Fiction, Nonfiction, Student Centered

4 Independent Reading Ideas that will Engage Students

Do you have restless students during readers' workshop? Are you looking for ways to engage students with the text? I also have struggled with this for years. I am sharing four independent reading ideas that work with keeping students on task. Reading Response Journals for Independent Reading Ideas During independent reading time, I offer students… Continue reading 4 Independent Reading Ideas that will Engage Students

Nonfiction

Text Features are important to teach in the Content Area

Students struggle using text features when reading expository text. We need to provide students the tools to understand what they are reading. How do we do that? We use text features to guide their thinking and improve their understanding. Text Features help teach Vocabulary Vocabulary is critical in the content area. Text features for vocabulary… Continue reading Text Features are important to teach in the Content Area

pre-reading-activities
Fiction, Nonfiction

Pre-reading Activities that Support Comprehension

Pre-reading activities help the students prepare before reading. Like most things we do, planning happens first. Gardening, scrapbooking, and cooking all require planning. Reading is no different. What are some activities that would help students get ready to read? When planning activities before reading, you need to consider the students' background on the text. Ask… Continue reading Pre-reading Activities that Support Comprehension

Fiction, Nonfiction

Graphic Organizer Templates that Save Time

What is a graphic organizer template? A graphic organizer templates is a template that is organizes ideas from what was read or learned. Graphic organizer templates include the following: Concept Map / Character MapPlot Map (characters and setting, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution)Four Square Organizer (vocabulary, main idea/details, character analysis)Two Column Notes (quote/meaning, main… Continue reading Graphic Organizer Templates that Save Time

idiom-for-the-oday
Word Study

Idiom for the day activities that help ELL students

Idiom for the day is a great way to involve students in learning how figurative language works. Having seasonal idioms may make it more relevant to the students' learning. These graphic organizers work great for independent work time. What is an idiom? An idiom is a common expression that means something different than its literal… Continue reading Idiom for the day activities that help ELL students