With my small group pull-out sessions limited to half-hour increments, I'm always looking for quick, engaging reading and writing activities to reinforce literacy skills. I used to think dice games were only for teaching math and probability, but I'm starting to discover that there are ENDLESS possibilities for using dice with literacy. Are you looking for a few ideas? Well... let's shake and roll! 3 Roll-a-Dice Activities for Reading & Writing My roll-a-dice resource collection continues to grow, but here are a few resources that I've added to my literacy toolbox that may be perfect for your students. 1. Roll-a-Story
To bookworms out there, it's time to monetize your love for reading books. I've written 10 ways on how you can get paid to read books!
Everyone is seeking the Top Things to Do in South Korea for their visit to this hot travel spot. Includes top recommendations and tips for a perfect trip.
These 25 middle school biography books need to be on your homeschool book list. The stories are interesting and inspirational for tweens.
Un dilecto amigo me manda un test para ver cuanto he recuperado de mi vista... La pregunta es cuantos delfines veo saltando... Y YO VEO A LOS DOS !!!!
I love reading fall themed books but I do not always want them to be Halloween themed. So many children do not observe Halloween as a holiday. While I think it is okay to still talk about this holiday, I try to read books that will speak to each of the students in the classroom. […]
It's the end of the world as we know it, and the Antichrist is nowhere to be found. Pratchett and Gaiman make for a hysterical tag team, parodying everything from religion to Elvis.
Some thoughts from a 21-year old woman cycling across Europe.
Orienteering is a great activity to do as a family and teaches your kids map reading skills. There are also places you can easily give it a go. Read more.
The Frustrated Captioned Adventures of George Washington PART I | PART II | PART III | PART IV | PART V | PART VI | PART VII | PART VIII | PART IX | PART X | PART XI
A few months ago, Allen Williams emailed me a painting for an upcoming anthology, Queen Victoria’s Spellbook. (You can see the image in the post below.) Allen has been one of my favorite artists for a while now, and if you take a look, I think it’s easy to see why. His illustration is a […]
Cultivate lifelong reading skills.
Four effective approaches for teaching reading comprehension strategies to 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade students.
Making anchor charts has always been hard work for me. In fact, I never liked making anchor charts for the classroom. I did it because it helps the kids, but I am not a fan of my handwriting, my drawing is even worse, and let’s not even talk about the time it takes to make […]
For the past 2 weeks we have knee deep in non-fiction main idea. Not going to lie, in the past I haven't always been the biggest fan of teaching this concept because it has always been one the most difficult for them to understand. This year however, they rocked it!! Seriously! They are so good at finding facts and details and figuring out what they have in common. It's a goal of ours to teach our kiddos "text evidence". Trying to teach them to go back and prove their answers is difficult especially when they are learning to read, but they have done so well. I was very proud of them. Of course we started the 2 week endeavor with a little of "I do" then toward the end of the first week and start of the 2nd we moved to "we do". Then by the end of this week THEY were doing it! And doing so well! We of course read the non-fiction stories together because my reading levels range from a rigby level 7 to 25. One of my favorite resources for non fiction is our Kids TIME magazines. They LOVE looking through them and all you hear is "Oooohhhh, awwwww, LOOK AT THIS!!! " We started with an article called "Whoo's A Wonderful Bird". It was of course about Owls. They had to find 3 facts and then restate the main idea. Another article we used was called "pond Life" about all of the things that live in ponds. Her are their little facts and ponds. :) During the middle of all of this we had a few short lessons about questioning. How good readers ask questions. Again, using some TIME magazines, this time posters we asked questions then read to answer some questions and recorded facts and details along the way. And lastly, in working with words we have been learning about contractions. Of course we did Cara Carroll's crocodile contractions! LOVE IT!!! And so did my kiddos! The crocodile chomped on 2 words and turned them into contractions. They recorded contractions on their little crocs. {forgot to get a close up} Happy Friday! Hope you all haw a wonderful weekend!
