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The Dolch Sight Words list is the most commonly used set of sight words. Educator Dr. Edward William Dolch developed the list in the 1930s-40s by studying the most frequently occurring words in children's books of that era. The list contains 220 "service words" plus 95 high-frequency nouns. These words comprise 80% of the words you would find in a typical children's book and 50% of the words found in writing for adults. Once a child knows this list of words, it makes reading much easier, because the child can then focus his or her attention on the remaining words.

The Dolch words are commonly divided into groups by grade level, ranging from pre-kindergarten to third grade, with a separate list of nouns. There are a total of 315 Dolch Sight Words.

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The Dolch Sight Words list is the most commonly used set of sight words. Educator Dr. Edward William Dolch developed the list in the 1930s-40s by studying the most frequently occurring words in children's books of that era. The list contains 220 "service words" plus 95 high-frequency nouns.

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Not your everyday calendar, here you can find important events in literary history, authors' birthdays, and a variety of holidays, all with related activities and resources that make them more relevant to students.

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Not your everyday calendar, here you can find important events in literary history, authors' birthdays, and a variety of holidays, all with related activities and resources that make them more relevant to students.

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About this Strategy Guide

A Concept Sort is a vocabulary and comprehension strategy used with students to introduce new topics and/or familiarize students with new vocabulary. Concept Sorts can be used before reading to gather students' prior knowledge about the upcoming content, or can be used after reading to assess students' understanding of the concepts that were presented to them. Additionally, these sorts help students use critical thinking skills by creating categories for groups of words as they sort them based on each word's meaning. Have students brainstorm a list of words from reading material or an upcoming unit, lesson, or text (sometimes the word list may need to be provided by the teacher). Students then discuss each word and place it in its correct category; categories can either be defined by the teacher or students.

Research Basis

To ensure student understanding of a new topic or to familiarize them with new vocabulary, it is important to do pre-reading activities to introduce them to these new words and topics. Concept Sorts allow the teacher to introduce new vocabulary to students that they will see in an assigned text. Additionally, strategies such as the Concept Sort show teachers about students' prior knowledge of a topic. This strategy can also be used as a post-reading activity to assess students' understanding and knowledge.

Strategy in Practice

1. If the goal of the lesson is to teach students about a difference in concepts (such as gigantic/miniature), gather objects or pictures that can be used to demonstrate these categories. If the goal is to preview vocabulary in an upcoming lesson or text, choose 10-15 relevant vocabulary words from the upcoming activity/text, or have the studens choose words they don't know.

2. Using the chosen words, and encouraging input from students, sort the words/cards/objects into meaningful groups. With students' help, name the categories in which you've placed all of the words/cards/objects. As you sort these words as a class, ask the students for their reasoning as to why they feel that each of the words fit into the named categories.

3. Provide the students with 10-15 new words and have them sort them into meaningful groups individually or in small groups. You may choose to have students do a closed sort, where groups/categories are predefined by the teacher, or an open sort, where students name the groups/categories.

4. After students have had ample time to do their sorts, discuss the categories that they chose to use for the different groups. Have students describe to their peers why certain cards were placed within certain groups.

5. To take the sort further, consider introducing students' to the 2-circle or 3-circle Venn Diagram tools to compare and contrast similarities and differences. Additionally, consider using this strategy as a post-reading/post-studying activity to assess students' understanding.

Examples
Math
Concept sorts can be used to help students differentiate between geometric shapes. Students can sort the shapes based on number of sides, angle measurements, and other features.
Science
The following sort can help introduce students to different categories of animals.

1. Introduce the following terms and have students discuss them:

2. Ask students to sort the words/terms in a way that is meaningful to them or into the following categories. Be sure to follow up to check for students' understanding of the categories and words.

Types of animals (mammals, amphibians, etc.)

Animals that people have as pets

Animals that live in similar places

Literature/Social Studies
Students can sort these vocabulary words from Esperanza Rising, putting them into the categories of:

Or, students can come up with their own categories by which to sort the words.

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Introducing Ideas and Vocabulary with the Concept Sort

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About this Strategy Guide A Concept Sort is a vocabulary and comprehension strategy used with students to introduce new topics and/or familiarize students with new vocabulary. Concept Sorts can be used before reading to gather students' prior knowledge about the upcoming content, or can be used after reading to assess students' understanding of the concepts that were presented to them.

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Are your students having trouble finding answers and citing evidence in their reading? This STEP-BY-STEP process scaffolds through reading strategies to help your students be successful! Students will learn the acronyms for ACE and RAP to provide them with the proper tools for citing evidence effectively along with tips to keep them engaged!

For the following lessons, each student will need a reading passage they can highlight, a pencil, a notebook for taking notes, a variety of colorful highlighters, and magnifying glasses (optional). Follow these steps in this suggested order:

1. Explain the meaning of text evidence.

Text is written work.

Evidence is proof.

Text + Evidence is citing proof in the reading.

2. Read through the text thoroughly.

It is helpful to read through the text independently and then together. That way, struggling readers will be able to hear words that they may not have understood or read correctly.

3. Introduce ACE: ANSWER, CITE, EXPLAIN

Provide an anchor chart for your visual learners. Display it so the whole class can see. Discuss each letter and tell your students that they will be using this acronym when they become ACE Detectives. This will get them excited to learn about ACE!

A- Answer the question using prior knowledge and inferences.
Restate the question in your answer.
Example: Why did Paul Revere ride through the towns?

Answer: Paul Revere rode through the towns because....

Teachers: Practice restating the question with students. Provide questions and restate them together.

