While I am a firm believer in students reading real books that they choose and doing this often, I also love to include reading games and reading centers in my instruction. On this post, I will share three of my favorite types of reading games and centers for 4th and 5th grade, free reading games and centers for each type, and links to buy more if you are interested in ... Read More
Browse the archives below for even more great ideas
How To Make Spiral Review Work for You and Your Students
Spiral review is truly the most powerful thing I do in my classroom to help my students master skills, retain skills, and make connections between the topics they are learning. In this post, I will break down all the ways I make spiral review work for me to help it work for you and your students. Why Use Spiral Review? Recently, I had a conversation with a teacher ... Read More
Read Alouds for Teaching Point of View | Mentor Texts for Reading
Point of view can be tricky for students but with a lot of practice, discussion, and the right point of view mentor texts, your students will not only master point of view but they will enjoy it. On this post, I will share my favorite read alouds to teach point of view. These point of view mentor texts range from identifying point of view to comparing and contrasting ... Read More
Read Alouds for Teaching Theme | Mentor Texts for Reading
Teaching theme is something I really enjoy. I think it helps build character and an enjoyment of reading, in addition to being a key reading skill. When students realize that they are learning life lessons from the books they read, it often increases their enjoyment and engagement. In this post, let’s take a look at some of my favorite theme mentor texts or read-alouds ... Read More
Read Alouds for Teaching Inferences | Mentor Texts for Reading
Learning how to infer and back up inferences with strong evidence is such an important skill for students to master. So, of course, it is not the easiest one for them to grasp (and even sometimes enjoy). When I am teaching inferences for the first time with a group of students, I keep this in mind and choose super high-interest read alouds that my students love digging ... Read More
Read Alouds for Teaching Story Elements | Mentor Texts for Reading
When I sat down to compile my favorite read alouds for teaching story elements, my list just grew and grew. There are so many great story element mentor texts that it was even difficult to narrow down to this list. However, I wanted to include a lot of choices to cover the depth of story elements required in 4th and 5th grade. In an effort to keep the post short, I am ... Read More
Tips for Using Exit Slips in Upper Elementary
Have you ever given exit slips to your students only to leave them on your desk while you quickly escort your students to lunch or transition to another subject? Before you know it, they are buried under other paperwork. By the time you have a chance to look them over, it has been a few days and you have moved on from that skill. If this has ever even remotely happened to ... Read More
Texts to Use for Guided Reading (If You Don’t Have a Bookroom)
One of the most common questions I get from teachers who want to implement guided reading is: My school doesn't have a book room. What can I use for guided reading texts? While a book room is the best possible scenario, if you don't have one, all hope is not lost. On this post, I will share six different options for texts to use for guided reading. Magazines One of ... Read More
Activities for Early Finishers (Upper Elementary)
What if I told you that you could have plans in place for your early finishers without a ton of prep on your part? What if those "activities" were super meaningful, engaging, and directly aligned with what you were teaching? Well, that is exactly what I am going to describe in this post. Let's take a look at my favorite early finisher activities that will save your ... Read More
Guided Reading Management | Tips for Managing Guided Reading Groups
Guided reading is my favorite part of the day, but it wasn't always. During my first two years of teaching I struggled with wrangling my students once they came to me and keeping them on task and focused on reading. Because my guided reading time is super precious to me, I had to quickly come up with some strategies to better manage my groups. In this post I am sharing ... Read More
Outdoor Learning Activities for Upper Elementary
The spring and summer seasons are the perfect time to take your students out of the classroom for some outdoor learning activities. Your students will be more motivated to work before, during, and after the outdoor learning activity. Outdoor learning is also an excellent behavior motivator for when your students have spring or summer fever. There are so many ways to ... Read More
Introducing Paired Texts and Paired Passages
Paired texts and paired passages can be really tricky for students, especially those who are not fluent readers. I have found the best way to help my students master paired passages is through repeated practice and exposure (and as authentic as possible - especially in the beginning). In my opinion, it is really important that your students see paired readings and ... Read More
