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A graphic organizer used to help summarize. Works best with fiction. The teacher could use graphic organizers.

Advantages:
- students can go into more detail
- easy to use

Disadvantage:
- none

ELLS:
- students could draw out the summary so they would have a visual

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Oh summary. How I have such a love-hate relationship with you. Summarizing stories is something students start at a young age, and yet it is still so hard for students even in late elementary. I often find that they struggle to determine the important details from the minor details and write summaries filled with and then, and then, and then, and then, and then.....I end up feeling like Ashton Kutcher from "Dude, Where's My Car."

So, why do we teach summarizing?

The ability to summarize builds comprehension. Summarizing a narrative text helps students comprehend the plot of the story. According to Fountas and Pinnell, good readers are always taking information from the text and condensing it into a summary-type form. As readers pull out the most important information, they are constantly interpreting what the author is telling them and further developing the summary of the story.

This year, I wanted to begin by seeing what the kids remembered about summary and clear up misconceptions before beginning the summarizing process.

I made a simple chart with "What is a summary?" and "What is a summary NOT?" I wanted them to think about summaries from both sides.

I gave them each a green sticky note first and asked them to tell me, in their own words, what they thought a summary was. They each came and added their sticky note to the chart.

Then I gave them each a yellow sticky note and asked them to write down, in their own words, what they know is NOT included in a summary. Then they added their yellow sticky notes to our chart.

We read a few of them aloud and saw that many of them had several of the same ideas.

Here are a couple examples of what my students said a summary is.

And here are a couple examples of what my students said a summary is NOT.

I like to use the Somebody-Wanted-But-So-Then (SWBST) strategy with students because it gives them a way to ensure they are looking for each piece of the summary every time they read a narrative piece.

When teaching, I suggest lots of modeling, then move to group work before letting them summarize on their own.

Here is our anchor chart:

I discussed with them that when summarizing a narrative text, they should look for the main character, what the main character wants or his/her goals, the main problem he/she encounters, and the resolution of the problem.

We summarized a short, one page text that we had previously read, about a girl names Callie who needed to complete a difficult homework assignment. (According to Fountas and Pinnell, you should begin with short texts that do not have many details).

I modeled how to use the summary chart, and we looked for each piece as a whole group.

I put a sticky note at each table group and tasked them with writing down the information for one component of the chart. One table wrote down the main character, one table wrote down what the character wanted, and so on.

I have left this chart hanging in our room now so the students will have a visual reminder of how to get a summary!

I also use a SWBST foldable with my kids. Anytime they read a story, they can fill in one of these. Doing this each time they read a book, (either a book from the library, a book you are reading aloud in class, during guided reading, a weekly story, etc) will solidify and fine tune their summarizing skills. It also reminds them that each time they read a story, this is the information they need to be looking for to fully comprehend the text.

I also have a SWBST log that students complete each time they read a fiction book. This helps hold students accountable for reading and finishing a book, helps with comprehension, and simultaneously works on reinforcing summarizing skills. Many teachers do reading logs anyway where the students write down what they are reading, but this is a way to prove they have read the story, and shows if they understood what they read. Never miss a teachable moment!!

You can get this foldable and SWBST log as a FREEBIE in my store by clicking here, or by clicking the picture below! Enjoy!

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Oh summary. How I have such a love-hate relationship with you. Summarizing stories is something students start at a young age, and yet it is still so hard for students even in late elementary.

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This helps students think and reflect on what all a character has been though. They draw a head on one side and then describe what’s going on the back.

Pros:
* keeps the students engaged
* the get to explain what is going on and draw from their own perspective
* they can show the whole class
*inspires creativity

Cons:
* students who aren’t blessed in the drawing area might not like showing the whole class
* make showing the class optional

ELL:
* drawing out the characters would help them visually see things

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A log for the students to track what they’re thinking and learning, kind of like diaries.

Pros:
* each child can make their own
* it’s about what each child learned on their own
* if the teacher reads them, they’ll know what area the child needs more help with and what was confusing to them
* possibilities are endless with these

Cons:
* students who aren’t good at writing may not like it as much because it could be a lot of writing

ELL:
* students could write about what they learned at school and take it home to their parents. They could write in their native language or English.

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A book where each child makes one page of a book.

Pros:
* great keepsake 💗
* every child gets involved
* I’m sure it’d be entertaining seeing what they write about and draw
* parents would love it

Cons:
* the class would have to come to a mutual agreement on what to write about
* some students, like myself, aren’t blessed in the area of drawing

ELL:
* they may miss the idea of a book like this and they may not know how to write in English.

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Intro to Story Lessons Do You Want to Be My Friend?

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A short or a to the point lesson that will build up to a bigger lesson later.

Pros:
* can be used for any subject
* usually a writing prompt
* can be used as a teacher modeling lesson on how to be a friend or hang up a coat

Cons:
* I think mini lessons are great, especially if it’s a mini life lesson

ELL:
* mini lessons would probably be good for Ell students so not a lot of info at once

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How to Plan a Minilesson from Scratch

Minilessons are actually really easy to plan, and fun to teach. What? You don't believe me? Let me show you, right now, how to do it.

First, take this little quiz to see if this post is for you:

1. Have you ever spent more than a half hour to plan for a minilesson that (in theory) should only take ten minutes to teach?

2. Are you afraid to write your own minilessons, preferring to read straight from your Units of Study books, using them like a script?

