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Teaching with Intentionality

Ideas and Resources for Purposeful Teaching

Fables, Reading Comprehension & Strategies, Themes in Literature

Using Fables to Teach Reading Standards

April 14, 2018

My students love fables, and I love using them in my classroom.  Fables are great for introducing reading standards, as well as helping my students see how these standards work together to help them better understand literary texts.  As I have pointed out in my last post, 4 Tips for Helping Students Grasp Theme & Message, fables are a great place to start teaching students how to retell stories, analyze characters, determine the central messages of the stories, and understand key trait vocabulary.  When teaching this genre, students also get a greater sense of how these learning targets are interdependent.

First of all, fables are a short text. They do not have a lot of details to sift through when determining what’s important. This makes it easier for students to retell or summarize the text in just a few sentences. They can use any type of organizer to do this.  I like to use a Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then chart or a Story Elements graphic organizer.  Students can also do a recount of the fable by writing a summary in their Reader’s Notebook.

Download this fable story elements chart when you sign up for my free resource library.                    Download this fable SWBST organizer when you sign up for my free resource library.

Sign up for my free resource library to download these graphic organizers and much more. Click the “Home” page to register. 


Since fables usually have only one or two characters, they are great for introducing character analysis.  Fable characters aren’t complex, so it’s much easier for students to analyze them.  When introducing this genre, I try to use fables that have two characters with opposing traits.  This makes it much easier for students to identify traits that best describe the characters.  It also helps students see how these opposing traits become important to the central message, or moral.  Bridging an understanding of how these two standards (CCRA.R2 & CCRA.R3) work together is so important to students’ comprehension of literary texts.

Here are 5 reasons why fables make teaching key reading standards much easier for students to understand. I begin a close read by having students take a look at what a character says, does, or thinks to determine the most important traits of each character.  Since the text is short, it’s easier for students to point out these things. While students can sometimes make a list of traits for each character and even provide valid evidence to support each, it is important to have them focus on one or two traits that are MOST important to the plot.

As teachers, we feel the need to validate our students’ thinking.  However, we need to teach them how to discern between those traits that really influence the plot and those that do not.  It is then that students can see how traits influence the characters’ choices and actions, which in turn, influence the outcome for the characters at the end.  This is where students can begin to determine the message or moral of the story.

Here are 5 reasons why fables make teaching key reading standards much easier for students to understand. For example, when reading The Ant and the Grasshopper, students can say Ant was cautious, hardworking, determined, wise, responsible, etc.  All are great traits for describing Ant.  However, wise is an important trait to the events that unfold because Ant knew winter was coming and used good judgment to put up food.  Hardworking is another important trait because this resulted in Ant being prepared for the winter.

On the other hand, Grasshopper was friendly, foolish, lazy, carefree, optimistic, etc.  Again, these are all great traits for describing Grasshopper, but his foolishness influenced the choice he made: He knew winter was coming, was even warned by Ant, and he still chose to procrastinate.  Also, his laziness was what led to his demise at the end.

When students have an opportunity to look at these traits in juxtaposition, they begin to see the stark contrast between these traits.  They also begin to notice how this plays a role in what happens to the characters in the end and why this happened to them.  This is when fables make it easier for students to determine the moral of the lesson.

Students begin to see how what the character is like (traits) influences what choices the character makes and the sequence of events that result from these choices.   Even if the characters do not have opposing traits, students can still determine how the traits influenced the character’s actions and the result of these actions.

Note: I like to use fables that don’t state the moral at the end since this is what I want students to determine on their own based on what they read.


Here are 5 reasons why fables make teaching key reading standards much easier for students to understand. As a third grade teacher, one thing is very apparent.  Students need opportunities to build trait vocabulary. At the beginning of each year, my students really struggle with the precise words to describe characters.  This is such a challenge.

I’m a believer in intentionally providing different opportunities to help students gain an understanding of this vocabulary.  I do this through various activities and strategies: whether it’s through task card activities, Marzano’s vocabulary strategies, the use of the Quiz-Quiz trade Kagan structure, word association activities, readers’ theater, or role-playing.

Fables are perfect for introducing both positive and negative trait vocabulary that is commonly found throughout the themes and messages of literature.  Think of all the character traits fables teach.  These stories are intentional in teaching about characters who are wise, honest, prideful, clever, patient, loyal, greedy, selfish, reliable, respectful, trustworthy, courageous, considerate, sly, irresponsible, etc.  They are great anchor texts to use as a foundation for understanding these qualities.  Students can also apply this understanding when describing characters in other types of literary genre.

