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!
Teach students about plate tectonics and how the plates interact with one another with a Plate Boundaries Sort that is aligned with the Next Generation
Cute contraction activity helps children practice identifying contractions with a fun Bingo Game to play and learn!
I have so much to share with you about writing interventions, but first things first: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE NEW BLOG DESIGN?!?!? Please share your thoughts! Every year, I meet lots of middle schoolers who struggle with writing. And every year, I play around with lots of different interventions to meet their needs. Last year, I made establishing sound writing interventions one of my big goals. I spent lots of time (and money!!) on resources that I could use, and by about March, I had something that I thought I was pretty happy with. This year, I'm starting off with those interventions that worked so well last year and I couldn't be happier with the results! In fact, I'm so pleased with how they are working, I feel confident enough to share my practice with my blog readers. I can say that these are definitely KID TESTED, TEACHER APPROVED!! Creating a Time and Space for Intervention within your Classroom I teach by myself. There are no aides, special ed teachers, BSI teachers... just little, ol' me! So, when I want to create and manage small groups, I'm on my own. This is hard. It would be so much easier if there was another adult in the room to help, but there is not, so I just have to deal! It's work, but it absolutely can be done! A few weeks ago, I wrote about the Power of Bell-Ringers. Establishing a quiet and smooth transition into writing class is a great way to get started, but it also provides me with a window of time where I can pull a small group! By mid-October, my bell-ringer time gets extended to 15 minutes. The kids get started immediately and are clear on the expectations during this time. Now the environment for working with small groups is set: the room is quiet and engaged, allowing me to focus my time on the handful of kids in my group. I pull my kids to a table that I have set up in front of our classroom library. I have a "teacher station" at one end where I do my instruction. I usually stream some jazz or piano music during this time so my group doesn't distract the rest of the class. Establishing Interventions In my district, by middle school, there are no longer district-mandated interventions in place. There are no clear resources for teachers to use or personnel to help. So, when we have a struggling reader or writer in 7th or 8th grade, it's the job of the classroom teacher to meet their needs. In my tenure of working with middle schoolers, I've found that there are two types of students who need more support than my writing curriculum provides (and please remember... I am not a researcher/specialist/writer of books/etc. I'm just a teacher, like you, who loves my job, tries to do the best by my kids, and is compulsively reflective about what I see happening... to me, teachers are the best EXPERTS, but I know that we are hesitant these days to trust a "lowly" teacher and rather find ourselves relying on big publishers and educational researchers to show us best practices... I don't have lots of "data" to support what I'm sharing with you... just my actual observations I've made while working with real, live kids in an average classroom setting!!). Type One: Students Who Struggle with Structure The first type of students who need intervention are those who struggle with structure. These are the kids that can't organize their thoughts in a way a reader could follow. They simply write whatever their brain thinks at the time. They can generally stick with a broad topic, but because they are just writing whatever pops into their head at the time, there are lots of places where their writing veers off track and becomes confusing. Here is an example written by a former student struggling with structure: My dog Henry is my most special treasure. He is always there for me whenever I need him in sad times and happy. In many ways, he's my best friend. He has brown fur and a white chest. He is such a good dog to have around when you are sad because he always knows just how to cheer you up. His eyes are brown, like a Hersey bar. His favorite toy is a yellow tennis ball. Once he almost got hit by a car chasing the ball down the street. I have loved him ever since he was a puppy and we first got him. I was only 4-years old when that little ball of fluff was brought home by my parents to be best friends. His soft fur is always so smooth and warm when you pet him while watching TV on a cold night. He is my best friend and that is why he is my special treasure [sic]. This student is clear about his topic - his dog, Henry - but he cannot organize his thoughts. He is thinking about his dog and writes down everything he knows about his buddy exactly as it comes to his mind. Clearly, he has mechanical and conventional skills, and you can see evidence of where he is practicing what we learned in our mini-lessons and from studying our mentor pieces. But, because there is no organization, it is too difficult to follow and all of the skills he has are lost to the untrained, teacher-eye. Kids who write like this need an intervention that focuses on structure and organization. Typically, I LOATHE teaching step-by-step process writing, but in cases like this, I'm left with little choice. The lessons that I put together for kids in need of this intervention consist of learning how to write a well-organized paragraph. Together, we will work on writing topic sentences, creating strong and clear supporting sentences, and finish up with writing a closing that sticks