In upper grade classrooms, students spend a great deal of time responding to the texts they read. Over the years I have found that no matter what grade level I teach, students have a difficult time writing thorough and meaningful reading responses. At the start of every year my students need quite a bit of guidance when writing their responses. One of the best ways that I have found to teach students to write meaningful responses is by providing them with sentence frames. I like to encourage students to follow three simple steps when writing reading responses, each with sentence frames and prompts to use: Step 1: What did you read? While reading... In chapter __ of... On page __ of... During today's reading of... Step 2: What happened in the text? Tell what a character said. Tell what a character did. Tell what a character thought, felt, or learned. Describe the setting. Describe an important event that occurred. Explain a problem that was encountered. Step 3: What did you think? This made me think... This made me realize... Based on this, I can infer... Based on this, I can predict... This reminded me of... I can relate to this because... I could visualize... I now understand... This three-step process encourages students to not only tell what happened in a text, but also reflect on what they thought or felt about what they read. Here is a sample response using these steps: I have included a FREE handout for you to share with your students to help guide them in writing thorough and meaningful reading responses. Click HERE download this FREEBIE. If you are looking for more resources for reading response, check out my Reading Response Journals for literature and non-fiction texts. These resources include anchor charts for different reading strategies and skills, as well as more specific sentence frames for the different skills. Click on the pics to learn more. Writing thoughtful reading responses is not always easy, but with a bit of guidance from using sentence frames and prompts, it will soon become second nature for students!!
The simple formula that will turn your child into a lifelong learner.
Graphic organizers are an essential tool for differentiating and supporting all students in your classroom. This pack includes 100 graphic organizers that can be used with any fiction books or reading passages. If you are looking for a paper and digital version, click here! This resource is packed full of a wide variety graphic organizers to practice skills and strategies needed while reading fiction! These organizers have been thoughtfully aligned to the ELA Common Core for Grades 1-6. Take a peek at some of the fiction graphic organizers in the preview! WHAT'S INCLUDED: *100 Reading Fiction Graphic Organizers Total* Topics (More detail included in Table of Contents in the product preview): • Story Maps • Plot Diagrams • Setting • Character Traits • Analyzing Characters • Character Relationships • Conflict/ Problem & Solution • Sequencing • Theme • Cause & Effect • Compare & Contrast • Summarizing • Using Text Evidence • Using Illustrations • Dialogue • Using Reading Strategies • Vocabulary • Using Context Clues • Point of View • Book Response • Ending Extension • Protagonist vs Antagonist • Round vs Flat Characters • Retelling • Character Perspective • Types of Conflict • Reading Strategies (Recently Added) • Making Predictions (Recently Added) • Visualizing (Recently Added) • Asking Questions (Recently Added) British/Australian spelling also available upon request by e-mail to [email protected]. Just e-mail me with your order number and I will send them along! This product is also discounted as part of these bundles: Fiction Digital and Paper Graphic Organizers Bundle Reading Comprehension Strategies, Nonfiction & Fiction Graphic Organizers Bundle Digital and Paper Reading Comprehension Strategies, Nonfiction & Fiction Graphic Organizers Bundle More Graphic Organizers: Nonfiction Graphic Organizers More Fiction Reading Resources: Fiction Reading Crafts Fiction Word Wall Fiction Posters & Anchor Charts ⓒ Raise the Bar Reading
Reading Response activities will likely form a major part of your reading programme, whether you are running guided reading groups, a daily 5 system,
Synonyms and Antonyms Anchor Chart! This blog post contains the material to create this anchor chart, plus a FREE interactive notebook entry for synonyms and antonyms!
Each classroom brings students of multiple learning styles and backgrounds. It is our job to provide opportunities that reach all of the many different learning styles that come to us. For this reason, it is
Check out how easy it is to use old iPhones as Listening Centers!
Witty retorts for the non-bookworms in your life!
Exercise 1 Exercise 2 Exercise 3 Exercise 4 Exercise 5 Exercise 6 Listen. Tick the correct pictures. Colour the picures. Exercise 7 Match the sentences parts to tell the story. Write out the story in a paragraph. Copy the story in the exercise book. Exercise 8 Solve the crossword puzzle. (based on the phonemes 'ow' )
If the titles of my blog posts are any indication of how well I can focus on one specific task- that doesn't look very good. I never can focus on one thing in these blog posts- hence the extremely long and random combinations in my titles :) My kiddos were WIRED this week! They definitely have spring fever. My. goodness. It probably didn't help that it was Dr. Seuss day on Monday and we had a spirit week the rest of the days. Something about Wacky Wednesday doesn't exactly scream "concentration." :) Don't get me wrong- I love spirit week because I can wear jeans or comfy clothes. Plus the kiddos deserved some fun distractions. BUT. It was a complete battle between spirit/fun and testing/instruction all week. I finally had a "come to jesus" talk with the class on Friday. I actually think it helped. Last year, if I had a talk like that with my firsties, I wasn't always sure it got through, but with third graders this year, it was actually a mutual discussion. We'll see, that might just be my Saturday-induced optimism talking.... :) Speaking of spring fever, I just finished my newest "Spring Fling" and "Happy Snails" clipart sets and posted them to my store! I have used a lot of pastel colors in my spring sets, but I made a new color scheme for these sets (and some other spring sets I plan on making) because I needed some extra energizing sets after this week! Check out these little splashes of spring color.... If you want to check out these sets in my store, you can click on the links below. Happy Snails: $2.00 Spring Fling: $4.00 Onto the other part of my random blog title......If there was one word that would be tattooed across my forehead lately, it would be "EVIDENCE." If I had a dollar for every time I said that word ("Where's your evidence?" "Find evidence to support your claim" "Support your answers with evidence" "Find the evidence in the text" "Do you have evidence for that?" ETC), I could retire. Surprisingly, it doesn't bother my kiddos at all and they FEED off of showing evidence. For this reason, the most precious half piece of paper in my classroom is this little beauty: I made up my own version of a "Showing Evidence" reference sheet because I needed it to include a few more evidence stems than the ones I was finding on TpT or pinterest. In our reading lessons, we are focusing on the kiddos using text AND visual cues, so I wanted some stems specific to each. Also, we have discussed how to talk about poetry, so I wanted one in there with "stanza." My students have been using these little reference strips in pretty much every subject! They even started pulling them out in math and changing some of the wording around to work with their conclusions based on graphs, charts and word problems. God bless them and their evidence-eager hearts! One of my kids suggested that I laminate them for each student so they can "take it to fourth grade with them." I told him that I would make a special "Showing Evidence in Fourth Grade" strip....printed in COLOR....and laminated for everyone in the class if they found evidence to answer every reading comp question on the DCAS (state test). I hope I will be needing to buy lots of color ink soon! If you think your kiddos could use these same strips, you can snatch them up below from google docs. I just print them out and cut them down the middle. And, per my student's suggestion, you could laminate them so they last forever and ever :) {Snatch it HERE} Don't forget to turn your clocks ahead before bed tonight. Nothing like LOSING and hour of sleep- but at least it is more EVIDENCE that spring is on it's way......sorry I couldn't resist :)
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!
