What is Close Reading? Close Reading is being written and talked about quite a bit lately. It has nothing to do with being near sighted, however. Close reading strategies allow readers to analyze and make meaning of a text through multiple readings. This is not merely rereading the passage several times. Rather the goal is to teach children how to dissect a complex text in order to obtain a deeper understanding of the passage. Typically close…
Dr. Seuss’s birthday is on March 2nd. Teachers across the country are preparing by gathering anything and everything “Dr. Seuss”. The fonts below would be ideal for worksheets, banners, crafts, and more. When you click on the font name, it will take you to another site where you can download the font. I did not create these fonts I only linked to them. To download the fonts you must click the links to go the various…
The vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr is just as important today as it was 50 years ago. Sadly our world is full of strive and conflict. Our young students are too aware of the problems that face our country and communities. So I wanted to provide my students with an opportunity to share their vision for a better world. Since I teach 2nd graders, combining a short writing prompt to combine with a thematic…
Poetry is an easy way to incorporate writing into your weekly plans. Once I teach a style of poetry, my students are able to choose it during Work on Writing time. Last week they couldn’t wait to write acrostic poems about topics of their choice. This week they will be learning how to write cinquains. This is a template I created to help them create their cinquains. It is just one activity in my Winter Writing…
One of the most well known and beloved children’s author for generations is Dr. Seuss. His unique characters combined with lyrical use of rhyme has made him a popular choice for early readers. Both of my children memorized the words to One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish long before they could actually read the text. Now in their twenties, they can still recite lines from their favorite Dr. Seuss stories. On March 2nd, schools…
As we near Groundhog’s Day with all the superstition and folklore, I have always wanted to dig deeper (pun intended) than what the great Prognosticator forecasts. So I decided to do a little research and learn more about this infamous rodent of Punxsutawney. This integrated literacy unit has informational texts on each animal, writing activities, work word activities, and a card game featuring food chains called CHOMP! on the Prairie. In addition, there is a craft…
DO YOU HAVE THIS Problem? Each year you and your colleagues teach grammar and mechanics, yet they still don’t know how to write complete detailed sentences? Research has shown that completing numerous grammar worksheets or editing sentences with mistakes do not transfer to writing. You know this to be true, too. How many times have you said, “I taught it and they STILL don’t do it!” It’s time for a different approach. Students need to see…
Readers learn about a character through their actions and words. Rarely does an author directly say the character is curious or hardworking. Instead, the reader is actually using the skill of making inferences to figure this out. For developing readers, identifying character traits can be a challenge. When I introduce this skill, I like to read aloud a story that has a very strong character such as the little wolf in The Wolf Who Cried Boy….
Are you looking for solid grade level Morning Work? Would quick assessment checks help you design future lessons? Then Daily Common Core and More is for you! This is a monthly series of daily math, reading, and writing activities. Every month provides 4 weeks worth of review and practice in math and language arts that are on a 5 day rotation. Click on the picture to learn more! Each page is identified with a letter…
It’s that time of year again! Pumpkin mania!! Yes, I am also quite a fan of everything PUMPKIN. I love the soothing taste of a Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea or the delightful aroma of pumpkin scented soaps and air fragrances. And don’t forget the pumpkin roll with the cream cheese filling!!! So, now that you are drooling with me, how about some pumpkin ideas for your home and classroom? Pumpkin Play Dough This recipe…
Welcome! I'm Alison Monk, a primary teacher with a passion for creating educational materials that engage kids and teachers love! I hope this blog encourages and inspires you. I'm so glad you are here! Read More
