Teaching students to identify sensory details as they read is a great way to teach author's craft. And, bonus, it helps to encourage students to use descriptive language in their own writing! Here are some ways that I teach and review sensory words in the upper elementary classroom. I'll also share ... [ Read More ]
Teaching Social Studies with Picture Books
If your social studies lessons have been dragging lately, I have just the tip for you! Try reading aloud picture books to your students! Picture books are one of my all-time favorite ways to introduce content in social studies! The text and illustrations grab students' attention and help them to ... [ Read More ]
Teaching Functional Text in the Upper Grades
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 ]
