It was time to move my growing readers into another genre; one that few them had spent much time with: mysteries! As I was planning this genre study, it became clear that the skills they would be using complimented the reading skills of making inferences and drawing conclusions. While planning a unit, I not only think about the objectives, but also think about ways to make it interesting for the students. I want to create high-interest,…
It is almost autumn! Time to think about apples, Johnny Appleseed, and fresh cider. Are you looking for a fun way to launch this year’s apple theme? Then get your class up and about on an apple trivia hunt! Print and cut apart the 12 fact cards. You can post them around your classroom, or out in a hallway. Then print a question page for each student. Your…
Did you know that children who do not master the 100 most common high frequency words until 3rd grade usually continue to struggle as readers throughout their lives? (Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement). While saying words from a list does not encompass all the skills needed to be a proficient reader, the mastery of high frequency words is a crucial foundation for more complex texts. When a reader is spending most of their…
Personal word walls are the solution to the question, “How do you spell ______ ?” This simple-to-make and customizable tool is one of my favorite resources for my young writers. Personal Word Walls During Writing Workshop I love that my young writers are eager to spell correctly. They are no longer satisfied with using inventive spelling. However, their young age makes using a dictionary quite intimidating. So using personal word walls is how I was able…
Part of my getting ready for the first day of school includes deciding what types of notebooks or learning logs I want to use with this class. I can’t tell you how much I go back and forth between should I use a spiral notebook, composition notebook, a pocket folder, or a binder. Each one has pros and cons. Once I’ve decided, I like to put kid friendly labels on them that identify their purpose. Below…
One growth area my students usually need is a wider vocabulary. Frequently, they get stuck using dull adjectives and boring verbs. So I began thinking of a creative way to get them to spice up their writing. I quickly latched onto the word “spicier” and images of cooking, recipes, and mixing up a tastier paragraph whisked in my brain. Below is an interactive word wall that I created. The bowls are glued onto envelopes to create…