with our reader. My favorite plans for this type of writing come from Michael Friermood. His Fact-Based Opinion Writing products are geared toward teaching elementary students (grades 3-5) how to write a good opinion paragraph, and they are PERFECT for my struggling 7th graders. They also lack a lot of the "cutesy" images that you find with products for this age group, so my big kids don't feel like I'm making them do "baby stuff." (I do not use the stationary he provides for the final writing piece... it's adorable, but it would be pushing in with my kids! So, we just do our paragraph writing in our intervention notebooks!) My plan is to pull the intervention group for one week (at 15 minutes a pop, this comes to 1 1/4 hours of learning). Long before I ever pull a group, I work hard to make sure that my lesson is broken down into five succinct 15-minute increments. Since time is so precious, you need to make sure not one minute is wasted! I can say that it takes me much longer to plan for a small-group lesson than a 50-minute whole-class lesson because efficiency is so crucial. The first few times you plan a small-group lesson, don't be surprised if your timing is mess. It definitely takes practice to be an effective small-group instructor! After their week is up, then I send them back to completing the bell-ringer at the start of class. I will watch them closely and conference with them lots to make sure that I am seeing a transfer of skills. If I don't, then it is likely that I will put them back in an intervention group in a few weeks to practice again. This intervention model will continue all year. Right now, I have 8 intervention students in one writing class, and 6 in another. By the end of the year, those number should reduce to 3-4 and 2-3. Never in all my years of working with small groups, have I had 100% of my intervention students "graduate" from small group. Don't be frustrated if this is the case! If you can improve 50-60% of those kids, then consider that a huge success!! Type Two: Students Who Struggle with Motivation The next group of kids that I work with are those who struggle with motivation. These are the students who complain a lot about not having anything to write about, spend more time doodling or coloring in their notebook than writing, and who will write the absolute bare minimum for any writing assignment. Many times, these kids produce too little for me to gauge whether or not they also need help with structure. But typically, once I can get them writing, they will likely find themselves in a small group for structure work :) Come October, after we've spent lots of lots of time list writing, the kids who are still struggling to get their pencils moving find themselves using a very special Interactive Writer's Notebook called "Musings from a Middle Schooler." This product contains loads of interactive writing pages that will motivate even the most reluctant writers. The pages can be printed out and glued into a marble notebook. (Most often, I'll have the kids create their own... I don't always have them use all the pages, rather I let them pick and choose the ones they like!). Cover Table of Contents page Table of Contents cont. and an "All About Me" page "My Life Story in Two Pages" My Favorite Thing Comics I created this project just last school year and it's been an absolute smash! The kids (especially my boys!) LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! In absolutely no time, they are writing like crazy. And once I can get their pencils moving it doesn't take me long to get them producing some actual pieces. I don't necessarily pull these kids and work with them in a small group. The first few days, we will assemble our books all together at the back table, but then they go right back to the big group. Rather than do the bell-ringer with the rest of the class at the start of the period, they will work in their "Musings" notebooks. Fifteen minutes of that is usually enough to get them into writing mode for the rest of class. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * So, that's how I make writing intervention work in my classroom. Phew!! That was long, folks!! I apologize for my wordiness and I am grateful if you stuck it out until the end! Also, I'm sure that I've left out some crucial details of my practice, so please do not hesitate to ask me any questions you still have! Do you have any good intervention tips or strategies that work for you? I'd love to hear about them. Drop me a comment and share! Happy Teaching!!
Teaching prose, drama, and poetry is quick and easy. Your third and fourth grade students just need a little vocabulary and practice.
Last Updated on June 2, 2022 This is a document with 4 pages of content. We have presented all the important spelling words that is required in the 4th grade. The fourth grade students can use these and learn them. These are helpful if you are attending any spelling competition too. Please download the PDF […]
We have all been there (no matter how long you have taught or how well you have planned a lesson). You have just finished a fantastic lesson. Everything went
If you have ever struggled knowing the best way to teach grammar to your students, you are not only one! Whether you infuse your grammar instruction into your reading and writing units or whether you teach from a more traditional curriculum, I think it is safe to say that none of our students have mastered […]
Do you need some interactive listening videos for your ESL students? I've collected these videos from numerous Online Listening Websites for ESL Kids sources and I though I'd share them in this post.
October 12, 2013 Fourth and fifth grade students are reviewing "rhythm" (the short and long patterns of the beat) in music class...