These Reading Comprehension Bookmarks give students the tools they need to successfully share their great ideas about what they have read.
Thank you to Diane for submitting this fun book report poster. It’s legal size (paper) worksheet and is great for lower grades (or as an easy project for upper grades). Great end of the year …
If you’re like most people, you respond with “Good” when someone asks how you’re doing. Spice things up with witty and funny responses.
We know how important it is to teach our students to make inferences when they read. It's a tricky concept, and one that needs to be taught again and again. Students often confusing inferring with making predictions and observations, and some are just confused all together! Som
In this fascinating worksheet, children learn about the history of chocolate, from its ancient ceremonial use to the invention of the chocolate candy bar.
Context In my previous post, issues encountered by various of my non-profit clients were identified as catalysts for application of an empathy mapping response, in order to gain greater insight int…
Reading nonfiction texts can be overwhelming for students, especially when it comes to a topic they are unfamiliar with at a reading a level that is even slightly above theirs. With a push to read
This one-pager works perfectly in a reading response or writing station.
The Socratic style of discourse lends itself quite well to establishing critical thinkers due to the fact that Socrates believed that enabling students to think for themselves was more important than filling their heads with knowledge. With so much talk about the Common Core standards and truly increasing our student's argumentative powers and critical thinking skills, I decided to launch a Socratic Seminar style of instruction in my sixth grade classroom this week. Our Seminar The Text My approach began by engaging in a guided reading of a novel titled I Can't Believe I Have To Do This by Jan Alford. Throughout the course of the week we read the novel and discussed story events and critical vocabulary associated with the readings. The Questions Students were given a Socratic Seminar "Prep Sheet" at the beginning of the week. The sheet asked the students to do the following: #1. Summarize the assigned reading #2. Identify 3 compelling quotes or statements from the reading #3. Develop one Knowledge based question #4. Develop one Application style question #5. Develop one Synthesis style question Download at: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Socratic-Seminar-Packet The Set Up I then arranged my room in a double horseshoe configuration and assigned five students to be the inner circle. The inner circle students were slated to be the ones discussing and interacting. The outer circle of students were slated to observe and reflect and provide a 'backchannel'. The Discourse Relinquishing control was the MOST DIFFICULT thing!! Once the seminar began I truly had to force myself not to jump in and facilitate. Initially, it was truly awkward. Students nervously giggled and looked down at their papers. No one seemed willing to emerge as a leader. Once they realized that no one was coming to their rescue, the dialogue began and WOW. DID YOU KNOW?? A website called blockposters.com can take any .jpg or .gif image and turn it into a larger printable poster with overlapping edges for assembly?? Backchannel To occupy my outer circle, I distributed 5 ipads (1 for every 3 students) and allowed them to connect on todaysmeet.com. There they posted thoughts, questions, comments and even prompts to assist the inner circle. This back channel scrolled on the Smartboard throughout the seminar. (Admittedly, I didn't love the lack of grammar conventions demonstrated in the statements below.) Reflection/Assessment Without a doubt, we will do this again. Once the awkwardness ended, the dialog went FAR beyond what I've ever experienced with this novel. Students shared events that related DEEPLY to the characters, the character's choices and experiences. They also extrapolated character traits and applied them to new situations. As an assessment tool, each student completed an Exit Slip paragraph where they exercised their argumentative writing skills by completing a one paragraph reflection on the grade they deserved as a result of their participation in the seminar. Socratic discourse....making the kiddos use THEIR Smarticles!! All of my materials are available at: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Socratic-Seminar-Packet
Much of English derives from other languages. Let's take a brief look at the history of the English language. Plus, download FREE vocabulary resources.
This Reading Comprehension Worksheet - Welcome to Hawaii is for teaching reading comprehension. Use this reading comprehension story to teach reading comprehension.
One of the biggest struggles in Literacy classrooms can sometimes be incorporating informational texts into literary units. Another struggle, getting students to read on level. Another struggle, getti
This reading response worksheet is ideal for practicing story elements, reading strategies, comprehension, text connection, author study, vocabulary work and so much more!