Fables are also wonderful for helping students with nuances in trait vocabulary.  For example, many times my students use wise and clever interchangeably.  I use fables as an opportunity to demonstrate the differences between these words.  Being wise is using your knowledge and experience to make good judgments.  Ant was wise because he knew that seasons change and food would be scarce in winter, so he used that knowledge and experience to make the choice to prepare for winter.  Being clever is using your knowledge to get what you want.  Crow, in The Crow and the Pitcher, was clever because he used pebbles to make the water rise in a pitcher to get water.

To see more ideas for teaching shades of meaning, visit my post Understanding Characters Through Shades of Meaning.

I also try to help them see the difference between being clever and being sly.  Clever can be good or bad.  It is a more neutral trait.  Whereas, sly has a more negative connotation in that it is self-serving.  These are the very shades of meaning between character traits that help kids better understand literary texts.  For example, these words illustrate differences in the intent of the character.

There’s one more thing I would like to share about the morals of fables.  Sometimes if a fable is a bit more complex in its message, I like to introduce the moral to students first.  I begin by talking about what it might mean before diving into the fable.  This frontloading is effective when students need that support.  They have the message to the reader before them as a purpose for reading.  As students read, they are looking for details that support this message or moral.  This is a great strategy for my struggling readers who have difficulty making inferences.

If you are searching for fables resources to help support your instruction, check out my fable flipbook series. Each resource includes the fable, as well as carefully crafted questioning intentionally focused on analyzing characters, examining the plot, and determining the moral of the fable.  These resources were created to integrate key ideas and details standards to better assist my students with core learning targets.  These resources are in both PDF format and digital format for use in Google Classroom or in any other digital platform.

Sign up for my free resource library if you would like to try samples of these resources.  Just go to my home page and register for free, exclusive resources. 

         

by Cherie 
Fables, Reading Comprehension & Strategies, Themes in Literature, Vocabulary Activities

Teaching Theme in Literature

November 8, 2017

Teaching–theme in literature can be quite difficult at the elementary level.  As a third grade teacher, I have struggled with this for years before figuring out how to make these concepts more tangible for my students.  Here are some important things to consider when planning instruction.

It wasn’t until I decided to change my approach, that I realized the graphic organizers I used were part of the problem.  Many of us are familiar with the typical organizers: The ones that have three or more boxes labeled “detail,” and then a box at the bottom labeled “theme” or “message.”  These were too vague and offered my students little guidance as we muddled through.  Though I modeled and modeled, it was still too hard for them to independently identify which details were key in helping them determine the theme or message.  I needed something more specific to guide my students.

Obviously, reading standards cannot be taught in isolation if students are going to be able to determine the theme and central message.  Students need to be able to dig deeper into the text by examining story elements, especially the main character, the problem, and the character’s response to the problem.  They also need to be able to evaluate the character’s actions and how these influence what happens to the character at the end, as herein lies the message to the reader.  Graphic organizers that are more specific in guiding students’ thinking are exactly the types of tools students need to be successful determining theme and message.

I love the Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then method.  It’s such a great way to help students summarize the text.  We can take this format a step further by embedding questions within this organizer to help students think more critically about these story elements.  I’ve created a SWBST organizer that does just that.  Notice below how the organizer asks the students to be a little more specific with each part.  As students work through this organizer, it guides their thought process in determining the theme and message of the story.

*To have access to this resource and many other fabulous freebies found exclusively on this site, sign up for my free resource library on my homepage.

Understanding theme and message can be made simplified by asking students the right questions in a sequence that helps them process.  If students can think through these series of questions, they are more likely to be able to determine the theme and message.  Here are six simple questions that guide students’ thinking so they can determine the message of the story.

  • What is the main character like? (traits, feelings)
  • What does the character want?
  • What happens to the character at the end of the story?
  • Why does this happen to the character? (Students will have to infer and evaluate the character’s actions or choices.)
  • What does the character learn from what happens?
  • What can the reader learn through the characters experience?

It’s so important for students to make the distinction between the last two questions.  What the character learns and what the reader can take away from the story are two very different questions.  Students need to be able to extend the character’s lesson so that it applies to life in general.