I've heard it from teacher after teacher: " I dread teaching measurement every year. " It's hard to blame them. There's nothing ground-shaking about measurement. There's nothing exciting about metric vs. customary. It's just one of those skills that our stud
I Teach. What’s Your Superpower? Teach • Design • Grow
In this fascinating worksheet, children learn about the history of chocolate, from its ancient ceremonial use to the invention of the chocolate candy bar.
I am linking up with Sabra from Teaching with a Touch of Twang for a book study on Word Nerds! I am absolutely LOVING this book and all the amazing ideas for helping our students appreciate words!! Check out the link ups for the other chapters if you haven't yet: Chapter One: What's the Big Deal About Vocabulary Instruction? Chapter Two: Classrooms the Foster Word Confidence Chapter Three: Making Introductions Chapter Four: Squeezing the Juicy Words-Adding Synonyms and Antonyms I am posting about Chapter Five: Active Vocabulary Practice today. Chapter five is filled with many ways for students to practice vocabulary in both the whole group and small group or independent settings. In this chapter the authors state, "One step of the instructional model is practicing new words in a variety of settings. Our students love to act, draw, sing, and talk, and they thrive when they are engaged in active learning. We rotate different types of practice activities during each vocabulary cycle..." As I was reading the various whole group and small group/independent vocabulary activities, there were some new activities I had never heard of and variations of strategies I have tried in my class. I wanted a way to remember all of their suggestions, so I made this reference guide to refer to quickly when lesson planning. You can download it here for FREE! This really sums up chapter five. I hope you find this reference useful and enjoy trying a new way to provide active vocabulary practice in your classroom! Next, I am linking up with Kristen from iTeach 1:1 and Aylin and Amanda from Daily Learning to the Core for their Technology Linky party! This week's topic is all about iPads. I had one iPad to use with my class this year (better than none!) and I just started to get my feet wet with some apps and ways to incorporate the one iPad with my students. I have a pinterest board filling up with all the ideas I need to sift through this summer for the iPad. This post by Stephanie at 3rd Grade Thoughts was a great starting point for me in incorporating iPads in math independent practice morning work time. With just one iPad available this year, (next year I am supposed to be getting three more!) I kept a schedule where I rotated the iPad use during math independent morning work time and during ELA Daily 5 (well, 4) rotations for word work. I also used it during math intervention time with a few apps. I was intrigued by this post of a Dewey Document Camera Stand also by 3rd Grade Thoughts and it is on my wish list. My favorite blog post about my iPad was when I blogged about using the iPad as a checkout system for my classroom library here. I can't wait to see how the iPad will enhance our classroom learning environment this year! Finally, I am so excited to announce the winner of my Birthday/Blogiversary giveaway! The response was overwhelming and I am so thankful for all your support!!! I learn something new every day from this wonderful, supportive blogging world! And...the winner is...Debby D.!! Check your email:)
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...
Step right up to the most famous wall on Earth! Spanning nearly four thousand miles, the Great Wall of China is one of the oldest wonders of the world.
Learn how to teach quadrilaterals conceptually rather than having your students memorize the names of shapes. Tips for teaching quadrilaterals are included! Implement in your 4th grade or 5th grade math class today!
Free essays, homework help, flashcards, research papers, book reports, term papers, history, science, politics
Cause and effect activities and teaching ideas with FREE student printables to use with Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.
Changing grade levels is difficult for teachers, so I've written this post about moving to 4th grade to help get you started.
Multiplying by 9 is fun and easy to learn with these three simple tips and tricks both you and your students will love.
Are you wondering how to homeschool 4th grade? Get ideas for fourth grade homeschool curriculum, resources, and routines from a relaxed, minimalist homeschool perspective.
This main idea and details sentence sort activity is a great way to get students thinking about HOW details support a main idea. Using a main idea and details graphic organizer, students will sort the sentences and they will use higher-order thinking skills as they justify their answer.
Balance your reading instruction with the rule of thirds: read aloud, guided oral reading, and independent reading.
Learn Round Robin Writing & Editing Idea. Visit for more!
Introducing your students to figurative language can be fun with picture books. Use these figurative language activities to help your students practice.
With so many types and formats of writing that we ask of students, it can be overwhelming for them to know where to start, what kinds of language to use, and what the structure of
10 Creative ways to embed social studies into your literacy block. Find fun westward expansion activities that address literacy standards with center ideas.
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.
These 4th grade anchor charts reinforce concepts for reading, science, math, behavior management, environmentalism, and more!
