Children Learning Reading review - here is an honest opinion from a mom on why this is a great tool to teach reading to kids.
Tips and tools for teaching young children to read in a Montessori Primary classroom or homeschool setting
As a teacher, one of the things I get asked the MOST about is teaching kids to read. For some children, it comes so quickly and naturally. And for others... it doesn't. So this post is for the mama of one of those "others" (and I say that in a kidding and kind way, of
Need some guidance for teaching preschool Spanish? You’re in the right place! Young children are the perfect age to soak up a new language. I'm currently raising my own three kids bilingually, and have taught classes to this age group as well. It's never too late to start, and 3-5 year olds are really fun to teach! In this post I've compiled my favorited strategies for you. To get started in learning Spanish together, you Can Do three things: 1. Outline some beginning topics. You can create your own list, with common preschool topics (think numbers, colors, greetings, etc.)Take a
Wondering about the order for teaching letters to your little ones? I'm on it! I feel as though I am always writing about waiting to teach letter recognition. Wait and let little hands get strengthened by other activities. Wait until little minds have had ample time to hear different words and sounds. But a day
When do kids learn to read? Preschool is possible! One teacher mom shares the secret to teach reading without tears and with minimal time!
Have you wanted to teach about the human body, but don't know where to start? These preschool human body printables can help you to teach your kids about their bodies and new vocabulary. The human body printables include 4 pages of 3-part cards for vocabulary, 2 pages of a male and female, and 1 page of organs. They will learn about the body in a fun way.
Need some ideas for transportation centers and activities? I'm here to help! I'm sharing my favorite, most engaging transportation-themed activities with you. I also created Road Number Mats FREEBIE for you, too! AND a train name craftivity FREEBIE! Go grab your lesson plan book and get ready to be inspired!
Teaching growth mindset can be done with read-alouds! Rosie's Glasses is a great book for this. Get ideas for using this book to teach being positive.
Teaching theme is not an easy task! Not only do students need to have a strong comprehension of the story's elements (like plot, setting, and characters), but they also have to be able to make inferences to find the author's message, since most themes are not overtly stated by the author. So, what are some of my favorite activities for helping kids understand theme? I'll list a number of them here. 1. Make an Anchor Chart Anchor charts are a great way to make learning visual and to have a record that kids can refer to when they need a bit of extra support. Theme may be defined in a number of ways. To me, the theme is the author's message or what he/she wants the reader to take away/learn from the story. It is a BIG idea, with a real-world or universal concern and can be applied to anyone. Besides talking about what a theme is, you'll also want to go over what it isn't. For example, some kids confuse the main idea of the story with its theme. To help students understand the difference, it's helpful to use stories that everyone in the class knows, like previous read alouds or classic stories like The Three Little Pigs. You can take each story and discuss the main idea (what the story was mostly about - specific to the story) vs. the theme (the lesson the author wants the reader to know - not specific to the story), to contrast the two ideas. The second area of confusion for some kids is that the theme is not specific to the characters in the story. In the book Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes, for example. The theme would not be that...A little mouse named Chrysanthemum learned to accept the uniqueness of her name. The theme would be larger than the book and would be something like...It's important to accept oneself. Also, you'll want to explain to your students that often times, a book has multiple themes and there are several answers which work equally well to describe a book's theme. Since theme is very subjective, I tell students that I will accept any answer, as long as they have the text evidence to prove it. For example, in the book, Wonder, by R.J. Palacio, one might argue that the theme is about friendship, another might say family, or even courage, or kindness. Any one of these themes would be right, and counted as such, since they each fit the story and could be supported by text evidence. 2. Use Pixar Shorts to Practice Theme Besides the sheer enjoyment which comes from watching these mini-films, your students can learn a lot about reading concepts from these. They're great for ELL students or for struggling readers, and for all readers really since the text complexity piece is removed. You can find these clips on YouTube, but you'll want to make sure to preview them first, so you're more familiar with the plot and are able to focus on theme questions. Here are some of my favorite Pixar Shorts for teaching theme: Piper Partly Cloudy Lava Boundin' 3. Use Mentor Texts Mentor texts are one of my go-to teaching tools as picture books are able to portray examples of just about any reading concept you need to teach. One thing I like to do when using mentor texts for theme, is to vary the types of questions I ask. Rather than always saying What is the theme?, I might ask... What is the deeper meaning of this story? After reading this book, what do you think matters to this author? Which idea from the story do you think might stay with you? What did the author want people to learn from this story?... Once kids answer, you might say, Ah...so that's the theme! Some of my current mentor text favorites for theme include the following: Ish by Peter H. Reynolds I Wish I Were a Butterfly by James Howe Journey by Aaron Becker (a wordless book) Beautiful Oops by Barry Saltzberg The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires Spoon by Amy Krouse Rosenthal Pete and Pickles by Berkeley Breathed If you're looking for more titles, I have a FREE Mentor Text List for Literature which includes a page on theme which you can download from my TpT store. 