Now available! A kid friendly reader's theatre script that helps kids learn how to deal with bullies.
Sunday, 21 November 2010
No More Bullies! Reader's Theatre Script
Now available! A kid friendly reader's theatre script that helps kids learn how to deal with bullies.
5 Very Simple Activities to Help Kids Learn Their Spelling Words
1. Play Spelling Scrabble
I purchased several used Scrabble games at various garage sales for less than $2 each. When my students finish their work, I will sometimes allow them to play a game I made up called Spelling Scrabble. It works like this: Students place all of the letters on the floor face-up. They take turns putting spelling words on the game board. They can choose any spelling word from their list, and it's not too hard because they can choose any of the letters on the floor. When a word is placed on the board, they add up the points and record it on a score sheet. (Because my student are younger, I tell them to ignore double word, double letter, triple letter, and triple word bonuses.) When students can no longer add new spelling words to the board, the game ends. The student with the most points wins.
2. Computer Spelling
Anything related to computers motivates my students. Building spelling skills is as easy as opening up Microsoft Word and instructing students to type the words on their spelling list in ABC order. I prefer having students use the computer to practice alphabetizing words because it is easy for them to go back and add, or delete words from the list. Sometimes, to mix things up, I'll have them use their words in sentences. When they're done, I let them choose their own font, add a graphic, and print out their work. Not only are students practicing spelling words, they're also learning essential computer skills that they'll use throughout their lives.
3. Spelling Clues
Spelling clues is another game I made up that requires some advance prep work, but students love it. Write a clue for each spelling word. For example, if the spelling word is "apple", your clue might be "a yummy red fruit that grows on a tree." Each spelling word should have one clue. Students sit at their desks, with a copy of their spelling list and a blank sheet of paper. Read each clue one-by-one. Students have 10 seconds to find the correct word from their list and correctly write it on their paper. Tell them not to worry if they don't know the answer to all of the clues, as long as they're trying their best. After you've read all of the clues, and students have written their guesses on the paper, trade papers and read through the answers. Have students make sure the answers and spellings are correct. They love listening to the clues and trying to figure them out, and it builds higher-order thinking skills too.
4. Spelling Jigsaw Puzzles
On a single sheet of paper, print all of the week's spelling words. Make sure the words are written in a large font. Cut the words apart into separate rectangles. Then, cut each word into 2 or 3 parts. Then, place all of the pieces in a small box or bag. Students spread the pieces on the table and try to match the parts to build spelling words. If you try this with students, you may want to have them keep all parts on the desktop so puzzle pieces are not lots. It's a great game for the visual learners in your classroom.
5. Student-Made Puzzles
Word search puzzles are a classic activity for reviewing spelling words, but they're even more fun when students make the puzzles themselves. To do this, just create a paper that has 1cm graph paper on the top half, and blank lines for spelling words on the bottom half. Students can write their spelling words on the graph paper, placing only one letter in each box. Words can be written horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. When a word is added to the puzzle it should also be written on the blank lines on the bottom half of the page. When all of the spelling words have been added to the graph-paper-puzzle, students fill in the empty boxes with random letters. Then, they give the puzzle to a friend to solve!
This article was written by guest blogger Tim Weibel. He is a third grade teacher and the creator of SuperTeacherWorksheets.com . The site features hundreds of free, printable materials, including: spelling lists, math worksheets, handwriting practice, and much more.
I purchased several used Scrabble games at various garage sales for less than $2 each. When my students finish their work, I will sometimes allow them to play a game I made up called Spelling Scrabble. It works like this: Students place all of the letters on the floor face-up. They take turns putting spelling words on the game board. They can choose any spelling word from their list, and it's not too hard because they can choose any of the letters on the floor. When a word is placed on the board, they add up the points and record it on a score sheet. (Because my student are younger, I tell them to ignore double word, double letter, triple letter, and triple word bonuses.) When students can no longer add new spelling words to the board, the game ends. The student with the most points wins.
2. Computer Spelling
Anything related to computers motivates my students. Building spelling skills is as easy as opening up Microsoft Word and instructing students to type the words on their spelling list in ABC order. I prefer having students use the computer to practice alphabetizing words because it is easy for them to go back and add, or delete words from the list. Sometimes, to mix things up, I'll have them use their words in sentences. When they're done, I let them choose their own font, add a graphic, and print out their work. Not only are students practicing spelling words, they're also learning essential computer skills that they'll use throughout their lives.
