With so many of my BIG KIDS struggling with fluency, I worked to make it a part of my daily work with students, a Tier 1 intervention that the majority of the class could benefit from. Reading fluency incorporates three main components: speed, accuracy, and prosody, which directly impact comprehension. While I have shared a great deal about incorporating 6-Minute Solutions, here are a few other ways I worked to make fluency fun for my 6th graders.

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.

Adverbs are surely the most neglected parts of speech! We cover nouns and verbs in such detail and at multiple levels

I'm so excited about incorporating more options for SMALL GROUP work for my students with my new series of ENGAGEMENT STATIONS! I decided to...

Book reports don't need to be painfully boring. In fact, they can be a ton of fun! Here are 10 creative book report ideas to use in your classroom.

There are so many reasons why exit tickets are powerful classroom tools! This blog post lists how and why you should be using exit tickets in your classroom. It also includes FREE exit tickets and classroom examples!

Although we may only think of using fables in lower grades, using fables in upper elementary can be very beneficial. Not only are fables an excellent genre for teaching morals and themes in stories, but because they are short, they are wonderful to use when comparing and contrasting the treatment of similar themes and topics. Using these short stories can be both beneficial and fun, even for our older students. Finding Free Resources Finding free resources for teaching fables is easier than you may think. One wonderful resource can be found at Library of Congress. This website contains a list of classic Aesop fables that you can print or display with your overhead projector for your entire class to use. Another website is Aesop's Fables that also contains a large list of fables. A Fun "Fable Strip" Activity Recently, my students read a variety of fables that I printed from Library of Congress. The students discussed the morals of each fable, compared fables, and completed a fun writing activity. For the "Fable Strips" writing activity, students worked in groups and chose a favorite fable. Then each group collaborated together to create a comic strip style "fable strip" to display. Students sketched and planned three or four scenes about the chosen fable. Once the "fable strip" was planned, students continued working in their groups to draw and color each scene on white paper. Then they cut out each one and used a speech bubble to write the dialogue. Each group created three to four scenes for their fable strip that were then displayed on the bulletin board. Students wrote the moral of the fable on a yellow strip of paper. The moral was then placed below each "fable strip." The final result was this fun fables bulletin board. Graphic Organizers If you follow my blog, then you are not surprised that if I'm discussing reading, I must include graphic organizers. I am a huge fan of using graphic organizers to help students write about their reading, to help them increase their thinking, and to help improve comprehension. This graphic organizer is one of three that are designed specifically for fables. All three graphic organizers can be found HERE in my best selling Reading Graphic Organizers for Literature. Plan a day or two for your students to have fun with fables. They will love it! Thanks for stopping by! Connect with Me: Blog TpT Store Instagram Facebook Pinterest

Get your students moving with active review games. Tons of fun ideas to review the standards while having fun in the classroom.

I always look forward to teaching figurative language in my classroom, and idioms in particular. Students get such a kick (note the idiom here) talking about and learning new idioms and we really enjoy doing some fun activities to help kids build a stronger language base. In this post by The Teacher Next Door, you'll read about seven different activities that reinforce idioms and have worked well in the classroom:

Correlative conjunctions... they are fairly easy for students to recognize, but they aren't always the easiest sentences to write! In fact, when it was time to teach a grammar lesson on correlative co

I always look forward to teaching figurative language in my classroom, and idioms in particular. Students get such a kick (note the idiom here) talking about and learning new idioms and we really enjoy doing some fun activities to help kids build a stronger language base. In this post by The Teacher Next Door, you'll read about seven different activities that reinforce idioms and have worked well in the classroom:

