I love teaching figurative language! It can be a really fun way to encourage students to make their writing come alive. It also makes the writing process
Give your students hands-on practice with literacy devices with these 8 figurative language puzzles. Students will read "Grandma's Garden", identify types of figurative language in the story, and then, define the literacy devices. Included in this freebie... Student Center Directions Grandma's Gar...
Freebie! 44 Sounds of the English Language on one nice little sheet. It's easy to read and store. This sheet has a few examples for each sound. Not all examples are used. A black and white version is
Trying to teach adjectives but it just won't "stick" in their brains? You know I like to sing!!! Click on the picture above or my blog button below to grab this freebie. I made it in color or in black and white - just for you! It's an easy Google Drive download! It's down towards the bottom of the post - but it's there! :)
The figurative language anchor chart shared in this blog post includes a cooperative activity. Visit this post to download the FREE materials and replicate this interactive lesson in your upper elementary classroom!
Today was definitely an eventful, fun, fantabulous Friday! It's also Spirit Day, so in the spirit of Spirit Day, I wore my favorite shirt - kindergarten is SO last year - First Grade Rocks! If you like my shirt, you can CLICK HERE to go to the seller. I saw it during the summer and loved it. I asked if I could get it on black and they were more than happy to help me out. The best part is the letters glow in the dark :) I discovered that by accident one day. Anyway, I started the day by leaving my house at 6:20 to run to Kroger to load up on Hershey bars, marshmallows, and graham crackers. S'more Day!!! Yay!!! On the way to school, I decided that if I could find a big trash bag I would hide all of the stuff in it, so the kids wouldn't have a clue what they would be doing. It was fun to listen to them talk about the bag during morning work. Most of them thought it was full of toys or Legos, or stuffed animals. I can promise, not one thought of S'mores. Right before lunch, we played 20 Questions. I explained how it worked and it was neat to hear what they came up with. One of my kids asked, "Is it a class pet?" The one next to him said, "It couldn't be a class pet. There would have to be holes for it to breathe." It's funny because I didn't think about 20 Questions teaching them a lesson, but by the end I realized it really had their curiosity going. After lunch, I took a few more questions before they went to their seats. Then, I pulled an item out of the bag to give a hint. My kiddo that mentioned it couldn't be a class pet guessed S'mores immediately. I started unpacking the bag and the excitement on their faces was one of the sweetest moments of the year. I recruited a few teacher friends to help me out and I have to say, it went fantabulous! If you ever decide to do this in your room, feel free to email me and I'll give you the 411 on how we made it work. Since small flames were involved, we had to be extremely cautious. It took 3 adults to do it - two to man the marshmallows and one to get the graham crackers and chocolate prepared. Now, I know I'm the freebie queen lately, so I thought I'd throw another one at you. Hopefully, this weekend I'm going to get some new items to sell together, but during the week I only have time for quick freebies. Next week, we are planning to read "A Bed Full of Cats". I'm also covering characters and how they compare/contrast to each other. I didn't have ANY cat clip art or sheets, so I threw this one together really quick. I also made another reference sheet. I'm hitting this area hard with my kids right now, so the more of them I have the better. If you like these two freebie sheets, CLICK HERE to get them. As a quick head's up, TPT sent out an email today asking sellers not to post freebies more than 10 pages. Most of my items aren't over that, but my New Year's packet is over 10 pages, so I'm going to be adjusting it over the weekend. If you haven't gotten it yet and you want the whole packet, you may want to download it. TPT has been very good to all of us, so I want to make sure I follow their requests. Have a fantabulous Friday night :)
Hey everyone! I hope you had a great holiday and if you’re like me you’re definitely enjoying your time off school. Yes I love and miss the kiddos and have seen some updates about them on FB but I’ve really enjoyed no alarms, comfy clothes, Netflix, organizing my home, and staying up late. The joys ... Read More about Read and Recall Freebie Update!
Here is another worksheet addressing the language concept of "not." This is a difficult concept to target, which is why I have made so many materials to work on it! Lots of repetitive practice is needed. You could also work on this using a set of real life objects (e.g., "Give me everything that is NOT blue. Give me all of the dolls that are NOT boys"). Click here to download!
