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Make a Timeline of an Influential Person

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Make a Timeline of an Influential Person

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https://www.education.com/activity/article/make-a-timeline-of-an-influential-person/

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Integrating social studies into literacy routines 

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Integrating social studies into literacy routines 

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Great amount of resources and even disscousions within this website that really digs deep into applying reading and writing into different topic areas.

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Social studies is an often-neglected subject in elementary school because it isn't generally assessed on the state standardized tests that young children take. However, informational text comprehension IS tested... and what better way to teach non-fiction reading strategies than through interesting and relevant resources about the world students live in? This page will help you integrate social studies instruction into your reading block and everyday classroom routines.

A reading strategy-based approach to Social Studies

The best social studies instruction is a balance of content instruction and reading strategy instruction. There are some lessons in which you want children to learn deeply about historical events and really delve into the material through projects and meaningful activities. (On the Fun Social Studies Ideas page, I share 15 awesome activities for you use during your content instruction.)

In other lessons, you simply use social studies texts to teach students how to comprehend non-fiction. Children learn how to use captions, photos, graphs, charts, glossaries, bold print, and so on to help them understand what they read. This reading strategy-based approach to social studies can be done during your reading block to make the most of your limited time.

Social Studies read-alouds:
A (really, really, really) important note for primary grade teachers!

For whatever reason, there's a tendency in the early grades to focus on fiction. This is compounded by most reading series which focus too heavily on this genre even in the upper grades. On behalf of intermediate teachers everywhere, I beg you to take nonfiction text instruction seriously! Many students come to third grade with no knowledge of how to use photos, captions, or charts to help them read because they've been exposed almost solely to fairy tales and other fictional stories. The majority of text on many state standardized tests is nonfiction, and that puts third graders in a really rough predicament of having to learn strategies for a whole new genre in just 6 months. Research shows that 80% of reading that adults do in America is nonfiction, so it's incredibly important for kids to learn this life skill.

And if those two reasons aren't convincing enough...do a reading survey with your kids and discover what they like to read about. I guarantee they will mention animals, natural disasters, dinosaurs, and other nonfiction topics. Kids (especially boys) love to read informational books and magazines-and when they're motivated to read, they'll learn skills more easily and apply them to new texts.

One of the best things you can do for your K-2 students is have non-fiction read-alouds several times per week in place of your fiction read-alouds. Have kids predict what they think is happening in the photos, then point to the captions as you read them and explain how the caption helps you understand what's happening. Think aloud as you read, modeling how to adjust your reading rate for non-fiction texts and re-read when you get to parts that are dense with information. Model how to use the index ("James really wants to find out what horses like to eat. Let's check the index and see which chapter might tell us about that"). Have kids draw diagrams to help them understand what you're reading. If you're not sure what else to do, ask an upper grade teacher in your school. You are doing your students an incredible service by exposing them to nonfiction and getting them excited about learning about their world. On behalf of upper grade teachers (including those middle and high school) and your students, thank you for taking on this challenge!!

7 ideas for embedding Social Studies into literacy routines

1) Use social studies-related texts to teach non-fiction reading strategies during your reading block.

This can be done with trade books, leveled books from your reading series, books from the media center, your social studies textbook, newspapers, magazines, etc. (preferably a variety of these).

2) When teaching students about biographies, have kids research historical figures.

Here are some Biography Projects from Mrs. Renz. The site provides directions for the project, student work samples, and kid-friendly links students can use to conduct their research. Mrs. Renz had her children research a famous person in history, create a timeline and poem, write a report and draw a picture, then dress up as the person and make a presentation. These are great ways to have your kids explore this important genre by researching historical figures that interest them. I've tried this during African-American history month, women's history month, etc (you can download one on my American History Activities page).

3) Use calendar, news, or sharing time to discuss the day in history.

The History Place- This Month in History makes it easy to integrate social studies into your daily routine. You can print out a list of interesting and important events in history by month and share them with your class during your calendar time. With a little planning ahead, you can check out related books from your media center and follow-up with a read-aloud, informational text lesson, or comprehension activity. You can even put a Today in History widget on your computer's dashboard or desktop and have the day's facts at your fingertips. There are lots of ways to incorporate this idea, but I find 'The History Place' exceptionally good because you can see all dates at once and plan ahead, and the events are specifically chosen to be of interest to kids. There's also a Photo of the Week, Speech of the Week, and links to many more History Place resources.

4) During your time in the computer lab (or when students use classroom computers), have kids complete historical web quests.

Kidipede: History for Kids is a great resource for online scavenger hunts and basic overviews of various time periods in history. I once taught a curriculum that required third graders to learn about a variety of ancient cultures (none of them in depth) and this site was a great tool for me to familiarize the children with the time periods in a way that was interesting for them and not overwhelming.

5) Use read-alouds to supplement or even drive your social studies curriculum.

Pull a handful of key vocabulary words from the trade book and put them on the board to discuss with students before and after reading. Allow children to give input on the topic or theme of books. I have a request form in my classroom for students to suggest topics they'd like me to read to them about. Popular requests include slavery, mummies, 9/11/01, various wars, Washington DC, New York, endangered species, and famous athletes, as well as books about specific countries where the students are from or have relatives living.

6) Leave two time-lines up in your classroom for students to add to throughout the year.

I have one from 1800-2010 and one from 5000 BC to current. As we read about different historical events in all subjects (including shared readings, our reading basal series, and science), we compose a brief sentence to go on the appropriate timeline and have a student illustrate it. This helps the kids see how various events relate to one another (i.e. Jim Crow laws were in the 1950's because they were after slavery). I know a middle/high school teacher who has kids keep their own personal timelines in their notebooks. Adding to the timelines takes about 5 minutes during a lesson and leaves a lasting reference that can be used for more teaching points throughout the year.

7) Set aside a few minutes a day for current events discussion.

Each child can be responsible for bringing in an article once a month or once a week to share, or you can have kids bring in things that interest them anytime at all. Show students how to use newspapers, magazines, and the internet to gather their resources. A great source for interesting current events is Yahoo's Most Viewed Odd News, which gives very short briefings and photos about weird stories from around the world. (Examples: 'Nepal Boy Claims to Be Shortest in the World', 'Moooove Slowly and Don't Hug Cows, Hikers Told in Switzerland', and 'Thieves Have Their Cake But Can't Eat It' (about 2 crooks in Germany who robbed a grocery store and only took a cake). Kids adore these types of stories, and all you have to do is visit the webpage where they're compiled and print out a story or two that appeal to kids. This activity takes very little time and gets kids interested in reading the news and following what's going on in their world. You can also have some very interesting character-building discussions for some of these articles, such as one recent day's odd news telling of an Iraqi who was forced to change his tee-shirt because it had "We Will Not Be Silent" written in English and Arabic-what a great way to talk about censorship and freedom of expression. Kids can have the chance to exchange and defend their views and see firsthand that there are not always right and wrong answers.

Recommended resources

Social Studies Content Integration information from Benchmark Education. Great research-backed ideas for teaching reading and writing strategies with social studies content.

Strategies for Reading Comprehension from Reading Quest: Making Sense in Social Studies. Activities, instructions, and printable charts!

Printable/downloadable 95-page document on reading strategies for the social studies class from Gretchen Koe and Anne Fitzpatrick of Mercer Middle School in Seattle. Very adaptable for elementary students.

Close reading eBook resources

SnapLearning has been a longtime supporter of The Cornerstone, and I believe strongly in the value of their digital resources. They provide hundreds of grade-appropriate eBooks, both fiction and non-fiction, which you can assign to your students and send to their devices! The eBooks come with interactive exercises and assignments which you can later review and assess. Best of all, the content is Common Core-aligned. If you want to check out their close reading portfolio (which is an awesome set of interactive exercises), you can request a free trial demo.

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Integrating Social Studies into Literacy Routines

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Social studies is an often-neglected subject in elementary school because it isn't generally assessed on the state standardized tests that young children take. However, informational text comprehension IS tested... and what better way to teach non-fiction reading strategies than through interesting and relevant resources about the world students live in?

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Use Popular Music to Improve Reading and Inspire Writing

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Use Popular Music to Improve Reading and Inspire Writing

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Connects to the students and what they know and are familiar with.
Helps students pick out themes, purposes, and emotions from lyrics.

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Use Popular Music to Improve Reading and Inspire Writing | Scholastic

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Music can be the tool that ignites a spark in your reluctant readers or inspires a budding writer. Learn ways to incorporate well-known songs into your reading and writin

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https://www.peggrafwallner.com/interventionsarticles/2018/10/23/how-to-jigsaw-a-literacy-lesson-in-physical-education

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Reading Strategies for Beginning Readers

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Reading Strategies for Beginning Readers

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One of the biggest questions I often get as an early elementary educator and a parent of young children is "what are the most important things I can do to help my child learn to read?" Early childhood and lower elementary teachers have many professional development courses and training on the most critical components to early literacy. Even if a child is in pre-school or day care where reading skills are taught, I find many parents want to supplement at home to support their young reader(s). In very simple terms, I will explain the most important reading strategies for beginning readers.

These are:

Print Awareness

Letter Knowledge

Phonological Awareness

Listening Comprehension

Motivation to Read

Print Awareness - Use language in everyday life

When a baby is born, they do not automatically connect print with language. This is a skill that is explicitly taught by you as the parent, or by their teachers when they attend school. It is so interesting to watch children skip over words or sentences on pages because they do not realize they are there.