Prior Knowledge: When a reader has previous experience or has already read about a particular topic, he will have some insight or knowledge to the topic before reading it. Having prior knowledge on a topic will help the reader comprehend it better than someone with no prior knowledge. It is almost like having the upper hand if someone is already familiar with a topic. It provides extra support to the reader's thinking process.

Inferring: It is an educated guess or reading facts and evidence to reach a logical conclusion or opinion. Making inferences while reading is a strategy that will help you understand the text at a deeper level. It is best to draw a conclusion or form an opinion by finding two or more supporting details in the reading passage. It also helps to look for words or phrases that may express a positive or negative tone. Learn how to infer HERE.

C- Cite evidence in the text to support your thoughts or opinions.

When answering questions about a reading assignment, look back at the text and find proof for the answers within the text. Highlighting the text is an effective approach to mark the evidence! Do you want your students engaged in this activity? Provide magnifying glasses. The cheap plastic ones are all you need! Students will get excited to dig deeper in the text to search for the evidence!

Do you want to motivate them even more? Have students c o l o r-c o d e the answers. A little bit of color and they are more interested in their work! On the example, you will see numbers. Numbering the highlighted area is useful especially if you plan to discuss or review their highlighted work.

E- Explain your answer with evidence by paraphrasing or directly quoting.

Paraphrasing: The author explains... The text shows... Use RAP: Read, Ask yourself questions, P ut the information in your own words.

Quoting: The author says, "..." The text states, "....." Quoting is copying exactly what the author is saying in your answer. Make sure to use quotation marks!

4. Take Notes

Students should take notes on all of the acronyms. It is a valuable tool for them to use with future assignments. Interactive writing notebooks are a great way to get students motivated, but if you don't have the materials or time is a factor, I have two suggestions. Students can take traditional notes from the anchor charts, or you can make mini anchor charts for students to paste into their notebooks.

5. Practice

Once students have a firm understanding of ACE, give them an ACE chart for practice as a whole group, small group, or partners. Review the correct answers together.
Grab a FREE ACE CHART:

6. Apply

Students now have the strategies to use when providing text evidence from their reading. They should be able to apply this knowledge when answering questions!

I hope you found these TEXT EVIDENCE strategies useful and your students become ACE detectives with a deeper understanding of the text!

Another related post you might want to check out: STRATEGIES TO TEACH TEXT DEPENDENT ANALYSIS

If you find these lessons valuable, learn more about the full TEXT EVIDENCE UNIT prepped and ready for you. It includes lessons, anchor charts, examples, interactive notebook pages, practice sheets, differentiated passages, task cards, ACE charts, and assessment! It also includes a student version for tablets!

Want these resources? See how your school can buy them on your behalf.

***

Pam Olivieri is a full-time curriculum designer on Teachers Pay Teachers, a writing coach, and the author of the blog Rockin Resources. While in the classroom for 26 years, she earned a Masters Degree and National Board Certification. Visit her store to see a variety of resources that instill her motto: MOTIVATE-EDUCATE-DIFFERENTIATE. She loves to chat, collaborate, and share ideas with other teachers. You can connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter!

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How to Teach Text Evidence: A Step-by-Step Guide & Lesson Plan

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Are your students having trouble finding answers and citing evidence in their reading? This STEP-BY-STEP process scaffolds through reading strategies to help your students be successful! Students will learn the acronyms for ACE and RAP to provide them with the proper tools for citing evidence effectively along with tips to keep them engaged!

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ReadWorks | Award-Winning, EdTech Nonprofit Organization

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ReadWorks is an edtech nonprofit organization that is committed to helping to solve America's reading comprehension crisis.

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We all want our kids to succeed in math. In most districts, standardized tests measure students' understanding, yet nobody wants to teach to the test. Over-reliance on test prep materials and "drill and kill" worksheets steal instructional time while also harming learning and motivation. But sound instruction and good test scores aren't mutually exclusive. Being intentional and using creative approaches to your instruction can get students excited about math. These essential strategies in teaching mathematics can make this your class's best math year ever!

1. Raise the bar for all

For math strategies to be effective, teachers must first get students to believe that they can be great mathematicians. Holding high expectations for all students encourages growth. As early as second grade, girls have internalized the idea that math is not for them. It can be a challenge to overcome the socially acceptable thought, I'm not good at math, says Sarah Bax, a math teacher at Hardy Middle School in Washington, D.C.

Rather than success being a function of how much math talent they're born with, kids need to hear from teachers that anyone who works hard can succeed. "It's about helping kids have a growth mindset," says Bax. "Practice and persistence make you good at math." Build math equity and tell students about the power and importance of math with enthusiasm and high expectations.

(Psst ... you can snag our growth mindset posters for your math classroom here.)

2. Don't wait-act now!

Look ahead to the specific concepts students need to master for annual end-of-year tests, and pace instruction accordingly. Think about foundational skills they will need in the year ahead.

"You don't want to be caught off guard come March thinking that students need to know X for the tests the next month," says Skip Fennell, project director of Elementary Mathematics Specialists and Teacher Leaders Project and professor emeritus at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. Know the specific standards and back-map your teaching from the fall so students are ready, and plan to use effective math strategies accordingly.

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3. Create a testing pathway

You may not even see the results of standardized tests until next school year, but you have to prepare students for it now. Use formative assessments to ensure that students understand the concepts. What you learn can guide your instruction and determine the next steps, says Fennell. "I changed the wording because I didn't want to suggest that we are in favor of 'teaching to the test.'"

Testing is not something separate from your instruction. It should be integrated into your planning. Instead of a quick exit question or card, give a five-minute quiz, an open-ended question, or a meaningful homework assignment to confirm students have mastered the math skill covered in the day's lesson. Additionally, asking students to explain their thinking orally or in writing is a great way to determine their level of understanding. A capable digital resource, designed to monitor your students in real-time, can also be an invaluable tool, providing actionable data to inform your instruction along the way.

