We are so excited about the feedback that we are getting about these units. We designed them around the same type of format as our Math Units and Writing Units and many teachers have told us that we've cut their planning time WAY down, that their kids are really mastering the standards and developing a love for reading and writing and we are beyond thrilled! That's what it's all about. We developed our Guiding Readers Units, Math Units and Writing Units with these goals in mind: We want to ... continue reading...
Search Results for: label/planning
Planning Your Instruction
Can you imagine if I were to jump in my car and decide to drive to California? I point my car west and drive... no map, no GPS, just a general direction. I would probably get there, but it would not be the most effective method. That is the same idea behind a curriculum map. It helps you find your way. It helps you to know you are on the right track. Can you take detours? Absolutely! But you HAVE to know where you are going BEFORE you start the car! Start with a Curriculum ... continue reading...
How to Start Teaching Writer’s Workshop in Kindergarten & First Grade
Do you struggle with how to get started? Writer's Workshop in kindergarten and first grade classrooms is one of the most powerful components. In Writing Workshop in kindergarten and first grade, students are encoding words that come from their thoughts and feelings, which is a much easier skill than decoding. Successful writers become successful readers! So, how do you get started? The answer is simple. Just jump right in!! I usually start at the beginning of the ... continue reading...
Guiding Reading Planning & Instruction
In my classroom, I used a combination of whole group instruction (close reading, shared reading) and guided reading to teach reading. With whole group instruction you focus your teaching towards the ability of your more proficient students' ability. Then you scaffold and support those students who need it. However, guided reading allows you to tailor your instruction to fit the needs of each individual student. You bring your reading lessons to THEIR instructional level. This is just ... continue reading...
Kindergarten Lesson Plans | Instant, Yet Powerful Lesson Plans… Just Print and Teach!
Kindergarten lesson plans made easy just print and teach! Free file too! Common Core reading lesson plans and writing plans, plus math lessons too! Here are a few things I know about teachers. They want the absolute BEST for their students. They want to employ "Best Practices" in their classrooms. They. Are. Overwhelmed! Occasionally, they want to go home before 5 pm after school AND they would like to spend their weekends with their families instead of planning. Does ... continue reading...
Teacher Appreciation Sale & End of the Year Memory Book
By now you have heard about THE sale of the year! If you are impatient (like me) you can get a 20% discount on EVERYTHING in my store starting today (Monday)! TpT's sale officially starts on Tuesday. Now, I like a plan of attack. Here are my plans as the sale approaches: 1. Look at my past purchases. Have I left feedback on these? I love those points! Sometimes the TpT system slows down on big sale days, so I want to get those feedbacks ... continue reading...
Sneezy the Snowman Read Aloud Lessons
One of the greatest joys in the classroom is seeing students light up as they understand the content. However, it can be stressful to plan lessons that fit the needs of every student in the classroom. Thankfully, interactive read alouds allow teachers to incorporate a fantastic story with high-quality activities. To make planning a bit easier, Sneezy the Snowman Read Aloud Lessons are here to help! What are Interactive Read Alouds? An interactive read ... continue reading...
Inferring with Primary Students: The Case of the Missing Toy Sack
Inferring with Primary Students: Christmas Inference Detectives Activities for Kindergarten and First-Grade Inferring with Primary Students: Kindergarten and First-Grade Inferring is an important comprehension skill for young readers to have and I love giving them lots of practice with this skill. We infer each week with the story we are reading, but I also like to give them opportunities to infer outside of the text. Inferring is just putting clues together and using that voice inside ... continue reading...
Oceans of Fun!
I got up bright and early this morning and drove 2 hrs. in search of the perfect wedding dress for my daughter Taylor. SUCCESS! But, I'm one tired mamma so this is going to be a super quick post! We just started our ocean unit. Nothing gets boys excited more than sharks! (okay...maybe dinosaurs...but they still LOVE sharks too). We used interactive writing to label the parts of a shark. Comparing sharks and whales. Schema Chart Writing ... continue reading...
Common Core Standards Organization and Wishy Washy!
I've had a lot of questions about how I organize my Common Core Standards and Essential Questions. I display them on posters which are hot glued to ribbon. The standards are attached with velcro so that they are easy to change in and out. (Please excuse the bad picture above. The standards shown are from the 1st grade set. Notice that the clipart images match the standard and that the essential question clipart also matches. This helps the little ones who can't read understand the ... continue reading...
Engaging Readers: Getting it ORGANIZED!
Hey There! Happy Hump day! We've had a few questions about how we organize our new Engaging Readers units so I thought I'd do a quick blog post to show you! These are the supplies I used to organize mine. I used a 1" binder sheet protectors Binder pocket (one pocket holds all four books) ziploc baggies Clear packing tape Printables for the spine and fronts of sheet protectors click HERE to get yours. First, I put our cutie patootie cover (thanks to ... continue reading...
FREE Spine Labels for Binders: Getting Organized!
This is a throwback post that I did awhile back about getting our Guiding Readers units organized. Since this post, I've had quite a few requests to make matching spine labels for the Writing and Math units. So HERE YOU GO! Sorry, it took me so long! We also have a Free Year-Long Curriculum Map for Kindergarten and First Grade. (Scroll to the bottom of this post to grab the map and spines) If you want to read the throw back post carry on! If not, Happy Organizing. ... continue reading...
Leonardo the Terrible Monster Reading Lesson Plans for K-1
Leonardo the Terrible Monster reading comprehension lesson plans with student response activities. Print and teach lessons to engage your students in reading! Leonardo the Terrible Monster This story by Mo Willems is one of my favorite stories to read, especially in October around Halloween. If you are not familiar with this book, it is about a monster named Leonardo. Leonardo is not a scary monster, no matter how hard he tries! He does some research and thinks he finds the perfect little ... continue reading...
The Gruffalo Lesson Plans | Reading Comprehension for K-2
The Gruffalo lesson plans for K-2. Engaging 5-day lesson plans with differentiated reading response, vocabulary, sentence study, and a craft for this fun story! The Gruffalo A clever mouse outsmarts some woodland animals who want to eat him with the story of a Gruffalo. Little does he know, a Gruffalo is real and loves to eat mice. Your students will love this award-winning story! Through our engaging lesson plans students will strengthen their reading comprehension skills and have fun ... continue reading...
Read-Aloud Activities for Tops & Bottoms
No matter the career path students select to follow, they will spend a lot of time reading. Whether this is textbooks or manuals, building comprehension at a young age is essential. Since comprehension includes many aspects, it takes time, practice, and patience. However, students also need to enjoy reading to see the true importance of the words on the page. Thus, teachers work hard to select engaging read-alouds and high-quality lessons to show students how excellent books are. Luckily, the ... continue reading...