These unique classroom supplies are must-haves if you teach reading!
hold students accountable while they independently read with these easy to implement reading tips and tricks and strategies
This is a visual for how students work their way up the Reading Ladder. Kindergarten is working within the levels 1 and 2 throughout the year. When working with your child, please focus on these skills so that they have a solid reading foundation. Success is earned and needs to be worked for. Thank you to Katelyn's Learning Studio for this amazing resource.
I want to try all of these.
In this blog post: Download a set of decodable readers based on your favorite fairytales and folktales including The Little Red Hen, The Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Jack and the Beanstalk, and The Three Billy Goats Gruff. If you’ve been around for a while, you know that one of my favorite […]
Next week marks the start of National Library Week!
Amazing classroom decoration ideas including how to add a class fireplace, a beautiful teacher space, a classroom fridge and more!
Do you need English reading comprehension worksheets to supplement your ESL classroom? Check out some of the worksheets and editable documents on this page. Reading comprehension, or the ability to…
Ten recommendations for teacher professional development books to transform your practice, for both new or seasoned teachers.
Amazing classroom decoration ideas including how to add a class fireplace, a beautiful teacher space, a classroom fridge and more!
Get your students reading and writing this summer with these fun and engaging enrichment activities for elementary grades.
This reading response worksheet is ideal for practicing story elements, reading strategies, comprehension, text connection, author study, vocabulary work and so much more!
In first grade reading comprehension is something new, challenging, and difficult to teach because even though they’re all 6 or 7 they’re developmentally so different. Head over to my blog to get this comprehension page. Depending on what grade you teach it’d be great for: homework individual assessment small groups partners intervention challenging gifted students ... Read More about Reading Comprehension
Summer is a great time to do some reading. So whether you are looking for professional or personal reading here's my 10 best summer reads for teachers.
Love podcasts? Check out this post in the form of a podcast episode on The Classroom Commute Podcast :
Classroom Reading Organization Tips for guided reading groups, reading lessons and how to make your reading instruction more than manageable!
This introduction to poetry gives teachers ideas on teaching poetry minlessons that make a difference in how your students think about poems.
Using reading aloud in the classroom can sustain students' engagement and render the reading experience more rewarding. Here are ahandy techniques and tips.
When we let students know that reading is worthwhile, it creates a chain reaction of learning. Here are 25 strategies for fostering a reading culture.
Activities that boost fluency all year long…and that you only have to prep once!
Perfect 25 Day Reading Challenge for Kids, kids reading activities, free printables reading challenge, Fun Book Ideas, Reading is important, Kids Books, reading challenges, reading groups, book clubs and more. Encourage and Motivate Kids to Read, Bookish Challenges
Teaching reading strategies in kindergarten that follow the Science of Reading research and a free printable to help support students
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 …
As adults, we often walk into a bookstore with a certain genre we are ready to peruse the aisles for in order to find our next read. Would your students be able to do the
Read and Color & Read and Draw Inside you will find: * 10 Read and Color pages. * 10 Read and Draw These comprehension activities are ideal for students in kindergarten and first grade. Use this as a listening comprehension activities for your kindergarten students, or have your first graders read the passages and work independently. These are perfect for literacy centers, independent work, morning work, fast finisher, homework and more. Take a look at the freebie to determine if this set will fit the needs of your students: FREE Reading Comprehension Activities This is a part of a GROWING BUNDLE: GROWING BUNDLE Reading Comprehension Activities You may also be interested in: Reading Comprehension Check GROWING BUNDLE Reading Comprehension THE BUNDLE Reading Fluency and Comprehension THE BUNDLE If you have any questions, please email me at: [email protected] before purchasing *************************************************** Follow my stores for more AWESOME FREEBIES and GET UPDATES on my NEW PRODUCTS!! Connect with me: Teaching Biilfizzcend Instagram Teaching Biilfizzcend Pinterest
This post shares tips and strategies for teaching different learning styles to meet the needs of all learners.