3. If you do plan your own minilessons, do you sometimes have this sinking feeling that you're doing something wrong? Like your lessons just aren't going the way you'd like them to?

4. Are your minilessons too long? (Remember, the longer your minilesson, the less time kids have for actually writing!)

If you answered yes to any of the above, then you are in the right place.

First thing you need to know: Every minilesson can pretty much go the same way. Sure, there are lots of fancy innovations and methods you can incorporate, but there is a basic architecture (based on research, by the way) that you can fall back on time and time again.

It goes like this:

Connection: Remind kids of something familiar. Perhaps remind kids of some prior knowledge, or a story from your classroom, or an anecdote from your own personal life that will connect to today's teaching point.

Teaching Point: Tell the kids exactly what you are going to teach them today. Don't be mysterious. Don't make them guess. Be explicit and direct. Just tell them!

Demo: Demonstrate the teaching point with one very clear example. Use your own writing, or a piece of student work, a class story, or a published mentor text-but not all four! That will take too long, and shouldn't be necessary if you demonstrate very clearly. Act out all the steps of your teaching point, do some actual writing on paper, and think aloud as you do it.

Active Engagement: Make sure every kid tries the teaching point before you end your lesson. Invite them to try something quick and small. Just a sample is enough. Plan that this will take no more than one or two minutes.This is the one and only time all your kids MUST try it. After this, today's teaching point will become one of many choices your kids can pull from as they work on their own independent writing. If there are a handful of kids having trouble, jot down their names and pull them together as a small group after the minilesson to follow up or make accommodations.

Link: This is where you make it very clear to kids what the choices are for their ongoing work. Today's teaching point is now just one of the many strategies they can choose from. Often, you'll add today's minilesson teaching point onto a chart, so that kids won't forget it come tomorrow.
Yeah, yeah, you say. I know all that already.
Great, I say! Now try this:

1. Think of something familiar that you are constantly reminding or teaching someone to do. For example, in my house, I am constantly reminding and teaching my daughter to put her dirty clothes in the hamper. I also do a lot of reminding about turning out lights. And then there's hanging up her coat instead of dropping it on the floor in front of the door... my list could go on and on.

2. Now try this. Use the chart below to just say aloud a minilesson that teaches something silly and familiar. Just use the sentence starters and see what happens.

My minilesson for teaching my daughter to hang up her coat would go like this using the scaffolding language on the chart:
"Now Lily, remember yesterday when I tripped on your raincoat when I was walking in the door? That was pretty scary for me! I almost dropped all the groceries I was carrying!" Teaching Point: "Today I want to teach you how to help keep our house nice and neat by hanging up your coat on a hook every time you come through the door." Demo: "Watch how I hang up my own coat as soon as come in through the door." I put on my coat, and walk outside to the garage. Then I open the door. "Hmm... I'm taking off my coat. I'm thinking maybe I'll just drop it right here on the floor. What do you think?" (Lily giggles, of course) "Nooo! That would be messy. Plus someone could trip on it! I'll hang it up on the hook. See?" I hang my coat on a hook. "Did you see how I thought about dropping it on the floor, but then I stopped and decided it would be better to hang it on the hook?" Active Engagement: "Now it's your turn to hang your coat up as soon as you come through the door. Go ahead, put your coat back on and go back outside to try it." Lily puts her coat on, and we step outside the door together. "Okay, time to take off your coat!" She takes off her coat. "Where will you put your coat this time?" She hangs it on a hook. I noticed that you Link: Today and every day, for the rest of your life, you can always hang your coat on a hook when you come in the house. Don't forget, you can also put your shoes on the shoe rack, and your hat in the basket too! didn't just toss your coat on the floor-you hung it on the hook!
How long did it take you to plan a minilesson for an everyday, silly, teaching point? Not long, right?

Now, you see, minilessons aren't that complicated after all. The consistency of the architecture and the scaffolding language is a tool that you can use for planning. Now try it with a reading strategy, or a writing strategy, and off you go!

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Minilessons are actually really easy to plan, and fun to teach. What? You don't believe me? Let me show you, right now, how to do it. First, take this little quiz to see if this post is for you: 1.

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Helps students determine the likenesses and differences of things.

Pros:
* helps determine differences
* can be used for different topics, as well as different subjects
* could eventually be used in a Venn diagram

Cons:
* no cons. Easy to use and to follow along with

ELL:
* great visual for them to see

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A Semantic Feature Analysis improves students' comprehension, vocabulary, and content retention. This strategy helps students to examine related features or concepts and make distinctions among them. By analyzing the completed matrix, students are able to visualize connections, make predictions, and better understand important concepts.

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Where some words are taken away from a paragraph or sentence and the students have to fill in the words that they think are best

Pros:
* students get to choose the words that they think goes in the blanks
* different responses from different students
* you can assess using cloze

Cons:
* I cant really think of any
* students may get frustrated if they can’t think of a word

ELL:
* helps them build their vocabulary and knowledge of nouns, adverbs, etc.

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Short talks to inspire someone to read a book that the student enjoys to encourage reading.

Pros:
* you’ll know if a student actually reads a book
* a way to get all of the students involved
* encourages reading

Cons:
* some students will probably not take it seriously and make things up

ELL:
* encourages conversation with other students

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When you read a good book, it's only natural to want to share it. Booktalks are short, informal presentations designed to inspire others to read the same book. Word-of-mouth is extremely effective, and you'll see how much kids appreciate recommendations, especially from their peers.