Today we are going to learn about... blah... blah... blah. Once students hear the words today we are going to learning about, a majority of them hear nothing but the blah...blah...blah. That is why it's important to try to hook them before the lesson begins. Peak their interest, allow them to think, get them talking, and engage them in what they will be learning about. Guess the Topic This is one of my favorite! Before introducing the new topic, give students a collection of words related to the lesson. Allow them to guess the topic they are about to learn about. Play a Game That's right, play a game BEFORE you begin the lesson. When choosing a game choose a game that activates students' prior knowledge. For example, before beginning multiplying by multi-digit numbers we played a cooperative learning game called Ask-n-Switch to review the basic multiplication facts. Giving Scenarios Highlight lesson objectives by giving students scenarios that require them to draw conclusions. I like to use this activity when introducing problem/solution, cause/effect, inferences, and drawing conclusions. I give students a scenario either verbal or a picture prompt similar to below. Without telling them what they will be learning they respond. After responses have been discussed they are amazed at how much they know. After responding to the picture/prompt below, students realized that they make inferences every single day! Present a Challenge I do this one A LOT in math. Present students with a challenge. For example, when introducing division I bring in gum. I tell students how many pieces of gum I have, and it is their job to figure out how many pieces of gum each of them will get. It's real life. It's hands one, and it lays a foundation for what they will be learning. Scavenger Hunt Provide students with clues about what they will be learning. The clues can be actual objects or pictures of what they will be learning about. You may have an out of this world lesson planned, but unless students are excited or engaged in what they will be learning, success isn't imminent. Try hooking them BEFORE the lesson! Teaching With Simplicity Pinterest Facebook Instagram Teachers Pay Teachers

tw When it comes to math, geometry seems to be in a whole different league. Some kids fall in love with it instantly, while it seems challenging for other kids. One of the great things about geometry is that there are so many hands-on activities we can provide for our students, which makes it lots of fun! Here are some of my favorite geometry activities: 1. Start With Shapes I like to have students start with shapes they've known since they were tiny, like triangles, squares, and circles. We draw these on whiteboards as a whole class. Next we draw the more advanced shapes like pentagons, hexagons, octagons, trapezoids, and even the rhombus! This brings us to a discussion of polygons and we can classify shapes that way. Besides whiteboards, there are lots of ways for kids to work with shapes, like Popsicle sticks (which are also great to use to illustrate lines like parallel, intersecting, and perpendicular), LEGOS, Geoboards, and even clothespins which can be clipped together. 2. Marshmallow Geometry I like this activity because any time you add food, kids are all in! Using marshmallows and toothpicks, kids can make simple 2-D shapes, and also 3-D shapes. Plus, this activity is the perfect place to emphasize vertices since each time you add a marshmallow, you place it at a corner. If you have food allergies or school regulations which prohibit food, you can substitute the marshmallows for Play-Doh. 3. Use an Anchor Chart Once students have had lots of exploration time with shapes, it's time to discuss their attributes. I like to actually make this anchor chart with the kids' help. I explain how it will be organized, from the smallest number of sides to the greatest. We also notice patterns of sides and vertices as we create it. I do ask kids for examples of shapes, and sometimes they get really creative with this! 4. Go on a Shape Scavenger Hunt This is an activity that is great to do with some parent helpers if you have any. I like to send iPad cameras with each group, clipboards and pencils, and a record sheet. Kids record the shape that was found, the type of object it was, and where it was found. It's really fun to see what shapes they're able to find while walking around the school campus! 5. Incorporate Some Art I am a huge art proponent so I add art wherever it fits in. Geometry is a great time to do either geometric animals, robots, or people. I usually choose one of those categories but really you could make it a wide open project too! I shared another fun geometric art activity on a blog post I wrote called Incorporating Art in the Classroom. This one is from Literacy Loves Company. As a follow up to geometric lessons on lines and angles, I cut polygons from white construction paper for each child. I have kids use rulers and sharpies and follow my step by step directions of drawing lines and then finding obtuse angles, right angles, perpendicular lines, and so on. After the lesson is done, kids add color to these, making it a really fun art piece. 6. Add Some Kinesthetic Learning Kids need movement and it's easy to add some movement with this unit. For this activity, students will be on the floor working with a partner to make different kinds of lines (parallel, intersecting, and perpendicular), shapes, and angles (right, acute, and obtuse) using their bodies. An alternative is to have kids stand up and use their arms to illustrate these geometric concepts. Another kinesthetic activity is to gather Chinese jump ropes or packages of sewing elastic. If you use elastic, one package is enough for one small group of 5 - 6 kids. The idea is to have students use the elastic as a group to make the shapes you call out (types of triangles are especially good) or types of angles. Different kinds of lines can also be made if two groups work together. 7. Add Some Task Cards and Games Task cards are one of my go-to tools! Kids love the game-like format and I know that they're getting really focused learning on whatever math concept we're working on. I have used them as centers/stations, for whole class math time, for one on one, and as exit slips. If you'd like some pre-made math task cards specifically for geometry, click here; 3rd Grade Geometry Bundle 4th Grade Geometry Bundle 5th Grade Geometry Bundle 8. Read Mentor Text I love it when I can tie reading into math too! The books above are some of my favorite mentor texts for geometry. I love all of the visual examples included. 9. Use Music I just found these songs by Numberock on YouTube and they are perfect for this unit! Really great pictures and catchy tunes: Parallel, Perpendicular and Intersecting Lines Angles Types of Triangles 10. Practice Angles Seriously, next to long division, measuring angles is probably the most difficult math skill students will face in the elementary years! It doesn't help too that it is introduced in fourth grade in common core and then not even mentioned in 5th grade standards. Oh well! One activity that helps is to have kids use graph paper and write their first name in all capital block letters. Students can measure any angles created by the intersection of the letter's lines. Another favorite activity for practicing angles is to take tape and make different lines, which create angles on a desk, table, or even on sheets of butcher paper. Kids use protractors to measure angles and then write with expos (or markers on the butcher paper) right on the desks/tables! Great way to add some fun to this difficult concept! Hope you've found at least a few ideas you can use for your geometry unit! I did want to let you know that I have Math Task Card Bundles for every grade from 3rd - 5th. Each bundle has 30 sets of 32 task cards that cover ALL STANDARDS (CCSS) for those grades. I love prepping them at the beginning of the year and then grabbing whatever concept we're working on for some added practice. If you'd like to take a look: 3rd Grade Math Task Cards Bundle 4th Grade Math Task Cards Bundle 5th Grade Math Task Cards Bundle Thanks so much for stopping by! If you like this post, I would love it if you would pin it or share it with a teacher friend! For more ideas and strategies focused on Upper elementary, be sure to sign up for The Teacher Next Door's free email newsletter right HERE. I'd love to connect with you! Facebook Pinterest Instagram TpT Store