Even if the words are in plain sight, it is a skill to notice them. I love watching a child connect with print; it is a gift as a teacher to help them achieve this, but parents can receive this gift at home as well. Here are a few ways that you can daily encourage a child's print awareness:

Use board books or cloth books and have your child hold the book as soon as they are able to grasp it on their own. Until then, hold their hand and guide them through turning the pages.

If there are only a few words on the page, point to each word as you say it. (this is called one-to-one correspondence and a skill that will be assessed in Pre-K and Kindergarten)

Read aloud every day - but also use print labels, signs, menus. Print is everywhere! (this is called environmental print)

Being familiar with various ways people use language helps children feel comfortable with books. This means pointing out a speech bubble as someone is talking or showing "automatopia" is used in books as a sound, but is also a word (ex. whoosh, ruff) This will facilitate their eventual understanding that print is useful to them.

A side note; as we have traveled around the world, we have collected books in languages that we as a family do not speak ourselves. I feel books in these languages have been an invaluable tool to "play with words". We butcher how to pronounce the beloved Russian character "Cheburashka", the Polish adventures of "TinTin", the poor little Spanish bird in "Eres mi Mama", and our go-to animal voice exaggeration character is always the wolf in the German Little Red Riding Hood "Rotkappchen".

My husband and I treasure watching my daughter travel to all of these wonderful memories through her books, but also make it a fun and memorable reading session to "pretend read" before my daughter was reading on her own. For more on books as the best travel souvenir, click HERE.

Letter Knowledge - See and recognize letters

Based on the research of Ehri, Invernizzi, Cunningham, Caulkins, and McBride-Chang as well as others, that BOTH letters and letter sounds simultaneously are highly useful for teaching kids to read and write. However, there needs to be a system in place so that you are not throwing the whole alphabet at your child to digest at the same time or teaching in a haphazard way.

The foundation of reading is to have your child master each letter and sound. When you start adding digraphs, dipthongs, vowel teams, etc., it will be extremely difficult and confusing for your child if they do not have the basics.

You never want to teach the letters in ABC order. One of the first songs that most children learn is the ABC song which gives them the letters in order already. This is wonderful, however, if you teach the letters out-of-order, you are ensuring they have mastered them.

Many students begin Kindergarten and when asked "what is this letter" and need to sing the ABC song to identify it correctly.

Phonemes are the meaning of a letter and your "mouth move" is signaled by each letter. When you look at spelling a word, the sequence gives you a "road map" which is the phoneme sequence. Reading is following this road map of phonemes and you have to understand the map in order to read the word.
I recommend teaching letters in the following order:
The first letter to begin when teaching your child is with the child's name. The pride your child feels in his identity is important from the beginning. After that, the order in which I teach them is based on phonemes:

m, t, a, s, d, i, f, r, th, l, o, n, p, e, h, v, sh, u, b, k, ck, c, g, j, w, ch, tch, x, z, qu, wh, y

I know you see digraphs (two sounds that when put together make a unique sound) mixed in there (th, sh, ck, ch, tch, wh) and you are wondering why. It is important to teach these digraphs early because so many words in beginning books have each of them and it helps build fluency to be able to identify them pronounce them correctly (ex. the, this, she, duck, cheese, watch, when, where, why).

As you introduce the letter and phoneme to children, you are going to dissect each one like a scientist. Put on your proverbial scientists hats and goggles on and explore each letter phoneme explicitly. Have your child experiment with the sound with their mouth. This takes time and practice for correct pronunciation.

It is VITAL you do not teach the sound and attach a vowel. Ex. the letter C is /k/ not /kuh/. You have to cut off the extra vowel phoneme or eventually when they start sounding out words in writing, they will have trouble differentiating the sounds.

In order to attach meaning to a letter and sound, you must make a meaningful connection to the real world. For each child, their environmental surroundings are different. For example, most children have heard a baby cry, so associating /a/ with the sound and a picture of a crying baby will help the child make the connection. However, if you live in the desert, you would not use the association of an avalanche for the letter /a/.

Phonological Awareness - Hearing and making sounds

When children are babies; you may wonder if it even matters to teach your child how to hear and make sounds. When you study neurological research about sounds, you find that babies can hear the world in a very different way than older children and in adulthood. We as adults often take for granted our abilities to sort out and prioritize the sounds we hear.

If you have ever studied a foreign language as a beginner, you know that when you first begin listening to the language being spoken, you cannot decipher individual words, or even sounds sometimes. I was learning Turkmen as an adult, and even when beginning with learning their alphabet, it was extremely difficult to hear and repeat some of the sounds my teacher made.

The human voice can produce at least 150 phonemes (speech sounds), and English only uses about 40 sounds.Researchers are still in the ground-breaking phase of studying all the mechanisms of the brain that lead to language development ( Friederici and Wartenburger, 2010; Kuhl and Rivera-Gaxiola, 2008). However, there is a great deal more data now that shows infants innate predispositions, and their incredible abilities to learn once exposed to natural language. Infants who are less than 1-year-old are able to discover the sounds and words used in their particular language(s) whereas the most sophisticated computers still cannot.

A young child's ability to express emotion, empathy, and thoughts through words is a breathtaking feat that only a human brain can accomplish. There are complex and multi-modal language learning processes (speaking, writing, listening, reading) that tiny infants are capable of using from birth.

This is paired alongside with exposure to items and events: the natural world of faces, actions, voices, etc. Furthermore, if a child is exposed to multiple languages, they will have higher behavior regulation (raising their hand instead of shouting out, taking turns, waiting in line, etc.) when they begin school.

Listening Comprehension- Understanding what you hear

In order to learn a language, a child depends on listening. This is especially crucial in the first 5 years of their life. For the brain to stimulate comprehension, listening provides the aural (hearing) input that serves as the basis for language acquisition and enables a child to eventually interact in spoken communication.

There are many things a child is hearing passively (in the background). Passive listening could be a child hearing you talk to a friend on the phone, the music playing at the store, etc. Active listening is when you are speaking directly to your child as the intended audience. Both active and passive listening is vital to language acquisition. Effective listening comprehension is developed when a child can adjust their listening behavior to deal with a variety of situations, types of input, and listening purposes.

The National Capitol Language Resource Center gives a list of both top-down and bottom up strategies that young children will eventually master. Top-down strategiesare listener based; the listener taps into background knowledge of the topic, the situation or context, the type of text, and the language. This background knowledge activates a set of expectations that help the listener to interpret what is heard and anticipate what will come next.

Top-down strategies include:

listening for the main idea

predicting

drawing inferences

summarizing

Bottom-up strategiesare text based; the listener relies on the language in the message, that is, the combination of sounds, words, and grammar that creates meaning.

Bottom-up strategies include:

listening for specific details (characters, location, objects)

recognizing cognates (spelling patterns ex. fan, pan, Dan)

recognizing word-order patterns (ex. The ball is red. The balloon is red.)

As you read to a child from Age 0-5, they are beginning to learn how to listen strategically if you engage them in the questions about the story. Children as young as 1-year-old can monitor their comprehension and evaluate whether they achieved the goal that was set up in the book walk or prediction questions you as the parent asked them. For example, when you ask a child while looking at the cover "what do you think this book is going to be about?", then they find their answer was correct as you read, even young babies can acknowledge their success to you by smiling or excitement.

Older children will immediately refer back to the questions you selected when they find a detail you asked them about. I have seen this work in my classroom over and over and it does wonders for the self-esteem of an emerging reader to be correct in a prediction. Setting your child up for this kind of success is a powerful influence in mastering reading fluency and comprehension.

Motivation to Read - Cultivating the love of books

Cultivating a love of books begins by reading books to children early on. If you are a parent reading this, start from Day 1 by taking 3 of your favorite books to the hospital with you in your go-bag. I also recommend having a copy of Literacy and the Youngest Learner in your bag for yourself. Educators, this is a phenomenal resource as well.

Book-sharing time should be as a special time -this process cannot be rushed or done haphazardly. The saying goes, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Think through 3 times per day when you can be reading together calmly as a family or as a class. Just like appointments, going to the gym, etc. have to be planned and scheduled, schedule and plan reading times into your day so that you can manage your day and still keep reading a priority.

If you are able, visit your public or school library often. Make the librarian(s) your best friend. I recently got all 24 of our books for our Book Advent tradition for $6 at our local library sale. The librarian knows my family consumes books and we will share with others.

When I was overseas, there were no public libraries with books in English, so I had to improvise. The US Embassy and International School sponsored book swaps that we would frequent, but I would trade and borrow books with other families. You may not have access to many books, so utilizing online websites is critical. For a list of the best online resources for books that I have found particularly useful, click HERE.

Again, I stress the importance of reading every day. This gives you a natural way to have a conversation about the topic or characters in the book. Books also have pictures of things you may not see in daily routines, so always be sure to name the pictures as you point to them - this is also strategic in building your child's vocabulary. I hope that your emerging reader(s) find success as you travel the world through the pages of books.

Teaching Kids to Read Ages 0-5

A child's brain is 90% developed by the time they turn 5 and go to school. So, what must you do in the most important years of your child's life? My Teaching Kids to Read Ages 0-5 course is going to give you all the tools you need to ensure you have made the most of those crucial first 5 years.