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Readers theater is a presentation of a work like a script. Students read from a "script". These Presentations can easily be done in a k-3 classroom.

Pros:
* you can have a certain theme and make it really fun
* easily done in the classroom
* helps students be ok in front of the classroom
* students don’t have to memorize anything
* can be used for multiple subjects

Cons:
* may not be too interesting to some

ELL:
* this allows students to practice reading out loud and to gain confidence talking out loud to the class.

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Reader's Theater Scripts and Plays

Readers Theater is a dramatic presentation of a written work in a script form. Readers read from a "script" and reading parts are divided among the readers. No memorization, costumes, blocking, or special lighting is needed. Presentations can easily be done in a k-3 classroom. Scripts are held by the readers. Lines are not memorized. The focus is on reading the text with expressive voices and gestures. Making comprehending the text meaningful and fun for the student! Once you start Reader's Theater in your classroom you and your students will be loving it!!!

"Reader's Theater proved to be almost a magic solution for Griffith: In just 10 weeks of using RT, every child in her class had gained a full grade level in reading. After a year, the children's gains had jumped to three years of growth. Griffith calls the transformation in their reading fluency totally remarkable." Quote taken from The Power of Reader's Theater, Scholastic Instructor

Update - July 08

Plays and Scripts To Print and Read

Reader's Theater Resources!!

Click the books to learn more...

Look what THOUSANDS of Teachers Use and Love!!!
Teaching Heart - 2001-2008

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Reader's Theater Scripts and Plays for the Classroom

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Reader's Theater Scripts and Plays Readers Theater is a dramatic presentation of a written work in a script form. Readers read from a "script" and reading parts are divided among the readers. No memorization, costumes, blocking, or special lighting is needed. Presentations can easily be done in a k-3 classroom.

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A worksheet that allows the students to draw what they think is going on in the story while writing.

Pros:
* inspires creativity and increases students paying attention
* you can see what the students are thinking
* something different for them to do

Cons:
* this cost money to download, but it might be worth it

ELL:
* they are allowed to draw about what thhey learned

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A notebook with pages of letters and things that start with that letter.

Pros:
* a way to keep organized
* shows alphabetic order
* hands on and good for visual learners
* students can go back and look at it

Cons:
* it’ll be really successful if you keep going back and reviewing past letters they’ve learned
* time consuming
* messy

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Interactive Alphabet Notebook An Uppercase & Lowercase Alphabet Notebook Bundle is now available here: Interactive Uppercase & Lowecase Notebook Bundle.

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You divide the paper into how many students are at a table. Each student gets their own area. Then leave a space in the middle for everyone to put their ideas in.

Pros:
* everyone gets their own spot for ideas and opinions
* the students come to a conclusion in the middle
* promotes collaboration
* increases involvement
* can be used for any class subject

Cons:
* can’t think of any

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So, are you ready to give it a go? Here are some tips to help you get started.

Please note: There are many different ways to do this! The ideas below just represent some of the methods that have worked best for me. This is post #2 in a series. To read post #1, An Introduction to Academies, click here.)

I begin with a
How To Begin:
Survey to inventory the interests of my students. I like to use a student survey that combines both closed and open-ended prompts. An open-ended question such as, "What do you like to do in your free time," is a great way to tap into students' individual and unique interests. The closed prompts, such as a checklist of interests, helps students to consider categories they might otherwise miss. The opportunity to choose their course of study is a new way of thinking for many students. The closed questions model some of the possibilities available and help them to think outside the traditional classroom curriculum. Once the surveys are complete, I sort the data and look for trends in student interest. I use these trends to seek out Academy presenters.

I administer the survey in the spring. This gives me the summer months to explore different Academy options and gather presenters. At the same time, I send a letter/survey to parents and school staff. The letter, which you can download below for free, explains the purpose of Academies and encourages members of our school community to share their interests, talents, and skills with our students. While staff members are often unable to donate their time because of the school schedule, they often have meaningful connections that they are willing to share.

Download for free here.

Download for free here.

In addition to the letter home, I share this information on my web site, include reminders in my newsletters, and "advertise" at special events, such as Open House or Curriculum Night. Word of mouth is also a powerful way to attract presenters. The enthusiasm from students, presenters, and parents generates a lot of positive buzz, which encourages others to volunteer their time and talents.

The community is also a powerful place to find talent. I encourage you to partner with nearby colleges/universities, local businesses, and public organizations. They have a wealth of resources are often quite eager to support students and learning.
Once student interest has been established, I seek out expert presenters and create a calendar for the year. At my school, it works best to host Academies during the intervention/enrichment block; this way students do not miss any core classroom instruction. Academies take place every Friday and each session runs somewhere between 4-8 weeks, depending on the needs and availability of the presenter. Once the calendar is created, volunteers can sign up for the chunks of time that work best for them.

Just try! Trust me when I say that when I began in 2012 I was NOT great. At all. In the beginning, I didn't always have enough presenters to offer a range of choice each week. Academy topics were sometimes driven by what volunteers were available - and it really didn't matter. Students were excited to learn new content and skills, and some students discovered interests that they didn't even know they had.My Top Tips for Success:
Let me begin here with a disclaimer. A big one. I am still figuring it out myself. I began in the fall of 2012 and each year I do it a bit differently; I learn new lessons, I make new mistakes, and I add or take away elements. So, the tips below are not the "best" way; they are just my suggestions based on trial and error - and trial again.