For example, in the fable The Ant and the Grasshopper, Grasshopper learns he should have prepared for the winter.  However, students need to take it a step further and think about how this can be applied to their own lives.  The moral of the story is much broader than preparing for winter.  It’s a story about being prepared in general or putting first things first, whether it’s doing your homework, studying for a test, getting ready for a trip, etc…  This takes some practice for my third graders, but by October or November students are grasping it.

Selecting the perfect read aloud to teach theme and message makes all the difference in the world.  Start with stories that have a clear theme and message.  Fables are so useful in teaching this standard.  I like using fables without the morals stated in the text because this allows students to work through the questioning above.

There are a few reasons why I find fables perfect for teaching theme and message.  One, the text is short and to the point.  Two, fables usually have two characters with opposing traits.  This makes it easier for students to analyze how these traits play out in the plot of the story.  And three, students can clearly see how what happens to the character at the end is directly related to what the character is like (traits) or is a result of their actions or choices.  This fable bundle can be found at my TpT store.  It is also in digital format.

For tips on how Fables are a great way to start teaching themes in literature, see my blog post, 5 Reasons for Using Fables to Introduce and Integrate Reading Standards.

I also like to select book titles that are straightforward with the theme and message.  The Empty Pot, by Demi, is a great example of a perfect read aloud where students get it.  I love using this book because students also realize that a story can have more than one theme and message depending on the details used to support this.

This book is a story with two themes: honesty and courage.  The premise on which the Emperor selects his successor is based on these two traits.  Ping is honest in presenting an empty pot to the Emperor and admitting to him that his seed did not grow despite his best efforts.  He is also courageous for being the only child who took an empty pot to the Emperor amid all the children who had beautiful flowers to present.  Students find two messages within this text: If you are honest with little things, you are trustworthy of bigger things, and it takes courage to do the right thing.  It also helps students see that sometimes the title of a book is just as important as the details in the story.

Below is a list of titles I’ve found helpful in teaching theme and message.  Once students have practice with these types of texts, then they have a better foundation for determining the theme and message within more complicated story plots.

Suggested Book Titles for Teaching–Theme:

  • The Empty Pot, by Demi
  • Tops & Bottoms, by Janet Stevens
  • Seven Spools of Thread, by Angela Shelf Medearis
  • Stellaluna, by Janell Cannon
  • Enemy Pie, by Derek Munson
  • Elmer, by David McKee

Building students’ vocabulary is just as important when teaching–theme and message.  Students need the right words to express their understanding of the text.  Building students’ theme and trait vocabulary is crucial.  Students need to be able to use theme words such as perseverance and compassion, as well as trait words like determined or considerate.  They also need to understand the relationship between theme vocabulary and trait vocabulary.  For example, a story about perseverance has characters that are determined in the storyline.  A story about compassion usually has characters that are considerate of others’ feelings.

Using activities to build students’ vocabulary, not only helps their comprehension but also their ability to communicate clearly.  I like to use task card activities, interactive notebook templates, and application activities to build this vocabulary.

Students can use task cards to match words with their definitions or with short story samples that illustrate the theme or trait word.  In their Readers’ Notebooks, students can define these words, use them in a sentence, and illustrate these sentences using vocabulary notebook templates.  Also, having students think, jot, and share examples of these words is another strategy that is helpful. (i.e. Think of a time where you were determined to learn something new.  What was it and what did you do that showed perseverance?)

For more resources for teaching–theme and message, visit my shop by clicking on the toolkit below.  You can purchase this through my TpT store.

Happy Teaching!

by Cherie 
Read Alouds, Reader's Workshop, Reading Comprehension & Strategies

Launching Reader’s Workshop

July 13, 2017

Every teacher loves a great back-to-school read aloud.  There are so many popular titles to use as springboards for first day experiences, engaging students in making new friends, or getting back into the swing of school routines.  But what about a read aloud for introducing reader’s–workshop?

I have found the perfect story that will not only set the tone for your reading instruction but also foster a growth mindset toward reading we’d all like to instill in our students.  This book has been powerful in launching my readers’–workshop when used with the following activities.

Wolf! The perfect read aloud.Wolf!, by Becky Bloom, is a story of a wolf who comes across some barnyard animals who can read.  In the story, the wolf is determined to learn to read, but he has a lot of misconceptions about what makes a good reader when trying to impress his friends.  This is the perfect storyline to get students focused on what good readers do, and to help dispel any misconceptions they may have about what a good reader is.

