Curated OER
Literal Meaning of Reading
Students demonstrate literal meaning of a fiction book. For this reading comprehension lesson, students listen to the book, If You Give a Mouse a Muffin and practice the "m" sound during the read aloud. Students answer questions about...
Curated OER
Applying Character and Setting to Play Readings
Read Ira Sleeps Over, then identify elements of plays that are also common to books. Learners analyze character and setting, consider how these elements relate to a play, then write a one-paragraph skit using the characters from Ira...
Curated OER
The 5 W's of Reading
Primary young scholars will use the five "W" questions for reading comprehension as they read silently to themselves so that they can understand and remember what they have read. They then read The Velveteen Rabbit aloud, discussing the...
Curated OER
Using a Title to Determine Main Idea (Nonfiction)
Young readers explore a nonfiction text for its main idea. They will listen to the book Animal Sight by Kirsten Hall, and then observe as the teacher models a main idea think-aloud. Later, for independent practice, they listen to the...
Curated OER
Journey to Topaz: Directed Reading Thinking Activity
Have you used the directed reading thinking activity in your classroom? Doubling as either a prereading strategy, or a during reading strategy, it helps readers connect the historical background of the text to the text itself. As the...
Curated OER
Get ready, get set? READ!!!
Students participate in reading exercises to improve speed, fluency, and comprehension. As a class, students practice reading skills to increase their speed and comprehension. Partners take turns competing in a reading race while reading...
Curated OER
Have I Got a Book for You!
Fourth graders select a library book, read it and complete "Books to Check Out!" form. They compile their completed forms to a book to be displayed in the classroom for all readers to see.
Curated OER
Theater: Create a Script
Figurative language is the focus in the book Teach Us, Amelia Bedelia. After reading Peggy Parish's book, class members dramatize idioms from the text, using dramatic strategies such as characterization, exaggeration, and...
Curated OER
Discussing How Plants Grow
Study how plants grow with your English language learners with a cross-curricular lesson revolving around pumpkins. These activities provide opportunities to practice new scientific vocabulary while practicing skills such as estimating...
PBS
Button, Button
Youngsters count, classify, and estimate quantities using buttons after a read aloud of The Button Box by Margarette S. Reid. They discuss the difference between guessing and estimating. Based on an experiment, they predict the...
Baylor College
Plant or Animal?
Teach your class about the necessities of life using the book Tillena Lou's Day in the Sun. After a teacher-read-aloud, students make puppets depicting different plants and animals from the story and illustrating the habitat in...
Baylor College
A Place to Be
Home sweet home. Humans, birds, beavers, ants, we all need a place place to rest and keep us safe. In the ninth lesson of this series, the importance of shelter is discussed as the teacher reads aloud the book Tillena Lou's Day in the...
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: I Hate To Be Sick (Bermiss)
No one likes being sick; use Aamir Bermiss' book I Hate To Be Sick as the context for a vocabulary study of illness-related words. Acquaint pupils with this unhealthy vocabulary (dizzy, faint, fever,...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: Moonbear's Bargain (Asch)
If you are reading Frank Asch's book Moonbear's Bargain, here is an excellent way to practice vocabulary in context with budding readers. Although you could include others, the recommended words for this text are: blossom,...
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: Night Shift Daddy (Spinelli)
Do any of your budding readers have parents who work the night shift? Eileen Spinelli's book Night Shift Daddy, which can be found on YouTube if you don't have it, examines this family dynamic in a positive light and is an...
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: Tar Beach (Ringgold)
Anyplace can become a beach! Budding readers explore Faith Ringgold's world of imagination in her book Tar Beach, which can be found on YouTube if you don't have it. What words will budding readers learn? They focus on the following...
Apple State University
Friendly Letter Mini-Lesson
This mini-lesson about informal letter writing is packed with a lot of information about writing a friendly letter. Class members begin by working in pairs to answer questions after reviewing letter models. Then, take part in a grand...
Curated OER
The Final Analysis: Cause and Effect, Fact and Opinion
Middle schoolers read and review informational texts, analyze cause and effect, and distinguish fact from opinion. They assess a "one-minute mystery" you read aloud for cause and effect relationships. Resource includes complete set of...
Curated OER
A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our Constitution
Sit back, relax, and transport to 1787! This lesson on the Constitution begins with guided imagery of the Constitutional Convention. The class reads A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our Constitution in an...
Curated OER
Discovering Rhythm and Rhyme
Students explore ways to provide enjoyable phonemic awareness and conversation experiences for their children while reading and discussing children's book, A Tree For Me. Students extend their expertise in reading by fluently reading...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Yummy Apples!
Young learners listen to a read aloud of Gail Gibbons book, Apples and the story A Red House With No Windows and No Doors. They compare characteristics of a number of kinds of apples, graph them and create a apple print picture. Learners...
Curated OER
Narrative pantomime
Assign parts to read aloud Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag and have your young mimes act out their roles. This story focus on how beauty within is more important than outward appearance. Conclude by having your class provide an illustrated...
Curated OER
Lively Read of the Tale of Despereaux
Students create a character map of the main characters in The Tale of Despereaux. After reading the text, students create a character chart based on information they gleaned from the story. They use this information to write a letter...