Strong story structure is the backbone that makes a story "work." It can guide our writing to enable us to create stories that resonate with readers.
6 story structures, complete with story structure charts to help you create an original plot and outline your next novel.
Teaching children how to play nicely with others is a common social skill that needs to be frequently addressed. As educators we will say things like, “be kind” or “treat others the way you want to be treated”, however we need to explicitly teach these skills. We cannot expect for children to know these social ... Read More about Social Story: Playing Nicely
These kindergarten anchor charts will give you the tools you need to teach math, reading, friendship skills, and much more!
If you're searching for a valuable tool to enhance reading comprehension skills and engage students in exploring literary worlds, short story reading comprehension worksheets are a great choice. Designed for teachers and parents seeking to promote critical thinking and analytical skills, these worksheets provide a platform for young readers to delve deeper into the characters, themes, and plots of captivating short stories.
Tantrums Don’t Help Me Fix a Problem is a social story created by TAP. This particular social story is written to help children understand why tantrums will not fix their problem. It also hel…
This reading response worksheet is ideal for practicing story elements, reading strategies, comprehension, text connection, author study, vocabulary work and so much more!
Please note this was originally published via tweets by Emma Coates, a former Story Artist from Pixar. Eventually this lovely infographic was made. We've seen a lot of writing tips, but these concrete and approachable tips are some of the best we've seen.
This is a social story meant to discourage students from Throwing Things, as a way to deal with strong feelings. The story goes through why a student may be feeling upset or frustrated, and outlines the potential dangers of Throwing Things. It goes on to present alternative behaviours and safe copin...
Immerse children in the enchanting world of Goldilocks and the Three Bears using printables that combine math, literacy, and the classic tale.
Split face self portrait art is a wonderful all-about-me activity that can be done with kids of all ages (preschool, kindergarten and up).
Short stories are a great way to engage students and teach meaningful skills without having to enter into long units. Middle schoolers love a good suspenseful story that can be covered in a single …
If you think I have the answers here, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. I'm far from having any answers.
The Color Monster is the story of a monster who, with the help from a little girl, learns about his emotions through different colors. This book companion is the perfect cross-curricular addition to your classroom for teaching your students about their emotions. What is included? • Visual craft with step-by-step real picture sequencing • Writing activity (to go along with the craft - great for bulletin board displays!) • STEM emotion activity • Visual recipe to make monster cookies • 7 differentiated cut/paste worksheets (errorless included) • Task box emotion clip cards When do you use book companions? Book companions are a great addition to any reading or language arts block. They also serve as a great print-and-go lesson for any substitute binder. PLEASE NOTE * 1. You will need to purchase the book The Color Monster - A Story About Emotions by Anna Llenas to go along with the book companion and craftivity. 2. Part of this book companion is included in the January Mini Lesson Plan Pack. Connect with me: • Newsletter • Blog • Facebook • Instagram • Pinterest • Don't forget about the green ★ to follow my store to get notifications of new resources and freebies! Thanks for Looking and Happy Teaching!
I just finished working on the Album Artwork for The Crane Wives , who are releasing their sister albums in August! I've worked with them on all three albums, and it's been really inspiring to not only grow in my image making with them, but to see and hear them grow as we
Using social stories to teach social skills gives students direct and meaningful direction in learning essential social skills.
One of my favorite ways to outline or plan a story is to map it out like a subway or road map. Here's how this technique works. Each road or subway line
Kids learn by moving! Color sorting with movement is a low-prep indoor activity for rainy days, baby nap times, or redirect moving indoors.
After successfully using the Christmas Roll a story someone has asked for a different one to use everyday. So here it is: Download: Roll a story Great for: Warming up during a circle time. Warming up during one to one sessions. Using imagination to tell a story. Working out how to solve a problem. Understanding emotions […]
Suiting up for the final frontier isn't just about looks, it's about surviving and working in one of the harshest environments possible. So what exactly is a spacesuit, and what will the spacefaring fashionistas of the future be wearing?