4. Use Posters with Themes to Chart Book Themes I like to choose 8 - 10 common themes and place posters of them in the classroom. These are included in my Theme unit but you could easily make them yourself if you'd like. After we finish a class novel, a read aloud, or a mentor text as part of a mini-lesson, I like to have the kids discuss the theme of the book. Once we decide on the theme, I place a miniaturized copy of the book's cover (about 3 x 3 inches or so) under the correct theme poster. You can also make the posters more interactive by allowing kids to write titles of books they have recently read on sticky notes, under the posters as well. 5. Use Songs to Practice Finding the Theme I love to add music to the classroom whenever possible. Not only does it add instant motivation for some kids, but it is also just good for them in so many ways. There are lots of songs you can use to teach theme, from current pop songs to oldies, rap songs, and country songs. While all of these work well, I especially enjoy using Disney songs. Disney songs are easily recognized for some kids, have catchy, fun tunes, and have lyrics that need no censoring (yay!). You can easily find the lyrics online to project on a smartboard or document projector, and the song clips may be found on YouTube, Here are some of my favorite Disney songs which work well for theme: Hakuna Matata from Lion King Just Keep Swimming from Finding Dory Reflection from Mulan Let it Go from Frozen Something There from Beauty and the Beast A Whole New World from Aladdin 6. Introduce Short Texts Using Task Cards Using task cards for theme gives your students a great deal of practice in a short period of time, which makes them a perfect way to begin to practice finding the theme using text. I love the fact that students can read multiple task card stories and practice finding the theme 20 - 30 times, in the time it might take to read a story and find the theme once. You can do task cards as a center activity, to play Scoot, or as a whole class scavenger hunt. One thing I like to do for the scavenger hunt is to make sure everyone has a partner and to pair stronger readers with struggling readers. 7. Add Some Writing After students have worked on theme for a week or two, I like to have students create their own short stories which show a strong theme, without directly stating it. This changes each student's role from a theme finder, to a theme creator and gives students insight into how authors create a situation that allows a theme to unfold. When I introduce this project, we refer back to the task cards we just completed, as an example of story length and rich content. In a matter of 2 - 3 paragraphs, students learn that they can include enough information to let our readers know our message. After students are finished creating these short stories, it's fun to share them in some way, to give more theme practice. Sometimes I have students meet in small groups to share out, with group members guessing the theme. Other years, I leave a stack on my desk and grab several if we have a few minutes. Either the students or I read the short story out loud, and the class discusses the theme. 8. Move to Passages, Short Stories, and Novels. Once we have scaffolded a great foundation for the understanding of theme, there comes a point where kids have to move on to text which is more challenging. I like to use page-long passages which I have created, before using short stories, and ultimately novels. If you're looking for some ready made materials to help you teach theme, here's a packet I love to use which works well for 4th and 5th Graders. Click here to read more about the Theme unit. Want some more teaching ideas and activities to teach theme? Click here to read Teaching Themes in Literature. If you like this post, make sure to share it with a teacher friend! Thanks so much for stopping by! 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! I'd love to connect with you! The Teacher Next Door's Website Pinterest Facebook Instagram TpT Store
If you want to teach your little ones about the concept of opposites you will want to check out these fun opposites worksheets and activities.
Dolch sight words list for preschool, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, and third-grade levels. Our free printable Dolch sight word lists provide you with colorful sight word charts for easy reference and assessment. Teach your child to read sight words with these full size PDF Dolch 220 sight word lists. We've also included a list of Dolch sight word nouns.
Looking for fun Preschool Zoo Theme Activities for kids? Check out these 16 Hands-On Preschool Zoo inspired Learning Activities and Crafts for Preschool or Kindergarten.
11 free, printable Dot Sticker Art Activities for Kids. Kids place dot stickers on pictures according to a key to make awesome dot art.
Free printable lined handwriting paper to practice writing in kindergarten, first and second grade. Several designs to choose from!
Teaching name writing and name recognition to preschoolers can be lots of fun with these hands on name recognition activities and ideas.
Hands-on pre-reading activities that encourage your elementary students to access their prior knowledge and make predictions.
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.
Have struggling reader issues causing your kid to be behind? Or, maybe your child hates reading? Is teaching how to read is sucking all the fun out of books? Here's how to help a child with reading difficulties, how to read challenges, and how to motivate your child to choose books they love. Here's how to help a child who doesn't like to read and understand the biggest mistake you're making when teaching at home for grade level learning and prevent future problems!
If you are doing Montessori at home, this free Montessori curriculum download will be a God-send! Come and take a look!
How to hold scissors: Cute method to teach a child how to hold scissors: Thumbs Up Alligator!
Teaching your child to recognize, spell and write their name can be a daunting task for new parents. For the next 10 days I am going to share simple activities, games and printables that will
Wondering how to teach the alphabet? Preschool and kindergarten teachers can find all they need to know right here. Learn veteran teachers' wisdom.