There are fancy programs and "reading shortcuts" advertised everywhere. These are practical and effective ways that EVERY parent and caregiver can do every day. This course gives children the social/emotional and academic boost they need to excel the rest of their life. The reading magic is in the fundamentals!

Purchase the course before March 23rd for the early bird price!

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Reading Strategies for Beginning Readers - Biracial Bookworms LLC

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One of the biggest questions I often get as an early elementary educator and a parent of young children is "what are the most important things I can do to help my child learn to read?" Early childhood and lower elementary teachers have many professional development courses and training on the most critical components to early literacy.

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Examples that have Mathematics meet Reading.

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Examples that have Mathematics meet Reading.

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Please be aware that resources have been published on the website in the form that they were originally supplied. This means that procedures reflect general practice and standards applicable at the time resources were produced and cannot be assumed to be acceptable today. Website users are fully responsible for ensuring that any activity, including practical work, which they carry out is in accordance with current regulations related to health and safety and that an appropriate risk assessment has been carried out.

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This aim of this resource from the National Strategies, which was one of a series of Literacy in ... series, was to exemplify aspects of the Literacy across the curriculum training file for individual subjects.

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This resource would be an amazing benefit among students. There are videos, examples, and interactive sections that is included. If students are having a difficult time grasping a unit they could use this as a second source to help them learn and better understand the lesson.

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This game will help our students find the hidden meaning behind the words and phrases.

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Giving students a topic and having them search the internet for things they fid interesting! Depending on the grade level have them read and write a reflection of what they've learned!

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Building Reading and Writing Skills with Music

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Building Reading and Writing Skills with Music

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Music is studied and deepened by the Greek understanding that Music influences the emotions of a person.
This is an activity that encourages students to listen to a passage of music for 10 minutes and reflect on what is happening inside their world during that time. They are then asked to translate those pictures, feelings, and thoughts into words and discuss them with their classmates.

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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https://www.education.com/activity/article/fishing-headlines/

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help kids and young learners develop reading and writing skills through interactive games, activities and phonics.

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Starfall Education: Kids Games, Movies, Books & Music for K-5 and above

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At Starfall, children have fun while they learn - specializing in reading, phonics & math - educational games, movies, books, songs, and more for children K-5 and above.

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Students can use this website to read different topics under many categories such as science, social studies, and current events.

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DOGO News - Kids news articles! Kids current events; plus kids news on science, sports, and more!

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DOGO News has fun articles for kids on current events, science, sports, and more! There are also lots of stories, pictures, videos, games and the DOGO news map for kids! Add your comments, read reviews of cool websites, and more!

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Resources to connect Mathematics to Reading for ALL students.

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Resources for Teaching Mathematical Literacy to Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired

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PE lesson that helps improve reading literacy

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PE lesson that helps improve reading literacy

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PE Blog - Read & Discuss Current PE Topics

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It does not take a huge leap to become a champion of literacy skills in your school. As a physical education teacher, you have the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with many students each day. The position gives you the opportunity to promote fitness, healthy lifestyle choices, teamwork, and much more. You are a role model and your reach can go even further when you integrate reading into your instruction to ensure you are promoting literacy through PE.

One way to promote literacy skills in P.E. is to include a story into your game or activity. One example is an activity I created with the use of a very fun book, The Great Fuzz Frenzy, by Susan Stevens Crummel and Janet Stevens. The book is a personal favorite and takes place in the world of prairie dogs that become intrigued over a tennis ball that is dropped into their underground home. The fuzz of the ball sets off a fuzz-frenzy among the prairie dogs and eventually leads them into a dangerous situation with a hungry eagle.

Prior to playing the game I take time to read the book to the class. If your class time is short and reading the book at the beginning of your lesson does not leave you with adequate time to play the game, try pushing into the classroom. Going into the classroom to read the book a few days prior to playing the game will provide you with more time for movement, allow students to see you in a different light, and will help you forge relationships with other teachers. Another idea is to host a 20-30 minute reading assembly for multiple grades or classes and make this book a highlight of the experience.

Once students know the story you are ready to introduce and play the game. It is a great activity for outside or any large space indoors. As always, make accommodations to the rules and set up based on your safety needs, equipment, class size, and space.

Be creative, modify the rules, and adapt as needed. Make up a name you feel will grab the attention of the students. Our game was played with students in grades K-4 and was simply called, "Fuzz Frenzy!"

Equipment Needed:

Activity Description: There are two "characters" in the game: the prairie dogs that are trying to get the tennis balls, and the eagles circling overhead. Create a large, safe place to run that has clearly marked boundaries on the sides and ends. Try a rectangular space that is roughly 30 x 60 yards, scale it to your grade level. Spread out a variety of equipment of various sizes as places where prairie dogs may stop to hide and be safe as they cross. Create groups of 3-4 students. Each prairie dog will wear a flag belt.

Line groups of students up behind a hula hoop. Choose one team to come to the middle of the playing area to be the eagles for the first game. On your signal to begin the game, a prairie dog may leave their hoop and try to make it across the field to the tennis balls. If they make it across they are safe behind the cones (in the end zone). They must run back across the field and put the tennis ball in their hoop (the prairie dog hole) without being caught by an eagle. When a gopher returns to the hole with a tennis ball the team should yell "We've got FUZZ!!" The next prairie dog tries to go across. If a gopher has their flag(s) pulled while going across the playing area they must go back to their group and a new prairie dog attempts to cross the field. If the student has their flag(s) pulled and has a tennis ball, they hand it to the eagle who then places it back in the end zone. The student then returns to their group and a new team member attempts to steal some fuzz.

After 3-5 minutes or when the tennis balls are gone, rotate a new group to be the eagles in the middle of the field.

In the game, prairie dogs may touch an object as they go across the field and be safe for a 5 count at the object (1-fuzz, 2-fuzz, 3-fuzz...) They must continue touching the object in the field to be safe. The gophers may move from object to object to make it across the field without having flags pulled.

Eagles must stay in the main playing area and may not go in the end zone past the cones where the tennis balls are scattered or in bins. Prairie dogs that make it past the eagles and into the end zone are safe until they decide to cross back into the playing area and try to make it back successfully to their group.

Some easy modifications may include allowing multiple prairie dogs cross the field at once, limiting the number of objects they can touch on their way across, and changing the locomotor movement.

Scott is the Superintendent at Anderson School District #41 in Bozeman, MT. Formally, he was the Principal and Health Enhancement Teacher at Amsterdam School in Manhattan, MT. Scott was the recipient of the Northeastern District of Illinois Elementary Teacher of the Year award in 2009.

Scott is the Superintendent at Anderson School District #41 in Bozeman, MT. Formally, he was the Principal and Health Enhancement Teacher at Amsterdam School in Manhattan, MT. Scott was the recipient of the Northeastern District of Illinois Elementary Teacher of the Year award in 2009.

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It does not take a huge leap to become a champion of literacy skills in your school. As a physical education teacher, you have the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with many students each day. Check out how this PE teacher uses activities that are promoting literacy through PE!

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This is a great resource for teachers to get students writing about books they have read! Also, this can help them share with the class!

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No matter whether you walk in to a classroom Asia, North America or Europe you will almost certainly see teachers and students building their understanding of the world through a dedicated daily reading session.

Books allow students an opportunity to be informed, entertained or escape as they comprehend fiction and non-fiction texts against their understanding of the world, their personal insights, opinions and finally comparing those texts to others.

Whilst you may have a wealth of books in your school library it can often be tough to come up with fresh and engaging ways to study literature. So today we are going to explore 25 proven activities that can be applied to any book and at any age level.

These activities are easy to follow an suitable for most age groups within an elementary / junior high school level.

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Reading Activities for Any Book - Literacy Ideas

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No matter whether you walk in to a classroom Asia, North America or Europe you will almost certainly see teachers and students building their understanding of the world through a dedicated daily reading session.

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This book dives into activities that help grades 3-5 discover activities that promote total participation, self-esteem, and fun!

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Keeping students moving is a great way to ensure they're meeting their fitness goals for the day and promoting an active lifestyle. This book outlines 140 high-energy games that are sure to keep students engaged, excited, and active!
Keep Activity Levels High
From skills tests to group games, competitive activities to team building objectives, this 344-page book is the key to creating a lesson plan that keeps students in motion and having fun. Aimed at students in grades 3-8, learn about 140 fast-paced games designed to keep their heart rates high.

