Science of reading activities can be so helpful for students of all ages. Reading is an essential skill to have in order to succeed in school and life. It’s not just about being able to read the words, it’s about understanding what you are reading and connecting those ideas with what you already know.
Download your complete guide to the fourth grade reading standards for both nonfiction and fiction texts. This is handy tool for guided and shared reading.
If you are a new fourth grade teacher or returning back to teaching 4th grade, you'll find everything you need to be successful here!
Free & funny readers' theater scripts by T. P. Jagger. Use readers' theater (readers' theatre) scripts to improve students' reading fluency.
What is the purpose of literature circles? How do you structure a literature circle? How long should Literature Circles last? What is the teacher's role in
Increase student engagement and reading comprehension with this simple strategy!
Picking books kids can't put down can be time consuming. Print this list of FUN TO READ printable 4th grade reading list!
Nonfiction, graphic novels, diverse options, mysteries—they're all here!
Graphic organizers are timeless, versatile tools that support students in independently using reading comprehension strategies. A quality graphic organizer can be the difference between students using and understanding a comprehension strategy or not. WHY USE GRAPHIC
A reading classroom transformation can be so much fun for students! Here are my top ten favorite ELA classroom transformations.
One of the things I do every year that really makes a difference in my students' learning is having them use notebooks to store notes, examples, work, and
Today, I want to share my lessons and goals for the first few days in reading workshop with you. It is going to be the first day of school real soon {maybe some of you are already back in the swing of things!} and you are going to be busy! You will surely have a list a mile long of the thi
The freebies have moved! Instead of having the freebies in a separate resource library, we have put all of our freebies in our shop. You can find the freebies by clicking right here!
Do you hate to teach poetry? Do you want your students to learn and enjoy poetry? Try these simple ways to learn how to teach poetry...
Hello Darlings! I’ve had a lot of questions about how to start Book Club Groups. Here are a few tips to help you get started. Decide on your Book Club groups by reading level. I group them by DRA level. I also use Running Records from The Reading and Writing Project here. Ex. All my 28 ... Read More about Getting Ready for Book Clubs
3rd grade teacher Deanna shares how she saves time and works more efficiently.
A Reading Activity Your Students Will Love!
One of the things I do every year that really makes a difference in my students’ learning is having them use notebooks to store notes, examples, work, and basically house all of the learning they have done that year. Having these notebooks makes it so easy to spiral content because the students have a ready-made […]
Are you looking for early finisher activities to keep your students engaged and productive when they complete their work early? Look no further! Here are 20 early finisher activities that your students will love. From creative projects to physical activities, there’s something here for everyone! These early finisher activities will help keep your students motivated and on task while also having a little fun. So grab the supplies, turn up the music, and let's get started with these awesome early finisher activities today! (Some links below are Amazon affiliate links. . .no extra charge for you, but it helps support
It's an end of year reading escape room extravaganza! As we say goodbye to another year, let's spice up the final days in the upper elementary classroom with some end-of-year reading escape room fun! Picture this: a literary journey where your students become the heroes - solving puzzles, cracking codes, and unlocking some reading magic. Get ready to turn those end-of-year jitters into a thrilling quest for knowledge and excitement. Join me as we dive into the world of reading escape rooms and discover how they can transform your classroom into a fun learning zone!
Hook your students before they read the first page with
Morphology walls are a great tool in 4th and 5th grade classrooms! Read more and sign up for free posters to make your own morphology wall!
3 examples of classroom management strategies to help you regain control of your classroom through effective behavior management.
Check out these teaching ideas for the novel Wonder by RJ Palacio and grab free Wonder Novel Study samples and discussion questions.
Book clubs in the classroom are a powerful tool for your students to gain independence and to understanding and engaging in literature!
Real-life fifth grade classrooms!
Setting a purpose for reading can keep our readers from becoming overwhelmed by giving them a specific reason for reading. Helping students set a purpose for reading purpose also helps them understand the value of tapping into their prior knowledge. Today, I’m sharing some tips for setting a purpose and showing how to use it in ... Read More about Setting a Purpose for Reading {with Freebie}
This post features literacy center ideas and printables for 4th-grade classrooms. It includes reading centers for fourth grade.
