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@The_YUniversity Grammar University shared this handy chart for students working on word choice: Select the link for the resource

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2EZyuBlcZ1zZXUwdHg4aHBmNDA/view?usp=sharing

Syllable Division Anyone? Use this FREE iPad puzzle app to create your own set of words for the students to put together. Better yet, have your students create the words and breaks!

Step Up to Writing

I have been researching Step Up to Writing and using some of the graphic organizers with my students. I have found using the T-chart not only help to organize the essay, but provides an easy study guide for the exams.

We joined an online writing project and now we are friends with several classes around the country writing about the Winter Olympics. After writing about their favorite sport, each student created a sculpture, painting, collage, or paper replica of their sport. Lot's of Gold Medal Writing here!

Select for writing worksheet

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2EZyuBlcZ1zM1gybWsyNXhuNVE/edit

Ways to use paint samples in the classroom:

Variations of Words

Vocabulary word (organizer)

Intensity

Select for Book

This is a great resource for teachers who wish to "step up" students' paragraph writing.

This is a wonderful resource for teachers who are guiding their students through the essay writing process. It is filled with fun activities and links to videos. This book is geared toward Middle and High School students.

Happy Valentine's Day! Happy International Book Giving Day!

Share the Love of a Book

Some Amazing Books to Spark Vocabulary

Max's Words by Kate Banks

This cute story is about a little boy who has bothers who have collections of their own. Max wants a collection and it so happens that he decides to collect words. He starts creating sentences and then stories with the help of his brothers. Very cute!

Miss Alaineus: A Vocabulary Disaster By Debra Fraiser

This is a more sophisticated book that takes the reader into more depth regarding vocabulary with engaging words.

Do Unto Otters

After reading the book, we discussed what the message of the book was. I have always explained when your feelings are hurt, your heart feels hurt. This year one of my students thought I meant a heart attack. So yes, it is important to tell Maria when your feeling are hurt and when you are having a heart attack!

Fall Language Arts Projects

#1Carving A Pumpkin

We fond a pattern, wrote out the steps together and carved the pumpkin. With a few helpers during recess, we were able to finish in one day. Arrrrrrrn't we clever?

We took pictures of the process along the way. We then used an organizer to put the steps down on paper. This is the final display.

Project #2 Making A Scarecrow

We made a scarecrow together. We got the video on vine(that's the qr code to the vine) and then they wrote a paragraph on how to make a scarecrow. Lots of hay EVERYWHERE! I ended up having to vacuum quite a bit for a few days. The project ended up to be some of their best work...a picture will follow soon.

Violet's Music

by Angela Johnson

Lots of onomatopoeia in this book! My class made an environmental orchestra with this book. We brainstormed about what word would describe the sound of each instrument. The children all picked an instrument and used their words to make the sounds. I filmed them with my phone and they watched themselves on the smartboard. The video was perfect because they could really see and hear each other's parts.

Kindness is Cooler Mrs. Ruler

by: Margary Cuyler

In this sweet story, Mrs. Ruler challenges her class to perform acts of kindness. I plan to make a bulletin board with all our acts of kindness inside hearts. In the back of the book, there are multiple examples of kind deeds for home, school, and community. I'll keep you posted!

Classroom Library will turn into the Reading Workstation soon. The books on the right are all the correct reading levels for my kiddos. The picture books have themes of beginning school kindness and happiness. The other shelf holds books that are about music which is our all school fall unit.

New School Year! Same Great Book!

Worksheets...to make students think:

Things That Shine Organizer

Select Star For Organizer

Things We Polish Organizer

Select For Things We Polish Organizer

Wordle Organizer For Golden Rule

Select For Wordle Organizer

Select For Want/Need Organizer

Select for comic strip organizer

Children's Books That Make Us Linger from Reading Today Online!

Jim Averback

The Market Bowl tells a story about passing on traditions, being fair, and listening to your elders.

Michael J. Daley

Pinch and Dash tells the story of getting along even when you don't see eye to eye.

Matt Davies

Ben Rides On tells the story of bullying and standing up for yourself.

Historical Fiction for Middle Grades

Follow Emily as she makes the trip on the Overland Trail to Colorado in the 1800's

Mother's Day
Tagxedo helped us create a nice gift for mom on her special day!

This cake loving nanny is fighting for cake! If you love Roald Dahl, you will like R. A. Spratt

Ahhhhhhh The Great Gatsby!!!!!
Read the novel with your class and take the FIELD TRIP to the movie. So many possibilities.
“There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy and the tired.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

What better way to help students understand Shakespeare than to have them perform the plays? The language barrier is mended using Simply Shakespeare. My class is enjoying their Readers Theater version of Romeo and Juliet!

This works well with older students, but I have found that you need to add The Cambridge Editions.

Reading Strategies on the Brain Tonight:)
This wiki space has examples of activities to do before, during and after reading with your students.
Some creative choices- Have a look.

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Select for website

Love this website! Great way to SHOW students what the comprehension strategies look like!

select to play game

teach your monster to read game

Kick Me: Making Vocabulary Interactive

• kick me: Named for the “kick me” sign prank, there is NO kicking involved. Students find answers to blanks on a worksheet by looking at the words that the teacher has put on students’ backs using labels. This encourages movement in the lesson thus increasing focus, engagement, and retention of information.

I am planning on putting the vocabulary words on the students' backs and giving the students the definitions. They will copy the word off their classmate's back that matches the definition on their paper.

Penguin Worksheets

Penguins are waddling all over the classroom. We use Project Read Framing Your Thoughts at school so I made some penguin worksheets that use the symbols.
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Penguins can have are organizer
More Penguin Writing Worksheets

Mocha and I had some fun with a last minute Grinch Unit using adjectives from the book and song!

Great Site to get News articles for all different reading levels!
http://www.newsinlevels.com/

Select to go to site

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie

Yes, I dressed up like the old lady to review some of the vocabulary and talk about adjectives.

Adjectives tell us what kind or how many...I was the old lady

PPT with Vocabulary

Book Spine Poetry: having some fun
You can google book spine poetry and find all sorts of books used. There were just a few on our shelf at home.

Monsters Anyone?

select for Storybird's book

Use Creepy Monsters, Sleepy Monsters by Jane Yolen to teach subject -predicate and where expanders!

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Audio and Video Books

Great Alphabet Practice

Handwriting Worksheets

Mocha and I are dressed for Dr. Seuss Can you guess which characters we are dressed up like?

Select For PowerPoint for Infer and Prediction

Select for Poochini Vocabulary PowerPoint

Are you looking for a way to inspire the student's to write? Try this site; you will not be disappointed!

Read and Create Beautiful Stories With Art

Select to find stories read to you

Select For Worksheet Key Words and Phrases that Create Pictures and Words in my Mind

Inference Worksheet

Select to get inference worksheet

I found these items at the Goodwill. I intend to use them as part of an inference activity with one of my classes. Can you guess the primary function of these items?