Bobby, Danny, Jenny, Molly and Sally went to the fun fair in summer. From this game you can find out what they enjoyed the most, how many tokens they paid for it and finally what they won playing coconut shy. Look at the clues, fill in the tables, then write full sentences using the solution. To solve this logic game put an ´X´ where there is a relation and ´-´ where there isn´t. Hope you and your ss like it. There are flashcards to this topic as well. Hugs, Zsuzsapszi - ESL worksheets

Students benefit from hands-on activities to help boost their conceptual understanding of math. This focuses on measuring liquid volume.

Singular and plural nouns are first introduced in kindergarten and first grade, but if you are an upper elementary teacher, you know that plural nouns can pose challenges for many 4th and 5th grade writers. Reviewing the plural nouns rules and referring back to them throughout the year is not just important, it’s necessary. ... Read More about Singular and Plural Nouns Activities for Upper Elementary

Checking for Understanding Formative Assessment Exit Slips

Teaching the meanings of prefixes and suffixes is undoubtedly a skill that needs to be scaffolded over multiple grade levels. When I taught second grade, my main goal was to teach students how a prefix or a suffix affected the meaning of a word. We started with five basic prefixes and six basic suffixes. (Check out this affix blog post at my personal blog if you want to view my anchor chart, or read about my favorite way to introduce prefixes and suffixes to younger students.) Then, with each passing grade level, a few more prefixes and suffixes are added to the list. When I work with 4th and 5th grade students, I like to use concept circles to provide an opportunity for students to analyze affixed words in a more challenging way. (If you're interested in using these with your own upper elementary students, don't miss the free student worksheet version near the end of this blog post!) This activity involves four steps: Students read the four words written inside the concept circle, and determine which one does not belong. Students draw a line through the misfit word. Students determine the meaning of the affix used in the other three words. They write the meaning in the innermost circle. Students think of another word that uses the featured affix. They replace the word they crossed out in Step #1 with their new word. In the outside rim, students write the meaning of each word. Here are a few photos of some concept circles I have done with students: Click on the image below to download this packet of concept circles for FREE! It contains the three large concept circles picture above, 5 students worksheets like the one pictured below, and blank versions so you can create your own concept circles! Also, if you're looking for additional resources for teaching about prefixes and/or suffixes, feel free to check out some of the bundles in my TpT store! (Just click on an image to check one out!) Thanks for stopping by today! FREE Newsletter! Blog TpT Store Instagram Facebook Pinterest My YouTube Video

In this post, I am sharing my top three reasons why upper elementary teachers should have centers in their classroom, plus BONUS material!