My students and I LOVE read alouds. If I have to give up any part of my day due to a crazy schedule, I refuse to let our read aloud go. Here are a few of my favorite books to read aloud to upper elementary students. This post contains affiliate links. I earn a small commission each time someone makes a purchase using one of my links, which helps to support the blog. All opinions are my own and I only promote brands and products that I have used myself and truly love. Wonder by R.J. Palacio I love to start out my school year with Wonder. It really is a great way to teach students empathy and kindness for one another. I also love the way that it is told from multiple viewpoints and that the characters are very rich and complex. Both are important reading comprehension standards for upper elementary students! The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane This book is always one of my students' favorites! They love how a cold-hearted bunny learns to love despite all of the obstacles he faces. I am always impressed by the symbolism that my students find as we read the book and I love the looks they get at the very end of the book. Pure magic! The Tiger Rising Kate DiCamillo has got to be one of the best author's of read alouds for upper elementary! Every book of hers that I have read to my class has become a fast favorite. This one was actually the first read aloud suggested in Lucy Calkins' reading units for fourth grade, and it did not disappoint! It is a great way to teach about characters and how they change throughout a story. It is also a great conversations starter with so many themes including: bullying, fitting in, keeping feelings bottled up, loss of a parent, and whether wild animals should be kept in captivity, and more. The One and Only Ivan The chapters in this book are short and easy to read, but there is so much that goes on in each short chapter. My students always fall in love with Ivan and root for him right from the beginning. This is another book that stimulates great conversation about animals and how we treat them. It also ties beautifully to upper elementary standards with first-person narrative, literary devices, perspective, character change, and so much more! Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin Jack: The True Story of Jack & The Beanstalk Red: The True Story of Red Riding Hood I have been looping with my students for the past several years. During a round of 3rd grade, I purchased Rump to go along with our Lucy Calkin's writing fairytale unit. My students ate it up! When I found out that the author had other versions, I had to get them. My 4th graders loved the idea of reading another one of Liesl Shurtliff's amazing books when we read Jack. I have ordered Red and am excited to read it this summer! How to Steal a Dog I love using read alouds with characters that my students can relate to. The main character in this story, Georgina Hayes finds herself in the situation of choosing between doing what would be best for her, or doing the right thing. The situation in the story is not exactly black and white, and I love how my students wrestle with the idea that doing the right thing is not always the easiest thing to do. I teach in a Title 1 school, and many of my students have been in the situation of homelessness just like Georgina. What are some of your favorite read alouds for upper elementary students? This Giveaway is Over! Please visit our Giveaway page to enter our current giveaway. Now, time for the giveaway! Thanks to my some of my generous blogging buddies, you can win a $25 Amazon gift card to purchase any of these great books, a summer read for yourself, or ??? Decisions, decisions! GIVEAWAY DETAILS: Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card Co-hosts: Kelly Malloy (An Apple for the Teacher) The Chocolate Teacher, Ms. K Math, Schoolhouse Treasures, Samson's Shoppe, Jackie Crews, Sliding Into 1st, and The Literacy Garden Giveaway Organized by: An Apple for the Teacher Rules: Use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Giveaway ends 6/22/16 and is open worldwide. Are you a Teacher Blogger or Teachers pay Teachers seller who wants to participate in giveaways like these to grow your store and social media? Click here to find out how you can join our totally awesome groups of bloggers! a Rafflecopter giveaway
One of the things I do every year that really makes a difference in my students' learning is having them use notebooks to store notes, examples, work, and
Looking for project based learning ideas for middle school or elementary school students? They will love planning a road trip from start to finish!
How to manage whole group minilessons and small groups with Benchmark Advance
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
Are you feeling a bit stuck when trying to come up with fun and engaging classroom transformation ideas? Look no further! This page is devoted to helping you find the perfect standards-based theme for your next classroom transformation! All of the theme ideas that I share will allow you to create an engaging yet rigorous … Classroom Transformation Ideas Read More »
effective strategies for launching reading workshop, what is reading workshop? how do I start reading workshop? strategies for starting reading workshop in upper elementary classroom
Learn how to plan and manage literacy centers through differentiated instruction activities, rotations, & behavior management strategies.
Want to make your reading block the best it can be? Check out these ten tips to help you plan out the perfect reading block!
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
Are you wondering how to homeschool 4th grade? Get ideas for fourth grade homeschool curriculum, resources, and routines from a relaxed, minimalist homeschool perspective.
While I am a firm believer in students reading real books that they choose and doing this often, I also love to include reading games and reading centers in my instruction. On this post, I will share three of my favorite types of reading games and centers for 4th and 5th grade, free reading games […]
Getting students to write about reading was a struggle for a LONG TIME! I tried all sorts of approaches, all types of reading response journals and notebooks, and yet it still felt so forced. This year, things have changed!