This book is designed to boost students' self-esteem and encourage them to get involved. Competitive games are played against the clock, not other players. Skills tests are designed to be scalable to student abilities. Cooperative games teach students to work together, not against each other. Clear objectives make it easy to determine the setup and execution of each game, directions are included to ensure fairness and proper play styles, and diagrams are a welcome visual for deciphering exactly how to get the fun going!
Contents
Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Overview of Web Resource

Section 1. Nutrition and Physical Activity Classroom Lessons and Promotions

Part I Classroom Lessons for Fourth Graders

Lesson 1 Healthy Living

Lesson 2 Carb Smart

Lesson 3 Safe Workout: An Introduction

Lesson 4 Balancing Act

Lesson 5 Fast-Food Frenzy

Lesson 6 Snack Attack

Lesson 7 Sugar Water: Think About Your Drink

Lesson 8 Water Water Everywhere . . . And It's the Thing to Drink

Lesson 9 The Safe Workout: Snacking's Just Fine, If You Choose the Right Kind

Lesson 10 Prime-Time Smartness

Lesson 11 Chain Five

Lesson 12 Alphabet Fruit (and Vegetables)

Lesson 13 Brilliant Breakfast

Lesson 14 Fitness Walking

Part II Classroom Lessons for Fifth Graders

Lesson 15 Healthy Living, Healthy Eating

Lesson 16 Keeping the Balance

Lesson 17 Safe Workout: A Review

Lesson 18 Hunting for Healthy Fat

Lesson 19 Beverage Buzz: Sack the Sugar

Lesson 20 Go for H2O

Lesson 21 Snack Decisions

Lesson 22 Snacking and Inactivity

Lesson 23 Freeze My TV

Lesson 24 Menu Monitoring

Lesson 25 Veggiemania

Lesson 26 Breakfast Bonanza

Lesson 27 Foods From Around the World

Lesson 28 Fitness Walking

Part III Promotions for the Classroom

Lesson 29 Freeze My TV

Lesson 30 Get 3 at School and 5+ a Day

Lesson 31 Class Walking Clubs

Lesson 32 Tour de Health

Section 2. Nutrition and Physical Activity Physical Education Lessons and Microunits

Part IV Physical Education Lessons

Lesson 33 Three Kinds of Fitness Fun: Endurance, Strength, and Flexibility

Lesson 34 Five Foods Countdown

Lesson 35 Musical Fare

Lesson 36 Bowling for Snacks

Lesson 37 Fruits and Vegetables

Part V FitCheck Guide

Lesson 38 Teachers' Guide to the FitCheck

Lesson 39 Students' Guide to the FitCheck

Part VI FitCheck Physical Education Microunits

Lesson 40 Charting Your FitScore and SitScore

Lesson 41 What Could You Do Instead of Watching TV?

Lesson 42 Making Time to Stay Fit

Lesson 43 Setting Goals for Personal Fitness

Part VII Additional Physical Education Microunits

Lesson 44 Thinking About Activity, Exercise, and Fitness

Lesson 45 Be Active Now for a Healthy Heart Later

Lesson 46 Be Active Now for Healthy Bones Later

Lesson 47 Let's Get Started on Being Fit

Lesson 48 More on the Three Areas of Physical Fitness

About the Authors

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Eat Well & Keep Moving Book - Gopher Sport

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Keeping students moving is a great way to ensure they're meeting their fitness goals for the day and promoting an active lifestyle. This book outlines 140 high-energy games that are sure to keep students engaged, excited, and active!

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help struggling readers build phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension skills.

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Explore reading basics as well as the key role of background knowledge and motivation in becoming a lifelong reader and learner. Watch our PBS Launching Young Readers series and try our self-paced Reading 101 course to deepen your understanding.

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Examples of PE lesson plans that incorporate reading/writing

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Examples of PE lesson plans that incorporate reading/writing

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| | Filed Under: Math, Math Centers, Word Problems

Writing in math is more common and important in the elementary years than ever before. When I was in school, I barely remember writing more than a sentence in math class. Now, students are required and expected to write several sentences and even paragraphs explaining their math and justifying their answer. This can definitely be tricky as many students still think writing doesn't belong in math. I want to share with you TEN ways to get your students writing in math on a regular basis.

Just the same way as we model a new think alouds in reading or a new writing strategy, we should also model writing in math. I like to do this through a problem of the day, using these steps:

1. Read the problem together and circle key information (not key words - read more about why key words are not helpful in upper elementary here).

2. Discuss the situation of the problem and ensure all students have an access point.

3. Allow the students a few minutes to work on the problem independently.

4. Monitor the students while they are working and note any misconceptions or great thinking points.

5. Remind the students that when they have solved the problem that they are to prove their answer is correct or explain how they got it.

6. Come back together as a class and solve the problem together, calling on students to help you (this is where the monitoring helps- you can specifically jot down students that you want to call on).

7. As a class, write the answer, explain the math that was used and why, and justify that the answer is correct.

Click here to grab this poster (typo on Step 2 has been corrected) that breaks down steps for your students to follow while sharing their ideas.
One of the reasons many students are hesitant to write in math is because they are not confident with what they will say or are not sure how to put their thoughts in words. I like to have my students share their thoughts with partners before writing them down. This oral rehearsal before they write helps them get their thoughts straight in their head. It also provides a scaffold as their partner is able to scaffold them or ask questions for clarification.

The easiest way to get students to write more in math is to provide them with more opportunities for writing on a consistent basis. Instead of giving equations or multiple choice word problems as practice all the time, try giving constructed response tasks.

I use these constructed response math tasks that I created specifically aligned to my standards (common core). They require the students to answer the question and explain their answer. These work as extra practice and even assessments. You can see the 4th grade ones by clicking here and the 5th grade ones by clicking here.

My students love gallery walks because they incorporate movement and peer collaboration. They are also a perfect way to get students writing more AND reading and analyzing other students' writing. Follow these steps:

1. Set up tasks around the room written on anchor charts.

2. In groups, have the students solve, explain, and justify their answers on a recording sheet or piece of paper.

3. As the students are solving the tasks, walk around and choose one group for each task. This group will complete their work on the chart when all groups have worked the problems.

4. Have the assigned groups solve the tasks, explain their answers, and justify their math on the chart.

5. Do one final walk-through, allowing all the groups to analyze the students' work on the charts, compare it to their own, and add to it.

Want to see this in action? Click here to read my blog post from a couple of years ago with examples and more details about how to implement a gallery walk in your classroom.

I am a huge fan of using sentence stems to provide support to students in all areas of the curriculum even in the upper grades. Sentence stems can easily be provided for math instruction as well. With those stems, the students will have a scaffold to explain their thinking. Click here to read a post with the sentence stems I use to help my students justify their answers in math.

In addition to using generic sentence stems, I also use math tasks that have specific stems for the particular task. I use my multi-part word problems that are differentiated with a level that includes sentence stems. The sentence stems are helpful in getting the students used to writing their answers in complete sentences. They are also helpful in providing models for how to turn questions into sentences. Click here to check out the bundle of Multi-Part Word Problems in my TpT store.
To read more about this strategy, grab a poster, and some free word problems, click here.
Five years ago was when the shift to constructed responses and open ended questions first really started to drive my assessments and instruction. My students were not used to this. When they were given a word problem, they would work out the math and then just leave the math on the paper. They didn't even circle the answer. I knew I needed to come up with something and fast. That was when I created a structure to help the students remember how appropriately answer word problems. This structure has made all the difference with their writing in math. My students use the acronym LOVE to help them ensure they have adequately answered a word problem and written support. Here is the breakdown of LOVE:

L - Label - all numbers and models should be clearly labeled.

O - Our Thinking - this is where the writing comes in. The students write the answer in a sentence and their explanation and justification.

V - Visuals - the students include a visual to support their answer.

E - Equation - the students ensure they have all the equations included.

This is probably one of the easiest ways that you can get students writing more in math. You can use journal or prompt writing as a warm up for the math lesson or even as a separate station. There are two main types of math journal prompts I use: Grade-Level/Skill Specific Prompts and General Math Prompts.

Grade-Level/Skill Specific Prompts
You can see my 5th Grade standard specific math journal prompts by clicking here or on the image above.
These type of prompts are specific to the skills I am teaching. They are perfect for:

Checking for understanding

Deeping students' understanding in math

Providing practice with using academic vocabulary in math

General Math Prompts

In addition to the skill-specific prompts, I like to also have my students write about math in general, math processes, and how they think about math. To do this, I primarily use my Math Practice Prompts. These prompts specifically target the Common Core Math Practice Standards. I sprinkle these in throughout the year when they best align to the skills I am teaching and what I see my students need.

You can grab the Math Practice Journal Prompts I use for FREE when you join my email list by entering your information below. The prompts will be emailed to you.
Click here to download the spinner for FREE.
More Math Prompts - Reflection Spinner

In addition the journal prompts, you could also use generic prompts for the students to select from after solving a math task or math word problem. This spinner with generic prompts would be a perfect extension to any center. The students solve the problem, spin the spinner for a prompt, and then write to the prompt.

Similar to journal writing, this strategy is a great way to get students writing in math and a great way to assess their knowledge of a concept. On a weekly basis, I like to give my students a math concept and have them write for 3 minutes about everything they know about the concept. This strategy has two purposes - it gets them writing and it gives yo a glimpse into their thinking. You can do this before you teach a skill as a pre-assessment, in the middle of a unit to check their mastery and determine how to proceed through the rest of the unit, or at the end of a unit as a summative assessment. Click here to grab a template to use . Simply print the page, write in the math concept or idea, and make your copies.

Math read alouds can be very engaging to the students and a great way to get some writing in. As you read the picture book, ask the students questions and have them defend their answers with explanations that include math and details from the read aloud. They will love this so much that they will forget they are even doing so much math and writing.

Math is the least often integrated skill into literacy. We easily integrate science and social studies. If you want your students to write more in math, try integrating math into your writing instruction. Here are a few ideas:

When teaching how-to writing, have your students choose a math procedure or skill and write a paper about how-to do the math. This can be done several times with new math skills.

When teaching narrative writing, have the students write about a day without math. I recommend doing a brainstorming chart before hand to scaffold them.