Class escape rooms are a great way to practice problem solving and key skills. This post will help you get some ideas on how to make an escape room challenge for your 3-5 students!

Are you a teacher looking for quality tips and ideas for the upper elementary classroom? You've come to the right spot! These dedicated teachers have ideas busting out of the seams and are ready to share them with you. Meet the teachers below by reading the 16 reasons why you should follow them and click on each blog to find more about their expertise on teaching and managing an upper elementary classroom. Their tips and advice will guide you through a successful school year! You will also find what type of resources are offered in their stores to help teachers around the world! 1. Rockin Resources Check out Rockin Resources. Along with ideas for teaching reading, scaffolding lessons, managing instruction and character education, Pam has a series of 38 posts for Writer's Workshop! Pam skillfully designs effective Step-by-Step Reading, Writing, and Social Studies resources. She is best known for her Interactive Writing Programs (Grades 1-8) that help thousands of teachers in their writing instruction! Click below to see a description of lessons included for the whole year! 2. Clutter-Free Classroom Check out Clutter-Free Classroom. Along with oodles of organization and management tips, Jodi also blogs about the importance of spiral review, essential plans for substitutes, and so much more! Jodi has outstanding resources in her store with some supporting math instruction and classroom management. Her Classroom Organization Bundle is out of this world! She is the queen of organizing! Click below for a complete description of how to get your classroom organized. 3. Mr. Elementary Math Check out Mr. Elementary Math. Greg not only offers amazing tips for teaching math, he goes above and beyond with videos and integration of growth mindset and music into math lessons. Greg creates countless math lessons as well as math-related anchor charts, exit tickets, centers and games for his store. And who wouldn't want this Math Task Card Bundle? No wonder he is Mr. Elementary Math! Click to see the skills and wide array of question types included in this bundle. 4. Crafting Connections Check out Crafting Connections. Deb shares her unique style of teaching language arts on her blog. You will not only find exceptional lessons, but also tips on readers' theater and literature circles! Deb is well-known for offering creative language arts resources through partner plays, powerpoints, craftivities, and more. One popular Craftivity that has an impact on student learning is her unit on different character's perspectives. Click below to "see" what it is all about! 5. Teaching Fourth Check out Teaching Fourth. Kelly's super cute blog provides art projects, adorable bulletin board ideas, and useful language arts tips like Creating a Vocabulary Rich Environment. Kelly's store has many academic resources like her sought-after Reading Graphic Organizers and Parts of Speech Posters. She has a line of borders and frames too. Her Simple Super Skinny Borders are a must-have! Click below to see the variety of borders that make any educational resource POP! 6. The Teacher Next Door Check out The Teacher Next Door. Jenn expertly blogs about everything from favorite books, math games, and teaching reading skills to creating a classroom community and even teacher humor! Jenn presents a collection of resources ideal for upper elementary instruction in her store. She has bundles for character education, reading, math task cards, grammar, and more. Her impressive Reading Games Bundle works well for centers, one-on-one, and test prep. Click below for more information! 7. The Teacher Studio Check out The Teacher Studio. Meg has numerous posts that enhance the regular instruction such as math culture and challenges. Experience her spunky demeanor with professional development! Meg carefully designs math and literacy curriculum that stretches students' minds. Her love for critical thinking is evident in her resources. She has Mind Boggling Math and Improving Deep Fraction Understanding. Click below for a Fish in a Tree Novel Study that digs deeper into reading! 8. The Thinker Builder Check out The Thinker Builder. Michael shares valuable ideas to encourage deep readers and bold writers. Some of his posts include Tower of Books Challenge and Differentiating Instruction. In Michael's store, he has trendy memory books and activities for the beginning and end of the year. He also creates ELA resources with the same mindset as his blog. His Reading Response Pages is well worth checking out. It is differentiated, engaging and versatile! Click below to see what it offers. 