If your class doesn't know what a haiku is, show them two examples from the Japanese poet Issa (both included here), and have them make some observations. How long are they? What is the structure? A video and a list of questions help...

As your pre-readers begin to understand phonemes and rhyming, give them this practice worksheet which has them matching rhyming pictures. For each of six images, they identify the corresponding image which has the same vowel sound (or...

Before learners become writers they need to feel comfortable moving a pencil from left to right in various patterns. Use these exercises to give budding printers some fine motor practice. They complete three patterns by tracing a dotted...

Your scholars will be hooked after reading the cryptic narrative poem "The Listeners." They explain why it is so mysterious, then use the poem to learn about pronouns. Learners read an excerpt from the poem that has been altered to...

Reading a dialect can be difficult; show readers that it can also reveal fascinating details! They read two extracts from Jane Gardam's The Hollow Land, which is written in a British dialect. Readers answer comprehension questions,...

There are multiple vowels that make the /ai/ sound within words; show your learners three of them in this spelling worksheet. They look at some examples, then complete three sets of words by adding in the vowels to make this sound. The...

Turn potato into potatoes with a great activity on plural nouns. A quick reference guide at the top of the page shows third graders how to make regular and irregular nouns plural. They list as many nouns as they can think of, then work...

Use some of these 80-word passages to practice reading fluency with your beginners. Project the text so all learners can see it, pointing to each word as scholars recite them one at a time. Warn readers of irregularly spelled words by...

Sound out sight words using these word cards and word-form recognition strategies. As you point to each word, scholars sound out the letters silently instead of segmenting the sounds aloud. Show them how you do this by mouthing the...

What do you see? Young reader tap into the visualization process as they listen to or read a fiction story and fill out a graphic organizer. Model this first with a think-aloud, showing scholars how you visualize a familiar story. For...

What do you think will happen? Use a graphic organizer to help learners predict what will happen in a text. Consider modeling the chart using a familiar story, pretending you don't know what happens. Show scholars the book, explaining...

Writing a summary is much easier once you've laid out the sequence of events. Show readers how these two skills are intertwined using this graphic organizer. Review the meaning of sequencing first, presenting the chart and possibly...

Encourage more pun-derstanding of word play in your literary scholars as they explore Brian P. Cleary's book Rhyme and Punishment: Adventures in Wordplay. Although this isn't suggested, consider beginning this study by simply showing...

There's something about the classic volcano demonstration that can grab any learners' attention. Scholars begin with a reading and grand conversation about volcanoes, construct an erupting volcano using vinegar and baking soda, then...

Add additional meanings to root words! Scholars show what they know about suffixes and root words with a activity that challenges them to create words and complete sentences. 

Avoid short, choppy sentences in your class's writing by focusing on sentence structures. The first page in this two-page packet shows your class how to combine sentences using conjunctions, a list, an appositive, or compound predicate....

What is the difference between MLA and APA format? This presentation is geared towards a college audience, but it could definitely be useful with an eleventh and twelfth grade audience in high school. Differences are highlighted, but not...

It, this, and which are commonly used to describe...who knows what? Sometimes it's difficult to understand what each of these words refers to. Highlight this problem for your class by showing them the example sentences shown here. After...

Is it pertinent that your class follows the Modern Language Association, or MLA, format? Show this PowerPoint to introduce the format and its characteristics. To help your class remember what sets these citations apart from Chicago or...

American students can show their patriotism by coloring Uncle Sam's hat with red and blue! To do so, they need to identify which words are real and which ones are made up.

How does plot drive a play? Show this 20-slide presentation to describe the different parts of a plot. Basic vocabulary terms are included like climax, turning point, rising action, and denouement. Present this resource before reading a...

Before exploring symbols in literature, show your class this PowerPoint to discuss symbolism and different, well-known symbols. Then, the viewers note what a variety of colors might symbolize before looking at different cartoons and...

Ding! The bell just went off, and your class is already knee-deep in reviewing prepositional phrases thanks to this PowerPoint. Twenty-six slides cover 25 preposition activities, and a final slide shows a list of prepositions learners...

Let the class show what they know about rhythm, triads, and intervals with this quiz. They complete the rhythm on staff one and two, identify the intervals on staff three, and identify the triads on staff four. This is a well-thought-out...