When teaching opinion writing, the students can write opinions on different math skills they have learned - which is easiest to learn, which is the most difficult, which will help them the most in life, etc.

Which of these strategies or ideas do you use already to get your students writing in math? Do you have another strategy not listed in this post? Let me know in the comments. I am always looking for more ideas and ways to get my students writing in math more.

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Writing in math is more important now than ever before. This post shows 6 ways to get your students writing in math on a daily basis.

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https://www.nysut.org/~/media/files/nysut/resources/2010/may/educators-voice-3-adolescents/educatorsvoice3_adolescents_06_physed.pdf?la=en

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Allow students to read about things they are interested in (animals, food, hobbies, sports, etc.)

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Find amazing facts about animals, science, history and geography, along with fun competitions, games and more. Visit National Geographic Kids today!

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This source shows high school students how to live a healthy active life for the rest of their life.

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Help high school students understand and appreciate the importance of personal fitness, while also learning the skills needed to develop lifelong habits that promote wellness. From moving correctly to exercising appropriately, students will discover how each element of their lifestyle plays into their wellness.

Understanding Core Health Concepts

Incorporating nationally-recognized standards for fitness and physical wellness by SHAPE America, this book teaches high school students about fitness for life. The book is specifically written for high school students as they prepare to move on from school to college, the armed forces, or into the workforce.

By the end of the book, students will understand how activity and actions affect wellness. They will also learn how to make decisions about activities that positively impact their quality of life. Everything needed for self-assessments-including tests within the Presidential Youth Fitness Program and other programs-is available within the text. Students can develop personal goals and plan a exercise program based on their individual needs, giving them ample opportunity to apply concepts learned in each unit.

Meet Superior Standards

Each unit of this book is designed with wellness in mind. In addition to SHAPE America guidelines, information also conforms to national physical activity guidelines of the USDHHS, exercise prescription guidelines of ACSM, and health goals of Healthy People 2020.

This book is split into 7 units, each covering 3 core concepts of the overhanging unit focus. A Set of 2 CDs is also available separately.

Contents

Glossary

Index

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Fitness for Life: High School - Gopher Sport

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Help high school students understand and appreciate the importance of personal fitness, while also learning the skills needed to develop lifelong habits that promote wellness. From moving correctly to exercising appropriately, students will discover how each element of their lifestyle plays into their wellness.

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Insider: Are you looking for *This post contains affiliate links. books for beginning readers? Happily Ever Elephants has the ultimate list of books for your kids that are just starting to read. Check it out below!
The Best Books for Beginning Readers are Perfect for Kiddos Mastering Sight Words and Decoding Text!

My five year old and my twin nieces are in kindergarten. They are mastering sight words, decoding text, and well on their way to reading.

My boy loves that he can pick up books now and read some of the words on his own. Even better? When he can pick up a book and read nearly all of the words on his own, with very little help from me.

This only happens, however, when he has just the right books.

What makes a story become one of our best books for beginning readers?

Here's the deal.

Early readers are VERY different from beginning chapter books. Early readers (also known as "beginning readers," "emerging readers," "easy readers" or, quite simply " kindergarten books," all of which are used interchangeably here and elsewhere) have some distinct characteristics.

As an example, the font in these books is large, and the sentences are short. Additionally, the pictures provide supportive clues to the reader. Finally, the text has a lot of repetition when it comes to structure (often containing word families and rhyme), with simple and easily decodable words.

Is your child ready for this list of the Best Books for Beginning Readers?

How do you know if your little one is ready for these " kindergarten books "?

Your kids may benefit from beginning reader books if they are doing the following:

(1) mastering sight words

(2) beginning to decode unknown words, often through chunking the text (breaking words up into smaller components)

(3) building their fluency to make their reading smoother and less robotic, and

(4) self-correcting when the word they are reading doesn't make sense.

Most importantly, keep in mind that each publisher has a different system for "leveling" their beginning reader books. Thus, a "level 1" published by one imprint may be slightly easier or more challenging than a different publishers' series of books. That being said, no matter the publisher, when the numbers progress, so too does the complexity of the text.

When it comes to books for beginning readers, quality matters!

Before we get to our list of the best books for beginning readers, there's one thing you should know. A lot of these books - I'll say this as nicely as possible -just aren't very good. Because they have to be so simple, the stories are often lacking. The problem with that? A dull story won't typically fulfill the very critical function of engaging your emergent reader.

My son and I tested out a BUNCH of kindergarten books, and in our minds, these are the very best easy readers - the ones he keeps coming back to because they are engaging, silly and fun.

And coming back to them is a GOOD thing.

When it comes to easy readers, the more times your child reads a book, the more he will hone and sharpen his skills, and the more his fluency improves. Since practice is key when it comes to reading, repetition is awesome. So what does this mean?

The best books for beginning readers will help foster your child's love of stories!

A good early reader is vitally important to help foster an early love of reading! We hope you love this list of easy to read books for beginners as much as we do!

Happy reading!

RELATED: Looking for even more book lists and information on emerging readers? We've got all you need!

The Ultimate List of the Best Books for Beginning Readers!

The Adventures of Otto Collector's Set, by David Milgrim: We absolutely love this set of six books about Otto the Robot and all of his great adventures! This is the perfect starter collection for new readers who are beginning to master sight words and decode words all on their own. Several books in this this set have won Theodore Seuss Geisel Award Honors for being distinguished book for beginning readers. We can't rave about this starter set enough! Support independent bookstores and get the book on Bookshop.org right here!

Big Egg, by Molly Coxe: When Hen wakes up to find a huge egg in her nest, she has no idea who it belongs to. Is it from the cat? The cow? The dog? Big Egg will keep your littles guessing until the end and then leave them with the giggles. And the best part? It's a wonderful first little reader that conveys a message of love and acceptance. Support independent bookstores and get the book on Bookshop.org right here!

Drop it, Rocket, by Tad Hills: Everyone's favorite pup from How Rocket Learned to Read is the star of this early reader about Rocket and his eagerness to learn new words! Rocket loves learning the words for all of his favorite objects, and then putting the words on his special word tree. But, uh-oh! When it comes to the word "boot," Rocket loves the red boot in his mouth so much, he won't let it go - and if he won't let it go, he can't learn new words! There's only one special special object Rocket loves more than boots, but will it convince him to drop his prized possession? We love this one for it's ease, but also for the way it champions books! Support independent bookstores and get the book on Bookshop.org right here!

Dancing Dinos Go to School, by Sally Lucas and illustrated by Margeaux Lucas: Two Dancing Dinos love to jump right out of the book they are in and make mayhem wherever they end up- in this case, a library and a classroom! Great rhyme, fun theme and silly all around. The Dancing Dinos are a hit in our house! Support independent bookstores and get the book on Bookshop.org right here!

Hot Dog, by Molly Coxe: Poor dog is so very, very hot, but no one wants to share the things they have that might cool him off! He can't have some of mom's lemonade, and cat won't share her perfect spot in the shade. Will this hot little dog ever feel cold again? Support independent bookstores and get the book on Bookshop.org right here!

More Challenging Books for Beginning Readers

Fox the Tiger, by Corey R. Tabor: This is my favorite of all the early readers we've read to date, about a fox who really wishes he were a tiger instead. Clever, fun and with an awesome message to boot, it's no wonder this great book won the 2019 Theodore Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished book for beginning readers. For our full review of Fox the Tiger, click here! Support independent bookstores and get the book on Bookshop.org right here!

Ice Cream Soup, by Ann Ingalls and illustrated by Richard Watson: What child doesn't love experimenting in the kitchen, especially when it comes to dessert? When one little boy's attempts to make an ice cream cake turn into ice cream soup instead, your little kids will be racing to the kitchen to try to make soup of their own! Support independent bookstores and get the book on Bookshop.org right here!

Mac and Cheese, by Sarah Weeks and illustrated by Jane Manning: Macaroni and cheese are best friends forever, but they are as different as night and day! This odd couple will make kids laugh out loud and remind them that friends don't have to be exactly the same. It's being there for each other when it matters most that is truly important! Love its repetitive, rhyming narrative! Support independent bookstores and get the book on Bookshop.org right here!

Silly Milly, by Wendy Cheyette Lewison and illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott: This entire book is a riddle, one that will puzzle and challenge your kids the whole way through. Why does Miss Milly like what she likes? This one makes our list of best easy readers for the way it gets kids thinking and problem solving, and for its lively, detailed illustrations that kids can pore over for hours! Support independent bookstores and get the book on Bookshop.org right here!

May I Please Have a Cookie, by Jennifer E. Morris: There's nothing I love more than a book about manners, especially an easy reading book for kids that reminds them to say please and thank you with humor! We love anything that reminds children they won't get what they want by grabbing, whining, or tricking their way into it. And this one conveys that message in a silly and authentic way that your kids will love! Support independent bookstores and get the book on Bookshop.org right here!

Get the Giggles: A First Joke Book, illustrated by Bronwen Davies: I mean, an easy reader joke book? Yes, please! This one is definitely a bit more challenging, but I have no doubt your kids will be just like mine - they will walk around your house or classroom with book in hand, telling anyone who will listen their new hilarious jokes! Gotta love a book that makes children laugh! Support independent bookstores and get the book on Bookshop.org right here!

