Freebie! One of the keys to teaching reading comprehension is showing kids how proficient readers think about text. Teachers have to find a way to make their thinking visible. One way is with graphic organizers. Here is a free set: The first one is filled in with the steps for growing…
Honestly, I don’t ever remember learning syllable rules when I was in school, and amazingly enough, I still learned how to read. When I first started hearing about syllable rules (as a teacher) they were complicated statements like, “with a CVC pattern, if the vowel is short then divide after the second consonant.” Holy…
A reading comprehension strategy for elementary students This post contains affiliate links. 6 Signposts for Close Reading If you’re a teacher that means you’ve been successful enough in school to get a college degree. This also means you are probably a natural “comprehender” when it comes to things that you read. I don’t remember being…
Teaching Phonics Looking back I’m not sure how this happened, but somehow I got through college without actually learning phonics rules. Hold on, hold on! I know how to read and I know letter sounds but as far as actual “rules” that I could tell my students…I was lost. And I know I’m not the…
Problem: Getting a good, solid literacy block up and running seems so complex, I don’t even know where to start. Solution: It doesn’t magically happen on the first day of school. It’s a process that takes the students and the teacher several weeks to ease into. Here’s a basic structure that I have found works…
A reading comprehension and art activity to go along with Mo Willem’s book, Knuffle Bunny. This post contains affiliate links. The Book Knuffle Bunny is the first in a series of three great books by Mo Willems. The story starts with little babbling, bright-eyed Trixie and her dad taking a trip to…
I know some teachers that can get away with using the same five center activities all year. That seems so simple and straight forward… but I’m always looking for something new to put in the rotation! My students seem to enjoy some variety as well. So here are some word work/spelling center ideas: Look, Cover, Write,…
Whether you’re new to literacy centers or you’ve been doing them for a while, it’s always fun to get some new ideas and kids definitely enjoy some variety. Here’s is a collection of centers I’ve had success with for word work, writing, reading, spelling, and grammar: Magnetic Words There are lots of…
Problem: My kids need some poetry mentor texts and it’s hard to find something (other than expensive anthologies) at the bookstore. Solution: Pick up Love That Dog by Sharon Creech. So much depends upon a blue car splattered with mud speeding down the road These are the first few cryptic lines…
I remember a professional development session where the presenter projected a piece of text with lots of blanks where words should have been. A quick glance at the format told us that it was a letter. The first line said, “Dear ______,” Someone instinctively said, “Dear John!” The presenter filled in the word “John.” It…