4. Observe, modify, and reevaluate

Sometimes we get stuck in a mindset of "a lesson a day" in order to get through the content. However, we should keep our pacing flexible, or kids can fall behind. Walk through your classroom as students work on problems and observe the dynamics. Talk with students individually and include "hinge questions" in your lesson plans to gauge understanding before continuing, suggests Fennell. In response, make decisions to go faster or slower or put students in groups.

5. Read, read, read!

Although we don't often think of reading as a math strategy, there's almost nothing better to get students ready to learn a new concept than a great read-aloud. Kids love to be read to, and the more we show students how math is connected to the world around us, the more invested they become. Reading books with math connections helps children see how abstract concepts connect to their lives.

6. Personalize and offer choice

When students are given the opportunity to choose how they learn and demonstrate their understanding of a concept, their buy-in and motivation increase. It gives them the chance to understand their preferred learning style, provides agency over their own learning, and allows for the space to practice different strategies to solve math problems. Give students a variety of options, such as timed exercises, projects, or different materials, to show that they've mastered foundational skills. As students show what they've learned, teachers can track understanding, figure out where students need additional scaffolding or other assistance, and tailor lessons accordingly.

7. Plant the seeds!

Leave no child inside! A school garden is a great way to apply math concepts in a fun way while instilling a sense of purpose in your students. Measurement, geometry, and data analysis are obvious topics that can be addressed through garden activities, but also consider using the garden to teach operations, fractions, and decimals. Additionally, garden activities can help promote character education goals like cooperation, respect for the earth, and, if the crops are donated to organizations that serve those in need, the value of giving to others.

8. Add apps appropriately

The number of apps (interactive software used on touch-screen devices) available to support math instruction has increased rapidly in recent years. Kids who are reluctant to practice math facts with traditional pencil-and-paper resources will gladly do essentially the same work as long as it's done on a touch screen. Many apps focus on practice via games, but there are some that encourage children to explore the content at a conceptual level.

Communicating about math helps students process new learning and build on their thinking. Engage students during conversations and have them describe why they solved a problem in a certain way. "My goal is to get information about what students are thinking and use that to guide my instruction, as opposed to just telling them information and asking them to parrot things back," says Delise Andrews, who taught math (K-8) and is now a grade 3-5 math coordinator in the Lincoln Public Schools in Nebraska.

Instead of seeking a specific answer, Andrews wants to have deeper discussions to figure out what a student knows and understands. "True learning happens a lot around talking and doing math-not just drilling," she says. Of course, this math strategy not only requires students to feel comfortable expressing their mathematical thinking, but also assumes that they have been trained to listen respectfully to the reasoning of their classmates.

Learn more: Free Let's Talk Math Poster

10. The art of math

Almost all kids love art, and visual learners need a math strategy that works for them too, so consider integrating art and math instruction for one of the easiest strategies in teaching mathematics. Many concepts in geometry, such as shapes, symmetry, and transformations (slides, flips, and turns), can be applied in a fun art project. Also consider using art projects to teach concepts like measurement, ratios, and arrays (multiplication/division).

11. Seek to develop understanding

Meaningful math education goes beyond memorizing formulas and procedures. Memorization does not foster understanding. Set high goals, create space for exploration, and work with the students to develop a strong foundation. "Treat the kids like mathematicians," says Andrews. Present a broad topic, review various strategies for solving a problem, and then elicit a formula or idea from the kids rather than starting with the formula. This creates a stronger conceptual understanding and mental connections with the material for the student.

12. Give students time to reflect

Sometimes teachers get so caught up in meeting the demands of the curriculum and the pressure to "get it all done" that they don't give students the time to reflect on their learning. Students can be asked to reflect in writing at the end of an assignment or lesson, via class or small group discussion, or in interviews with the teacher. It's important to give students the time to think about and articulate the meaning of what they've learned, what they still don't understand, and what they want to learn more about. This provides useful information for the teacher and helps the student monitor their own progress and think strategically about how they approach mathematics.

13. Allow for productive struggle

When giving students an authentic problem, ask a big question and let them struggle to figure out several ways to solve it, suggests Andrews. "Your job as a teacher is to make it engaging by asking the right questions at the right time. So you don't take away their thinking, but you help them move forward to a solution," she says.

Provide as little information as possible but enough so students can be productive. Effective math teaching supports students as they grapple with mathematical ideas and relationships. Allow them to discover what works and experience setbacks along the way as they adopt a growth mindset about mathematics.

14. Emphasize hands-on learning

In math, there's so much that's abstract. Hands-on learning is a strategy that helps make the conceptual concrete. Consider incorporating math manipulatives whenever possible. For example, you can use LEGO bricks to teach a variety of math skills, including finding area and perimeter and understanding multiplication.

15. Build excitement by rewarding progress

Students-especially those who haven't experienced success-can have negative attitudes about math. Consider having students earn points and receive certificates, stickers, badges, or trophies as they progress. Weekly announcements and assemblies that celebrate the top players and teams can be really inspiring for students. "Having that recognition and moment is powerful," says Bax. "Through repeated practice, they get better, and they are motivated." Through building excitement, this allows for one of the best strategies in teaching mathematics to come to fruition.

16. Choose meaningful tasks

Kids get excited about math when they have to solve real-life problems. For instance, when teaching sixth graders how to determine area, present tasks related to a house redesign, suggests Fennell. Provide them with the dimensions of the walls and the size of the windows and have them determine how much space is left for the wallpaper. Or ask them to consider how many tiles they would need to fill a deck. You can absolutely introduce problem-based learning, even in a virtual world.