1. Have a go!

2. Start Small:
Start with one Academy and try it for 3-4 sessions. Academies do not need to be fancy or elaborate in order to be meaningful.

Academies are ideally driven by student interest, so I've found that it is important to be adaptable. For example, in my first year, we had organized an Academy on American Law. Part way through the first session, the presenter posed an ethical question inspired by Harvard professor Just as a good teacher can make all the difference, so can a presenter. A perfect example is our Shakespeare Academy. This could have been a terribly dull and boring topic for 5th graders, but our presenter was dynamite! By the end of the first day, she had the kids composing a rap in iambic pentameter. The next week, she compared Romeo and Juliet to the Super Bowl, dividing students into two teams - the Montagues and Capulets - to play out the plot. Let me say in all honesty: I have never enjoyed (or understood) Shakespeare so much!3. Be flexible:
Michael Sandel about the value of one human life. The students were hooked. We spent the rest of the session debating this question. At the end of the first day, the presenter and I decided to change the Academy from American Law to Ethics in Modern Society. The students then spent the next three sessions thinking critically to tackle complex moral and ethical questions.

So . . . What do you think? Are you ready to give it a go? If you have questions, ideas, or need any help, I'd love to hear from you!
4. The Presenter is Key:

Creativity and Innovation are more important than ever in today's classroom. Our world is changing on a large scale and at an increasingly rapid rate.

Yet creativity is often at odds with the traditional classroom. With standardized measures for achievement and highly structured schedules, teachers often feel like we do not have the time to be creative.

But what happens if we don't MAKE time to be creative. According to George Couros, "school can easily become a checklist for our students" (Couros, 2015). Daily reading passages, multiple choice tests, and homework can make school feel like a predictable routine or list to check off as opposed to an exciting opportunity to explore, learn, experiment, and grow.

So, how do we make school a place where students feel inspired and empowered by their learning, where learning is relevant and fun, where students have the opportunity to explore areas of personal interest and passion, and where we can recognize and develop a diverse array of talents?

I am constantly amazed and inspired by the innovative methods I see educators use in my school and across the globe. This post is about one way I attempt to bring creativity and innovation to the classroom.

What Is An Academy?

An Academy is a small group elective that students sign up for based on their interests. Academies are designed to feel like mini-college seminars where students can explore areas of passion outside the scope of the traditional curriculum. Academies take place during the school day and are hosted by a parent or community volunteer who has a passion, talent, or expertise in a certain area. I offer Academies to students in grades 3-5. Groups meet once a week for 45 minutes and each session lasts anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Past Academies have included:
- Film Making
- Civics
- Video Game Design
- Shakespeare
- Leadership
- Yoga
- French
- Ocean Ecology
- Coding

Why Offer Academies?
Why would a rational human being introduce one more thing into an already jam-packed school day? It seems nearly impossible, right? However this 45 minutes a week is one of the best investments I have ever made in my students. Here's why I did it:

1. Expand the Scope of the Curriculum: In his book Out of Our Minds, Ken Robinson explores the "hierarchy of subjects" in education. Across the globe, he explains, schools focus primarily on reading and math, with some time devoted to science and social studies, and minimal attention to the arts. For students who are not interested or do not excel in one of these areas, school can be frustrating, discouraging, and seemingly irrelevant.

Click here to watch his popular (and brilliant) TED talk, Do Schools Kill Creativity?

My goal was to provide students with learning opportunities not typically offered during the traditional school day. Learning is a life time adventure and I wanted my students to see and be inspired by the diversity of learning opportunities that exist outside the walls of a classroom.

2. Identify and Develop Diverse Talents: Academies are an opportunity to identify a variety of talent. Through the expanded content, a greater diversity of talent can emerge and be identified. Academies are also an opportunity to nurture and validate talents not typically addressed during the school day. By doing the Academies during the school day, we send the message to students that this type of thinking and learning is valued and valuable.

3. Have Fun!Learning is fun right? Academies are designed to:
- spark student interest and motivation
- excite students about learning
- improve student attitudes towards school

In their book The Schoolwide Enrichment Model, Joseph Renzulli and Sally Reis discuss the power of the "Three E's" - enjoyment, enthusiasm, and engagement. Their research shows that "when the Three E's are working well, students not only like school better, they also show improvements in school achievement" (Renzulli & Reis, 2003). Renzulli and Reis go on to say that the Three Es "produce higher achievement than test prep" (Renzulli & Reis, 2003). Word.

So, what does an Academy look like? Below are examples of just a few of the Academies I've hosted over the past few years.

1. Design Your Own Video Game: This academy was hosted by one of my former students. While taking an online course in middle school, he learned how to create video games using a free program from M.I.T. called Scratch. My former student taught participants how to use the program to design video games, share them online, and play each others.

My students loved learning from a fellow student. It was incredibly inspiring and empowering. They also loved that when I missed one Academy class because I was out sick, I could no longer understand or keep up with what they were doing in class! Also very empowering.

2. Yoga: This academy was hosted by a parent who is a yoga instructor. The academy was simple, yet magical! Students came in the clothes they wore to school and we laid out towels in the media center. While students were initially excited by the opportunity to move, they ended up appreciating so much more! Through the expert guidance of our host, students learned how to use their breath and mindfulness to manage stress, build self-esteem, and increase confidence. It was also a wonderful opportunity for my students to be a part of a healthy, non-competitive, nurturing group. As I said earlier - Magical. Truly magical.