Introducing the Story

Before introducing the story, I have my students do a brainstorming activity.  On a Post-It, I ask students to write what they think makes a good reader.  After a few minutes of think and jot time, I have students share their ideas as I record them on a chart paper.  As you can see from the anchor chart, students said many different things about what they do. You can also see some misconceptions students shared, but when recording their responses, I don’t comment on any of them.  I simply take note of their ideas and tell students we will revisit this list later.

Next, students go to the carpet for the read aloud.  I preplan the occasional turn-and-talk during the story to get the students thinking about what Wolf thinks a good reader is, as well as what the barnyard animals think.  Later in the story, I also ask students to evaluate those points of view based on students’ own perspective about what makes a good reader.  Wolf’s perception changes in response to the animals’ comments each time he goes back to the farm to read to them, so of course, I also ask students to think about how his point of view changed.

What Good Readers Do

After the read aloud, we revisit the list we created on the chart.  I have students consider Wolf’s experience in the story and talk in table groups for a few minutes to discuss whether they agree or disagree with the various ideas on the chart.  Then, I ask students to share their thinking in a class discussion and have them explain why they think the idea is important, or why they might disagree with an idea.

Launching Reader's Workshop Anchor ChartTwo things happen at this point in the lesson.  One, students review good strategies and reiterate why they are important, and two, the misconceptions get dispelled.  Dispelling these misconceptions transforms students’ way of thinking about reading and about themselves as readers, just as it did for Wolf in the story.  Students need to have the mindset that a good reader is defined by what they do each and every day (strategies & good reading habits), not by their performance with regard to reading level, the thickness of their chapter book, or the speed at which they read.  Yes, we want our students to move in the right direction with text complexity and fluency, but for this lesson, I want to foster growth mindset in my students.  Notice, I crossed out those misconceptions as we talked about them.

A perfect story for readers.I want to point out that students usually leave one important idea off this list, which needs to be added.  This is why I turn to the last part of the story and reread where Wolf gets caught up in the stories with the other animals.  I want students to come to the conclusion that good readers also enjoy reading, and rereading this part of the story prompts them to add this.  If students have already included this on the list, I would star it to remind students that our attitude toward reading is just as important as the strategies we use.

Reading workshop strategies.The next activity lays the foundation for the purpose of our reader’s–workshop: to grow as readers.  Students are given an interactive notebook template which becomes one of the very first entries in their reader’s notebook.  During this activity, we brainstorm various strategies that have helped them with their accuracy, fluency, and comprehension.

I teach third grade, so my students come to me with a variety of strategies they have learned and continue to use.  Together, we create these lists of strategies and write them under the appropriate flaps in their readers’ notebooks.  I find it easier to take one component at a time. i.e. We begin with accuracy and then move on to fluency, etc.  (Note: the objective isn’t to list ALL the strategies, but to list main ones students use that are helpful to them.  At the end of the lesson, I share with students that we will be adding strategies throughout the year as new ones are introduced during reader’s–workshop.)

You can download this complete lesson in its entirety by subscribing to my free resource library.

Setting Reading Goals for Reader’s Workshop

Reader's Workshop StrategiesTo wrap up this activity, I begin to talk about how every reader has different strengths and weaknesses, and that during reader’s– workshop, we will be exploring our own strengths and weaknesses so that we can set goals to help us grow as readers.  I explain that everyone will have different goals based on where they are and what will help them.  I also explain these goals change, just as Wolf adjusted his goals throughout his journey in becoming a reader.

Not only has this anchor lesson been powerful in helping my students understand the purpose of reader’s–workshop and to foster students’ growth mindset, but it has also set the stage for next steps: reflecting about themselves as readers and setting goals.

(See my blog post about setting specific reading goals students can understand and manage.)

I hope you will take a moment to read this wonderful story and find a way to incorporate it into launching your reader’s–workshop.  If you are interested in more seed lessons for launching reading strategies, click the resource cover below.