3. Spelling Clues
Spelling clues is another game I made up that requires some advance prep work, but students love it. Write a clue for each spelling word. For example, if the spelling word is "apple", your clue might be "a yummy red fruit that grows on a tree." Each spelling word should have one clue. Students sit at their desks, with a copy of their spelling list and a blank sheet of paper. Read each clue one-by-one. Students have 10 seconds to find the correct word from their list and correctly write it on their paper. Tell them not to worry if they don't know the answer to all of the clues, as long as they're trying their best. After you've read all of the clues, and students have written their guesses on the paper, trade papers and read through the answers. Have students make sure the answers and spellings are correct. They love listening to the clues and trying to figure them out, and it builds higher-order thinking skills too.
4. Spelling Jigsaw Puzzles
On a single sheet of paper, print all of the week's spelling words. Make sure the words are written in a large font. Cut the words apart into separate rectangles. Then, cut each word into 2 or 3 parts. Then, place all of the pieces in a small box or bag. Students spread the pieces on the table and try to match the parts to build spelling words. If you try this with students, you may want to have them keep all parts on the desktop so puzzle pieces are not lots. It's a great game for the visual learners in your classroom.
5. Student-Made Puzzles
Word search puzzles are a classic activity for reviewing spelling words, but they're even more fun when students make the puzzles themselves. To do this, just create a paper that has 1cm graph paper on the top half, and blank lines for spelling words on the bottom half. Students can write their spelling words on the graph paper, placing only one letter in each box. Words can be written horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. When a word is added to the puzzle it should also be written on the blank lines on the bottom half of the page. When all of the spelling words have been added to the graph-paper-puzzle, students fill in the empty boxes with random letters. Then, they give the puzzle to a friend to solve!
This article was written by guest blogger Tim Weibel. He is a third grade teacher and the creator of SuperTeacherWorksheets.com . The site features hundreds of free, printable materials, including: spelling lists, math worksheets, handwriting practice, and much more.
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
Getting Your Students Motivated with Guided Reading
DETERMINING READING LEVELS
The first step in teaching effective guided reading is to find out the reading levels of your students. There are many tools that are available for teachers to do this. Scholastic currently has a computerized program called the Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI). Through a series of multiple choice comprehension questions, the computer is able to give a lexile score to each student based on his/her performance. It is easy for an entire classroom to enter a computer lab and take the test within 20-40 minutes. Upon completion, the data is available for the teacher, students, and parents in many different formats. The data makes it easy for the teacher to group the students and pick appropriate books. There is also the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) that many school districts use. This involves a teacher directly working with individual students through various activities to determine reading levels. The Qualitative Reading Inventory (QRI) is also another program that many teachers have used. It is similar to the DRA. There are many other programs out there, but these are the three that are most familiar to me. The main importance is that you know all of your students’ reading levels.
SETTING UP GUIDED READING
Once you have determined your students’ reading levels, the next step is to model the strategies and to teach them how to use the strategies in their reading.. In the beginning of the year, I have my students use sticky notes to mark reading strategies in their books. They seem to enjoy doing this especially since they have been told for so long not to “damage” or write in books. This is a fun way to have them learn more about the strategies in a constructive and neat way. Also to help my students understand the strategies, I use guided reading strategy cards that can be easily made into flip books.
BEFORE READING
When we first meet as a group, it is always important to activate the students’ background knowledge on what they will be reading in groups. This can be often done through a KWL strategy or just making an idea web with your group. It is also important to discuss important vocabulary words before reading. For all of my guided reading books, I have the page number and chapter listed for each word to make it easier for students to find. I also try to have a teacher answer key so it is easy for me to check for understanding. Before beginning reading, it is important to make predictions as well. This sets the stage for their learning, and helps them read with a focus.
DURING READING
Students are now ready to read for a purpose. Students begin reading their daily pages and continue to use the reading strategies. In my classroom, I have developed reading comprehension guides for many of the books I use in guided reading. My reading comprehension guides contain specific comprehension and other strategy questions for the students to answer. If time is an issue, I have also used reading strategy worksheets that are non-book specific. These worksheets are very useful in working on specific strategies with your students. A final piece that I do during reading is having individual students read out loud to me away from their group members. This helps me to gauge their reading fluency and to make sure the book is appropriate for their reading level.
AFTER READING
When students are done reading, and have finished their comprehension guides or sheets, I have them do some fun activities that still relate to reading strategies. Another option is to take their understanding of the text farther by doing end of the book projects. A final choice I give my students is to have DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) time. This is important to let them self-select books of their interest too.