Welcome to post #2 in the series: Hook Your Students! How to capture (and keep!) their attention. To read post #1 about Anticipation-Reaction Guides, click here.

This week I will share how I use the Consensus Placemat to motivate and prepare my students for learning. The Consensus Placemat is a cooperative learning tool designed to increase student engagement and individual accountability.

To complete the placemat, the teacher poses a question about an important idea, concept, or skill. Each student then takes time to think independently about the question and write their response in their own space on the edge of the placemat.

When every member of the group is finished writing, the team shares ideas. I like to use Round Robin to be sure that each student has an opportunity to share their ideas and hear the reasoning of their peers.

Once every idea has been shared, the team works together to create one answer with which every member agrees. The team then writes this consensus statement or summary in the center of the placemat.

Why Use a Consensus Placemat?The consensus placemat is an easy, low-prep tool that offers many benefits.

It is a great way to activate students' prior knowledge and to see what students already know.

It encourages participation from every student. Students who may be reluctant to raise their hand or share ideas are able to actively contribute to the discussion in a relaxed setting. Because each member must construct their own response first, it increases equitable participation and individual student accountability.

Students must think critically to support their ideas and evaluate the reasoning of others.

I typically use the consensus placemat as an opening hook to build student interest and readiness. Students are excited to learn from their peers and they are eager to verify their individual ideas and team summary. I have also used it as a closing exercise to reinforce key concepts and check for understanding.

Are you ready to give it a go? Here is a blank template and some prompts to get you started:

Is a rectangle a square? How do you know?

What are the steps of the water cycle? Show what you know using words or pictures.

What is alliteration? Provide an example.

Describe our rules for recess.

Are all odd numbers prime? Explain how you know.

I hope this tool is of value to you and your students. What questions do you have? How do you use the consensus placemat with your class? Let me know; I'd love to learn with you!

This post is the first in the series of Hook Your Students! How to capture (and keep!) their attention. Before I share one of my favorite teaching "hooks," let's briefly discuss what a "hook" is.

What is a "hook?"
A hook is a short instructional activity used at the beginning of the lesson to capture students' attention and to build interest and motivation for learning. Hooks are also known as anticipatory sets, set induction, and advance organizers. I like to use the term "hook" because that is what these activities do - they "hook" students and actively draw them into learning.

Why Use a Hook?

A hook is not only fun and engaging, but it prepares and motivates students for learning. Using a hook helps to:

Focus student attention on the lesson

Set a purpose for learning

Activate prior knowledge

Check for student understanding

Build curiosity, anticipation, and interest

Let's look at an example:
An Anticipation-Reaction Guide (AR Guide) contains a series of short statements about the topic or concept you plan to teach. Some of the statements are true and some are false. Before interacting with the content, students read the statements and decide if they agree or disagree with the statement. Students record their prediction, an "A" for agree or "D" for disagree, in the left hand column. Students can answer the statements on their own or collaborate in pairs or small groups. Oftentimes, discussion can help students to activate prior knowledge and make connections with past experiences.

Once predictions have been made, it is time to present the content. This can be the text you are about to read, a video, a series of photographs - whatever tool you plan to use for instruction. Once students have had an opportunity to engage with the content, they revisit the anticipation-reaction guide to verify their predictions. Students record their final answers in the right column.

The focus is not about whether the student's prediction is right or wrong. The goal is to revisit the statements with a critical eye to build understanding of the concept or skill. The discussion surrounding why statements are true or false helps to reinforce key concepts and build lasting comprehension.

Here is an example from my classroom. (You can download this, and the other printables shown in this post, for free here.) In 3rd grade, our first ELA unit is about Fables. In order to develop a solid understanding of what a fable is, I present my students with the anticipation-reaction guide shown below. I encourage students to work in pairs to discuss the statements and use their prior knowledge to make predictions.

I then show students a short video, such as The Tortoise and the Hare or The Dog and His Reflection. Once the video is complete, students revisit the A-R guide to verify their original ideas and we pause for discussion. What did we learn about the characteristics of a fable? What statements do we still need to answer? If needed, we can watch another short video to explore unanswered questions. We can also record remaining questions on an anchor chart and search for the answers as we read throughout the unit.

Using the AR guide, students are actively engaged in learning. Instead of passively receiving information, students are empowered to build meaningful, long-term understanding.

While the Anticipation-Reaction Guide is traditionally used in ELA, I've found that it can be easily used and adapted to other content areas as well. Here is an example from my 4th grade math class. When we began our exploration into polygons, I began with the AR guide below.

After completing the left hand column, I introduced the content, using examples and non-examples. I've included a copy of the activity for your reference.

With the AR statements in mind, we explored the examples and non-examples. Students were so excited to use the images to confirm, clarify, and update their first predictions. We revisited the AR guide throughout the lesson as we gained new insights and information. Again, the emphasis was not on whether we were right or wrong, but the content and quality of our discussion. Students had to think critically to justify their ideas, support them with evidence, communicate their reasoning to peers, and critique the rationale of others.

Using the AR guide and the visual examples, students were able to craft a clear and accurate definition: "A polygon is a plane shape that has 3 or more straight sides and angles." The definition was much more meaningful and had a longer-lasting impact because my students were invested in creating it themselves.