 Seed Lessons for Growing Thoughtful Readers
If you are looking for increased engagement during read aloud time, please see this comprehensive read aloud resource to make planning and learning so much easier when teaching literature standards!
Happy Teaching!
by laine 
Reading Comprehension & Strategies, Vocabulary Activities

Shades of Meaning or Nuances

January 12, 2017

Understanding shades–of–meaning or nuances can make a huge difference in students’ ability to comprehend literary text.  When reading with my students, I often ask them to describe the character’s feelings in the story.  I typically get the same one-word responses: good, happy, sad, mad, etc… Of course, I prompt further to help them dig deeper into the text, but it can be frustrating when students don’t have the necessary vocabulary to describe precisely how the character is feeling.  This can hinder their ability to fully understand the character’s actions or how they contribute to the events in the story.

Noticing the Difference Between Shades of Meaning

Students need to understand that different intensities of feelings influence what a character says and does, or how a character reacts.  For example, a character who is uneasy about something will act differently than someone who is frantic, thus setting in motion different events.  When analyzing characters, students have to learn to ‘read’ the character to determine how they are feeling in order to understand their actions or the events that unfold.

Shades–of–meaning play a big role in students understanding of the text. Having the ability to discern between someone who is enraged versus someone who is upset is key.  Students need to pay attention to details in the text to consider the character’s situation.  This can be a difficult concept to teach when students lack the vocabulary or understanding of the degrees of feelings characters can experience.

Building an Understanding of Shades of Meaning

Using Context Clues

To take on this challenge, I developed a few activities to help my students learn essential feeling vocabulary. Rather than providing my students with a set of related feeling words in isolation, I created various sentences in which the feeling words were used.  I directed my students’ focus on reading the sentences for the purpose of analyzing the situations first. Students highlighted or underlined the situations in each sentence. Then, they conferred with a partner about which levels of intensity the feelings were being experienced in each sentence as they compared and ordered them from low to high degrees based on the context clues.

Carouseling

Once students gained some experience with the vocabulary used in this activity, I posted chart paper around the room with a feeling word on each poster. Students were then divided into small groups. Each group was assigned a poster to chart situations in which they thought someone might experience that feeling.

After a few minutes, student groups rotated to the next feeling poster to see what the group(s) before them had written and then continued to add to that list.  Toward the end this carousel activity, the groups revisited the first poster they were assigned, reviewed what the other groups had added, discussed whether they agreed or disagreed with each of the situations on the list or made changes.  Last, groups shared out their poster with the class.  This activity really engaged them in some great conversations.

Word Association

Another activity that really helped solidify their understanding of feeling vocabulary and the different shades–of–meaning, was a word association sort. Students were partnered up and given sets of words with a feeling card. Their task was to read each word and decided if the word was associated with the intensity level of that feeling.

This was a simple activity that took little prep time.  I used a word card template to write a feeling on one card and various words or phrases that would or would not describe someone who is experiencing this feeling. Students had to consider each and discuss why it was or was not associated with the feeling.  This really gave students practice with clues they might see in a text that might help them infer how a character is feeling and to what degree.
Implementing these simple activities have assisted my students’ success, not only with shades–of–meaning, but how it applies to a better understanding of the characters and plot of the stories they read.  To read more about the importance of shades of meaning in literature, check out my post, 5 Reasons for Using Fables to Introduce & Integrate Reading Standards.
If you have any activities or strategies to share regarding teaching shades of meaning, please share in the comment area below.  A sampler of this resource can be downloaded through my free resource library.
Sign up for my newsletter and gain access to this and other exclusive free resources.
Hope your kiddos find these activities engaging as well.  For more activities to teach shades–of–meaning with feelings, visit my Intensities of Feelings resource or click on the resource cover below.
by laine 
Reading Comprehension & Strategies, Reading Goals & Student Growth, Student Data Binder Resources

Student-Goals Are Key to Success

March 13, 2016

StUsingThe

The process for setting student-goals.As teachers, student data is the center of many of our conversations.  But how much time does it get within our conversations with our students, especially regarding student–goals?  We rely on data and our observations to guide our instruction and move our students in the right direction, but our efforts can be futile if we don’t have those one-to-one discussions with our students about their attitudes and perceptions about reading and what they can do specifically to help themselves grow as readers.  Our data-driven instruction needs to translate into purpose-driven learning for our students.  Therefore, we need to facilitate those individual conferences where the focus is on sharing with students what they are doing well and what needs their attention to direct students attention to student–goals.  

Using Reading Conferences to Set Student—Goals

Using student-goals charts are an effective way for getting students to grow. No matter what data we use or observational notes we take, we can always break it down into a student language they can understand.   When I conference with my third graders, the first thing we talk about is how assessments are a way of showing what they know.  I want my students to understand they are not their test scores.  I share with them that I gather information about them as readers in many different ways.  I think it is crucial students have the mindset that, while tests are important, it’s what they do every day that is just as important.  This leads to looking at strategies they can use to help them become better readers.