I created some notebook labels for my four year old son to work on each day in his notebook! We have been doing a page or two each d...
I LOVE the Olympics! I have always loved the Olympics, and I get very excited when it's an Olympic year. The summer Games are my favorite, especially the gymnastics and swimming. The Olympics is also a high-interest topic for students. The summer Games are a perfect theme for the end or beginning of a school year, and it's a great theme for summer school, as well. When I have a theme that I'd like to teach but is not in my curriculum, I always start with guided reading. I am very lucky to have a Reading A-Z subscription through my school district. On the Reading A-Z site, there are several different books that are leveled and perfect for an Olympic theme. My favorite is titled Summer Olympic Events and is available in levels H, K, & Q. In my Gold Medal Literacy resource, I have two mini books that I also use: The Summer Olympics and Where in the World is Rio de Janeiro? They're perfect, because students can highlight and write directly in their books. The nice thing about those little books and the A-Z readers is that they come with comprehension activities and worksheets. My Gold Medal Literacy packet is loaded with word word and writing activities that can help you run a mini-unit on the summer Olympics. I used it during the last week of school, and my kids had a blast! They're definitely excited for the Games in August. You can find my Gold Medal Literacy resource here. Over the years, I've collected Olympics trade books as I've found them. They are kind of few and far between, at least the good ones are. I've linked up a few of my favorites and a few on my wish list. (These are Amazon affiliate links.) What Are the Summer Olympics? I LOVE this series! Magic Treehouse: The Hour of the Olympics- Excellent for guided reading or as a read aloud. Ancient Greece and the Olympics: Nonfiction Companion G is for Gold Medal- I love the variety of information in this book. It's not a great read aloud, but it is perfect to add to a themed bookshelf. Elympics- This one looks really cute, although I do not own it. How to Train with a T.Rex and Win 8 Gold Medals- I think this one looks so cute! Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman- There are tons of great biographies about Olympians, and this one is one of my favorites. Excellent book! Olympia the Games Fairy- My girls love these fairy books, so this is a good one to add to the bookshelf. It is always chosen. ...and if you're looking for some more fun ideas for teaching about the Olympics. Click on the photos to access the link. (image and link to The Chaos and the Clutter) (image and link to Classy Mommy) (image and link to Fun-a-Day) My summer Games math resource on TPT. Math and Literacy together!
Create a Math Block I can't say this enough. An effective math block will help you tremendously! It creates routine and structure that you need to make sure everyone is on task. This is what I include in my math block: Engaging Mini Lessons Math centers Independent practice visuals throughout the classroom Use A
Here's how to decide if the Handwriting without Tears preschool program is right for your child. The most important thing to keep in mind is...
I thought it was time to share some alphabet activities for preschoolers. Alphabet activities and How Wee Learn definitely seem to go hand in hand! I have shared with you oodles of letter activities before AND a (rather lengthy) post about why I don't actually suggest teaching letters in ABC order. But I have not
Should you introduce letters to your preschooler in their order in the alphabet? Surprisingly, no. There are actually better ways to introduce letters.
Spending the first week of school teaching classroom expectations and procedures is essential for a successful year. Glue is a tricky school supply for many little learners and there definitely needs to be instruction dedicated to teaching learners how to use this tool.Glue BottlesWhen learners are not taught how to use their glue correctly things
These 15 picture book activities go great with your preschooler's favorite stories. Great hands-on activities that help to further explore the books!
As a teacher, one of the things I get asked the MOST about is teaching kids to read. For some children, it comes so quickly and naturally. And for others... it doesn't. So this post is for the mama of one of those "others" (and I say that in a kidding and kind way, of
A ton of free printable worksheets for kindergarten you'll love to use in your class or at home. Fun kindergarten worksheets to download!
If you're looking for free printables for teaching at home, at school, or online, you've hit the TREASURE TROVE of freebies from This Reading Mama!
This totally free Preschool Assessment Printable is exactly what you need to assess your preschooler's abilities. This set is a great starting point for kids starting at the age of three.
These printable cutting practice strips are an easy way to help your young learners work on their fine motor and cutting skills. Find more Cutting Practice Packs HERE. *The free download button can be found at the END of this post. Printable Cutting Practice Strips You’ll find horizontal lines, vertical lines, zigzag lines, and ... Read More about Printable Cutting Practice Strips
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.
ALL ABOUT FALL Fall is almost here! Those long hot days in August at the beginning of the school year are just about the hardest days of the entire year for me. I am just so tired. But as soon as the mornings are cool and the days start to get shorter, I get a huge burst of energy. Fall
These coloring pages and sorting activities are fun for preschoolers to begin distinguishing between different colors. Click HERE to get the download on my blog! You Might Also Like:Falling for Math SortingFree Sorting Pumpkins CardsJelly Bean AdditionFree French Color Reference Signs
A collection of letter of the week crafts to do with your preschooler. The craft includes free printables and step by step instructions for A-Z.
See how our free reading program walks you through the steps to helping your child or struggling student, learn to read.
