Putting Context Clues into Context
Thursday, February 23rd, 2012

We tell our readers to use context clues when they come upon a word that they don't know. But do they really know the definition of "context"? Some readers just keep trying to sound out the word and hope to decide its meaning by simply looking at it longer. [read more...]

Personalized Post-its
Tuesday, November 1st, 2011

Giving individual feedback to student writers can be a daunting task, especially when you are commenting on multiple facets of the writing. Ever wish you could customize a Post-it note so you didn't have to keep writing the same thing over and over on assignment after assignment? You can! [read more...]

Stop and Say Something
Monday, November 22nd, 2010

You can offer an interactive twist to traditional in-class reading assignments by having students “stop and say something.” Instead of the usual “silent reading” approach, have students partner up in class. Each will read independently, although they are sitting side-by-side. [read more...]

Writing Assignments Tied to Literature
Monday, October 25th, 2010

Reading novels and lengthy literature can consume a lot of class time. Consequently, it's not uncommon that writing becomes less of a focus. However, look for opportunities to have students write in different genres as they read. Here are a few writing assignments we've developed using three popular novels. [read more...]

SmartBoard Template
Thursday, October 14th, 2010

The popular poster-size ABC Chart has been recreated into a colorful Word document for those teachers utilizing SmartBoard technology within their classrooms. Enjoy brainstorming that allows you to type in ideas as you go and print off copies right afterwards! [read more...]

Foster Opportunities for Students to Think While Reading
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

This second strategy also encourages during-reading thinking. Seat partners side by side, each with a personal copy of the day’s text. Ask the students to read silently to themselves and after a few moments, when you’ve seen the readers progressing through the text, say, "Readers, [read more...]

Engage More Readers with Highlighter Tape
Monday, March 8th, 2010

West Side Middle School (Union City, IN) seventh grade teacher Carla Durham likes to engage her students with fun reader tools in the classroom. One that she has found many uses for is highlighter tape. [read more...]

Teach Students to Read Like Writers
Friday, March 5th, 2010

Gifted & Talented teacher Gloria Horn at Bailly Elementary School (Chesterton, IN) has been encouraging the development of her students' incidental vocabulary. First, she set the tone for word collecting. Her students then became word detectives on the lookout for strong word choice. [read more...]

Create a Character Life Map
Friday, October 2nd, 2009

It’s not uncommon for students to take notes while reading a novel/chapter book. It’s a great way to quickly review the plot and sequence of events. And this type of note-taking can be made even more powerful for the visual learner if it’s done using a plot map. [read more...]

Managing Students Who Read Faster than the Rest
Monday, July 6th, 2009

There was a school girl who always wore a green ribbon around her neck. There was a boy who consistently asked her why she wore the ribbon, but her response was that she couldn’t tell. The two end up falling in love and getting married. The entire time she still wears the green ribbon. They [read more...]

Tracking with Sticky Notes
Tuesday, June 10th, 2008

To get her students to engage in critical thinking while they read, Maureen Scane (Sunman Elementary) and her fourth grade class brainstormed for “ways to think” while reading. After they generated multiple ways and wrote them on chart paper, she then challenged her students to track [read more...]