One Hundred Shoes: A Math Reader, by Charles Ghigna and illustrated by Bob Staake: Centipede has 100 feet, which means she needs 100 shoes! How on earth does a centipede choose shoes? If you have a little math lover at home, she will love this book and the way it emphasizes numbers and pairs, all told in fun, easy to read rhyme. Support independent bookstores and get the book on Bookshop.org right here!

Don't Throw it to Mo!, by David A. Adler and illustrated by Sam Ricks: Ok... when it comes to getting kids to love reading, you've gotta get them books they will be interested in, right? Pickle is obsessed with sports, and this fabulous series of books about a tiny kid, sports-loving kid named Mo are his favorite. If you have a sports fanatic at home, he will be eager to put down his ball and pick up a book when you try out these adorable stories about little Mo with the big heart. Make sure to also check out Pass the Ball, Mo!, Get a Hit, Mo! and Kick It, Mo! Support independent bookstores and get the book on Bookshop.org right here!

A Pig, A Fox and a Box, by Jonathan Fenske: This Geisel Honor book tell the story of two goofy friends, a pig and a fox, and the shenanigans they get into with one cardboard box. Humorous? Check! Illustrations that help tell the story? Check! Comic bubbles? Check! In other words, your kids will love both this one and its sequel, A Pig, A Fox and Stinky Socks! Support independent bookstores and get the book on Bookshop.org right here!

Puppy Parade, by Jill Abramson and Jane O'Connor and illustrated by Deborah Melmon: Scout, from the well known Puppy Diaries, is entering a parade! And Scout is pretty confident that when awards are handed out at the end, she will win one of the best - whether for behavior, her friendly personality, or her beauty. But what happens when the award she gets isn't the one she anticipated? This one is adorable, and if your kiddos love puppies, it's a winner! Support independent bookstores and get the book on Bookshop.org right here!

Pig and Pug, Laura Marchesani and Zenaides A. Medina Jr. and illustrated by Jarvis: Anything illustrated by Jarvis is a winner in our home, and this easy reader book just has it all! Pig lives on a farm with lots of other animals, but the little guy has no friends! Until Pug comes along. They look similar and act similar, but Pug is definitely not a pig! From its message of friendship, acceptance and inclusiveness to its adorable pictures, we just adore Pig and Pug! Support independent bookstores and get the book on Bookshop.org right here!

What this Story Needs is a Pig in a Wig, by Emma Virjan: A pig in a wig, a boat in a moat with a frog and a dog... need I say more? This adorable, cumulative story incorporates word families, terrific rhyme, and vibrant illustrations, all of which make for one awesome easy reader. Kids will love this one, the first in the Pig in a Wig series which contains several books! Support independent bookstores and get the book on Bookshop.org right here!

Elephant and Piggie series, by Mo WIllems: When it comes the the best books for beginning readers, Mo Willems' Elephant & Piggie series is unparalleled! So many of the Elephant & Piggie books have won Geisel awards, and Willems has an ability to write for kids like no other. These books are hilarious, witty, subversive, and so much fun, and your kids will be begging for each title in the series. For our full review of The Thank You Book, one of our favorite Elephant & Piggie books and the very last in the series, click here. Support independent bookstores and get the book on Bookshop.org right here!

The Cookie Fiasco, by Dan Santat: In this book within a book, readers are first welcomed by Willems' Elephant & Piggie who perfectly draw them into the story about one dramatic problem: there are four friends... but there are only three cookies! Whatever will they do? Will they find a way to share? Humor, problem solving and math skills make this a slam dunk on our list of best easy readers! Support independent bookstores and get the book on Bookshop.org right here!

We are Growing!, by Laurie Keller: Poor Walt! Though the grass is growing, he is not the tallest, the curliest or even the silliest. But as the great lawnmower approaches, Walt discovers he has a special quality too. We love the way this one inspires readers to embrace and love themselves, even when they think they have nothing special to bring to the table. Support independent bookstores and get the book on Bookshop.org right here!

Hi! Fly Guy, by Tedd Arnold: A Geisel Honor and the first in an awesome series, these are some of our favorite easy readers because they are chock full of humor and fun! When boy meets fly, a beautiful friendship blossoms. Or does it ? Boy takes Fly to The Amazing Pet Show, and the result will leave your children laughing and begging for more. My students are in love with the Fly Guy books and the whole series is always on heavy rotation in our library! This is also a great easy chapter book for new readers. Support independent bookstores and get the book on Bookshop.org right here!

Ling and Ting Series, by Grace Lin: Ling and Ting are twins. They look alike, do everything together, and even have the same happy smiles. But do their similarities extend beyond their looks, or are they more different than meets the eye? The first book in a great series by award winning author Grace Lin is a total winner! This series also spans both the best books for beginning readers and easy chapter book category! Support independent bookstores and get the book on Bookshop.org right here!

Well? What are you waiting for? Grab some of these books, and watch your kiddos thrive! We hope these books get two trunks up from your children, too. Happy reading!

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The Ultimate List of the Best Books for Beginning Readers!

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Insider: Are you looking for *This post contains affiliate links. books for beginning readers ? Happily Ever Elephants has the ultimate list of books for your kids that are just starting to read. Check it out below! My five year old and my twin nieces are in kindergarten.

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BrainPop online is a source available for students that has an interactive curriculum set by the teacher. There is animated activities, storylines, and lessons the child can do at home or in the classroom

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In choral music and instrumental music, there are a lot of Italian terms that our students may not understand. This chat is a easy way for students to identify to the word and what it means in English. This is a great chart to have hung in a band/ choir room.

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Teaching students health and literacy education

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Teaching students health and literacy education

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Across the world, development of health literacy skills with elementary school students improves health outcomes, reduces health risks, and increases academic success. As elementary school classroom teachers are often responsible for delivering the health curriculum to their students, this article examines ways to integrate health literacy with reading instruction. The authors describe learning experiences designed to develop knowledge and skills about nutrition and healthy eating choices in different cultural contexts. Mutual development of reading and health literacy skills leads to development of skills essential for supporting health and academic success. While the innovative strategies described here are designed in the context of U.S. classrooms, teaching health literacy in conjunction with critical literacy skills has global relevance.

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Healthy Reading: Teaching Strategies for Integrating Health and Literacy Education

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Across the world, development of health literacy skills with elementary school students improves health outcomes, reduces health risks, and increases academic success. As elementary school classroom teachers are often responsible for delivering the health curriculum to their students, this article examines ways to integrate health literacy with reading instruction.

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This blog gives an activity to encourage students to want to practice reading fluency through popular songs and lyrics.  This activity also helps students find rhyming words and word structure and helps with vocabulary development.

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Using Music to Improve Reading Fluency | Scholastic

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My students are becoming fluent readers as they read lyrics and sing along to a variety of carefully chosen popular songs: real songs with rich music, challenging words,

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This article details how to teach students to annotate science readings and how to use technology to expose students to text.

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There are a variety of ways to incorporate literacy strategies in science education without sacrificing content.

©iStock/Nadzeya_Dzivakova

Written and spoken language play a significant role in all classes. But if you're trained as a science teacher, how do you support literacy development without losing content time for science?

Rethink Literacy

Asking students to think critically while reading science reports, news and pop science, graphs, and documentaries;

Challenging students to connect multiple sources of media, analyze a source's potential bias, or identify an unreliable source; and

Asking students to write or speak about science findings from a review of research or their own experiments with an audience in mind.

Good news: You already teach literacy. Science teachers offer students many opportunities to improve their literacy skills, including:

Components of literacy are already present in the science classroom. The key is to mindfully support the levels of reading, writing, and speaking skills your students possess, while focusing on content.

Embed Supports

A key method to support skill development without taking away content time is to embed supports.

When you're in direct instruction, acknowledge your strategies. Model reading a science text by thinking aloud with your questions about the text, making connections, or summarizing as you read.

Include multiple types of sources: Students can be given a chance to discuss a chart or watch a short video to set some baseline understanding before tackling a text on the same topic. Be sure to ask students to connect the different mediums-you may be surprised at how many of them initially see the pieces of information as unrelated.

Embed writing supports: Provide opportunities for students to write parts of their notes in their own words, with structure. For example, ask students to summarize a main idea as part of their notes for the day. For students who need more support, create a sentence frame and word bank. Mentor texts are another great way to clarify expectations and demonstrate strong writing; choose a former student's work to share with the class and ask students to identify what is right about the response.

Original prompt: Describe the process of photosynthesis as it relates to glucose production. Explain how plants and other living organisms depend on one another.

Annotated version: Describe the process of 1) photosynthesis as it relates to 2) glucose production. Explain how plants and other living organisms 3) depend on one another.

Annotate the prompt: Science prompts are often multifaceted, and scoring depends on students' responding to each component of the question. Students who miss points often know the materials but have difficulty processing the entire question. Students can learn to identify each part of a prompt and use each identified requirement as a section in their writing. Here's an example:

Readers Below Grade Level

Some students can discuss the science topics but struggle to access any material they have to read. There are several ways to address these below-grade-level readers' needs.

Engineer a text: Take a grade level piece of text and center it on a page. Create a column to the left where you pull out and define key vocabulary, and one on the right where you ask questions of the reader. These questions can be tailored for many levels of readers, ranging from supportive, fact-based questions (helping students read to find out the key facts) to application and extension questions for your readers above grade level. The result is differentiated instruction for your students.