17. Play math games

Student engagement and participation can be a challenge, especially if you're relying heavily on worksheets. Games, like these first grade math games, are an excellent way to make the learning more fun while simultaneously promoting strategic mathematical thinking, computational fluency, and understanding of operations. Games are especially good for kinesthetic learners and foster a home-school connection when they're sent home for extra practice.

18. Set up effective math routines

Students generally feel confident and competent in the classroom when they know what to do and why they're doing it. Establishing routines in your math class and training kids to use them can make math class efficient, effective, and fun! For example, consider starting your class with a number sense routine. Rich, productive small group math discussions don't happen by themselves, so make sure your students know the "rules of the road" for contributing their ideas and respectfully critiquing the ideas of others.

19. Encourage teacher teamwork and reflection

You can't teach in a vacuum. Collaborate with other teachers to improve your math instruction skills. Start by discussing the goal for the math lesson and what it will look like, and plan as a team to use the most effective math strategies. "Together, think through the tasks and possible student responses you might encounter," says Andrews. Reflect on what did and didn't work to improve your practice.

20. Move!

Adding movement and physical activity to your instruction might seem counterintuitive as a math strategy, but asking kids to get out of their seats can increase their motivation and interest. For example, you could ask students to:

Make angles with their arms

Create a square dance that demonstrates different types of patterns

Complete a shape scavenger hunt in the classroom

Run or complete other exercises periodically and graph the results

The possibilities of these strategies in teaching mathematics are limited only by your imagination and the math concepts you need to cover. Check out these active math games.

21. Be a lifelong learner

Generally, students will become excited about a subject if their teacher is excited about it. However, it's hard to be excited about teaching math if your understanding hasn't changed since you learned it in elementary school. For example, if you teach how to divide fractions by fractions and your understanding is limited to following the "invert and multiply" rule, take the time to understand why the rule works and how it applies to the real world. When you have confidence in your own mathematical expertise, then you can teach math confidently and joyfully to best apply strategies in teaching mathematics.

What do you feel are the most important strategies in teaching mathematics? Share in the comments below.

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21 Essential Strategies in Teaching Math

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We all want our students to be successful in math. These essential strategies in teaching mathematics can help.

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Help students better understand math by presenting multiple examples, encouraging collaboration on alternative solutions, and framing the class with a clear agenda and effective summary.

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Browse Printable Math Worksheets | Education.com

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Browse Printable Math Worksheets. Award winning educational materials designed to help kids succeed. Start for free now!

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From planning leveled guided-math lessons, to guided reading groups, to writer's workshop, to Daily 5 choices, to math centers, as primary teachers we can be planning and preparing for over 36 lessons/activities each week. If we think about this for too long, it's WAY overwhelming - right?! So the key is to create predictable patterns and routines that allow for streamlined planning. Today I wanted to share how I make Math Centers manageable. Three years into math-center goodness and I've finally found a system that works for me.

Math Centers offer students hands-on, spiral review practice with skills that have been introduced and taught during our Guided Math groups. Additionally, working with a partner, centers allow students the opportunity to talk about their math thinking, apply math vocabulary, and hear how other people think about math. Additionally, when students visit math centers, I have the opportunity to meet with our Guided Math groups for intentional instruction. Plus, they are FUN! (Snag 1st Grade Centers here. Snag 2nd Grade Centers here.)

Typically I keep 5-7 math centers out at a time. (Note - There is no wrong answer. Use as many or as few tubs as you need.) My first years in 1st grade, I stuck with 5 but last year I branched into 7 since I was changing them less often. Teaching a combination class, the green math tubs are for 1st grade and the yellow math tubs are for Kindergarten. (Check out my favorite tubs for math centers here.) Click here for Kindergarten Centers, 1st Grade Centers, and 2nd Grade Centers!

My first 2 years of teaching 1st grade, I changed-out centers every.single.week and this worked for me. Each Friday during planning, I would swap-out manipulatives and visual directions, and print new Math Logs. Turning into a K/1 Combination Class this past year, I had two sets of math centers (Kinder and 1st Grade) and quite frankly, it was too much to try to change out both sets every week, so I alternated. One week I changed out 1st grade centers and then the next week Kindergarten centers. That means each grade was changed-out every two weeks, and you know what?!? It was OKAY! The world did not end, our centers were not out of control, and my students loved being able to visit their favorite centers twice.

A hot mess. But really friends, it's not pretty and it doesn't need to be. When I change-out centers I first pull the sleeves from my binder. I try to batch tasks so I pull all 5 centers first. Then, I empty all 5 tubs. After all 5 tubs are empty, I slide in the visual directions and recording logs. Finally, I add-in manipulatives. Although students are always welcome to grab additional or different manipulatives, I like to include the minimum hands-on materials they will need.

Great question! All of the centers I pull are spiral review. Our centers are meant to provide students just-right, hands-on practices with content we have already covered. Therefore, material we are learning RIGHT NOW at teacher table WILL NOT be in our centers. Typically I like to wait until the next week (or two) to introduce the skill as an independent or partner center. Click here for Kindergarten Centers, 1st Grade Centers, and 2nd Grade Centers!

So, I'm definitely a routines girl. I love having a system, so when it comes time to change-out centers I don't have to spend inordinate amounts of time pulling them. Typically my centers follow this routine -

1. Read About Math - Using QR codes or Epic for Kids will read books about math. Typically I pull books about the topic we are currently learning about. Since the books are being read aloud to students they don't have to (but can be) spiral review.