I’ve created a reading goal chart to guide individual conferences with my students.  It includes accuracy, fluency, and comprehension strategies, as well as good reading habits.  Using my teacher notes and data (STAR Reading, Accelerated Reading Student Records, iReady, common assessments, etc.), I am able to point out students’ strengths and areas of needed focus.  Through these conversations, students identify tangible strategies they can practice on a daily basis.  More importantly, we talk about why and how these strategies help them become stronger readers.

Setting Student–Goals That Are Meaningful

There are so many things we want our students to be able to do, but narrowing it down to a few strategies (as goals) makes it manageable for them, and they can begin to see the purpose in each.  Students can work toward successfully using these strategies until it’s time to revisit their progress and set new goals.  You can gain assess to this list of goals for students in my free resource library.

student-goals are key to student success. This goal setting chart is an example of a student who is a fluent reader.   As you can see, I’ve put happy faces on some strategies I’ve observed as her strengths.  During our conference, I explained to her why I think they are her strengths by giving her some examples I had observed about her in my notes.  It’s important that she understands what these strengths look like and how they help her because my hopes are that she will recognize and continue to use these strategies while working on other goals. 

Afterward, I pointed out some things that might help her grow as a reader and gave her some examples from her data and my notes as to why I think that.  As you can see, we highlighted “Pick ‘good fit’ books” because after we reviewed the list of books she had read, she realized she frequently chose chapter books that were ‘easier’ for her.  When I asked her why she did this, her answer was one I hear many times, she was worried she would forget what she read from chapter to chapter in the ‘longer’ books.  I can glean a lot of information from my students by simply asking “Why do you think that?”  It helps me understand their attitudes and perceptions, and I can often dispel some misconceptions they might have about themselves or reading in general.

Subscribe to my free resource library to have access to these student–goal tools and other exclusive free resources.

We talked about how stepping it up and venturing from Magic Tree House books to other types of chapter books of interest might help her comprehension and stamina.  In the ‘Reading Reflection’ she completed before our meeting, she indicated that she already thought about trying Judy Moody books, and I wrote it down on the goal sheet as we discussed this.  During our conversation, she made a connection between how recounting the text can help her with trying more challenging chapter books.  Her plan was to recount each chapter before moving on to the next, to help her remember what she read.  We also had a conversation about managing her pacing through chapter books like this.

As I said before, this conference was with a more fluent reader.  Many of my conferences at the beginning of the year sound much different if accuracy is a great need.  A student might have two ‘accuracy’ strategies circled and maybe one ‘comprehension’ strategy because these are their immediate needs at the time.  The beauty of using this chart is that it is ongoing and can be revisited time and again, it’s in student language they can understand, and they can keep their goal-setting chart in their data binders for reference and for reflection as they continue to move forward. 

Revisiting Student–Goals & Celebrating Growth

As the year progresses, it’s important to intentionally revisit their individual progress and next steps to continue growth.  Students should always be able to express what strategies they are practicing and why they help them as readers, so they value the purpose of using those strategies and understand the role they play in strengthening them as readers.  More importantly, students need to recognize their progress and celebrate their growth!

There are many other great student–goal setting tools in this data binder resources that range from setting appropriate student–goals, monitoring assessment progress and growth, keeping track of fluency, as well as motivating students with the use of superhero or emoji trading cards that represent their collection of achievements and progress.

Click on the resource covers below for more details.

 

Happy Teaching!



