Category: Reading

12 Ways to Motivate Reluctant Readers

I think I must have been born with a book in my hand! My parents told me that from the moment I learned to read,

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Note-taking Foldable Freebie

How can you transform almost any assignment into an adventure? Use foldables! Foldables are so much fun to make, and when students create their own,

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Raising academic standards is certainly a worthy goal, but sometimes it can have unintended consequences. To find time to teach the rigorous reading and math

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Discover two effective strategies for teaching kids how to have productive group discussions that meet the Common Core Speaking and Listening Standards.

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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,

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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?

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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

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Category: Reading

12 Ways to Motivate Reluctant Readers

12 Ways to Motivate Reluctant Readers

I think I must have been born with a book in my hand! My parents told me that from the moment I learned to read, I would read everything in sight, from cereal boxes to billboards. When I began reading books, there was no stopping me! I even begged them

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Note-taking Foldable Freebie

Note-taking Foldable Freebie for Informational Text

How can you transform almost any assignment into an adventure? Use foldables! Foldables are so much fun to make, and when students create their own, they seem to take more pride in their work. One type of foldable that’s super easy to use is a four-flap foldable for taking notes.

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Cook Up a Caring Classroom with Books by Julia Cook

Raising academic standards is certainly a worthy goal, but sometimes it can have unintended consequences. To find time to teach the rigorous reading and math Common Core standards, many schools are cutting back on physical education, the arts, and life-skill lessons. Yet we need to remember that we aren’t teaching

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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

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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

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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

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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 »
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

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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

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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

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