Don't let a short schedule keep you from providing engaging library programming. These 30-minute library lessons are perfect for librarians!
What reading strategies do students need to know? Find out here and keep track with a free chart!
As teachers, we all know the benefits of reading: stronger social skills, better vocabulary and writing skills, and increased creativity just to name a few. And yet, in an era of YouTube, Instagram, and Xbox, a big challenge for teachers can be getting students to pick up a book in the first place, let alone take pleasure in reading! The start of a new academic year is a great opportunity to implement some new strategies to create a culture of reading in your classroom. I am sharing some quick and easy, tried-and-tested techniques to transform your students from social media focused to literature lovers (or, at the very least, technology addicts who love to read every day, too!) SHARE YOUR OWN LOVE OF READING WITH YOUR STUDENTS It sounds obvious, but if we want students to become enthused by reading then we first need to model this behavior ourselves! This can be as simple as just creating a poster for your door which lists the books that you are currently reading and a brief summary of what they are about. The purpose of the poster is twofold: as students wait outside your room, they are reminded of the fact that reading is an enjoyable or purposeful activity, and it also helps to create a dialogue about books or reading in general. As students enter the room, you can ask them to share in return what they are currently reading, their favorite character or event in their book so far, or a book that they might recommend to other classmates - anything that gets them talking and enthused about reading. MAKE TIME FOR ESCAPISM Setting aside time for reading in your classroom is also very important; if students aren't reading at home then this might potentially be the only time they are engaging with a book of their choice each week. Consider starting your daily lessons with 10-15 minutes of reading time or ringing a DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) bell a few times a week; as well as this being a great 'settling' activity, this also means that students have to get in the habit of carrying a book with them at all times, just in case! MAKING LEARNING ABOUT NEW BOOKS FUN I have personally done book talks with my students and I have also invited our librarian to share some of the latest books with my students. This is definitely a great strategy, but sometimes students require a bit more action. So, to get everyone up and moving and learning about some new book titles that they might like to explore, I use this Reading Escape Room with them! The five, fun challenges included will have students (quite literally) jumping up and down with excitement! In addition to walking away from this activity with some new titles and genres to explore, students will also be able to use the previous knowledge of books that they read and incorporate this knowledge into some of the challenges (reviewing some famous authors, characters and quotes). This Reading Escape Room can truly be used at any point within an English Language Arts classroom and it is applicable for middle and high school students. *Just as a side note, it would be fun to display some of the titles found within the escape room on the ledge of your whiteboard, for example! This will help with discussion and this will give students a tangible item to grab as soon as you are done the activity. You will be able to gauge their reading exciement if a good majority of your students are reading to pick up a book shortly after they are finished with the escape activity! PROMOTE READING VISUALLY As J.K. Rowling famously said, "If you don't like to read, you haven't found the right book." Another easy way to promote reading and introduce different books to your students is through the use of display boards in your classroom. There are a number of ways that you can do this: create a board of famous literary quotes; hang posters promoting the positive effects of reading; make a 'recommended' reading wall based on age or interests; or ask students to complete book summaries and display these for other students to read. Make your boards colorful and interactive (Pinterest and Instagram are excellent sources of inspiration for this) and they will soon catch the attention and interest of your students. INTRODUCE READING COMPETITIONS Students love competitions (especially when there are prizes involved!) so use some good old-fashioned in-class rivalry to get them reading! A competition that works well with every age group is the 'Read your Height' challenge. This can be completed individually with students racing to read their own height in books, or it can be turned into a whole-class challenge with students competing against other classes in the school to see who can read an average height first. This also works great as a display board idea; when a student has finished reading a book, they can measure the spine and add it to the wall as a visual reminder of how close they are to meeting their target. If you are worried about the quality or range of books that your students are going to read, the '16 Before 16 Challenge' is an excellent way to encourage to advance their reading by engaging with classic authors, such as Dickens, Austen, and Orwell. This can also be adapted to encourage students to read different genres of books, including autobiographies, poetry and play scripts. Finally, 'Extreme Reading' is a fun way to encourage your students to read outside of school. Students compete against each other to read in the weirdest and wackiest locations possible - in trees, in the middle of a football field, in remote locations on a holiday - anything goes, as long as it's safe and legal and photographic evidence can be provided! I'VE DONE THE READING, NOW WHAT? Are you tired of the same old paper and pencil tests at the end of a text? Are your students struggling with remembering the details from a novel or play that you have studied in class? Are you searching for a fun, collaborative activity? Look no further, I have the solution for you! I have written an informative blog post about this Whole-Class Novel Study Final Project! Click HERE to read more! Click HERE to access the project! This project is great for novel studies. Not only did the final posters make great classroom decor, but the students can really take pride in their work once they are on display. As you can see, I displayed this outside of my classroom. The students who created these got to see their work every time they entered my room, but also, students and teachers from other classes also had an opportunity to see what kinds of FUN things we were doing in English class! :)
As you complete reading tasks, you get to color them in!