ASSESSING GUIDED READING
One of the most important aspects for a teacher is to be able to assess your students understanding of key reading strategies during guided reading instruction. It is often hard for a teacher to do this without some form of assessment guideline or rubric. With the adoption of the Common Core Standards rubrics will be created in the near future.
MOTIVATION
If you show interest in the books your students are reading, the excitement will be contagious. It is highly encouraged that you read each book that you use in guided reading groups. I know it is a daunting task for any teacher, but it will pay dividends in your students’ achievement. With your knowledge of the books, you can make meeting with the groups enjoyable for all, and a chance for them to expand their understanding of the text. This will foster a true love for reading and should show gains in their reading scores when tested throughout the year.
Here is a link to a free example of our reading comprehension guides.http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Miraculous-Journey-of-Edward-Tulane-Comprehension-Guide-KEY
Here is a link to our most popular product that contains 38 worksheets that you can use with any novel.http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Guided-Reading-worksheets-and-activities-38-pages-for-any-novel
I'd like to thank Wise Guys for guest blogging. Please visit Wise Guys store at http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Wise-Guys/
The first step in teaching effective guided reading is to find out the reading levels of your students. There are many tools that are available for teachers to do this. Scholastic currently has a computerized program called the Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI). Through a series of multiple choice comprehension questions, the computer is able to give a lexile score to each student based on his/her performance. It is easy for an entire classroom to enter a computer lab and take the test within 20-40 minutes. Upon completion, the data is available for the teacher, students, and parents in many different formats. The data makes it easy for the teacher to group the students and pick appropriate books. There is also the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) that many school districts use. This involves a teacher directly working with individual students through various activities to determine reading levels. The Qualitative Reading Inventory (QRI) is also another program that many teachers have used. It is similar to the DRA. There are many other programs out there, but these are the three that are most familiar to me. The main importance is that you know all of your students’ reading levels.
SETTING UP GUIDED READING
Once you have determined your students’ reading levels, the next step is to model the strategies and to teach them how to use the strategies in their reading.. In the beginning of the year, I have my students use sticky notes to mark reading strategies in their books. They seem to enjoy doing this especially since they have been told for so long not to “damage” or write in books. This is a fun way to have them learn more about the strategies in a constructive and neat way. Also to help my students understand the strategies, I use guided reading strategy cards that can be easily made into flip books.
BEFORE READING
When we first meet as a group, it is always important to activate the students’ background knowledge on what they will be reading in groups. This can be often done through a KWL strategy or just making an idea web with your group. It is also important to discuss important vocabulary words before reading. For all of my guided reading books, I have the page number and chapter listed for each word to make it easier for students to find. I also try to have a teacher answer key so it is easy for me to check for understanding. Before beginning reading, it is important to make predictions as well. This sets the stage for their learning, and helps them read with a focus.
DURING READING
Students are now ready to read for a purpose. Students begin reading their daily pages and continue to use the reading strategies. In my classroom, I have developed reading comprehension guides for many of the books I use in guided reading. My reading comprehension guides contain specific comprehension and other strategy questions for the students to answer. If time is an issue, I have also used reading strategy worksheets that are non-book specific. These worksheets are very useful in working on specific strategies with your students. A final piece that I do during reading is having individual students read out loud to me away from their group members. This helps me to gauge their reading fluency and to make sure the book is appropriate for their reading level.
AFTER READING
When students are done reading, and have finished their comprehension guides or sheets, I have them do some fun activities that still relate to reading strategies. Another option is to take their understanding of the text farther by doing end of the book projects. A final choice I give my students is to have DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) time. This is important to let them self-select books of their interest too.
ASSESSING GUIDED READING
One of the most important aspects for a teacher is to be able to assess your students understanding of key reading strategies during guided reading instruction. It is often hard for a teacher to do this without some form of assessment guideline or rubric. With the adoption of the Common Core Standards rubrics will be created in the near future.
MOTIVATION
If you show interest in the books your students are reading, the excitement will be contagious. It is highly encouraged that you read each book that you use in guided reading groups. I know it is a daunting task for any teacher, but it will pay dividends in your students’ achievement. With your knowledge of the books, you can make meeting with the groups enjoyable for all, and a chance for them to expand their understanding of the text. This will foster a true love for reading and should show gains in their reading scores when tested throughout the year.