2. - Versatiles are a fun, self-checking center. They are made from ETA Hand2Mind and are perfect for independent or partner work. Since I own several of the math Versatile books, I'm able to pull the just-right pages for all of my groups. I slip the pages into sheet protectors, add a blue/green/yellow sticker (so groups know which sheet to pull), and place them in the tub!

3. - From September on, our 120s Pocket Chart becomes a staple in our center routine. It's perfect for practicing number order, place value, making 10 to add/subtract, as well as, number representations. With 6 different levels of playing cards, students work in partners to finish the 120s chart before the timer rings. It normally takes students 4-8 tries the first time with the set of cards to get all 120 cards in the right places, but they love the challenge and the chance to "level-up"!

4. - We love board and game games and they make a super simple center! From Making 10 Go Fish to Snap it Up, we are ALL about game. Check out some of our favorite board games here.

Awesome question. The great thing about creating "staple" centers is that once I have initially introduced a center (read about math, versatiles, etc) I don't have to teach it again. All I need to do is change-out the skill on which students are working. At the VERY beginning of the year, we introduce new centers whole-group and practice in partners, but after we have learned about that first set of centers, I shy away from whole-group introduction. Typically I introduce centers in 1 of 4 places -

1. Morning Tubs - Students think math is a game and they love centers. I leverage this for the best! If I want to teach a new center, I will pull one table group each morning during Morning Tubs and teach them the game/activity. By the end-of-the-week, I've taught all 5 of my table groups how to play and we're ready to introduce it the following week.

2. Indoor Recess - I will also introduce math centers during Indoor Recess. Unlike Morning Tubs, indoor recess math-learning is completely by choice. To make this choice incredibly enticing, indoor recess is when I introduce our math board games. Students LOVE the chance to learn a new game, as well as, the opportunity to try to beat Ms. W. (#IDontLetKidsWin)

3. Guest Teachers - When there are Guest Teachers (aka Subs) in the building, it's the perfect time to introduce students to a new center. Students have the opportunity to practice with a partner with an adult present and the same math center is played with each group (just with different levels of differentiation) making it a little simpler for the Guest Teacher to manage. The only 'catch' with having Guest Teachers introduce math centers is that you must leave EXPLICIT, step-by-step instructions on how to play the game, preferably with visual directions already made so students have a picture of your expectations.

4. Small Groups - Honestly, I share this hesitantly because our guided-math, small-group time is so incredibly precious. I would NEVER want it to become a time in which teachers are pulling a game, placing it at Teacher Table, and sitting back. With that said, if I can use the game/center as an intentionally-planned, guided activity (in which students have manipulatives in their hands, are actively engaged in math talk, and are building math knowledge...not looking for a right answer), I know I can introduce and scaffold it at small-group.

When math centers are not being used in a tub, they are storied in 2 3-inch binders in dry-erase sleeves. The visual directions go on the top for easily flipping and then, recording logs go in the back. Any playing cards or number cards needed for the center are put in a plastic bag in my "Randoms" tub. I don't like to put these into the plastic sleeves because it makes the binder SUPER bulky and causes things to fall out. Any math manipualtives needed for the centers go back into our labeled bins and I pull them as I put out new centers.

Over the years, I've found that if I don't keep a running list of centers and games I make it to May and realize there are a number of awesome centers we've never used. I write the centers under the Common Core Standard that it reviews/practices. Then, each time I pull that center I write the date in which it was used. We do use centers more than once, but when we do I like it keep them 3-4 weeks apart.

When students are not at my Teacher Table, they are making choices - centers, math journal, or technology. Since we do 4 rotations, students must visit all the rotations each day, in any order they choose. Note - sometimes students need to stay at a center/journal for more than one rotation and have to miss a technology rotation. That's totally fine! (Snag a math rotation board here for free.)

As students make their choices, they record/color which day they visited that rotation on our logs. Then, any work or recording log gets attached to this log. The logs are checked by me at during our Math Reflection Time and they go home each time I switch out centers.

So friends, this is the nitty-gritty of math centers. What do you think? What other questions do you have? What works for you? I'd love to hear from you! Also, snag math centers for your classroom on TeachersPayTeachers - Kindergarten Centers, 1st Grade Centers, and 2nd Grade Centers!

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Managing Math Centers - The Brown Bag Teacher

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From planning leveled guided-math lessons, to guided reading groups, to writer's workshop, to Daily 5 choices, to math centers, as primary teachers we can be planning and preparing for over 36 lessons/activities each week. If we think about this for too long, it's WAY overwhelming - right?!

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New York State K-12 Social Studies Resource Toolkit: Grades 5-8

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New York State Prekindergarten Foundation for the Common Core

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Social Studies can have a bad reputation for being boring. I must admit it wasn't my favorite subject to teach. I had very limited resources, and I simply wasn't given much time in my daily schedule. Here I was, guilty of using Brainpop videos to drive my instruction. I knew I needed to find other ways to bring the lessons to life. That's when I decided to look for interactive social studies websites to create fun and engaging lessons. Today I want to share with you my top 10 websites that you can use in your classroom. Come check them out!

1. NewsELA

NewsELA is a free database that provides high-interest news articles. Your students can read the texts at multiple levels and in English or Spanish. The reading levels can also be adjusted so that your students have a more enjoyable experience.

When students are reading right at their level, they are more likely to be engaged. Another reason NewsELA is one of my favorite websites is that students can take brief comprehension quizzes to demonstrate understanding.

2. iCivics.com

iCivics is a fantastic way to integrate game-based learning into your social studies curriculum. There are many games and topics to choose from, including government, landmarks, or anything else civics!

What's really neat is that the more games your kiddos play, the more they learn and the more points they earn! Students can spend their earned points on community service projects they are passionate about. This website is recommended for grades K and up.

