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Quilt Squares-Literature Reporting
Differentiate instruction with this crafty approach to demonstrating comprehension. Learners choose a fictional book at their reading level, and afterward create a quilt square. The square is "decorated" with words, illustrations, and...
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Introduce: Cause and Effect
Introduce beginning readers to cause and effect in a story by exploring it together. Learners make predictions about a book based on its cover, title, and a brief flip through the pages. They listen to an explanation of cause and...
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Introduce Vocabulary: Alphabears: An ABC Book (Hague)
Learn new words in the context of Kathleen Hague's whimsical alphabet book, Alphabears: An ABC Book (note: you can use these strategies for any text). Get pupils ready by introducing the new words they will...
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Introduce Vocabulary: Amigo (Baylor)
Amigo by Byrd Baylor gives learners a chance to practice with unknown words and context clues. Choose several vocabulary words to focus on as you read the picture book, or use the ones provided here (the book is in English...
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Introduce Vocabulary: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Barrett)
Although this vocabulary strategy would work in the context of any text, it's a piece of cake if you're reading Judi Barrett's book Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Go over the terms they will hear so pupils are ready to...
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Introduce Vocabulary: Grandfather's Journey (Say)
Read Allen Say's classic tale Grandfather's Journey as scholars expand their vocabulary in context (note: this strategy could be done with any text). Wondering what words they will learn here? Although you could easily include...
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Introduce Vocabulary: Happy Birthday, Moon (Asch)
Can you wish the moon a happy birthday? Beginning readers contemplate this as they listen to Frank Asch's book Happy Birthday, Moon, the context for a vocabulary study. There are three words outlined here: chat,...
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Introduce Vocabulary: Have You Seen Bugs? (Oppenheim)
Are your scholars interested in bugs? Get future entomologists excited about vocabulary through Joanne Oppenheim's colorful book Have You Seen Bugs? They use the informational text (although this strategy is useful for any book) to...
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Introduce Vocabulary: Make Way for Ducklings (McCloskey)
Use the Caldecott Award-winning book Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey (which can be found on YouTube if you don't have it) to guide budding readers through vocabulary in context. Although the...
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Introduce Vocabulary: Over in the Meadow (Keats)
If you're reading the classic story Over in the Meadow, consider this strategy to cover vocabulary in context with budding readers. After a brief introduction, listeners raise a hand when they hear each word (bask,...
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Introduce Vocabulary: Rap a Tap Tap (Dillon)
Explore the dancing prodigy and Depression-era African-American icon Bill Robinson as scholars learn new vocabulary words in context. As you read Leo Dillon's Rap a Tap Tap they listen for six new words: clatter, greet,...
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Introduce Vocabulary: Smoky Night (Bunting)
Experience the Los Angeles Riots through the eyes of a child in Even Bunting's poignant story Smoky Night. Use this text as you teach vocabulary in context, using comprehension questions to help scholars make connections to outside...
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Introduce Vocabulary: Cows Can't Fly (Milgrim)
Cows can't fly, can they? David Milgrim's whimsical story makes vocabulary fun! Although this strategy can be used with any text, using Cows Can't Fly will be a breeze with this outline. Pupils are ready to raise their...
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Introduce Vocabulary: Doctor DeSoto (Steig)
William Steig's story of a witty mouse couple will have scholars intrigued as they listen for new vocabulary words and context clues. Doctor DeSoto can be found on YouTube in case you don't have it. Emerging readers expand...
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Introduce Vocabulary: Franklin's New Friend (Bourgeois)
Franklin the turtle makes a new friend as youngsters learn vocabulary in context using Paulette Bourgeois' story (tip: this strategy can be applied to any book). Brief kids on the new words so they can raise their hands when they...
Memorial Art Gallery
Art Alive! - Beach at Blue Point
And then what happened? Class members engage in a series of activities that model for them how to read the story in a painting. Participants respond to questions that ask them to closely examine the elements in William Glackens'...
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Chocolate Graphing
Chocolate lovers develop a bar graph based on the types of chocolate the class likes. They participate in The Art of Chocolate at The Hershey Story before they make a bar graph that shows the favorite chocolate types of their class. They...
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Speedy Monkeys
Student increase their reading fluency through the use of various strategies. After reviewing crosschecking, decoding, and rereading, students complete an initial read of a novel text. Working with a partner, they read complete a timed...
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What's the Point
Students practice the strategy of summarization to be able to understand and comprehend the text. They study how to get rid of unnecessary or repeated information and find the most important items or events and then write a statement...
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Simon Says: Mother May I?
Student increase their reading fluency through the use of various strategies. After discussing the importance of fluency, young scholars complete an initial read of a novel text. Working with the instructor, they read complete a timed...
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Take One
Students review strategies used to read unkown words. They listen as the teacher reads sentences using a variety of reading fluencies and expressions. They read assigned parts of the play, "Peddler Polly and the Story Stealer" by Aaron...
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Go Speed Racer!
Students increase their reading fluency through one-minute drills. Working in pairs, students read a grade level appropriate text in one-minute intervals. After reading they determine their speed through a word count. Students...
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"Expression Equals Enjoyment"
Students practice strategies to become more fluent readers with expression. They observe the teacher modeling fluent and expressive reading of the book, "Pig and Crow," by Kay Chorao and then model what they've observed with expression...
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Shh!
Pupils explore how to read silently to help them read fluently. They discuss why it is important to read silently. Students read "Jane and Babe" as the teacher models how to read quietly and then silently. They write a story describing...