Teaching students to use functional text is one of my favorite units! Why? Because kids are engaging with texts that they actually read in their daily lives! They get to see that the reading skills we teach are immediately useful outside school, and that's always a win! What is Functional ... [ Read More ]
How to Host a Book Tasting
By mid-elementary school, students generally have an idea of the kinds of books they like to read. That said, we can certainly expose them to different genres, authors, and titles. One way to do this is by hosting a book tasting in the classroom or library. This is a great way for students to sample ... [ Read More ]
10 Easy Ways to Promote Reading in Your Classroom or School
I'm a huge believer in building a school-wide reading community. Today, I want to share ten simple ways to promote reading in the classroom and across the school to help your students develop a lifelong love of literature! 1. READ. Read. And Read. Then read some more. You read. They read. ... [ Read More ]
Teaching Headings and Subheadings
I. Love. Teaching nonfiction text features. I love them because they really help readers to make meaning as they read. In Virginia, one of our standards is to teach students to effectively use headings and subheadings when they read informational text. Read on for some tips you can use to teach this ... [ Read More ]
7 Ways to Teach Word Analysis Every Day
One of my favorite fourth grade language arts units to teach is word analysis. Why? Because word analysis skills help kids become stronger independent readers. I love showing students that they can go from relying on other people to learn what a word in a book means to being able to figure it out ... [ Read More ]
Teaching Narrative Nonfiction
I remember when I first saw the term "narrative nonfiction" in my state's reading standards and honestly, I didn't know what it meant! If you're new to teaching a narrative nonfiction unit, I hope this post will give you a good overview to get you started! What Is Narrative Nonfiction? Narrative ... [ Read More ]