3. Library of Congress

This website contains a wealth of knowledge on any social studies topic imaginable! I would recommend using the primary source sets that will be easier for your elementary kiddos to navigate. Even printing out the resources for your students can be very helpful.

For teachers, there is an extensive blog and a teacher's network that you can join for more support using their website. Another reason I love this website is that it promotes Common Core reading skills and critical thinking skills.

4. Google Earth

Google Earth is packed solid with tons of information! It is the perfect website to use when learning about historical places and monuments. Google Earth is so much more than just a map. There are short tutorial videos that you don't want to miss. It may take a little time for your students to be able to use this website independently. However, once they get the hang of it, the possibilities are endless!

If you're struggling to use Google Earth, you can quickly also use Google Maps. Just plug in the place you are learning about and switch to people view. This will allow you to jump into bubbles of 360 degree pictures of the area you are learning about.

Want a lesson done for you that takes your students on a tour of six major National Monuments? Check out this best-selling resource!

5. Teachinghistory.org

This website is designed with teachers in mind! This website has an extensive collection of lessons, instructional strategies, and technology tools. It will make planning your lessons so much easier! There are many ways to encourage critical thinking among your students.

I also love how this website can teach your students to read like a historian or make sense of maps. These are two skills I might struggle with teaching on my own.

6. The British Museum

The British Museum has a virtual experience that allows you and your students to learn about various historical artifacts. The main page is organized by continents and time periods. You can also find specific artifacts based on certain categories, such as art and design or trade and conflict. Teachers can browse lessons and activities by subject, culture, or age group.

There are tons of printables, lesson plans, writing assignments, and more!

7. Social Studies for Kids

This website is great because it contains resources for current world events, book reviews, geography, maps, archeology, and more! This website is very teacher and student-friendly.

8. National Geographic Education

National Geographic Education is a website where education meets exploration. The website provides amazing classroom resources related to topics on geography, social studies, and science. The website also keeps teachers in mind by providing professional development for Pre-K to 12th-grade educators.

9. Smithsonian's Learning Lab

This interactive lab is free and puts the world's largest museum at your students' fingertips! There are millions of digital resources, and you can create collections and share them with others. The website is very student-friendly and easy to navigate. It also makes for a great virtual field trip!

10. Time for Kids

I have used Time for Kids throughout my teaching career. It is still a website I continue to utilize even today! I love the site because it provides real age-appropriate information for your kiddos. The content is very engaging and can be tied to your student's reading level. I love that the website inspires learners to develop and lifelong interest in world events!

Bringing Social Studies to Your Reading Block

When you're low on time but still have Social Studies content to teach... it can be tricky to feel like you can fit it all in. That's why I love bringing Social Studies into my reading block. I've taken all the guesswork out of aligning social studies content with reading standards with Reading Comprehension Mini-Lessons: Social Studies.

This bundle of resources includes activities for teaching six of my favorite Social Studies concepts, including:

Citizenship

Maps and Globes

Native Americans

Immigration

Goods and Services

America's Government

Click here to check it out in my TeachersPayTeachers store!
Free Social Studies Websites for Elementary Teachers

Okay, so I think it's safe to say you can say goodbye to boring social studies lessons. Or, if you were like me and simply did not have enough time in your schedule, you can now use some or all of these websites to make your planning a breeze. I know these websites will help you create interactive, fun, and engaging social studies lessons. Please comment below and tell me which websites you plan to use? Or will you use them all?

Related Posts

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10 Free Social Studies Websites for the Elementary Classroom

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Social Studies can have a bad reputation for being boring. I must admit it wasn't my favorite subject to teach. I had very limited resources, and I simply wasn't given much time in my daily schedule. Here I was, guilty of using Brainpop videos to drive my instruction.

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10 Best Science Tools for Elementary | Common Sense Education

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Top 10 tools for inspiring young scientists in the elementary years. Explore this 10 Best Science Tools for Elementary Top Picks list of 10 tools curated by Common Sense Education editors to find relevant and engaging edtech solutions for your classroom.

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Daily Dos are sensemaking tasks teachers and parents can use to engage their students in authentic, relevant science learning.

Students actively try to figure out how the world works (science) or how to design solutions to problems (engineering) using the science and engineering practices. Engaging in these practices requires that students be part of a learning community, of classmates or family, to be able to share and evaluate ideas, give and receive critique, and reach consensus.

Check out how to connect these lessons to support students' in developing the targeted science ideas

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Daily Dos are sensemaking tasks teachers and parents can use to engage their students in authentic, relevant science learning. Students actively try to figure out how the world works (science) or how to design solutions to problems (engineering) using the science and engineering practices.

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Educational Technology and Mobile Learning

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February24 , 2014
Here is what I have been preparing for you over this weekend. Below is a list featuring some great resources for science teachers. These resources provide a wide variety of materials for teaching science from lesson plans, printables, activities, technology resources and many more. I invite you to have a look and share with your colleagues.

This is a periodic table of chemical elements ( around 180 ) with an illustrative video around each element. This wonderful work has been realized by The University of Nottingham.

The Understanding Science site was produced by the UC Museum of Paleontology of the University of California at Berkeley, in collaboration with a diverse group of scientists and teachers, and was funded by the National Science Foundation. This platform provides a wide variety of science sources for teachers and students.

This is a wonderful Pinterest board that is packed full of science resources for teachers.

This is one of the most popular science channels in YouTube. SciShow discusses science news and history and concepts.

5- Discovery Education

Discovery Education offers a broad range of free classroom resources that complement and extend learning beyond the bell. This page features a number of science lesson plans and other materials to use in class.

This page features a list of scientists from Smithonian and provides videos on each one of them about their work and what they do.