When I started at my new school last year, I came into a new reading program. I was used to doing almost all of my reading instruction WHOLE CLASS, but my school uses a guided reading model all the way up to 5th grade. I definitely had to rethink my reading block! I had done centers in the past, but wanted a really clear way to maximize the time and make the transitions clear for the students. Here's how I do my guided reading block! ROTATIONS We have Guided Reading/Centers Monday-Thursday from about 1:10-2:00 and I rotate through four groups. This means each center is 12 minutes long, with about 30 seconds for a transition. 12 minutes can fly by, so the students have to work on getting those transitions DOWN. I found a FANTASTIC resource by my friend Kristen of Chalk & Apples, and it has made centers SO easy. There are tons of different icons that can be easily swapped out on different days or weeks. I change mine up all the time! In a typical week, I do guided reading with leveled passages on Monday and Wednesday, and we do literature circles on Tuesdays and Thursdays. GROUPS My students are grouped according to DRA levels, because that is what my school uses. You might use AR, Lexile, or another measure. I have four groups: Low, Low-Mid, High-Mid, and High. Each group has a number, but I assign the number randomly so it doesn't match up to skill level in any way. I have 24 students in my class this year, so there will be 6 kids in each group. If you have a larger class, you can still make it work by having your higher groups work on their own while you work with a lower group and just check in! GUIDED READING I LOVE this close reading resource from Fifth in the Middle. I bought the entire bundle so I have TONS of options. Each reading comes in four reading levels, but they are on the same topic and look the same so students don't notice. There is also a paired text that I try to use for morning work toward the end of the week. There are several pages of activities for each passage, and I often have the students start these at the table with me after we've read the passage out loud. When it is their turn for guided reading, the students come to me at our back table with a pencil and a highlighter. I give them their sheets for that day and discuss what we will be looking for while we read (unfamiliar words usually) and we begin reading. I like to make sure each child reads, so however I have to break it up to make that happen. After reading through, I ask them to scan through again to find specific information. This changes week to week, so one time it might be looking for transition phrases, and another it might be looking for dates to create a timeline. Then, we talk about what everyone found and work on putting together the information on the worksheet. I, of course, provide a lot more scaffolding and support to my lower readers, while my high readers are able to do the activity on their own. LIT CIRCLES On the days that we have literature circles, the students still come to the back table with me, but this time they bring their lit circle book (which varies) and their lit circle binder. In their binder, they keep all of their jobs and their reading schedule. I have used about a GAZILLION resources for lit circles (including online blogs), but this one from Pocketful of Primary is my absolute FAVORITE: It is SOO easy to adapt to groups of different sizes and I found it very user-friendly for both the kiddos and for myself! I organize the jobs using a hanging file I found on Amazon. You can find it here: THE OTHER CENTERS So what do the kiddos do during their other blocks of time? Here's some options I cycle through: STAPLES: Partner Reading Each student has a partner from their reading group that they meet up with for this activity. I typically use "I Survived" books or similar short chapter books. I stock up through Scholastic! I have 6 shared books for the entire class, and I place a sheet inside the front cover so the students can write their names and where they ended each day they read. I always have new books ready to go for the students who finish. I do this strictly for fluency, so I don't do quizzes or worksheets. Silent Reading (KBAR) In my class, we call silent reading KBAR- Kick Back and Read. When we do a whole class KBAR, I sometimes take it outside. Spelling (Spelling City) I typically use Spelling City for centers, but sometimes do a worksheet instead. Vocabulary (Quizlet)Quizlet is AMAZING. I love using this for vocabulary! The students really enjoy it as well. Keyboarding (KWT) This is a tough one since monitoring the students' finger placement is so important. I don't do this OFTEN as a center, but throw it in now and again. Writing If we are working on a longer project (such as the state report), I have the students use this chunk of time for that. Otherwise, I sometimes provide a prompt or allow them to free write. Here's one of the resources I use: NoRedInk If you've never used this site, CHECK IT OUT! It's one of the best ways to get some extra grammar practice into your day! Be aware that the initial set up takes a bit of time because the students have to select a bunch of their favorites from different categories: books, tv shows, movies. What's neat is the site uses their preferences and their name + their friends' names when building the practice sentences. The kids get a kick out of it! Task Cards (small group) Students work with their reading group and record their answers on individual answer sheets. I have a huge selection of task cards that I keep in one of these bad boys from Michael's: Cursive (Can Do) I love that my school teaches cursive, but in fifth grade, we don't have a lot of specific time for it. To keep the kid's practicing, I assign pages from our cursive book during centers. Reading Comprehension (Reading Plus) We use Reading Plus, but there are many online reading comprehension sites. Use whatever your district provides or what works for your class! Games I will occasionally throw in a review game for the kids to play with their small group. The key is they have to be short and not too loud! Comment below if you have other questions or want to add some advice on running smooth ELA centers with Guided Reading!