by laine 

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A Bad Case of Stripes is an awesome book 📚 to A Bad Case of Stripes is an awesome book 📚  to teach character trait analysis and message!  I love 😍 when I can take a few lines from the text and turn it into a language lesson- adjectives, similes, and nouns. "Camilla was striped from head to toe.  She looked like a rainbow 🌈 ," lent itself to the imagination💭 of all my third graders.  She was a leopard🐆 , a disco ball🕺, a zebra🦓, a tree🌳, a chicken🐔, a fish🐟... You name it, my students brainstormed so many adjectives and thought of great comparisons that would represent those adjectives so well.  Lessons like this, you can't help but love what you do. 💗 
You can find a link 🔗 in my profile. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Interactive-Read-Aloud-and-Book-Companion-Bad-Case-of-Stripes-RL32-33-36-37-4177690 *
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So after finding adjectives in our poem, I gave st So after finding adjectives in our poem, I gave students a list of rhyming foods. Students worked in partners to come up with their own versus using adjectives to describe  foods to add to Sarah Silvia Cynthia Stout’s garbage problem. ❤️ I love when poetry lends itself to so many authentic activities. Loved the student engagement. *
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#teachersofig #weareteachers #iteachupperelementary #iteachuppergrades #teachersofthegram #iteach345 #iteach3rd #iteachthirdgrade #iteachthird #elementaryteacher #elementaryteachers #teacherspayteachers #teacherspayteachersfreebie #teacherspayteachersresources #iteachthirdgraders #teachingwithintention #intentionalteacher #anchorcharts #readingstrategies #readinganchorcharts #instateachers #instateacher #iteachela #teachingreading #readaloud #readalouds #iteachreading #interactivereading #interactivereadaloud #studentengagement
Love, love, love ❤️ 💕❤️ my Emoji pillow Love, love, love ❤️ 💕❤️ my Emoji pillows and rolled towels for an easy way to create seating flexibility in my classroom during read-to-self time and partner reading.  I usually start out with students finding a place in the room to read, and as I walk around to listen 👂 to students read or talk about their reading, ⁣
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I choose those who are totally engaged in their reading activity to grab a towel or pillow and find a comfortable place to read.  Each day is a new day for students to practice reading expectations, so I really like to select different students who are trying to apply what good readers do. ⁣
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What do you do to help motivate your kiddos to focus on engagement while independently reading or reading with a partner? ⁣
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#teachersofig #weareteachers #iteachupperelementary #iteachuppergrades #teachersofthegram #iteach345 #iteach3rd #iteachthirdgrade #iteachthird #elementaryteacher #elementaryteachers #iteachthirdgraders #teachingwithintention #intentionalteacher #readingstrategies #readinganchorcharts #instateachers #instateacher #iteachela #teachingreading #iteachreading #studentengagement
Fluency Friday was awesome today❗️ Students re Fluency Friday was awesome today❗️ Students read the poem Sarah Silvia Cynthia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out, by Shel Silverstein. We highlighted adjectives throughout the poem and even used a list of rhyming foods and thought of great adjectives to describe those foods to create our own versus to add to the garbage heap. This Friday the 13th 🗓 / full moon 🌕 didn’t have a chance to get our ELA block off track!
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As we begin the school year strong, one of the mos As we begin the school year strong, one of the most important reading activities I do with my 3rd-grade students is a method I use to increase student engagement 💯. Though there are benefits to turn-and-talks during 📖 read alouds, I still struggled with not getting a true sense of what my individual kiddos were getting and what was a struggle or misconception. ⁣⁣
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The Think🤔, Jot ✏️, Share 💬  method provides for my students an opportunity to think about the question in front of them, jot their ideas once they've had a moment of think time, and share their thoughts with a partner.  While I'm able to engage with students during think and share times to offer support, the biggest plus is that I have a formative assessment that gives me so much insight 🔍 into their application of the focus standard and their written expression.  I also use response booklets to plan my next steps👣. ⁣⁣
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In addition to this, I can repurpose my read aloud to teach multiple focus standards, and my students have an opportunity to reanalyze a familiar text with a different purpose for reading. ⁣⁣
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If you want to increase your students' engagement during read aloud time, you can find a 🔗link in my profile for this Think, Jot, Share post.  The resource provides a complete guide for implementation, management, and preplanned questions for literature standards to make planning a breeze.....and so much more. ⁣⁣
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What do you do to increase your students' engagement during read alouds? ❓❓❓⁣⁣