Use technology to expose students to texts: Even if a student is unable to independently read a text, they can develop grade-level literacy skills by interacting with vocabulary, sentence structures, and content of higher-level texts through technology. Several devices have the option to enable text-to-speech functions, which have the device read the text out loud. Speech-to-text functions allow students to speak what they want to have typed. This function requires some practice-don't ask the student to use it for the first time on an assessment.

The Immersive Reader program from Microsoft also reads texts to students. It includes other enhancements, like syllable recognition and the ability to highlight as you read. It even has parts-of-speech recognition to support writing.

Two more benefits for science teachers in promoting literacy: As my students improved their engagement with the literacy inherent to science class, I noticed an increase in engagement with the content and a decrease in disruptions.

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Supporting Literacy in the Science Classroom

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There are a variety of ways to incorporate literacy strategies in science education without sacrificing content.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cycQCK8w1-o
Physical education activities

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Interactive Health Technologies - Heart Rate Wellness Solutions for Schools

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Originally published Jan. 25, 2018 by Interlochen Public Radio.

A growing body of research says more physically active kids do better in school. But, across the country, time for class and recess has been replaced with more sedentary time in classrooms. Traverse City Central Grade School is doing the opposite though, giving kids more exercise to help boost their reading scores.
Movement Lab
It's a Wednesday morning in the gym at Central Grade. Physical education teacher Mary Radecki puts on music and nearly 20 kindergarteners hurry off to different stations in the gym. Movement lab has started.

Each station in the gym has a different activity that connects to reading in some way. At one station, the connection is pretty obvious. Kaylee Hiltwein and Olivia Baima draw a card from a basket full of different verbs. Their card says 'jump' on it. So, the two girls get up and jump in a figure eight on the gym floor. Then they draw a card that says 'slide.'

Three mornings a week these kindergarteners spend 30 minutes in movement lab. Radecki has been teaching physical education in the Traverse City Area Public Schools district for over 30 years. The movement lab is based off a program called Action Based Learning.

"Exercise makes brain cells, and we know that healthy, active children make better learners," Radecki says, explaining the basic thinking behind the program.

But the program goes beyond just getting kids to move. Each specific movement - like jumping, spinning, crawling - has been chosen because research says it helps train the brain to read. At some stations the connection is less obvious.

Freya Blakeslee is walking on stilts. She's working on her balance.

"It seems a little hard," says Freya. She's never walked on stilts before today.

Radecki says brain research indicates practicing balance will help kids with spatial awareness among other things, which will help them read.

"So the balancing piece would be placing words on a page, reading words from left to right, writing patterns in a sequence," Radecki says.

What these kindergarteners learn and read in movement lab connects with what they'll practice afterwards in the classroom.
Research-based program
A report from the Institute of Medicine with the National Academies says extensive scientific evidence backs the idea that physical activity boosts academic performance. But - the report says - only about 50 percent of kids meet federal recommendations, which is one hour of vigorous or moderate physical activity a day.

At Central Grade, students get 50 minutes of recess a day, and most grades have gym class twice a week for 30 minutes. But only kindergarteners and first graders also go to movement lab three days a week.
From activity to learning
As soon as movement lab ends, the kids quietly walk with their teacher Andrea Burkholder to the classroom.

"After activity, that's when you're ready to learn," Radecki says. She says its not the time to sit and have a snack.

When they arrive in their classroom, they start their reading lesson. In unison, they sound out the components of words like 'wish' and 'lap.' The kids look attentive and focused, and their eyes are on the teacher.
What's at stake
Two years from now, Michigan's third grade reading law will go into effect, and third graders who can't read well enough - based on the state's M-STEP test - might be held back.

"So, I would like to see this program happen so that none of the children that are going to fourth grade have to stay in third grade," says Radecki. "That's my ultimate goal."

But while some schools might push for more classroom time to help meet this goal, both Radecki and school principal Toby Tisdale say physical activity paired with reading is better.

"You might be able to sit and drill skills just by having them sit and just pounding it in and throwing worksheets at them, but that's not what we find is good practice," Tisdale says.

Radecki says we ask too much of young kids already.

"We're just trying to build some confidence so that they can learn," she says, "not make it so stressful."

This is the third year Central Grade School kindergarteners have been doing movement lab, and so far it seems to be working. Since the lab started, reading scores have grown by nearly 20 percent on a national test, the NWEA.

Radecki says the benefits go well beyond improved reading scores.

"Confidence, less behavioral referrals ... building endurance, building stamina," says Radecki, listing off the benefits. "Building social skills with peers. They're becoming independent."

TCAPS got $42,000 in grants from Munson Healthcare and the Michigan Health Endowment Fund to run the movement lab this year. Principal Tisdale says they hope to keep the program going.

"The next step is to look at how can this be sustainable beyond a grant," he says.

Tisdale says movement lab could help kids in all grades, not just kindergarteners and first graders.

Seeking IHT Spirit System information?

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School gets results by teaching reading in PE

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Originally published Jan. 25, 2018 by Interlochen Public Radio. By MORGAN SPRINGER A growing body of research says more physically active kids do better in school. But, across the country, time for class and recess has been replaced with more sedentary time in classrooms. Traverse City Central Grade School is

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intervention programs supporting K-6 literacy

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FreeReading is an open-source instructional program that helps educators teach early literacy. FreeReading contains a 40-week scope and sequence that can supplement an early literacy core or basal program.

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This source has a lot of interactive reading games. Rather than just your their eyes to read students can move words around, find hidden meanings, and so much more!

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Last Updated on

Language forms an essential part of our lives, and learning the basic concepts of it can be quite challenging for kids at an early age. Parents try to enforce them as a duty or a thing to be taught, which can make some children sway away from reading or writing altogether. However, there are certain reading games for kindergarten kids that can teach your kids the very same concepts in a way that is entertaining for them and improves their interest in getting to know a language better.

Why is Reading Important for Young Children?

Focusing on reading in young children from an early age is quite important since it has its advantages over the time.

1. Improved Writing

By reading better, your child will be able to form sentences correctly and write them easily.

2. Improved Grammar

The rules of grammar can be absorbed easily by exposing the child as early as possible to grammatically correct sentences.

3. Enhanced Imagination

Reading stories and other articles can stoke their creativity and get their imagination flowing.

4. Future Success

Children who can understand what they read can excel in studies quickly.

5. Real Life Safety

The importance of reading safety signs or road rules in the world can be pretty much a lifesaver for your kids in the long run.

6. Infuse Confidence

A child who can figure out things on his own can build his confidence rapidly.

7. Improved Elocution

Reading from the book helps streamline thoughts and be a better orator ahead in life.

8. Better Vocabulary

There's simply no other way to improve your collection for words apart from reading as much as you can.

10 Reading Games For Kids

There are numerous fun-filled and exciting reading games for preschoolers that you can opt for and help your child start developing the fascination for reading books.

1. The Treasure Hunt

Start off your child on discovering the magic of reading, by introducing him to the happiness of solving a riddle and getting a prize.
What You Need How To Play
Rather than turn reading into a job, let your kid start finding out how reading is so integral to any part of their lives. Hide his toys or even new ones along with a few chocolates or gifts in different parts of the house. About those locations, write down simple clues on a piece of paper. Even a simple line as "where do you water the plants" can be enough. Make your child read it out loud, answer it and then find the hidden object.

2. Word-Based Snakes And Ladders

Here's a twist on your child's favourite game, by replacing the numbers with easy words.
What You Need

A snakes and ladders board

Game-related items

A felt pen

How To Play
You can purchase a special board of this variation, too. Or else, you can use a pen and write simple words that your child can read on all the 100 squares of the board. Play the game just the way you'd play on any other day. Your child can count the squares and say the words aloud as he passes them. By referencing different areas of the board, your child can learn to scan the words by visual identification.

3. Guess The Word

This game requires larger participation from your end, but it directly helps the child comprehend complex questions easily.
What You Need How To Play
Either use a dictionary directly or write various words on flashcards and put them all in a bucket. Let your child pick out a word and tell you the number of letters in it. You now end up asking him questions that can be answered either in a "yes" or a "no". Ask questions such as "does the word have vowels" or "is it an animal" so that your child also has some thinking to do at his end, before he answers your question.

4. Young Scrabble

As a parent, you would have some wonderful memories of playing Scrabble with your family and friends. Use the core concept of the game to come up with a variation for your little one.
What You Need

Letters from the scrabble set

A pen and paper

How To Play
Instead of the usual seven letters, give your child a wider variety of letters to use. Make sure vowels are provided aplenty. Ask your child to come up with as many words as he can using those letters. You can provide a guiding list of sorts, by starting him off with three letter words, and then ramp it up to words with more letters. Let him write down each word that he makes on the piece of paper.

5. Connecting Letters And Sounds

The core formation of speech revolves around the connection of letters with typical sounds of speech. Use this game to match the right ones together.
What You Need How To Play
Start by dividing the board into two columns. On one side, write a bunch of rimes, which would generally be the letters such as b, h, m, y, l, k and so on. In the other column, write as many onsets as you can. These could be anything from an, on, at, or, and many others. Ask your child to assign one coloured marker for each rime and connect them to as many onsets as possible to form legible words. Let him say the words aloud once he connects them.