Are you ready to create your own Anticipation Guide? Let's Do It! Here is a blank, editable template to help you get started:

Identify the key concepts or skills you want students to learn. What do students really need to know in order to understand this concept or skill? Write 4-6 declarative statements about the concept, making some statements true and others false.

Options for Differentiation:

* Present it orally. Read the statements out loud. This can be a great option for younger students and less proficient readers.

* Add a "WHY" column to the chart. Students can use this area to justify their conclusions.

* In lieu of 4-6 statements, offer one open-ended question. (ex: what is a polygon?) This strategy will help to activate prior knowledge and provide you with insight into what the students already know.

What else do you need to make Anticipation Guides work well for you and your students? What other "hooks" would you like to learn more about? Let me know; I'd love to help!

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So, are you ready to give it a go? Here are some tips to help you get started. Please note: There are many different ways to do this! The ideas below just represent some of the methods that have worked best for me. This is post #2 in a series.

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A strategy game used to encourage more writing in the classroom.

Pros:
* more writing in the classroom
*changes up writing prompts in the classroom
* encourages communication
* builds summarizing, communication and writing skills
* students can share their responses

Cons:
* I don’t really think there are cons. It changes up writing. Not all students would write about the same thing.

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Our principal has really been encouraging us to add more writing into our daily lesson plans. "They should be writing all day long" he tells us. The research is there to back him up.

I bumped into this I
Roll and Retell page from Fun In First on printed and laminated four copies of the Roll and Retell page to hand out to each of my four table groups. Pinterest awhile back and finally figured out how to add it to our learning day.

After a round of Daily 5 I handed them out. I also gave each table one die. Each student at the table took turns rolling the die and then answering the question based on the number they rolled. They each used the individual book they were reading to answer the questions. I felt like it would be a great advertisement for new books for each child to read when they were done with the one they were working on. I also knew it would be great oral practice BEFORE they started writing.

Once they had a chance to talk about what they were going to write, I set the timer for 5 minutes and let them write. Then we shared our responses.

Here are a few of their responses.

I had so much success with this activity with my students, that I created versions that cover the standards for
2nd, 3rd and 4th grades.

What have you tried in your classroom lately? Link up with
Dr. Susan Hall, literacy leader and founder of 95 Percent Group, mentions this Roll and Retell Activity as a Reading Comprehension Game that Students Will Want to Play Over and Over! Check it out for the other ideas there as well!

Fourth Grade Flipper for Tried It Tuesday and share!

This post contains affiliate links. I earn a small commission each time someone makes a purchase using one of my links, which helps to support the blog. All opinions are my own and I only promote brands and products that I have used myself and truly love.

I would love to hear from you! ❤️

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Roll and Retell - Building Summarizing, Communication, and Writing Skills

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Our principal has really been encouraging us to add more writing into our daily lesson plans. "They should be writing all day long" he tells us. The research is there to back him up.

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Is a physical area for learning a specific thing. It is designed to provide materials to help students work with partners or in small groups to meet literacy goals.

Pros:
* friends can help each other
* if students need help in certain areas, you can make a station for that certain area
* student collaboration

Cons:
* can get noisy
* requires a lot of space

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A few weeks ago I blogged about how I managed my literacy centers. This system is literally the best thing I ever did as a first grade teacher. It made things so much easier for me in the long run. You can read more about it HERE.

September feels far away, but it will be here before you know it. I finally took photographs of my September centers to show you all. I have these monthly centers for every month except July. I train the kids in September, reinforce in October and it is smooth sailing for the rest of the year. The centers change theme and they get more difficult, but the routines are the same and the menu structure allows for smooth monthly changes.

Just in case, here is a quick explanation about how it works:

These folder holders hold all of the centers. The only exception is the Rebuild a Poem because it is in a pocket chart (but the student recording sheets are still in the folder). When I first created these, I needed something that would work for a tiny room. I had very little shelf space, so I wanted my centers to fit together nicely. This solved that! It only takes up a small space on a shelf. Students know to go here to get all of their centers. You could also spread them out around the room so there isn't a traffic jam. ;)

The folder holders have labels that match the center menu's heading. There are four centers under each heading every month. The headings do not change.

Inside each folder are all the contents of that center. The picture on the cover matches the picture on the menu. See below, under Sentence Building is the "Sentence Match" center. The picture on the menu matches the picture on that folder. Also, the heading ( Sentence Building) is also on the folder in the top corner, so the student can quickly return it to the correct folder holder.

Another update is that I made a black-and-white menu. Every student gets a menu at the beginning of the month. They keep it in their center/reading workshop folder all month long. They keep track of the centers they finish by coloring in the squares with that center. Below are pictures of all of the centers.

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September Literacy Centers for First Grade

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A few weeks ago I blogged about how I managed my literacy centers. This system is literally the best thing I ever did as a first grade teacher. It made things so much easier for me in the long run. You can read more about it HERE.

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A running record is a tool that helps teachers to identify patterns in a students reading

Pros:
* students are easily tracked
* great for the teacher to have to evaluate each student
* used to monitor what’s going on with the student
* points out areas where the child is having problems

Cons:
* you can only do one child at a time

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A word ladder puzzle begins with two words, and to solve the puzzle one must find a chain of other words to join them.

Pros:
* reinforces letter patterns
* helps children recognize word families
* great for sight words

Cons:
* mainly for the younger grades

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These word ladder worksheets are an excellent tool for teaching phonics, basic vocabulary, and reading. Students will practice critical thinking skills as they work through a word letter and change letters in words to make new words. Check out these printable reading worksheets today!