I have no idea where to start with writing tonight. I took one day off and now I'm thinking, "Oh, my goodness! Why do these people all want to follow me?" I keep trying to think of a funny story and honestly, I can't think past the football game in the background. I'm a Georgia fan at heart (sorry Dad - it's not my fault), but ultimately I'm an SEC fan! I like the guy from Hawaii on Notre Dame, but I have to say, I hope Alabama slaughters them. Now, changing directions, this week we are working on types of sentences, so I threw together a quick sheet. If you guys are anything like me, we have the new common core standards, but our old resources don't align. At the beginning of the summer, I took apart every resource I had and realigned all of my notebooks. It took 4 days to do, but they are a work of art and MUCH better than a filing cabinet. However, many times there are only 5 problems on a page or the page is too easy or too complex. So, now I'm obsessed with creating my own sheets. Anyway, I'm saying all of that to say I have three new freebies for you. The first one is a rounding sheet. Honestly, I'm not sure it's a first grade standard anymore. I thought it was when I created it, but I've looked through all of the standards and our first grade teacher's guide and I can't find it, so I'm not sure. I do know the other two sheets are in our standards. One of them covers true/false addition problems and the other one covers declarative and interrogative sentences plus punctuation marks. If you like them, CLICK HERE to get them. Oh, and for all of my cat lovers out there (See Saturday's post), my hubby has changed my picture on his phone to that picture. Now, every time I call him, the picture of the cat pops up. That's okay... I'm sure I deserve it. I did sneak a boiled egg into his work boot a few years ago ;) Hope you guys are off to a good week!
Free reading comprehension passages for grades 2 - 3
It amazes me how much class size affects my teaching and my students. I started the year with 31 students. I just lost my second one at the beginning of this week, so I'm down to 29. I've had 2 kids out all week on long vacations and 2 more out sick. So I've had a class of 25 ALL week!! It's been a big difference. Even though the ones gone are little angels and I still have all the hard ones, it really makes a BIG difference!! Our district and researchers keep telling us that class size doesn't make a difference but I have to beg to differ with them. It makes a HUGE difference in first grade. With a smaller class I can spread myself out more- work with more kids, more often, for longer periods of time. We can get more done- 25 kids take less time to finish an assignment than 31. With all the activities we do in first grade through out the day it can really add up. With less kids, fighting for my attention, I can give more attention to those that really need it. During class discussions, there is more participation by more kids. The shyer kids start to open up. It just feels more like a close knit community rather than a big city. I can hardly imagine what it would be like to teach less than 20. What a dream!! Back to reality. Our school has been doing training in SIOP this year. It stands for Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol. You can find out more HERE. It actually is training in teaching English Language Learner but our school does not have a very high percentage of ELLs. We actually have only 3 out of 180 in our grade level. But the SIOP model is really best practices and a great review in how to teach better. With the new common core our principal thought is would be a great help. We've had to do lesson studies and just finished one yesterday. Our team did ours on Synonyms. It's great to collaborate and work together as a team developing and analyzing a lesson. Here's a practice page we used and a cute song we found. I don't know who to give credit for the song but our kiddos really liked it. Click HERE if you'd like to grab a copy. Hey, believe it or not but it's FRIDAY tomorrow- again! Gotta love FRIDAY! I hope you all have a GREAT one.
We have all heard the term, Reading is THINKING! Unfortunately, actually teaching kiddos how to think and be more metacognative while they are reading is more difficult than it sounds! This anchor chart, Reading is Thinking, has helped me to model for my students how to think, ask questions, predict, summarize, visualize, infer, and make connections while they are reading. Reading is THINKING Freebie to improve Comprehension ~ TeacherKarma.com Click on the Reading is Thinking anchor chart to get more strategies and a FREEBIE just for you. :) Best wishes!
Boggle is such a great game for pattern recognition and spelling. You can even get a little math in there with the scoring. Kids (and adults) love it! Here is a template you can use with your class. The color version is for using with your document camera, while the grayscale version is perfect for ... Read More about Boggle Template: Make a New Game Each Time!
Ein einfaches Arbeitsblatt zum Wiederholen der Wortarten. Mit dabei ist eine Zusatzaufgabe zum Verändern der Wortarten. Viel Freude mit dem Material!Wenn d
If you are looking for comprehensive and kid-friendly no-prep 2nd grade language arts worksheets, you've come to the right place.