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https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Interactive-Read-Aloud-Booklets-Book-Companion-RL3-2-3-3-3-4-3-6-3-7-4182596⁣⁣
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#teachersofig #weareteachers #iteachupperelementary #iteachuppergrades #teachersofthegram #iteach345 #iteach3rd #iteachthirdgrade #iteachthird #elementaryteacher #elementaryteachers #teacherspayteachers #teacherspayteachersfreebie #teacherspayteachersresources #iteachthirdgraders #teachingwithintention #intentionalteacher #anchorcharts #readingstrategies #readinganchorcharts #instateachers #instateacher #iteachela #teachingreading #readaloud #readalouds #iteachreading #interactivereading #interactivereadaloud #studentengagement
I love lifting a line from our interactive read al I love lifting a line from our interactive read aloud and using it as a mentor sentence. With this sentence, my students had a great discussion about how some nouns can become adjectives.  i.e. though butter and peppermints can be nouns, they describe the tea and cookies in this particular sentence. ⁣
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My students enjoy mentor sentence activities so much, they sometimes like to go the extra mile and illustrate their cloned version of the sentence.  In this sentence, students had our principal, Mr. Price setting up a table with hot cocoa ☕️ and ice cream cake 🍰, the kind with sprinkles on top. ❤️ I just love the illustrations. ⁣
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#teachersofig #weareteachers #iteachupperelementary #iteachuppergrades #teachersofthegram #iteach345 #iteach3rd #iteachthirdgrade #iteachthird #elementaryteacher #elementaryteachers #teacherspayteachers #teacherspayteachersfreebie #teacherspayteachersresources #iteachthirdgraders #teachingwithintention #intentionalteacher #anchorcharts #readingstrategies #readinganchorcharts #instateachers #instateacher #iteachela #teachingreading #readaloud #readalouds #iteachreading #interactivereading #interactivereadaloud #studentengagement
I love 💖 how our school celebrates Grandparents I love 💖 how our school celebrates Grandparents' Day. 👩‍🦳🧓 All grandparents are invited to have school breakfast with our kiddos.  Our family resource coordinator sets up decorated tables in the cafeteria and the gym so students have a nice place to have a pleasant meal with their loved ones. 📸 She also sets up this photo bench to capture this special day. ⁣
What does your school do for Grandparents’ Day? ❓❓❓
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#grandparentsday  #teachersofig #weareteachers #iteachupperelementary #iteachuppergrades #teachersofthegram #iteach345 #iteach3rd #iteachthirdgrade #iteachthird #elementaryteacher #elementaryteachers
📸Picture day is one of the many things going on 📸Picture day is one of the many things going on at the beginning of the year.  I love seeing all my kiddos dressed up and ready to say cheese.🧀 ⁣
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Unfortunately for Stanley Birdbaum, he got his dates mixed up. 🗓️ You would think dressing for crazy hair day on picture day would be disastrous…but not for Stanley, thanks to his great classroom community of friends and a teacher who knows how to turn a bad day into a great one. 💕 ⁣
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If you haven't read 📖 Crazy Hair Day to your kiddos, it's a wonderful read, especially around picture day. I LoVe reading this story to my kids each year.  This book shows kids how they can show up for one another when friends aren't having such a great day. ⁣
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What picture books about friendship do you absolutely love and read every year? ❓❓❓ *⁣
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#teachersofig #weareteachers #iteachupperelementary #iteachuppergrades #teachersofthegram #iteach345 #iteach3rd #iteachthirdgrade #iteachthird #elementaryteacher #elementaryteachers #iteachthirdgraders #teachingwithintention #intentionalteacher #readingstrategies #instateachers #instateacher #iteachela #teachingreading #readaloud #readalouds #iteachreading #interactivereading #interactivereadaloud #studentengagement⁣
#picturedayatschool
Dot Day is coming up next week! 💕 This book is Dot Day is coming up next week! 💕 This book is a great way to celebrate the day and kick off growth mindset 🌱🧠 in your classroom. If you don’t have the book, there is a great animated video of the book online 🖥. Just google The Dot, by Peter Reynolds.  Your kiddos will love seeing how the main character goes from having a fixed mindset to a growth mindset all because of a dot. 😍⁣
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⁣Need some activities to go with the story or to launch or foster growth mindset in your classroom?  Click the link in my profile. 🔗https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Dot-by-Peter-Reynolds-Growth-Mindset-Activities-Poster-3302113⁣
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#teachersofig #weareteachers #iteachupperelementary #iteachuppergrades #teachersofthegram #iteach345 #iteach3rd #iteachthirdgrade #iteachthird #elementaryteacher #elementaryteachers #teacherspayteachers #dotday #teacherspayteachersresources #iteachthirdgraders #teachingwithintention #dotday2019  #anchorcharts #readingstrategies #readinganchorcharts #instateachers #instateacher #iteachela #teachingreading #readaloud #readalouds #iteachreading #interactivereading #interactivereadaloud #studentengagement

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