7-National Science Teachers Association

This is the official page of NSTA where you will have access to an array of free science resources for you and your classroom.

8- Science Netlinks

Science NetLinks is a premier K-12 science education resource produced by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. At Science NetLinks, you'll find teaching tools, interactives, podcasts, and hands-on activities, and all of it is free!

10-Teachers Guide to Science Projects

The Teacher's Guide to Science Projects was developed to provide teachers with everything they need to assign, manage, and evaluate a science project program in the classroom, including lots of tips to make a science project a fun educational experience. While this guide was designed for teachers who have never assigned a science project, it also offers a variety of tools and tips that seasoned teachers will find useful.

PlantingScience is a learning community where scientists provide online mentorship to student teams as they design and think through their own inquiry projects. Engaging in the science process and becoming familiar with science practices enhances science learning.

12-Technology Resources for Teaching Science

This page from Edtech Teacher provides different resources for teachers of science from websites on biology and chemistry to those providing teaching materials on medicine and nanoscience.

13- Laura Candler's Science Resources

This is laura's Science File Cabinet. Here you'll find dozens of free printables and helpful website links for the upper elementary or middle school science classroom.

Edheads is an online educational resource that provides free science and math games and activities that promote critical thinking. Choose from Simple Machines, Virtual Knee Surgery or Stem Cell Heart Repair, among others. All activities meet state and national standards.

15-Ted Talks on Science
Here are five interesting TED talks on science curated and shared by Mashable.

This portal provides thousands of pages of activities, workshops, course descriptions and more.The work of hundreds of geoscience educators and over a dozen projects.

Find here fun, interactive, research-based simulations of physical phenomena from the PhET™ project at the University of Colorado.

SienceDaily is one of the Internet's most popular science news web sites. With over 65,000 research articles, 15,000 images, 2,500 encyclopedia entries, 1,500 book reviews, and hundreds of educational videos, there is something for everyone on ScienceDaily.

19-The Periodic Table of Comic Books

In The Periodic Table of Comic Books, you can click on any element to see a list of comic book pages involving that element. Click on a thumbnail on the list to see a full comic bookpage. For technical information about an element, follow the link to Mark Winter's WebElements.

20-Biology in Motion
BiologyInMotion! Here you will find animations, interactive activities, and cartoons designed to make learning biology a richer, more engaging experience.

Sumanas develops animated tutorials in a variety of formats for many scientific disciplines

Developed by teams of scientists and educators, the Earth Exploration Toolbook (EET) is a collection of online Earth system science activities. Each activity, or chapter, introduces one or more scientific data sets and analysis tools that enables users to explore some aspect of the Earth system.

Learn more about the human body. Information is provided on the skeleton, the heart, the brain, and the digestive tract, and how they function.

Kineticcity is developed by the American Association for The Advancement of Science . Kineticcity provides some of the amazing collection of science experiments, games, activities, and challenges.

Scitable is a free science library and personal learning tool brought to you by Nature Publishing Group, the world's leading publisher of science. Scitable currently concentrates on genetics and cell biology, which include the topics of evolution, gene expression, and the rich complexity of cellular processes shared by living organisms.

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The 25 Must Have Resources for Science Teachers

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February24 , 2014 Here is what I have been preparing for you over this weekend. Below is a list featuring some great resources for science teachers. These resources provide a wide variety of materials for teaching science from lesson plans, printables, activities, technology resources and many more.

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Assistive learning strategies have long been the domain of special education teachers, who have often been called upon to help general classroom teachers adapt lessons for students who need extra supports.

But all that changed during the pandemic. Many educators discovered they had to suddenly adapt their lessons for many students who were struggling in online classrooms. Teachers accustomed to getting assistance from special education teachers who were well versed in the Universal Design for Learning framework found they no longer had this resource. They had to go it alone.

"The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) people were never busier," says Chris Bugaj, host of AT Tips Cast and co-author of Inclusive Learning 365: EdTech Strategies for Every Day of the Year, which he wrote with Karen Janowski, Mike Marotta and Beth Poss.

Emergency remote learning made it clear that it's not enough to have a few UDL experts at a school; all teachers need to understand how to adapt lessons to make online content accessible to all students.

Regardless of how comfortable you are with assistive technology, there are many free and simple-to-use tools teachers can use with students of all abilities to help them succeed. Below are some examples of strategies.

Almost any device can read text aloud. On the iPhone, for example, go to "settings" and select "accessibility." Slide the buttons to activate "speak selection," which allows you to select the text, and a menu pops up on the screen. Choose "speak" to hear the text read aloud while the spoken text is highlighted. Learners can adjust the voice and speed of the reading.

Students who are less comfortable with reading can listen and follow along with the highlighted text. Not only does this technique ensure the student is accessing the information in the text, but studies show it will help them become better readers.

"So amazing! This feature should be used by everyone," Marrotta says. "Built-in accessibility features are a hidden gem in all our technology tools. They exist in every device we have, yet many people don't even know that they are there."

2. Collect highlighted text.

This strategy is great for students struggling with organization and executive function. They can use a digital highlighter to mark notes by subject and organize them by color. For example, for a report on polar bears, the student can use yellow to highlight where polar bears live and green to highlight what polar bears eat. Students can also highlight words that they don't know and group them together as a study guide.

The Chrome extension Read and Write has this function, as does Google Docs using an add-on.

3. Maintain closed captioning with multiple tabs open.

Students researching a topic often need to toggle between multiple tabs. Did you know they can maintain closed captioning even as they navigate between tabs? On a PC, search for "closed captions" in settings to make captioning the default. On a Mac, choose the Apple menu > system preferences, then click "accessibility" and then "captions."