If you are new to teaching 5th grade, you have come to the right place. This is a collection of blog posts and resources for 5th grade teachers.
Take your word work reading center to the next level with these low prep and engaging word work centers! Plus, learn how to organize and run the word work center!
I love teaching math, which was not always the case! Small group instruction, centers, independent work, and more hands-on learning with Math Rotations really changed the game for me. Check out a few of the posts below to explore how I plan for, launch, and teach math using the Math Rotation system: Setting up Math Rotations This Introduction post can give you a good, big-picture view of Math Rotations and the different centers. As you can see, I divide my Math Rotations into four centers. Click each center below to be taken to each one for its description, helpful resources, and more: If you're curious how I launch these at the start of the year, I ran a "Getting It Started" series where I go into more depth around organization and set-up. This is a two-part post {{PART 1 and PART 2}}, so be sure to read both and watch the video in Part 2: PART 1 and PART 2 If you are interested in any of these resources for your own classroom, I have the Math Rotation Posters and Planning Sheets available for purchase on TpT: If you're for more information on Math and how I teach it in my classroom, be sure to check out the rest of my posts HERE. And for more resources, find my math products on TpT HERE. Happy teaching!
Love podcasts? Check out this post in the form of a podcast episode on The Classroom Commute Podcast :
Literacy centers in the classroom should be simple, easy, and fun! Using no-prep or low-prep ideas helps with time management, lesson planning, and easy weekly setup. Throughout the years, I have tried a plethora of ideas for my literacy centers. Some worked okay, and some did not work at all. Finally, I realized I was overthinking and making center time WAY more complicated than it should be for both myself and the students. Once I realized that the simplicity of the centers was what made them work, everything else clicked into place. Using five weekly centers in your classroom each week makes things easy. Having a group of 4-5 students in each group rotate through only one center each day keeps it simple for the students. The no-prep or low-prep activities keep it fun and SUPER easy for you! Five Literacy Centers for All Year Set up these five literacy centers at the beginning of your school year, and use them all year long! Center #1: Technology: Use any activity that you have on hand. This can be computers, Chromebooks, iPads, etc. Students can play online games or you can assign a digital activity via Google Classroom to your students for this center. Using digital task cards or interactive digital games for practice are great choices. Center #2: Writing: The activities change in this center weekly, but the supplies remain the same. Any activity that you want your students to use for a focus on writing can be used. Add a word bank, thesaurus, dictionary, writing tools, paper, etc and give your students a weekly writing prompt. You can also use one of the writing activities from my No Prep Literacy Centers units. Print the center directions on color copy paper to grab the students’ attention and place it in the same place in the center from week to week because students need that routine and dependability of knowing where to find the directions. Copy the other pages for the activity on regular copy paper to add to the center. These activities are sometimes longer in length, and students might need two weeks to complete. On those weeks, do not change out the materials. Center #3: Reading: It is especially important to give students multiple opportunities throughout the school day to read independently from books of their choice. For some, school might be the only time they are exposed to books. During this center, give students comfortable seating choices throughout the room so that they are not in a group and disturbing other students or being disturbed. Students can have individual book bins that contain books they have chosen to read. By having their book bins already stocked, students are not constantly moving around the room to visit the classroom library during this time. Use these Digital Reading Responses for students at some time during the week to add a writing component. Center #4: Word Work: This center can look vastly different weekly. I always use an activity from my No Prep Literacy Centers. Students might be manipulating letters to create words one week, and the next week, they might be playing a word game from the same unit. Another week, they might complete the monthly “Put It in Order” alphabetical order activity included in each monthly unit. For the last week, they might do a part of speech word sort from the unit. Adding some of these activities normally used for Morning Tubs can add a lot of fun to your literacy centers as well. Center #5: Miscellaneous: This center can include anything related to what you are currently studying in reading or grammar or a review of previous learning. One week students can move around the room on a scavenger hunt, while the next week has students reading an informational passage and answering questions. This center allows for flexibility and might include task cards, sightwords, or even an activity from my early finishers unit. Adding any kind of game that you already have in your classroom is a simple and fun activity for this center also. (Click here for a list of ten easy activities to add to your centers using items already in your classroom.) Using these five simple, easy, and fun literacy centers all year will help you keep your sanity. The prep time is 15-30 minutes on a Friday afternoon, helping me get out the door and home to my family. Grab FREE Math and Literacy Centers when you sign up for my emails. Keeping literacy centers simple, easy, and fun is just... My Kind of Teaching
