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The Rabbit Hole
I began searching the internet for resources to give my online students who are in a Masters level course to earn their teaching credential. I have weekly resources for them that coincide with the week’s topic. I took a look at a topic that generally has them confused, the difference between phonemic awareness and phonics.…
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Think Aloud Stems
These are sentence stems for various strategies good readers use. Use these to model for students during lessons. Using think alouds is a powerful way to give students strategies they can use when they read independently. ——————————— Teachers can use read alouds to model this powerful comprehension strategy. By sharing their own thinking, they show…
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Connect With Students
We all know when someone cares about us. Students come to school hoping they will be liked and accepted. A teacher that takes the time to know each student creates a solid foundation of trust. Learning is often connected to experiences and emotions. When a child feels secure, learning can move into long term memory.…
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Scaffolding
Always tap into a student’s prior knowledge, building on what they know. Help them make connections by using visuals, engaging in partner share, review previous lesson. Moving forward to new subject matter requires assessment to determine if there is a need to reteach. Know your students! Some can take leaps while others require review and…
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Toot Their Horn
Students flourish when they are recognized and appreciated. There are so many ways to help a student feel great about their success. I like to honor each improvement with a visual representation of their accomplishment. When done selectively, this is a way to boost self-esteem in students, particularly those who don’t generally get recognized. A…
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Independent vs Dependent Learner
This book should be on every teacher’s desk as a resource for promoting an inclusive classroom. It is important to remember that dependent does not mean deficit. We want all students to work to their full potential. Here is just one sampling of the valuable guidance from acclaimed author, Jaretta Hammond: Dependent Learner Relies on…
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Continuum of Phonological Skills
Children learn phonological skills from infancy. Phonological awareness involves a continuum of skills that develop over time and are crucial for reading and spelling success, because they are central to learning to decode and spell printed words. Phonological awareness is the ability to recognize and manipulate the spoken parts of sentences and words. Examples include being able to…
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Quick Check for Understanding
After you teach a lesson, even a mini-lesson, always make sure you scan your group to insure they have a clear understanding of what you have taught. Moving on without a check does a disservice to students. Form a small group to reteach the lesson. The hand method is a good visual that goes a…
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Books For The First Day of School
I have put together a list of books for your child’s first day back at school. These books are best for ages 3-8. It’s a good idea to read aloud and discuss with your child their hopes and fears about a new school year. Be proactive and do this before school begins. The books I…
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Guided Reading
Guided reading is an instructional practice or approach where teachers support a small group of students to read a text independently. You select books that students can read with about 90 to 94 percent accuracy. Students can understand and enjoy the story because it’s accessible to them through their own strategies, supported by your introduction. They…
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Another Sunset
I never get tired of seeing this view. Today it is foggy and there isn’t much chance of sunshine to make a stunning sunset, but most of the time the treat at the end of the day is the colors on the horizon.
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The Teen Brain
Facts You May Not Know: Their Brains are under construction and not fully formed. Your brain does not keep getting bigger as you get older Your brain doesn’t finish developing and maturing until your mid- to late-20s. The front part of the brain, called the prefrontal cortex, is one of the last brain regions to…
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Diversity in the Classroom
A school culture that promotes diversity in the classroom teaches students something that’s important: how to live and work in a society where every individual is unique. Diversity in the classroom teaches students to appreciate different perspectives and draw stronger conclusions. Challenging students to consider different perspectives can also teach them how to interact with their peers on…
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Children’s Books on Diversity
Our world is a tapestry and each of us contribute to the whole. These are books that celebrate our unique identities that are more alike than different.View post to subscribe to site newsletter.
