Middle schoolers don’t often come to class eager to discuss global warming, but when you hand them a vivid image and ask them, “What’s going on in this picture?”—well, you just might surprise yourself. Recently, I had the chance to work with an incredible group of middle school students, most of whom are second-language learners. […]
Vocabulary
Lesson Plan: A Close Read of The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin
A lesson plan outline to teach close reading of The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin.
A Close Reading Lesson for Stronger Reading Comprehension
Starting the school year with a focus on kindness and the power of words sets the stage for a compassionate and thoughtful classroom environment. In my recent lesson with a fifth-grade class, we delved into the story “Feathers” through a close reading, weaving in lessons on vocabulary, comprehension, and the profound impact of our words. […]
Unlocking the Power of Connectives: Practical Tips for Upper Elementary and Middle School Classrooms
As students advance through upper elementary and middle school, they encounter increasingly complex texts. One key to navigating these texts is understanding connectives—those magical words and phrases that link ideas together and clarify relationships. The research underscores the importance of teaching connectives to enhance comprehension and academic success. But how do we make this instruction […]
Boosting Classroom Engagement with Text Sets
Using text sets in the classroom can significantly enhance student interest, vocabulary, and background knowledge. Text sets are collections of related texts organized around a specific topic or line of inquiry. Here’s how to effectively implement them in your teaching strategy: 1. Anchor Text Begin with a rich, complex grade-level text as the anchor. This […]
Embracing the Future: ChatGPT is Here to Stay
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a rapidly developing technology that has the potential to revolutionize the way we learn and work. However, as with any new technology, it can also create some conflicts in schools. While AI has been around for a while, it has never been fantastic – until now with ChatGPT. It is scary […]
Writers’ Workshop: Show Don’t Tell
Every elementary Writers’ Workshop teacher has a go-to “Show, Don’t Tell” lesson in which students learn how to show or illustrate what is happening, instead of merely stating it. But do we ever have enough? Do the students ever master this highly important writing skill?? Exactly! So here is another lesson to add to your […]
Reading Nonfiction Text in Guided Reading and Small Groups
Children are naturally fascinated by learning through nonfiction books, but many don’t know how to navigate the complexity of the text. Small groups and guided reading groups are the perfect places to teach and reinforce how to read nonfiction texts. First, you’ll want to choose strong nonfiction texts! Think about what the students want to […]