Category: Reading

With the Common Core emphasis on teaching informational text, you might be wondering where to find appropriate texts for reading instruction. Most classrooms are overflowing

Read More »

Do you remember singing the silly campfire song about old Mother Leary who left a lantern in her shed?  It goes like this: “Late one

Read More »

Each year on September 11th, we reflect on a series of horrific events that changed the course of history. As a teacher, you might be

Read More »

Have you considered implementing Literature Circles in your classroom, but you didn’t because you weren’t sure how to get started? Or maybe you did try

Read More »

Do your students groan when it’s time for spelling? Spelling might be an important subject, but it doesn’t usually inspire a passion for learning! But

Read More »
Literature Circles – Common Core Aligned & Fun!

Motivate Kids to Love Reading! It’s February, and your students are tired of the same old routines in reading. They’re ready for a change, and

Read More »
Poetry - A Common Core Dilemma

Believe it or not, teaching kids to love to write poetry is easy. It’s a matter of finding the right poetry books to share and

Read More »

With the attention given to the Common Core Informational Text and Literacy Standards, it’s easy to overlook the other ELA standards, especially the Speaking and

Read More »
Literary Lunch Bunches Foster Love of Reading

Most teachers have heard of Literature Circles, or Classroom Book Clubs, but many find it difficult to add them to an already packed schedule. However,

Read More »

Most kids love to listen to audio books, but did you know that this practice is also extremely effective for improving reading comprehension and fluency?

Read More »
Favorite Read Alouds for November

November is a great month for reading aloud! Here are a few of my favorite books for Thanksgiving and Veteran’s Day. These short picture books

Read More »

About the only thing we can count on in education is that something is always changing! Our society changes, technology changes, our students are changing,

Read More »

Category: Reading

Teaching Informational Text with Magazines

With the Common Core emphasis on teaching informational text, you might be wondering where to find appropriate texts for reading instruction. Most classrooms are overflowing with great children’s literature and novels, but many schools lack a good selection of interesting nonfiction texts. If you enjoy reading magazines yourself, the solution

Read More »

Honoring 9/11 – A Delicate Balance

Each year on September 11th, we reflect on a series of horrific events that changed the course of history. As a teacher, you might be struggling with whether or not you should discuss 9/11 with your students. Although your students weren’t even born in 2001, it’s important to  recognize the

Read More »

Getting Started with Classroom Book Clubs

Have you considered implementing Literature Circles in your classroom, but you didn’t because you weren’t sure how to get started? Or maybe you did try Literature Circles, but you stopped after becoming frustrated and overwhelmed with what was required. If you can relate, stick with me to learn about Classroom

Read More »

Seek & Spell Challenge – Word Work That WORKS!

Do your students groan when it’s time for spelling? Spelling might be an important subject, but it doesn’t usually inspire a passion for learning! But that might change if you introduce your kids to Seek & Spell Challenge. In fact, they might BEG for this activity! After you read how

Read More »
Literature Circles – Common Core Aligned & Fun!

Literature Circles – Common Core Aligned & Fun!

Motivate Kids to Love Reading! It’s February, and your students are tired of the same old routines in reading. They’re ready for a change, and you are, too. But if you teach in a Common Core state, you know know that whatever you teach, it must be aligned with the

Read More »
Poetry - A Common Core Dilemma

Poetry: A Common Core Dilemma

Believe it or not, teaching kids to love to write poetry is easy. It’s a matter of finding the right poetry books to share and providing time to write about things that matter. It always amazes me how students who seem to struggle in other areas are able to write

Read More »

The Core of Effective Collaborative Discussions

With the attention given to the Common Core Informational Text and Literacy Standards, it’s easy to overlook the other ELA standards, especially the Speaking and Listening Standard. But even though this is not a tested area, speaking and listening skills are extremely important. Knowing how to participate actively in a

Read More »
Literary Lunch Bunches Foster Love of Reading

Literary Lunch Bunches Foster Love of Reading

Most teachers have heard of Literature Circles, or Classroom Book Clubs, but many find it difficult to add them to an already packed schedule. However, it’s worth finding time to implement Classroom Book Clubs because this program is actually aligned with the first Common Core Speaking and Listening Standard for

Read More »

The Power of Audio Books

Most kids love to listen to audio books, but did you know that this practice is also extremely effective for improving reading comprehension and fluency? I discovered this well-kept secret a few years ago when I started using audio books with my struggling readers. I was using Classroom Book Clubs

Read More »
Favorite Read Alouds for November

Favorite Read Alouds for November

November is a great month for reading aloud! Here are a few of my favorite books for Thanksgiving and Veteran’s Day. These short picture books are perfect for upper elementary students and work well with many fall-related activities. If you need ready-to-use lessons, activities, and printables to go with these

Read More »

Tips for Teaching Informational Text

About the only thing we can count on in education is that something is always changing! Our society changes, technology changes, our students are changing, and as a result, the curriculum is constantly evolving. Change can be exciting, but often it’s frustrating as well. This is especially true when it

Read More »