While winter may not be the favorite season for most people, it definitely comes with very interesting topics to read about...extreme sports, Winter games, animal behavior in the winter, to name a few. For my students (in the south) we love all things snow. This post will share one of my favorite winter read alouds about snow and some free comprehension questions ... Read More
Teaching Reading Virtually
Teaching reading in 4th and 5th grade can be so rewarding but also challenging. Teaching reading virtually can make that even more challenging. But, with the right strategies and resources, it can be done and done well. This post will share a breakdown of an example way to structure your weekly digital reading instruction, including ways that you can incorporate best ... Read More
End of Year Read Alouds for 3rd-5th Grade
Even upper elementary students love read alouds, and especially at the end of the year. The end of the year is a great time to read short picture books as most of the time your novels or class read alouds have been wrapped up. This post will share three of my favorite end of the year read alouds for 3rd-5th graders (with free printable activities). Note: Depending on ... Read More
Read Alouds for Teaching Figurative Language | Mentor Texts for Reading
Teaching figurative language is one of my favorite literacy skills to teach and my students always love learning about the different types. On this post, I will share my favorite read alouds for teaching the types of figurative language (similes, metaphors, hyperbole, and personification) and then my favorite read alouds that use figurative language naturally and ... 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
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 Theme
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
Thanksgiving Read Alouds for Upper Elementary {Free Printables}
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays by far! You can find several Thanksgiving activities for math and literacy (including free writing prompts) HERE in a previous post I wrote. In this post, I will share two of my favorite Thanksgiving read alouds and the activities I use with them. These read aloud and the accompanying activities are perfect for literacy ... Read More
Planning Read Alouds in Upper Elementary
If you have followed my blog for while, you know that I love using read alouds in my classroom. They are a great way to build community, expose students to a variety of text, and to teach reading skills. For more information about the benefits of using read alouds in upper elementary classrooms (with implementation tips), click HERE to read a previous post I wrote. ... Read More