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A way to visually display any vocab or sight words in the class

Pros:
* used to visually display vocabulary words in the classroom.
* can be used for any subject
* able to go back and review vocab words

Cons:
* takes up a lot of wall space in the classroom
* takes time to laminate words for the wall

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You post them to showcase sight words, alphabetized vocabulary and content-area terms, but some teachers take word walls to the next level. Here are 19 word walls that will have you rethinking how you're using that coveted classroom space.

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Environmental print is text all around the child. Signs and logos on stores, bags, buildings, and product packaging become the text that children see daily and that they begin to “read”.

Pros:
* there are many different ways you can use environmental prints
* they are everywhere
* you can make games or just about anything with them

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12 Environmental Print Activities - Pre-K Pages

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A collection of ideas and activities for using environmental print in the classroom to develop early reading skills; for preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten.

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A way of assessing what students got from the lesson that day, what they might need more help with and their opinion of the lesson.

Pros:
* easy to track if they got the gist of the lesson.
* each child answers on their own
* a good organizer to come up with their thoughts
* a way to keep students at their seat

Cons:
* takes away time from teaching...but it would probably be worth losing 5 minutes

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3-2-1 Closure Activity - Printable Worksheet | Student Handouts

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This 3-2-1 ELA closure activity worksheet is designed for use after students have read a nonfiction text. There are boxes for students to write three facts they learned, two questions they still have, and one opinion they now have.

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A visible way to record content, strategies and guidelines in literature. It really makes the thinking visible to the whole class.

Pros:
* great for visual learners
* a good way to connect thoughts
* the teacher could display it up anywhere in the classroom
* could also be used for about any subject
* these charts capture the main ideas

Cons:
* could take some extra class time depending how much detail the teacher would want to put in.

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Reading is both an art and a science in so many ways. Once young readers move on from word recognition to reading for meaning, a whole new world opens up. Reading comprehension activities within the ELA block help students develop skills that will deepen the meaning of literature, while also leading to an understanding of material in other subjects. As students learn to make connections within a text, lifelong reading skills are born and cultivated. Check out these ELA anchor charts to help your students analyze the many elements necessary for reading success.

1. Questions To Ask While Reading

Questions like these help students think about the purpose of reading itself. They also encourage kids to consider important basics, like setting and characters.

2. Story Elements

Going over the key components that make up a story will make your students better readers. They'll know exactly what to look out for, and searching for these pieces will make reading seem like a fun scavenger hunt.

3. Read, Cover, Remember, Retell

Stop students from skimming longer texts with this concept. This way, they'll break the text into bite-sized chunks and truly understand what they're reading.

4. Making Predictions

Making predictions is a great way for students to interact with a text. Just introduce them to these three simple steps and watch them succeed!

5. Beginning, Middle, End

Have students look for growth throughout a story by paying attention to the beginning, middle, and end. They should think about where the characters start, what happens to them, and how they're different at the end.

6. Choosing a Just-Right Book

Comprehension is deeply connected to children's current reading abilities, and knowing how to choose a just-right book can help them gain confidence in their skills.

7. Summary Sentences

Make sense of more complicated passages by writing summary sentences for each paragraph or section on sticky notes. They'll be helpful when reviewing for tests or writing a paper.

8. Monitoring for Meaning

Self-monitoring is key for success in reading comprehension at all levels. Giving students some questions to ask themselves as they read is a great first step toward understanding.

9. UNWRAP

Use the UNWRAP method to guide students through a thorough reading. This is an especially valuable technique for nonfiction passages.

10. Understanding What Reading Looks Like

Setting expectations for what reading really looks like can help lay the groundwork for comprehension, as illustrated in this reading anchor chart.

11. Literary Elements

This is like combining four anchor charts for reading comprehension into one! It's the kind of chart that kids can refer to over and over.

12. How To Mark a Text

Use an anchor chart and strategy like this one to teach your students how to properly mark up texts. Afterward, have a group discussion and ask students to utilize the sections they emphasized in their texts to support their individual points.

13. Cause and Effect

Considering cause and effect is an excellent way to improve reading comprehension. Students learn to watch for words like "because" and "so" with this anchor chart.

14. Decoding Tricky Words

Decoding strategies help students step back from a frustrating word or sentence and revisit it from another angle. Especially when they're just starting out, your class (and their parents) will appreciate having access to these tips.

15. Coding Thoughts

Shortcut symbols allow students to annotate texts without slowing down or interrupting the reading flow. Be sure to teach them how and when to use each symbol as they read.

16. Using Context Clues

This anchor chart for reading helps students use context clues, such as synonyms and word parts, to become "word detectives" when they stumble upon a word they don't know.

17. Types of Conflict

Dig deeper into characters by understanding the conflict they face during the story. Remind students that more than one of these often applies.

18. Nonfiction Text Features

If you're doing a nonfiction unit, consider creating an anchor chart as a guide. It can be difficult for some students to understand the differences between fiction and nonfiction, but a chart like this one will immediately orient them within a text.

19. Visualizing as They Read

Visualizing is an important part of achieving reading comprehension. Get kids to see the "movie in their minds" as they read.

20. Figurative Language

Figurative language can be challenging to teach. Make it easier with this anchor chart and a few pieces of text to act as examples. Then, set your students free and see how many elements of figurative language they can find in their individually chosen books.