Allowing students to use these tools addresses ISTE Standard for Students 1b: "Students build networks and customize their learning environments in ways that support the learning process." And 5a: "Use technology to create, adapt and personalize learning experiences that foster independent learning and accommodate learner differences and needs."

The book includes a description of how to do this with Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint. As an extension opportunity, have a learner turn on the caption during their presentation.

4. Practice for new social situations using virtual reality.

Imagine a student with autism is ordered by the police to comply with an order. If the student doesn't understand and cannot comply, the situation could quickly escalate before the student can explain why.

Using Google Cardboard or Codespaces EDU, have students practice interactions with prescriptive phrases responding to police officers or other people in the community.

5. Supporting families in their home language.

Translation tools, such as Google Translate, make it possible to communicate with families about a broad range of topics in many languages.

Supporting families in their home language is another inclusive practice that helps build community and increase stakeholder participation, Poss says. "Technology can play a role in learning environments focused on diversity, equity and inclusion as a part of culturally responsive educational practices."

An assistive learning tip every day of the year

You'll find more strategies to embed assistive learning into your classroom in the book Inclusive Learning 365: EdTech Strategies for Every Day of the Year. By breaking up the strategies into different categories, such as reading, writing, general literacy or STEM, classroom teachers can try one strategy each day or look for a subject-based strategy in the index. All the strategies correlate to the ISTE Standards.

"We have the strategy first instead of the tool because the tools often change," Bugaj says. "For instance, Google may soon put highlighters in the toolbar. The tools will be outdated, but the strategy will live on."

Each page describes a strategy, along with what makes it inclusive, offers examples of common tools to use, as well as opportunities for extension, such as what else you can do with this strategy.
Jennifer Snelling is a freelance writer based in Eugene, Oregon, and mom to two digital natives.

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5 Strategies To Embed Inclusive Learning in Every Classroom (Not Just Special Ed!) | ISTE [s

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Assistive learning strategies have long been the domain of special education teachers, who have often been called upon to help general classroom teachers adapt lessons for students who need extra supports. But all that changed during the pandemic.

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This is the time of year when kids gather supplies and cram their backpacks with cool new stuff for school. But it seems unfair that students should have all the fun. Teachers need cool new stuff too!

So this year we're offering all educators some shiny ideas for the new school year. The links below might not have that new-crayon smell, but they are sure to delight any educator looking for engaging ideas and tech-related strategies to start the school year.

Start the year by exploring virtual worlds like Minecraft, OpenSim and Quest Atlantis. They aren't just fun, they also provide unique and engaging learning environments that offer unparalleled opportunities for student collaboration and creativity!

Kids love to play video games but they also develop essential skills like collaborative problem solving while building perseverance. Discover five ways to gamify your classroom to boost engagement, collaboration and learning.

In order to find effective tools for solving complex teaching problems, educators need information they can trust. The EdSurge Product Index is a free research tool that allows technology seekers to easily search and compare hundreds of edtech product listings.

If you aren't part of a professional learning community, establishing one in your school or district is a sure-fire way to share ideas to enhance your teaching practice and create a learning environment where all students can reach their full potential.

Today's technology makes personalized learning an attainable goal. Here are five things to consider as you make the transition from a traditional classroom to a personalized learning environment.

Being a good digital citizen means interacting with each other respectfully online. But can civility be taught? Yes it can! Author Kristen Mattson, Ed.D, shares a variety of strategies that help students be empathetic and engaged.

There is no right way to learn. That's why the Universal Design for Learning framework is a great tool to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. Discover tech tools that offer a variety of ways for all students to engage, receive information and express their learning.

The days when cell phones were nothing more than classroom distractions are over. Help your students turn the smartphones in their pockets into high-powered learning machines.

Preparing students for future careers requires teachers to think beyond hard skills and cultivate the underlying "soft" skills that will help them better adapt to a changing work environment.

If the pandemic taught us anything it's that you can't take what you do in person and replicate it online. There is a better way. Here are six tips for designing learning for an online, in-person or blended classroom experience.
Diana Fingal is director of editorial content at ISTE.

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This year we're offering all educators some shiny ideas for the new school year. The links below might not have that new-crayon smell, but they are sure to delight any educator looking for engaging ideas and tech-related strategies to start the school year.

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CommonLit | CommonLit Library | Browse Content by Theme, Grade Level and More

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View the CommonLit collection and filter by grade level, theme, genre, literacy device and common core standard.

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What if your child could have a better day...EVERY day?

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Empower your child with better social-emotional skills! Learn why Emotional ABCs is used by parents & schools worldwide to improve social emotional learning.

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"My Overcoming Obstacles" is our unique online platform that gives you the ability to truly make Overcoming Obstacles your own. With our easy-to-use tools, you can customize every part of an Overcoming Obstacles lesson, down to each word.

Maybe you want to change a starter activity, so it ties into something unique about your school? Or perhaps you want to take one of our decision making lessons and align it with an historical event that your students are learning? Whatever you need, "My Overcoming Obstacles" is here for you to use however and whenever you want. It's simple, intuitive, and-like all of our other resources-100% free.

Click Here To Try It Out!

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Overcoming Obstacles - Overcoming Obstacles - Free K-12 Life Skills Curriculum

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Overcoming Obstacles is a free, award-winning, and research-based curriculum for Elementary, Middle & High School Students. Learn More & Download for Free.

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Project Social Code
Project Social Code is a five-year project with the goal of helping teachers integrate STEM and communication skills for learners with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and intellectual disabilities (ID).

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Project Social Code Project Social Code is a five-year project with the goal of helping teachers integrate STEM and communication skills for learners with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and intellectual disabilities (ID).