9. Teacher Thrive Check out Teacher Thrive. Melissa not only blogs about classroom procedures, but she also generates posts to teach with a deeper meaning. Some include Mulitple Intelligence and Depth and Complexity. Melissa offers rigorous educational resources in her store such as Brain Power Math, Critical Thinking, GATE, and Greek and Latin Interactive Notebooks. She created a Vocabulary Builder Flip-book that is in demand and free when subscribing to her blog! Click below to find out more about this free resource! 10. Wise Guys Check out Wise Guys. Wise Guys have two experienced teachers sharing a wealth of tips on their blog. Some include Celebrating Reading Success, Classroom Economy, and How Wonder Can Impact a Classroom. Wise Guys create detailed and thought-provoking materials for upper elementary. They have Constitution Detectives, Guided Reading Bundle, a Persuasive Writing Bundle, and this sought-after Genius Hour Bundle in their store. Click to read a desciption on where passion comes to life! 11. One Stop Teacher Shop Check out One Stop Teacher Shop. Kristen has remarkable posts to provide tips for teachers. She explains reasons for spiral review, improving student organization, how to keep homework meaningful and more! Kristin focuses her talent to provide teachers with resources to organize, save time, and cover all of the standards. Although her teacher binders are one of her specialties, she also has resources with spiral review and I Can Games. Homework is a favorite. Click to find out about Reading Homework! 12. Math Tech Connections Check out Math Tech Connections. Mariella has amazing blog posts about all aspects of math instruction. You will find information on technology math centers, weekly test folders, guided math, and more. Mariella's love for math shines in all her resources. Her unique way of designing math materials provides educators with a multitude of lessons to instill student retention. Some favored resources include math sorts, digital math resources, tri-folds, and Morning Work. Click to find a complete bundle for the year! 13. Create Teach Share Check out Create Teach Share. Rebecca has noteworthy posts to help teachers in the classroom including character education, daily math reflections, strategies for guided math, and activities for popular books. Rebecca has a creative eye and all her resources have attractive designs. Her store displays items such as Interactive Math Notebooks, Reading Response Journals, and Common Core Math Worksheets. She stays abreast of the latest trends in education with her Digital Resources. Click to learn about a growing bundle! 14. Teaching With Simplicity Check out Teaching With Simplicity. Mandy enjoys sharing her professional knowledge with other teachers. Some of her posts discuss growth mindset, flexible seating, teacher binder tips, and classroom organization. Mandy's store is filled with effective tools for teachers. Her Teacher Binder, Test Prep, ELA Assessment Pack and math resources are all meticulously designed to help teachers in the classroom. If you need Standards Based Progress Monitoring for Math, click below for a brilliant Math RTI Bundle! 15. Performing in Education Check out Performing in Education. April writes cutting-edge blog posts including STEM projects, goal setting, and project-based learning, She also has a PBL Club to assist teachers with project-based learning! April has a collection of resources in her store involving project-based learning activities conducive to guide students towards higher-level thinking. She also has Interactive Math and Reading Notebooks, as well as Writing Units. She offers a Highly-Engaging Writing Prompts bundle. Click to get more information! 16. Digital Divide and Conquer Check out Digital: Divide and Conquer. Matt channels his expert advice for teachers to share monthly ideas, projects, how teachers can recharge over breaks, and countless posts to give tips on project-based learning. Matt offers a variety of resources in his store from foldables, art activities, posters, and even a Friendship Unit. His store is the go-to place to find reputable project-based learning activities that motivate students! Click below to learn more about a Treehouse Construction Project-Based Learning activity. Fun!

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.

Find 23 ready to use, effective vocabulary activities your students will love, by The Teacher Next Door!

Check out my must-have guided reading materials and supplies for upper elementary grades and how I use them on this post.

This summer, after attending a reading workshop, I've made it my goal to amp up and improve my guided reading and shared reading instruction. With this in

Help your students learn about the five regions of the United States with these fun and informative interactive maps.

I'm sure you've heard of it...close reading. But, what are the close reading steps and how do you get started? Reading comprehension will improve with some simple strategies.