WOO! HOO! I’m celebrating a PERSONAL MILESTONE in my TPT store! While this is not a TPT milestone, I am excited to share that I have recently surpassed selling 25,000 units (resources) in my store! I would like to thank everyone who has made this possible. Thank you for the confidence you have shown in me by purchasing my resources to use with your students. I appreciate each and every one of you. I hope your students become successful learners through the use of my creations. Please enjoy this nine page FREEBIE that offers some samples of my creations along with links to many of my best selling resources. This freebie is mostly geared toward the winter months since this is when I surpassed this personal milestone. A few of the pages included are shown below. Click on any of the photos to view the entire FREEBIE! I would also like to thank all of the very talented artists on TPT that create such amazing clip art for me to use in my resources. They really help bring the resources to life! Please let me know how you like this freebie by leaving me some FEEDBACK so that I can better meet your needs! Thank you so much! ENJOY! Please visit me at: BLOG FACEBOOK PAGE PINTEREST TPT STORE Thanks for stopping by!
Over the years, my students have come to sessions seeking help with literary devices. They have expressed confusion over the terms: literary devices, literary terms, literary elements and figurative language, and they also struggle with the many definitions. What are Literary Devices, Literary Terms, Literary Elements and Figurative Language? Literary Devices are creative writing strategies used by an author to convey his or her message(s). When used well, literary devices help readers to visualize, interpret and analyze literary texts. There are two kinds: literary techniques (which includes figurative language) and literary elements. Literary Techniques are words or phrases in texts of literature that writers use to achieve artistic or creative expression. Literary techniques also help readers to visualize, understand and appreciate literature. Literary Elements are components or pieces that make up a story or literary work. Figurative Language is the creative use of words and phrases that offers a hidden meaning beyond any literal interpretation. How Can Students Understand The Global Concept? I created an image to help students “see” the big picture as well as understand the individual components. Although I have not included all possible literary devices, I have included what I believe to be the most common ones. I hope you agree. Click Here to download a free copy of this image. Additional Resources: If you are also interested in a comprehensive publication that also offers students additional printables, a multisensory activity and a game, Click Here Cheers, Erica Dr. Erica Warren is the author, illustrator, and publisher of multisensory educational materials at Good Sensory Learning. She is also the director of Learning to Learn and Learning Specialist Courses. Blog: https://learningspecialistmaterials.blogspot.com/ YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/warrenerica1 GSL Blog: https://goodsensorylearning.com/blogs/news Stores: www.GoodSensoryLearning.com/ Courses: http://www.learningspecialistcourses.com/ Newsletter Sign-up: https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/694000
Echolalia- Learn strategies for your Autism classroom. What echolalia is and how to reduce it with activities to decrease repetitive speech or non-authentic communication.
This freebie is a reminder that sometimes I-messages can be tricky because they can often come off as blaming and accusatory. Just because a sentence starts with "I" does not make it an assertive, non-defensive I-message. .Assertiveness means expressing your point of view in a way that is clear and ...
Paperless ELA Task Cards Paperless Math Centers Paperless Math Task Cards I Spy Double-digit Addition and Subtraction I Spy Rounding ELA QR Code Task Cards: Mixed Review QR Code Scavenger Hunts Questioning Prompt Posters & Bookmarks (See original post here) Roll a Writing Prompt Cube Rockin' Out With Mixed Operations Task Cards Interactive Notebook Freebie QR Code Prime and Composite Number Sort Expanded Form Match-up I Spy Double-digit Addition and Subtraction I Spy Rounding Representing Fractions Using Models and Number Lines Bump Game Geometry Posters: types of angles and lines: Mean, Median, Mode, Range Center (with QR code option) Skip Counting Task Cards We Heart Reading Pennant Banner Valentine's Day Mixed Number/Improper Fraction Heart Match-up Back to School Getting to Know You Cube QR Code Scavenger Hunt: Spooky Arrays SaveSave SaveSave
Language Arts Freebies in Laura Candler's online file cabinet for teachers.
This post contains affiliate links. Positional Words are some of those concrete concepts that students need to be familiar with. They are a part of our every day vocabulary, especially in the classroom! “Sit beside her.” “Line up behind the door.” “Walk in front of the building.” These are just a few phrases I can ... Read More about Positional Words FREEBIE
Great fun one-on-one or in small groups. Your students will love the challenge while building their vocabulary. How many items can they name in 30 seconds? Or roll the dice - will they have to name one or six? Included are 17 category game cards (e.g. "Name things that fly); and an instruction card. Simply print, laminate, cut out and enjoy! If you enjoyed this freebie, you may also enjoy: The Card Game version with 70 cards:Semantics Vocabulary Building Card Game or; The NO PRINT version with 75 pages:No Print Expressive Language Vocabulary Game If you enjoy this product, please leave a review at the product page or through "My Purchases" under "My Account". I hope you enjoy this product! Thank you for looking!
