One of the best ways to see if your students have mastered a reading skill is to see if they can apply it in their writing. I love doing this with themes (read more about how I teach theme and use a working backward activity by clicking here) and text structure. It also works perfectly with context clues. This post will share a simple (but rigorous) context clues activity ... Read More
First 20 Days of Reading Workshop in 5th Grade
The first 20 days of reading instruction is such a valuable time. This is your chance to teach expectations and procedures and get your students engaged and excited about reading. This post will share a look into my first 20 days of reading workshop, including a free PDF version with my notes. Purpose of the First 20 Days of Reading Instruction The first 20 days are ... Read More
Free 4th and 5th Grade Reading Sorts
Using sorts as part of instruction or practice is one of my (and my students') favorite reading activities. I feel like you can never have enough hands-on activities and they are honestly few and far between when it comes to upper elementary reading. This post will share some FREE reading sorts for 4th and 5th grade with ideas for implementing them in your ... Read More
Free Reading Review Mini-Booklets for 4th and 5th Grade
It seems like I am always on the hunt for new ways to review reading skills with my students. And especially ways that are engaging and don't involve reading a ton of lengthy passages or worse...stapled worksheets that don't excite or engage my students. One of my new favorite ways to review is through reading review mini-booklets. Keep reading to get all of the details ... Read More
Word Work Activities with Jenga (Free Printables)
Engaging word work activities for upper elementary grades can be hard to find. On this post, I will share three free word work activities to use with Jenga blocks. These are super engaging and can be used in a literacy center or played whole group if you have multiple Jenga blocks. Amazon affiliate links provided if you wish to purchase the Jenga blocks mentioned on this ... Read More
Character Traits Activities
Character traits are one of my favorite reading skills. I love digging in deep and analyzing characters. I also truly believe that learning about different characters, their traits, and what makes them exhibit those traits help students gain perspective and empathy. This post will share some of the ways that I introduce, teach, and/or review character traits with 4th and ... Read More
Free Reading Exit Slips for 4th and 5th Grade
Since I prefer to teach using a reader's workshop model (read more about how I teach reading in 5th grade here), I do a lot of assessing my students on their reading strategies and behaviors authentically. However, assessing them on specific reading skills and standards I have taught has proved tricky in the past. That was before I started using reading exit slips. ... Read More
Reading Notebooks in 4th and 5th Grade
One of the things I do every year that really makes a difference in my students' learning is having them use notebooks to store notes, examples, work, and basically house all of the learning they have done that year. Having these notebooks makes it so easy to spiral content because the students have a ready-made resource to refer back to. On this post, I will share how I ... Read More
Write About Reading Ideas for Upper Elementary
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
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
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
