When I'm planning a reading comprehension unit or information research unit I often have a difficult time finding books at the right level that also showcase the nonfiction text features I want to teach. So, writing my own nonfiction readers for teaching text features glossary and bold print seemed like the right thing to do. This unit will not only help you teach nonfiction text features appropriate for 2nd grade, but you'll have a flappin' fun time learning about these 5 different penguins, too. The Importance of Introducing Glossaries and Bold Print in the Text We know that … [Read more...] about Teaching Text Features Glossary & Bold Print with Penguin Research
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Teaching Topic vs Main Idea
Hey there friends, It’s officially fall and my favorite time of the year. So with leaves and cooler weather on my mind, I decided to give some festive flair to some much-needed explicit instruction on teaching topic vs main idea. Teaching topic vs main idea comes up so much as our year progresses and I would find myself giving mini-lessons on the spot when it came up. The following resources will help build that foundation ahead of time and support our nuggets as they work through writing with topic sentences and ideas. I decided to go with fiction texts for the focus of topic vs … [Read more...] about Teaching Topic vs Main Idea
6 Morning Meeting Activities for the Classroom
As July comes to an end, those back to school routines and thoughts of setting up a solid classroom foundation start drifting into my head. I reflect on the year before, what worked and what didn’t, and think about what tidbits have I picked up from summer reading, colleagues, conferences, etc. One thing I started years ago that has been tried and true is morning meetings. So I’m sharing with you my favorite morning meeting activities for the classroom and a freebie for back to school. 6 Activities I Include in my Morning Meetings: 1. Question or Thought of the Day Posting a … [Read more...] about 6 Morning Meeting Activities for the Classroom
Taking Care of the Earth: 5 Text to World Connections Books and Activities
This week of guided reading activities were inspired by the great outdoors and taking care of our planet. If you have read my previous post about Virtual Earth Day Activities, Earth Day Read Alouds, & More! You know that I love spreading my family's love for the outdoors to others, in hopes we can enjoy it longer. This week I took an approach to how kids can tangibly make a difference to the earth by reusing, reducing, and recycling with these 5 text to world connections books and activities. Text to World Connections Books The following 5 mentor texts each have accompanying … [Read more...] about Taking Care of the Earth: 5 Text to World Connections Books and Activities