Metaphor, simile, onomatopoeia, alliteration, hyperbole, personification, and more!
Resources, tips, and materials to help you, help children with autism
Hi friends! Now that I've taken a little breather in June - {we had birthday parties for both of my kids - so you know what kind of a "breather" that is ;)} I'm ready to hit the ground running for July! Teaching nouns is one of the first things we start content with in the beginning of the school year, so I put together a little packet of printables, interactive notebook pages, and games to use when we start back! Scroll all the way to the bottom for a little freebie! My teammate had a cute game like this for prepositional phrases that my kids went crazy over (I ended up laminating them and putting them in free station baskets) Click HERE or on the picture above to grab this page from the packet as a preview. I hope you enjoy!
4 Games to Help Kids Think Critically about Vocabulary Guest Post by Rachael Parlett from Classroom Game Nook Blog.
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
Anchor chart for common pronouns. Also black and white printables for students to do along with you.Added an assessment page to use with the chart.***updated***new graphics and fill in the blank chart with word bank...
The question I probably get asked the most is, “Where do I start?” Teachers, SLPs, and parents don’t always know what to do with the new aac system their child/student has been given. As SLPs we know that you can’t just put the book or device in front of the student and expect them to just begin it use it. Communication for these students is a skill that needs to be specifically and directly taught. Language needs to have a context. Usually it is a context that involves more than just the aac user. Communication is interactive. If you listen to Janice Light talk about what students need, she lists social closeness, information transfer, social etiquette, and wants and needs. For many of our students, the focus starts out on wants and needs and often doesn’t get much further. In school, on the other hand, we start to spend a lot of time on information transfer - answering the questions posed by the curriculum. But, Light puts social closeness at the top of the list. Isn’t that what communication is all about? We teach conversational skills because it is so important to connect with those around us. We need to be able to share experiences, feelings, and more. Many of my teens who use aac love to joke. Telling jokes (or trying to) is their way of establishing that closeness. As students move into school, the time and effort spent on establishing social communication grows. We spend time teaching students to engage in eye contact, to smile at others, and to participate in activities. For them to do the latter, they need a way to communicate what they want to say to others. So, where do we start? We start with the student. What engages him? What do we say when we are engaged with him? What are the things he wants to or might want to say? Take a look at the activities in which he wants or needs to interact and begin to build the vocabulary for that activity. Not just the names of things involved; but comments - both positive and negative, actions, and descriptions. Provide those words in his mode of communication (usually this means his aac device or communication book), and you use them. The more you model using the symbols or signs for the words involved in that activity the faster he will learn. As the student begins to use the system, acknowledge, reinforce, and expand on what he says. Offer choices as often as possible. Ask open ended questions rather than yes/no. Model use of those action and descriptive words consistently. Make sure you are not overwhelming the student with too much language, but keep your language a step or 2 above his. Don’t talk so much. Pause in interactions to wait for a response. Assume that he can and will respond. Overall, make sure you are providing sufficient vocabulary, sufficient models of a wide variety of communication purposes, and constant access to the system. I often tell SLPs, teachers, and parents that they are going to do the same things they do with their other kids/students. Just add pictures to your communication mode. Where do we start? Start with the student. A couple of weeks ago I posted a free core word communication board. I have also posted boards for use in the library, the motor lab, and at snack time. All of those boards are based on use of core vocabulary; adding additional vocabulary needed in that context. If you are building boards or pages for activities, make sure that core vocabulary words are available, and focus on those. Today I am adding a slightly different core word board for you to use. How do you engage your student?
Today's post---Hodgepodge. A little of this...and a bit of that. Today we just took it easy. I had 6 kiddos absent (There must be so...
Learn about what oral language is, and how to use task cards to increase English Language Learners oral language skills.
Planning your guided literacy time is bout to get so much easier. I get asked a lot about how to tie reading and writing together, while focusing on fluency, comprehension, phonics, vocabulary, writing, etc. I create this resource to get kids excited about reading and writing, and to make planning
Reading Character Wheel Freebie
Hey friends! I hope your week is going fabulously!! I have been enjoying my second week off…I got totally obsessed with Orange is the New Black (on Netflix, if you don't know, you better ask somebody) and watched 2 seasons in 2 days. No my son was not home…totally inappropriate. Now I'm onto Scandal. Don't judge me.
Free, no-prep, editable spelling activities perfect for any word work center! #wordwork #sightwordactivities #daily5 #teachingreading #mrswintersbliss
Expanding Sentences Anchor Chart and Mini-Lesson