Create a “Choose Your Own Adventure” Story with Google Forms Does anyone remember the old chapter books in the Choose Your Own Adventure series? Readers would get to a certain point in the story and then have to choose the ending they preferred (Does the princess marry the prince?Does the hero find the treasure?). Well, […]
Making anchor charts has always been hard work for me. In fact, I never liked making anchor charts for the classroom. I did it because it helps the kids, but I am not a fan of my handwriting, my drawing is even worse, and let's not even talk about the time it takes to make nice looking anchor charts. As teachers, we do not possess much of that thing called, "time." I mean really, I found myself shoving down carrots and ranch dressing (because I want to be healthy) then devouring allll the chocolate (because I really don't care about healthy anymore) while making anchor charts. 30 minutes later, lunch was done, anchor chart almost complete...and oops...I misspelled the title. I mean really? Rip it off the chart paper pad, throw it in the trash, and rush out the door. Unfortunately, I didn't wise up for a long time. 8 years of teaching...and a light bulb goes off. Pre-make the anchor charts. In the comfort of my own home...I make the anchor chart...on the computer. Then print, and glue! Done, done...and done. Now...I still eat all the chocolate, but now I get lunch and I am no longer in the need of anger management courses over misspelled words. I may sound like a crazy person to you...but I know you have been there too. Honesty is the best policy. :) Now, I KNOW I am not the first one that has ever pre-made anchor charts, or printed items off of the computer for an anchor chart. I am in NO way claiming to be the first to do this. But, I have been a TpT seller for a few years now and the idea just popped into my head..."if I make all of my centers, lessons plans, etc...why not anchor charts?" And there you have it. Below are a few of the anchor charts I have made and so far I love them and other teachers are loving them. I waited to do this post until I knew others found a need for these too! And yes! I was not alone! It was confirmed I was not crazy and other teachers, in fact, DO have anger problems when it comes to making hand-made anchor charts. Many people have asked what products are needed to make these. I purchased my chart paper and Astrobrights paper from Amazon. Those two things (well, with scissors and glue) are all you need! Each Anchor Chart also comes with a student journal chart as well! The students can glue these in their journals for an easy reference later! I have also completed my Writing and Grammar Anchor Chart Bundles. And newly added, I have completed Classroom Management Anchor Charts! These are also included in the big bundle...if you have purchased that, just redownload it from the My Purchases tab on TpT. I figured these would be very beneficial to make at the beginning of the year with our students then either hang them up all year as a reminder...or just pull them out to review from time to time. Just depends on the students. :) There are many more but I won't bore you with all of the pictures. I feel like Classroom Management must be explained from the beginning and reinforced often. I know these anchor charts will help keep that process streamlined in your classroom! Making these are fun and easy! Most importantly, it saves time and SANITY. Want these for your classroom? Click Here to grab them in my shop! (affiliate links are provided for your convenience)
Bedtime ... happy reading / Hora de dormir... feliz lectura (ilustración de Alex)
Today we had a 6th grade Language Arts teacher planning day. I was really excited about it, but I am bummed at the lack of things we actual...
Comparing and contrasting can be a tricky skill. It seems so simple, but it trips up a lot of kids. Using the right books is really important. It really helps if you can find two books that have both strong similarities and clear differences. Ones that really lead the kids in the direction you want them to go.
Not all science fiction novels treat time travel equally.
If you’re looking for a book to accompany you on your outdoor adventures into the wilderness this summer, here’s some of the best in fiction and non-fiction adventure reading that’s about people surviving and conquering the wilderness and the great outdoors. This list of the Best Outdoor Adventure & Wilderness Survival Books is divided up ...
Are you looking for outdoor adventure books that will spark your sense of adventure and inspire you to seek out more life-experiences?
I spent last year reading my way around the world, tackling my first world reading challenge and traveling the globe through literature.
Get the best adventure nonfiction books list today. Featuring amazing nonfiction adventure books you can't put down.
From memoirs to fiction, this list of 30 books will inspire you to explore the world and to be more mindful while traveling. Discover your next read!
Book lovers around shouldn't miss reading some listed travel books on Nepal. These books will surely allure you to visit this adventurous land.
Check out these action-packed thrilling adventure books for kids. From kindergarten to middle schoolers, all graders and ages are covered here. A perfect book
Even though I regularly blog about sharing books with my first grader, I actually have a very hard time remembering what books I enjoyed reading when I was in elementary school. I have fond memorie…
I love the outdoors and I love to read. Check out these must-read outdoor adventure and nature books. These are the best outdoor books of all time.
A list of the best adventure & inspirational books about the outdoors for anyone who wants a little more adventure in their everyday life.
LOOKING FOR AN AWESOME LITERARY TRAVEL BUCKET LIST? I am so excited for this post! Today I’m sharing the best book lovers bucket list ever. It’s the literary travel bucket list of dream…
Kids love these best choose your own adventure books! The stories, written with YOU as the hero, are engaging, particularly to reluctant readers.
I love the outdoors and I love to read. Check out these must-read outdoor adventure and nature books. These are the best outdoor books of all time.
Here are some of the best travel books to get you dreaming of your next adventure. Find everything from travel guides & stories to children's travel books on this list.
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Click HERE to find out the best adventure books for outdoor lovers! Includes great stories of the outdoors as well as some beautiful coffee table books.
The Importance of Reading Books, All of the information you need for Why Reading is Important and about Reading Habits, If you're interested in the importance of reading, reading challenges, kids reading nooks or any reasons why reading is the BEST you'll find it here.
