Beach balls are so much fun on the sand or in the pool and they can be just as much (well almost as much) fun in the classroom. This post will help you bring a little summer fun into your classroom with these five review games and activities that include beach balls. Beach Ball Review Activity 1 – Beach Ball Basketball Materials: 1 Beach ball 1 Large ... Read More
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Poetry Activities for Upper Elementary
Tell your students you are going to study poetry, and you’ll have varied reactions. Some kids will remember the rhymes of their early childhood days with excitement. Others will groan at the thought of cheesy “love poems.” However, you can teach poetry in a way that even the most resistant student will find something to love about this genre. Here are some poetry ... Read More
Review Games and Ideas with Plastic Eggs
Plastic eggs fill the shelves during the months of March and April. March and April are also the months of the year when students get a bit antsy and ready for spring break. Mixing things up is a must! This post will share some fun and pretty simple to prep review games and ideas to use with plastic eggs. 1. Egg Hunt Egg hunts are so much! Simply fill eggs with ... Read More
Tips for Teaching RACE Constructed Response Strategy
I remember the shift from multiple choice reading assessments to constructed response reading questions like it was yesterday. When we first made the shift, we got everything from blank stares (because they didn't understand the question), to single word answers, simple phrases, answers that were off-topic, and let's not even talk about the grammar and spelling. Hint: It ... Read More
Reading Centers Management in 4th and 5th Grade
Imagine this: You spend all weekend (or summer) prepping engaging reading centers. You are excited to introduce them to your students to supplement their independent reading and help them master the skills in new, engaging ways. But, how do you make sure your students actually do the work instead of goofing off? And then those who do the work, how do you make sure ... Read More
FREE Reading Games and Centers for 4th and 5th Grade
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
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