Homeschooling upper elementary is all about burgeoning independence (but maybe not as much as you were hoping for!) This is everything you need for homeschooling grades 4-6.

Adverbs are surely the most neglected parts of speech! We cover nouns and verbs in such detail and at multiple levels

Homeschooling upper elementary is all about burgeoning independence (but maybe not as much as you were hoping for!) This is everything you need for homeschooling grades 4-6.

Early finishers need activities so you are not scrambling to find something meaningful for students to work on when they complete work.

Whether you call them literacy centers or literacy stations, big kids at the upper elementary level love center time and get so much out of it! How do literacy centers benefit kids? They add variety to learning and to the routine. They allow teachers to easily differentiate learning. They are a great way to help cover and reinforce all of the standards. They give students a place to practice important social skills, like collaboration, problem-solving, and communication. So how do you set up literacy centers and run them successfully? Here are a few things to keep in mind: 1. Plan Centers and Center Spaces Plan Centers: Since I've been teaching for quite a few years, I have a pretty good idea of what I'll be teaching and when. Of course, I make small changes as needed with each class, but generally, my pacing is pretty set. This information helps me make a skeleton plan for the major concepts, games, and activities I'll plan for the year. If you aren't sure of your yearly schedule, maybe you could schedule them a month ahead of time as you go. Another idea is to meet with your grade level team to talk about your reading themes for the year and to plan together. Plan Center Spaces in Your Classroom: Classrooms never seem big enough, so this can be a challenge. I like to have 4 - 5 kids at each center (the smaller number the better) but it depends on the class size. If I have 28 kids, that means about six center areas. Since my classroom is pretty small, when kids do the independent reading center, they stay at their desk/seat. That leaves me with 5 center areas to plan. 2. Types of Centers One of the questions teachers often ask is what kind of centers to include. Here are some suggestions that I've used in my classroom. I don't use all of the centers suggested at the same time but do mix up some of the centers every now and then for a bit of variety. Each center lasts 20 minutes long and the total center time is one hour, which means students should visit 3 centers each day. A. Independent Reading - This is one that ALL students do every day! It's important to me that students self-select books based on motivation and not reading level. One of the rules is that kids need to have a book ready before reading time. I don't want them to waste time searching the classroom library during this time. B. Teacher Time - This could be guided reading in a very structured setting or it could be reader's workshop style, where students meet with me to read a bit and to discuss concepts. C. Word Work - At this center, students work on spelling, grammar, context clues, and vocabulary. They may have a worksheet but more often they play a game. Since I couldn't find any games already made, I created a bundle of 30 Grammar Games, one for third grade and one for fourth grade to cover all language standards. They target grade-level skills and really make grammar fun. A huge time saver for sure! D. Magazine Center/Informational Text - This center is filled with children's news magazines (some from last year) like Scholastic News. I also include kid's magazines, like National Geographic Kids. I have graphic organizers I use for a bit of accountability. Students read an article, fill out the template, and then are free to continue reading whatever they'd like at this center. E. Technology Center - Every school is a bit different but whether you are blessed with tons of technology or are scraping by with a few older computers, there are still lots of great websites students can access with your direction at this center. Here are some you might want to check out: Freckle Education (formerly Front Row) Edcite Newsela MobyMax.com ABCYA.com Edmodo National Geographic Young Explorers Big Universe Spelling City I've also created standards-aligned reading units for 3rd - 5th grades. They give lots of focused, paperless practice. CLICK THE PHOTO BELOW TO LEARN MORE. F. Genius Hour - If you've never done Genius Hour with your students, you'll want to definitely look into it. I used to call these independent projects. Students are able to research and read about topics of interest and then prepare some type of presentation to share what they've learned with the class. Genius Hour projects are ongoing projects which students complete on their own time table, although you can set guidelines for how many they need to complete a semester for example. I tend to let it be more open-ended, as long as I see them engaged and focused. I know that some projects may take a number of weeks, while others may take two center rotation times. G. Reading Skills - At this center, I tie in worksheets that match our current reading strategy. Reading is my very favorite subject so I have lots of reading units already prepared which are no-prep, print and go. Click here if you need some fresh reading units for this center. H. Writing - Students may create poetry, write a letter to the principal, or create a personal narrative in their writer's workshop notebook. This