Having students write about what they are reading is a great way to help students dive into analyzing a story, help make comprehension visible to the teacher, allow students to share their reading easily, and hold students accountable for reading. Whew, there is a lot of benefits for sure! However, sometimes as a teacher I found that I needed fresh ideas to keep my ... Read More
Browse the archives below for even more great ideas
Free Reading Posters (4th-5th Grade)
Vocabulary is so important in instruction and the vocabulary of the skills and standards we teach is SO important. If the students can't tell you what theme is, they definitely can't apply that to a story or passage. On this post, I will share free reading posters to help you teach the reading vocabulary of the standards and help your students master it. About the ... Read More
Free Reading Games and Activities for Launching Reading Centers
In 4th and 5th grade, I want my students independently reading books of their choosing and lots of them. However, I also really love using reading centers a couple of days a week in addition to independent reading. It helps me make sure that I cover my reading standards and allows my students plenty of time to practice them. On this post, I will share some free reading ... Read More
Read Alouds for Teaching Text Structures | Mentor Texts for Reading
Informational text structures is one of my favorite nonfiction reading units to teach. Once students start to see how information is organized in a text it really helps their comprehension and understanding of the text and it also helps them become stronger informational text writers. On this post, I will share my favorite read alouds for teaching text structure as well ... Read More
Read Alouds for Teaching Main Idea | Mentor Texts for Reading
Read alouds are definitely the backbone of my reading instruction. But finding engaging nonfiction read alouds can sometimes be tricky. I have spent the last few years collecting the best nonfiction read alouds to use with upper elementary students. This post will share the read alouds I use when introducing and teaching main idea. This post includes Amazon affiliate ... Read More
Review Games and Activities with Beach Balls
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
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