Bible Story Printables from Old Testament stories like the story of Creation, Noah’s Ark, David and Goliath, Jonah and the Whale & more!
A little girl says to her mother: “Mummy, when you were away at work a […]
Doing a renovation project is a complete learning curve and it's normal to make a few mistakes along the way - here's everything I've learnt along the way
Enhance your children's learning of Bible stories with these free Bible coloring pages from the Old and New Testaments.
Today I'm sharing one of my favourite tasks for building community in the classroom. Students are able to share an important aspect of themselves (the story of their name) with the class and with me, their teacher. Through this task we are also working on important skills, like reading comprehension, writing, and reflection. Day 1 To begin, I asked my students to write any name they wish they had on a sticky note. They then placed it in a mason jar. I read my class the story "The Name Jar" by Yansook Choi. We stopped at several points in the story to predict, make connections, infer, and ask questions. At one point, we paused in the story so that students could journal about the name they wrote down on the sticky note earlier: - Did they choose their own name? Or another? - Why? - If you chose another name, where did you hear that name before? Day 2 At the end of Day 1, students were given homework. (Stick around to the bottom of this post for a chance to get your own copy of this sheet.) I make it very clear, that while names all have meanings, your family may not have chosen your name for that reason. They might not know the meaning, and you can choose to look it up with your family if you wish. I also focus a lot on nicknames and your own feelings about your name. While I've never taught a student in foster care, or one who was adopted, I do think it's important to mention that this could be a touchy task in those situations, so be sure to know your students first, and modify as needed. Students use the homework task, and the journal write from the previous day, to write "The Story of their Name". Some possible options to include are: - who you are named after - the meaning of your name - a name you'd rather have - your feelings toward your name - nicknames you may have - the person (or people) who chose your name - how your name was chosen This piece of writing is then self, peer, and teacher edited, and a "good" copy is made. Day 3 I found this excellent step-by-step self-portrait from "Art Projects for Kids". I modified the task so that instead of drawing the left or right side of their face, they would draw the top half. Students find that folding their page into quadrants as she suggests is very helpful. Under the document camera I demonstrate each step, and students copy, adapting to their own facial features. Each student gets a mirror to look in to help them personalize. The final pieces are put on a bulletin board for display. Students also coloured in a bubble letter version of their names to complete the display. (I used the font KG Red Hands Outline for this.) Day 4 Once we've completed the task, the last job is to reflect on our work. I pulled some elements from our Arts Education curriculum (very relevant regardless of where you teach) for students to self-assess on. I've used the proficiency scale language our school has moved to for all reporting. A few students found it helpful to complete their reflection while looking at the finished product on their bulletin board, but most didn't need this. Want a copy of both my homework and reflection pages? Follow the image or button below to grab your copy. Take Me to the Free Download Pin this post.
This week I tried something new with the vocabulary in the story. I got the idea at a First Grade Conference in December. The student writ...
If you are looking for some high-interest activities, try using animated shorts to teach inference. Free handouts focus on student learning.
I remember the first time I saw Toy Story. I fell in love with the idea that my toys could be alive. Then years later I watched the movie again, this time I had a different experience. I fell in love…
The reason I am involved in the Center for Positive Organizations is because of Chris Peterson. I signed up for his Positive Psychology[1] course at the last minute, and unexpectedly it became the most personally meaningful class I’ve ever taken. On the day of our midterm, though, Chris passed away unexpectedly, which was devastating to […]
How to create a retell literacy center in kindergarten. Plus a list of 20 famous stories and retell props (with printables) to complete this center.
Check out these fun activities from Award Winning Author/Illustrator Jarett Lerner to do at home or in the classsroom. Includes comics, drawing, and more.
Secret Stories® phonics instruction works with your existing reading program to accelerate learner access to the "whole" reading and writing code.