is NOT our main writing time, however. It's more of a chance to let students experience low-pressure writing which is not specifically connected to a writing lesson. I. Reading Games - I love this center because it is rigorous while masquerading as fun! Kids at this center play games which are connected to the topic we are highlighting, like main idea, cause and effect, theme, or character traits. I actually created a whole series of reading games, just because I really needed them for my classroom and thought others might too. There is a game for each standard and they provide so much focused practice. I really love these! There's a set of 20 Reading Centers for 3rd Grade and 20 Reading Centers for 4th/5th. Each bundle of reading games has 10 Fiction Games and 10 Nonfiction Games. I also have digital reading units too. J. Read to a Friend - In this center, I have a variety of materials like poetry books and mini-plays to read together, to practice fluency. I also like to place high-interest picture books in this center! Even for 5th graders, you might be surprised at the complexity level of many picture books! Kids love them and they really are beneficial for them. Sometimes I have students bring their own independent books to share with each other. Other times, I have a book sampling basket at the center filled with book underdogs! These are some lesser-known books that I want kids to try. Their job is to read the book summary on the cover and to take turns reading either a paragraph or a page at a time. 3. Prepare Centers Once you've tentatively planned out your centers, the next step is to make or purchase the centers you'll need. I really do like to get the majority done in the summertime or at the beginning of the year because it's great to just pull out the center I need and it's ready to go. You can store the centers a number of ways. I really like the gallon size plastic baggies because I can put game boards, task cards, and anything else I might need (game markers or spinners...) in that bag. I just label the bag with a sharpie but you could make cute labels on the computer too if you want. You'll also want to have plenty of baskets and trays to organize center materials as you use them each week. The Dollar Store always has a great selection of these! 4. Decide How to Structure the Centers You can either have students do a rotation schedule that you create, or allow them to self-select within your parameters. Either works well, so you just need to decide which one works best for you. If students self-select, kids need to know expectations. For example, how many students can be at a single center at a time? How many centers do students need to complete each day or each week? I actually prefer a rotation schedule. I make some simple cards with center titles on them and create the schedule in a pocket chart with the days on the left side (vertically) and the center titles across the top (horizontally). 5. Set Expectations for Center Time Just like anything in the classroom, rules and procedures have to be explicitly taught and reviewed or chaos is bound to occur. First, I think through all of the possibilities of what could happen, and then I prepare for that by making up my list of rules on an anchor chart for all to see. We do some modeling of good and bad examples of behavior and discuss them together. If centers are going to work, this piece is crucial!!! There is no way for you to have quality teacher time if you are interrupted every few minutes to put out fires, answer questions, and give more directions. Take the time to set up centers well and you'll find it to be worth it. 6. Teach Each Center to the Whole Class Before Kids Use It Getting kids ready for centers is truly a process. To make it successful, you'll want to introduce the center to the whole class before expecting them to participate on their own. This is a great time for thumbs up and down questions to check for understanding, as well as modeling when appropriate. Once you've tried centers and have them operating smoothly, I think you'll really enjoy them. Want more information about why literacy centers are beneficial for kids in grades 3rd - 5th? Click here to read Why You Should be Using Reading Centers in Upper Elementary. If you like this post, I would love for you to pin it or to share it with a teacher friend. 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! Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to read it! I'd love to connect with you! The Teacher Next Door's Website Facebook Pinterest Instagram TpT Store

As I was sitting at my kidney table, going through my students’ writing, I realized that even my best writers had paragraphs littered with grammatical errors… glaring grammatical errors. It was starting to feel like I needed to start from scratch with them. My students were fourth-graders; how could it be that they knew nothing of […]

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Science is a valuable subject in our classrooms so it's important that we make time for science. Check out these 12 reasons why today!

This post explores the benefits of using reading centers in upper elementary and includes a free reading center.

Teaching grammar in upper elementary doesn't have to be boring . . . try these easy ways to teach grammar

One of the staples of the beginning of the year is spending a little time introducing genre. This post provides you with five days of activities that will

Spiral concepts in upper elementary without becoming redundant or dull with these 5 fun activities!