21. Building Fluency

Fluency is another important part of reading comprehension. When students are robotic in their reading expression and pacing, they have trouble understanding meaning.

22. Overcome Distractions

Even the best readers sometimes have trouble focusing on their books! Make your students more effective readers by going over how to overcome wandering thoughts.

23. Retelling the Story

Retelling or summarizing is an important check on comprehension-can the student identify the main events and characters of the story? Reading anchor charts like this one lend a hand in explaining the concept.

24. Find the Main Idea

Understanding the main idea, or identifying what the text is mostly about, even if it's not explicitly stated, is one of the first higher-level tasks of reading comprehension.

25. Understanding Character

Ask students to distinguish between what's on a character's outside versus a character's inside to help them understand the text.

26. Setting

A story's setting is made up of more than just where it takes place. Help your students fully grasp everything the concept encompasses with a fun and simple visual.

27. Point of View

Understanding point of view in a story can be challenging for beginning readers. This chart will help them pick it up and then implement it in their own writing too.

28. Theme vs. Main Idea

It's so easy for young readers to confuse the theme of a text with its main idea, which is why comparing the two concepts side by side is sure to set up your students for success.

29. Thin and Thick Questions

Teach your students the difference between basic yes-or-no (thin) questions and more involved (thick) questions. When students can answer harder questions about the story, their level of understanding will go through the roof.

30. Making Connections

You can be sure kids comprehend what they read when they can start connecting it to themselves and to the world around them.

31. Reading Conference Guidelines

Implementing one-on-one student-teacher conferences during individual reading time can be really helpful for students, especially when you set expectations and guidelines ahead of time. This will give your students time to think about what they will focus on during their time with you and how it will help them become better readers.

32. Plot Structure

This basic plot anchor chart can help students understand the rising action, climax, and falling action that make up a plot.

33. Making Inferences

To make an inference, students have to differentiate between what's being said on the page and what's not. This anchor chart does a great job of explaining.

34. Writing a Book Review

The key to writing a successful book review is being aware of what to focus on during the reading stage. If you plan on having your students write a book review, go over what they should take notes on or pay close attention to while they are reading with an easy anchor chart like this one.

35. Inference Thinking Stems

Reading is an active endeavor; readers often make predictions based on what they already know. These thinking stems can help students put their ideas about stories into words.

36. Evidence-Based Reading

Students show they understand what they are reading by pointing to evidence within the reading. These words are the key to finding those bits of evidence.

37. Elements of Poetry

Poetry is tricky and reads a lot differently than most other texts students tend to gravitate toward. Nevertheless, it's an important art form to explore in the classroom-so why not use a pretty anchor chart as a primer? We guarantee it will take the fear out of reading poetry.

38. Author's Purpose

Why did the author write this book? Was it to persuade, inform, or entertain? The author's purpose may dictate how students read an article or story, and this chart helps students identify it.

39. Questions and Answers

If your class is struggling with how to find answers to questions while reading, this anchor chart just might help them.

40. Themes in Literature

Another great way to teach theme. Books are like a cream-filled cupcake: You never know what's hiding inside!

41. Vowel Teams

Vowel teams can be confusing for young readers. This chart color-codes each vowel team and incorporates example words with pictures to help students remember these tricky sounds.

42. Stop and Jot

It is always a good idea to have students write about their reading in a Reader's Notebook so they can look back on their thoughts. Anchor charts for reading like this one remind students of great reasons to stop, think, and jot while reading.

43. Using Think Marks to Dig Deeper

Some students are great at remembering to stop and jot as they read, while others are more reluctant. Motivate your students by incorporating these fun symbols that can be placed on sticky notes throughout a text.

44. Thinking Questions To Ask While Reading

Use this chart to help students apply higher-order reading comprehension strategies as they read independently. These also make great conversation starters for whole- and small-group activities.

45. Understanding Why Readers Close-Read

Close reading helps students dig deeper as they read to better understand the text. Give them the background knowledge on this strategy to help motivate them to take a closer look.

46. Steps to Close Reading

Your students will become expert reading detectives with these helpful close-reading tips you can put on anchor charts.

47. Tone and Mood

As students think about their feelings while reading a particular piece, they will learn to build their own opinions of literature and poetry. Help them understand how the author's tone also has an impact by using these anchor charts for reading.

48. Reading Comprehension Strategies Summed Up

This is an excellent summary of multiple reading comprehension strategies used in the classroom all year long. It works well across most grade levels too.

49. ELA Test-Taking Strategies

Help ease the pressure of test taking with these practical reminders. These great tips are well suited for ELA and beyond!

If you like this roundup of anchor charts for reading, subscribe to our free newsletters for more of the latest teaching ideas and tips.

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49 Anchor Charts That Nail Reading Comprehension

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These terrific anchor charts for reading comprehension will help students learn about characters, setting, main ideas, context, and more.

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Graphic organizers that help the children think about what they Know, what they Want to Know, and what they Learned.  They can be used at the beginning of a new lesson or to check their understanding of a topic.

Pros:
*   A great way to organize thoughts
*   Can be used with any subject
*   The learned section could be a way of assessment to see what stuck with the students
*   Visual learners

Cons:
*   Students may not take it too seriously

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KWL Chart {FREEBIE!} from O-H So Blessed on TeachersNotebook.com (1 page)

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KWL Chart {FREEBIE!} from O-H So Blessed on TeachersNotebook.com (1 page)