10 Reading Week Ideas No comments Read Across America, Reading, reading week, Teaching Ideas Once a year we get the opportunity to dedicate a full week to all things related to reading. Reading Week, or Read Across America, is such a great way to instill a love of learning in students. This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. I earn a small commission each time someone makes a purchase through one of my links. For more information about my Disclosure Policy, please visit this link. My school does a lot of school wide events to make Reading Week special, but I always like to do a few things of my own. If you're looking for some simple ways to make this week extra special for your students, then keep on reading. Book Snack During a read aloud, let your students enjoy a special snack. This can be as cutesy and themed as you want it to be (or not at all). Trust me when I tell you that your kids will love snacking on Goldfish as you read Mercy Watson to them. But, if you want to amp it up a bit, here are a few suggestions to work with: Read Corduroy and let students eat a button shaped cookie Read If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and give them a cookie (or pair any book in this series with its food item) Read The Watermelon Seed or Watermelon Madness and let the students eat a slice of watermelon or some watermelon sour gummies Read Diary of a Worm and let students eat a few gummy worms Random Themed D.E.A.R. Times Rather than offer silent reading at the same time each day during Reading Week, switch up the times each day. Better yet, make that D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read) time themed! This is such a simple way to make silent reading more fun. Invite your students to participate in daily themes such as reading to a stuffed animal, laying on a pillow, or reading in the dark with a flashlight. Send home the note below home the Friday before Reading Week so students can prepare over the weekend for day one. You can grab this D.E.A.R. note by signing up for my newsletter. Click here to sign up. :) Schedule some D.E.A.R time for Read Alouds D.E.A.R. time isn't just for silent reading. It can be for read alouds too! So, drop everything and read to your students. They'll love it. Flashlight Read If you don't like the idea of themed D.E.A.R. time, then opt for a day or two of flashlight reading. Finger flashlights are always popular with students. Turn down the lights, give each student a finger flashlight, and let them read. Easy peasy. Find a New Place to Read Weather permitting, maybe you can take your kids outside to read one day. Is there anything more fun than sitting on the play structure and reading? If the weather isn't cooperating, then find other places in your building to read. Maybe you could let them read: on the school stage in the hallway in your computer lab in your school library (if it's available for use) Buddy Read Partner up with a different grade level for some buddy reading. I remember having Big Buddies in elementary school (and then one day becoming a Big Buddy myself). It was always so fun to read with kids in a different grade. Have a Read-In Let your students participate in a read-in. This could be a full day event, or a half day. Let students bring a blanket and pillow so they can cozy up as they read. And, if you're feeling bold, let them build reading forts. Set Out Baskets of Special Books Put out some special baskets filled with books. These books can come from your own classroom library, or even the school library. Choose some fun themes, new titles, or Caldecott winners and invite your students to read these featured books during D.E.A.R. time. Book Share Throughout the week, let the students take turns sharing a favorite book. This is an easy way to incorporate some speaking and listening into your week. Once students choose a book, they can explain why they like it. It would also be a great way to get students excited about reading new books. Make a Bookmark Let your students make a bookmark. They could make one from scratch (give them a plain white template and let them have at it), or let them color a bookmark like the one shown below. You can grab this fun bookmark by signing up for my newsletter. Click here to sign up. :) Extra, Extra A few fun extras you might want to consider are sending home Reading Bingo to encourage more reading at home. Or, a fun reading themed graphing activity that allows you to get in a little extra math practice. You can grab both of these fun extras by signing up for my newsletter. Click here to sign up. :) I hope you are able to use an idea or two from this post! Happy reading, my friends. And, don't forget, you can grab all of the fun resources featured in this post for FREE by signing up for my newsletter. Click here to sign up. DON'T FORGET IT, PIN IT! Share It:
Independent reading is a favorite time of the day in my classroom! My students love finding a cozy place to read and get lost in their books. As the year goes
Reading comprehension is the ultimate goal of teaching students how to read. Here is a good image of a reading comprehension checklist of most, if not all, of the strategies taught in the primary grades
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
Library bulletin boards can be a great way to show off your current programs, books, and ideas. We’ve gathered ideas to give you inspiration for your next bulletin board display!
These DIGITAL Practically 1st, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Grade Digital Reading Comprehension Passages were created for you to use in Google Classroom. There
Read 100 ideas for teaching english by Monica Lerma on Issuu and browse thousands of other publications on our platform. Start here!
Click here for free professional development for teachers! If you are a teacher who is looking for free research-based professional development on teaching reading you have come to the right place! Not only do I have three amazing research-based professional development resources for you to enhance your reading instruction - they are absolutely free! Your students and your guided reading groups will benefit from these resources on teaching reading!
Everything you need to thrive in grade five!
Motivate students with independent reading by adding engaging reading sprints...turn the traditional reading log upside down!
Managing guided reading groups can be tough! Read these tips for keeping your Guided Reading lessons short and effective, so you can meet with more groups!
I have a fun reading resource for you! Book Talk is loaded with ideas to use for retelling stories, comprehending reading, and using books and tools to share some good conversations. Click here for a preview. Students will have plenty to do during reading time. Plus, there are some great homework ideas too! I recently updated this cover and added more graphic organizers and activities to this resource. Here are just a few examples of what's included: Questions to ask partners or questions for parents to ask their child about the book they are reading. It helps start and guide the conversation about books. If you ONLY want the Book Talk Questions, scroll to the bottom of this post. The questions come in a variety of ways. You can get them all on one sheet or on small papers like below. I put a ring on these and students have a ton of questions to ask themselves or with their partner. These are handy and ready to go on a moments notice. You can use these questions for any genre you are reading. This pack includes 5 book reports with directions and rubrics! Just copy and send home for homework projects. This pack has graphic organizers to keep the conversation going through writing. Over 40 graphic organizers included! Also some reading activities for students that finish early or need some more enrichment. One sheet is for partners to do together and one sheet is for the individual learner who can work at their own pace. You will be sure to find some reading logs in this pack too. There is even one for the entire class to keep track of the books you read together as a class. Plus so much more!!! All activities can be used with any book or any reading program you use in the classroom. You can find Book Talk here on my blog for a discounted price: Discounted Price:Sell ebooks If you ONLY want the Book Talk Questions, click the picture on the left. This pack has 10 pages full of questions students should be answering while reading their story. You can only purchase these questions here on my blog. Click to read more about it. If you ONLY want the book reports, Click on the picture below. Book Reports have 4 book reports with directions and a grading rubric. There are also 3 extra reports to use at anytime! You can ONLY buy this on my blog right now. Thanks for stopping by! See you soon,
Learn the science of reading behind how children should be taught to read and what every teacher should know.
If your students are bored with traditional worksheet responses, try using these unique and engaging book reports and project ideas.