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Children’s Books for The First Day of School
I have put together a list of books for your child’s first day back at school. These books are best for ages 3-8. It’s a good idea to read aloud and discuss with your child their hopes and fears about a new school year. Be proactive and do this before school begins. The books I…
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Childrens’ Books That are Relatable
I love to share resources for children by topic. Kindly share with me if you have collections of special interest and I will add them. 😉 Teaching children to read and to Love reading is my passion. We have all had a lousy day. Relatable text is important for children to make text-to-life connections. Lucy…
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Childrens books on character building
In My Friend is Sad, elephant Gerald is down in the dumps. Piggie is determined to cheer him up by dressing as a cowboy, a clown, and even a robot! But what does it take to make a sad elephant happy? The answer will make even pessimistic elephants smile. Edward has loads of toys but doesn’t…
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Comprehension Strategies
Visualization is Powerful ●Tell students to form a movie in their head as they read. ●You can lead them into this by having them draw as you read aloud. ●Use think alouds. However, NONE of these comprehension strategies is taught in a single mini-lesson. It’s impossible to teach visualization in 15 minutes. Rather, plan and deliver numerous mini-lessons across the…
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Children’s Books About Animals
This animal encyclopedia includes 500 amazing animal facts that offer hours of engaging learning. Alongside full-color pictures on every page, you’ll find weird and wonderful details about Magnificent Mammals, Creepy Crawlies, Amazing Amphibians, Feathered Friends, and more. This standout among animal books for kids is ideal for any boy or girl who is wild about…
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Great Ipad Apps For guided Reading
******Use the above link to access a great resource for early readers. The best part is that it will highlight words as they are read. Here are GREAT RESOURCES, some have a free trial period. Bookshare: https://www.bookshare.org/cms/ Lexia: https://www.lexialearning.com/core5 Razkids: https://www.raz-kids.com Skybrary: https://www.skybrary.org/school Headsprout: https://www.headsprout.com Lightsail:https://www.headsprout.com Newsela: https://newsela.com Rewordify: https://rewordify.com Thinkcerca: https://rewordify.com Activelylearn: https://www.activelylearn.com
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Easy Kids Chapter Books
When a child is ready for chapter books it is the beginning of a journey of the imagination.The following are some I have read aloud to students and seen students choose them for independent reading. 16-book collection brings together all the classic children’s novels from the one and only Roald Dahl. Matilda, Going Solo, The…
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Summer Reading For KIds
Keep up your child’s reading skills by encouraging them to engage in summer reading. I have collected some books that are fun and good for a read aloud or independent reading. Keep a record of the books they’ve read to share with their teacher in the fall. This is part of a series. The books…
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Free Little Library
I’ve wanted a free library ever since I saw one a few years ago. It was conveniently placed in a yard near the entrance to the beach parking lot near my home. It inspired me to investigate the cost of making one. Inside that little library there were a variety of paperbacks and several children’s…
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Childrens Books on Nature
The bird named Joy promised to come back every year. This brought happiness to the barren, lonely mountain, and over time, many wonderful changes took place. The reason for a flower is to manufacture seeds, but Ruth Heller shares a lot more about parts of plants and their functions. A gentle, poetic story that lovingly…
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Childrens books on bravery
These books are great for teaching bravery and courage in adversity. As part of an affiliate program I may receive a small commission. Thank you for looking. I Will Be Fierce is a powerful picture book about courage, confidence, kindness, and finding the extraordinary in everyday moments. “Right Now, I Am Brave” is a mindfully written…
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Book Videos
Outstanding story about overcoming fear. The Emperor’s Egg video Learn about Emperor penguins in this delightful, informative book.View post to subscribe to site newsletter.
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CLOSE READING
Close reading is thoughtful, critical analysis of a text that focuses on significant details or patterns in order to develop a deep, precise understanding of the text’s form, craft, meanings, etc. It is a key requirement of the Common Core State Standards and directs the reader’s attention to the text itself. The skills gained from close reading help…
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Multi-cultural children’s books
Teachers should carefully select books for their classroom that teach about other cultures. USE The Horn Book Guide to identify the right books for your age group. Click on the links to explore. Horn Book Guide Online http://www.hornbookguide.com/cgi-bin/hbonline.pl CCBC = Cooperative Children’s Book Center https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/books/multicultural.asp These are a few samplings of my favorites: Favorites for Ages 2-5 Favorites…
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Teaching Vocabulary
•Students must learn 3,000 words per year by 3rd grade. •Only 400 words a year are directly taught by teachers. •Academic demands are high •Everyday speech consists of only 5,000- 7,000 words. The books that young children are able to read are intended to help them practice their reading skills rather than build their vocabulary. While we can…
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Reading FLUENCY
Repeated readings help students with fluently. Make 2 copies of a page of text . Put them in clear plastic sleeves. Set timer for one minute. Go over errors. •Fluency is the ability to read a text accurately, quickly, and with expression •A fluent reader reads smoothly and is interesting to listen to. Ways to Foster…
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Early Literacy Resources
Check out this video to help your child with phonemic awareness. Many struggling readers lack knowledge of sounds (phonemic awareness). Children have better success with phonics once they have experience with phonemic awareness. Phonemic awareness may be the component that will help fill that gap. Children must be able to segment words into individual sounds…
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The Joy of Read Alouds
Children that are read to learn that symbols on the page hold meaning. They learn to hold a book, care for a book, how to read from left to right, and how to turn pages. Most importantly they associate books with pleasure. For struggling readers the anxiety of having to decode is eliminated. They can…
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