it over and Kelly gets to ask again. She can ask Joey again, or another player. When Kelly receives a no, her turn is over. If Kelly thinks she knows one of the words she needs to guess each letter one at a time. She does not say, "Is your word deal?“ Once all the letters in a player’s word have been revealed, that player gets to keep guessing the letters for the other words. Click here for the Guess My Word game and directions. For Week Four students play a card game called "Do you have. . .? Using letter cards students try to build words. The first student to use the agreed upon number of letters in their words is the winner. Click here to download more detailed directions. The great thing about this game is students get to choose what words they spell. Students who can only spell 2 or 3 letter words can play with students who easily spell 4 or 5 letter words. I hope your students enjoy these word and spelling games!
This second grade reading worksheet features common synonyms. Kids connect a word in the first column with its synonym in the second column. Download to complete online or as a printable!
I recently assigned a one pager final project to my sophomores for their culminating Night project. I wanted to combine as many rigorous ELA content ideas as possible, while also designing a fun project for students that provided them with a bit of choice. This Night one pager project was the perfect way to finish the memoir!
Short A is usually the first phonics sound you teach in kindergarten and first grade so I figured it'd be a great sound to show you teaching...
Happy day, friends and welcome to Chapter 6 of our Daily 5 book study – Foundation Lessons. Today we’re talking about the explicit routines and procedures we teach students for each round of the Daily 5. These procedures set the ground-work for independence and are the lynch-pin of a successful reading block. If you’ve missed any of...
Spelling is a skill that develops with time, teaching and practice. We work hard all school year to build solid spelling foundations in our little learners. To do this, we provide our students with engaging tools that assist and challenge them to be responsible for their own learning. Now’s the time for us to up […]
Do you teach learner(s) who need extra support with spelling? Then, you’ll LOVE our updated spelling folder. This spelling folder, made with two folders put together, changed everything for my second grader. *Find spelling folders for US readers, Canadian readers, UK, and Australian readers at the very end of this post. Already a subscriber? If ... Read More about Spelling Folder with FREE Printables
Afin de mémoriser l'orthographe des mots demandés, l'élève peut choisir une fiche qui va lui proposer une activité à réaliser avec du matériel ou à l'écrit. Les activités proposées tentent d'appuyer la mémorisation visuelle du mot global ou sa mémorisation lettre à lettre.
Bunnies, Eggs, and Jelly Beans, Oh My! Here's a copy of this week's Math Mind Map. (Click above to download.) Students can use real jelly beans to show fair shares for two and three people using the jars pictured on the workmat. The problems we used included varying amounts of jelly beans. Here are a few examples: "I have eight jelly beans. How would I share these jelly beans with my friend?" "Show a fair share for two people and six jelly beans." "Show a fair share for three people and nine jelly beans." "How would three people share six jelly beans?" After completing several examples, the students were asked to complete the math mind map independently to demonstrate understanding. The children used the jelly bean clip art to record a fair share. Each student completed his/her own fair share. (Please note: It is not necessary for each student to use all of the jelly beans included at the bottom of the pdf.) Students wrote sentences to explain their math thinking. Have a great week!