Here is a link to a free example of our reading comprehension guides.http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Miraculous-Journey-of-Edward-Tulane-Comprehension-Guide-KEY
Here is a link to our most popular product that contains 38 worksheets that you can use with any novel.http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Guided-Reading-worksheets-and-activities-38-pages-for-any-novel
I'd like to thank Wise Guys for guest blogging. Please visit Wise Guys store at http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Wise-Guys/
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Mini Size Your Lessons
There is a box of Premium Mini Crackers sitting on my kitchen counter. It occurred to me that instead of "super sizing" everything, more and more companies are beginning to "mini size" products. Super sizing is out and mini sizing is in. Same goes for lessons.
Once upon a lesson plan we taught in forty-five minute "dog and pony show" time slots. Today our lessons are shrinking, our teaching points are specific, and our engagement activities are crucial to success. We live in a world of fast. Times are changing at a rapid speed as new information enters our sphere of knowledge by the nano second. Our children are visual, tactile learners who are ready for us to "get to the point" and move on. Their attention span is dwindling. Gone are the days of three points in a message. We are down to one point at a time.
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. We need to learn to give our students one bite today and another bite tomorrow. One bite and they are full. How do we mini size our lessons?
Begin with your teaching objective and break it into smaller steps. Each small step is a teaching point. Introduce your lesson by connecting your teaching point to something they already know (a prior teaching point is good). Tell your students what you are going to teach them. Teach by modeling your thinking or demonstrating. Try to make your teaching time visually engaging. Utilize signs, posters, PowerPoint, video clips, charts, objects, and other visual aides to keep your student's eyes on the point of the lesson. Keep it short. Keep it simple. The next step is a short, active engagement session where students talk, write, or practice. Finish off by giving students a task to complete involving the teaching point. For example, if you taught students to infer character's feelings, ask them to mark a place in their independent reading books with a sticky note where they inferred. Bring students back together for a quick "turn and talk" session. Students share with partners what they discovered about inferring during their independent reading time.
Try mini sizing your lessons today!
Available Now! Mini Sized Lesson Plans:
Mighty Mini Lesson: Reader's Infer Character's Feelings
This mini lesson uses active engagement strategies to help your students learn how to infer character's feelings in fiction.
Teach the Trait of Ideas in Writing: Unit of Study Writing Mini Lessons
This packet is an entire unit of mini lessons focused on teaching the writing trait of finding ideas.
Preview, Predict, and Set a Purpose for Reading: Mini Lesson PowerPoint
This PowerPoint presentation uses visual engagement for teaching your students to preview, predict, and set a purpose for reading.
Selecting "Just Right Books" : Mini Lesson PowerPoint
This PowerPoint presentation uses visual engagement for teaching your students to select "just right books" on their independent reading level.
Once upon a lesson plan we taught in forty-five minute "dog and pony show" time slots. Today our lessons are shrinking, our teaching points are specific, and our engagement activities are crucial to success. We live in a world of fast. Times are changing at a rapid speed as new information enters our sphere of knowledge by the nano second. Our children are visual, tactile learners who are ready for us to "get to the point" and move on. Their attention span is dwindling. Gone are the days of three points in a message. We are down to one point at a time.
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. We need to learn to give our students one bite today and another bite tomorrow. One bite and they are full. How do we mini size our lessons?
Begin with your teaching objective and break it into smaller steps. Each small step is a teaching point. Introduce your lesson by connecting your teaching point to something they already know (a prior teaching point is good). Tell your students what you are going to teach them. Teach by modeling your thinking or demonstrating. Try to make your teaching time visually engaging. Utilize signs, posters, PowerPoint, video clips, charts, objects, and other visual aides to keep your student's eyes on the point of the lesson. Keep it short. Keep it simple. The next step is a short, active engagement session where students talk, write, or practice. Finish off by giving students a task to complete involving the teaching point. For example, if you taught students to infer character's feelings, ask them to mark a place in their independent reading books with a sticky note where they inferred. Bring students back together for a quick "turn and talk" session. Students share with partners what they discovered about inferring during their independent reading time.
Try mini sizing your lessons today!
Available Now! Mini Sized Lesson Plans:
Mighty Mini Lesson: Reader's Infer Character's Feelings
This mini lesson uses active engagement strategies to help your students learn how to infer character's feelings in fiction.
Teach the Trait of Ideas in Writing: Unit of Study Writing Mini Lessons
This packet is an entire unit of mini lessons focused on teaching the writing trait of finding ideas.
Preview, Predict, and Set a Purpose for Reading: Mini Lesson PowerPoint
This PowerPoint presentation uses visual engagement for teaching your students to preview, predict, and set a purpose for reading.
Selecting "Just Right Books" : Mini Lesson PowerPoint
This PowerPoint presentation uses visual engagement for teaching your students to select "just right books" on their independent reading level.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)