6. A Word Flip Book

Experimentation is a great way for kids to discover and learn new things. The same can be achieved with a flip book game for reading words.
What You Need How To Play
Prep the diaries by writing the alphabet on each page of it. Let your child do this as a warming up of sorts. Once all the diaries have a letter on each page, tell a word to your child and let him figure out how many letters there are in it. Based on it, he needs to use those diaries as flip books, arrange them linearly, and flip each one of them to the letter that can spell the word when reading together. You can start off gradually with simpler words and then ramp up to complex ones that can get him racking his brains.

7. Hopscotch Spelling Bee

This game is best enjoyed in a group of children where everybody can work together to achieve a singular objective.
What You Need How To Play
Make around four hopscotch maps in an open area, with each of them having seven letters in them. Each kid is responsible for the letters in his hopscotch map. Now, when you pick a word, the kids have to work together in hopping to the letters in the word in sequential order. For example, if the word is "apple", the kid with "a" on his map needs to hop there first, followed by the kid with "p" who needs to hop twice, and so on. This can get quite exciting, and you can set a time limit as well to ramp up the drama.

8. Bringing Stories To Life

The benefit of reading can be achieved only when it is read out or experienced again. Let your child do the same by being a storyteller himself.
What You Need

Simple storybooks

Some props or interesting clothes

How To Play
Pick out a story that your kid usually loves or has read multiple times. This could be either from a storybook or in any subject of their curriculum as well. Let him make some props that might be required in the story or wear the clothes of a character. Set the mood, prop yourself up on a sofa, and ask your kid to enact the story for you. Ask him to combine storytelling with any actions described in the story itself.

9. Playing I Spy With Words

Haven't we all enjoyed playing I spy when we go on long drives or picnics? You can do the same with your kids at home using simple words, too.
What You Need

A good vocabulary

Interesting objects

How To Play
Put together various objects that might be available at home. Or even take your kid out for a walk in the park or supermarket. Play I spy by saying "I spy something we can drink which begins with m" and let your child decode it and get a can of milk for you. Numerous variation of the game can be achieved. As he grows up, you can replace the simplicity with the concept of rhyme saying "I spy something that rhymes with a mouse", and your kid can point at a house in the neighbourhood.

10. Taboo Voices

If simple reading is what your child finds extremely boring, spice it up by making it into a game and blending them with some strange voices.
What You Need

Two copies of the same book
How To Play
Sit with your child and start reading the story. Choose a word that frequently occurs in the book, such as a character name or a place, and assign a specific voice to the word. Now, as you read the story, whenever that word occurs, it should be read in the voice you've assigned to it. This can work beautifully for character-driven stories, but you can do the same with random words as well, and make squeaky voices for them as your child laughs in delight.

5 Reading Activities For Kids

Turning the act of reading into a game can be quite fun for you. But for other times, we have come up with some interesting reading activities for kindergarten kids that can keep your child engaged.

1. Reading Photographs

Simply reading words is not enough. Comprehending their meaning and expressing what isn't written goes a long way in language development of a child, too.
What You Need How To Play
Open any page of the book or a nice photo from the family album that is quite descriptive. Ask your child what he thinks is going on in the picture and let him describe it to you. Nudge him to form complete sentences when he explains what he sees.

2. Personal Diary

You might think that kindergarten is too young for a child to have a diary. But this is a perfect age for him to start reading his activities.
What You Need

A decorated diary and a pen
How To Play
Depending on how old your child is, either you can ask him to write down in the diary at specific intervals, or you can write what your child did in a day as well. Then, on the following day, ask your child to read the entries of the previous day.

3. Put The Story Together

Along with reading, children also need to be introduced to the concept of causality and the sense of a story. This activity can help them with it.
What You Need How To Play
Pick a simple story that your child has read and split into different sections by writing them down on various flash cards. Shuffle them and hand them to your child. Let him arrange the cards in a manner that it reads like a proper story.

4. Picture And Word Association

For the ones that are just beginning out, this simple activity can help assign meaning to words.
What You Need

A collection of pictures

Flash cards and a pen

How To Play
Arrange all the pictures around your child and write their names on the flashcards. Ask your child to place the correct flash card on the matching picture by reading it aloud.

5. Word Search

As children grow up, they can involve themselves in activities to find recognisable words from a jumble of gibberish.
What You Need How To Play
Start by either using solved crosswords or existing word search puzzles to give to your child. Ask him to find specific words in the jumble and circle them with a pencil.

Did you know that all children have eight smarts, one of which is Word Smart, which focuses on vocabulary building, which these reading activities will do. However, it is also essential that your child's other smarts are boosted for all-round development. The Intellikit (also based on the Multiple Intelligence theory) is a one-of-its-kind activity subscription box for kids, that promotes learning through fun activities. Based on a unique theme each month, each box comes packed with worksheets, calendars, cards, and, storybooks that promote the development of all 8 smarts in your child. Simply pick your subscription duration or opt for a trial box to get started.

Putting together some interesting reading activities for preschoolers doesn't seem like a tough job once you know the basics your child needs to adhere to. By utilising these activities, your kid can be well-prepared to handle the demands of the school curriculum with ease.
Also Read: Must Read Short Stories for Children with Morals

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15 Exciting and Fun Reading Games & Activities for Kids

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Encouraging your kids to read early in life is extremely important for them to develop the habit of recreational reading or information perusal all by themselves. By inculcating the same using various games revolving around reading and organising a few activities, the concept of reading books and enjoying them won't be a novelty anymore.

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This is a book integrating reading for health and physical activity for middle school students.

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Just like peanut butter and jelly, science and the communication skills of reading and writing are natural partners for todays elementary classroom. The teaching of science concepts combined with communications skills is an approach whose time has come for two major reasons. First, there is a general recognition of the need to make instruction meaningful and relevant to the real world of students. There is a fine array of childrens literature available today that teachers can use to introduce their students to the world in which they live and, concomitantly, to teach reading skills in a meaningful context. The vicarious experiences children have through excellent literature not only can be used to teach reading and writing skills in context, but can also be used to help students see themselves in what they readwhich is very motivating. This meaningfulness and real-world approach has been shown to significantly enhance students comprehension of what they read. To increase their self-esteem and sense of self-worth, all students, regardless of gender or ethnicity, need to see themselves reflected in what they read and study in school. The wide variety of high quality literature available today helps to accommodate this need; careful selection of what is to be read helps to assure that students can relate to what they are reading and, therefore, make it meaningful to their own reality.

A second reason for emphasizing communications skills through science instruction is that more and more content is being packed into the school day. Beyond the traditional subjects, such additional topics as fire safety, second language, creative movement, drug abuse prevention, and conflict resolution are often an integral part of the elementary curriculum. Thus, to meet the needs of the compacted day, it is necessary to teach "smarter"—to teach more in the same amount of time. One way to do this is to implement an integrated curriculum where more than one subject is taught at the same time. This implementation makes content areas more relevant because they are connected to one another, and more can be taught in a given period of time than if subjects are taught separately. If two subjects are taught at the same time, not only can more be taught in a given period of time, but instruction in one area reinforces and enhances learning in the other. This is especially important in reading, because reading involves many skills; but these skills need a meaningful context—they need to be applied to a content area.

Science and reading complement each other well because of the similarities between reading skills and science process skills, as can be seen in the table. The meshing of the skills in both subject areas make them natural partners for integration. For some skills, such as identifying main ideas and details and classifying, different terms are used to describe the same process. For other skills, such as drawing conclusions, the terms and processes are the same for both subject areas. The table also includes sample writing activities that correspond to the reading and science skills.

Writing is an important part of integrating reading and science. Reading and writing are at opposite ends of the communication skills continuum; reading involves decoding words, whereas writing involves encoding words. As units are developed, opportunities need to be provided on a regular and consistent basis to read, silently and aloud, what has been written and to write about what has been read. In this way, both ends of the communication skills continuum are focused on and developed in tandem with science content.

You can develop an integrated unit in two ways: Start with a piece of outstanding literature and find science content in the literature or start with science content and find excellent literature that corresponds to the topic.

If you begin with a piece of literature, read through the selection to determine what science content logically and meaningfully is represented. The science should be directly related to the content of the book; there should be interdependence of the science content and the content of the book. If the interdependence is missing, the selection will not be useful for teaching in a truly integrated manner. For example, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is a popular trade book for the early grades. This humorous story delves into the world of fantasy as a variety of items, including meatballs, are precipitated from the skies. It lends itself well to being integrated with a weather unit that is common in the primary grades. The science content you might choose to teach in conjunction with this book could be the water cycle. However, to teach foods with this book, merely because it mentions meatballs and other food, would not be true integration.

Alternatively, if you begin with a science topic, look for outstanding literature that includes the topic you are going to teach. For example, if you want to teach geology in the upper elementary grades, a good novel to use is My Side of the Mountain. This novel lends itself well to the study of such topics as the formation of mountains, types of rocks, and erosion and deposition. In the younger grades you might select such books as Sylvester and the Magic Pebble and Stone Soup. In a similar vein, if your science topic is botany or ecology, depending on the grade level, you could consider such titles as Song of the Trees, The Wump World, Sugaring Time, The Missing 'Gator of Gumbo Limbo, or Follow the Drinking Gourd. Sources of outstanding literature can be found in lists of awards such as the Newbery Award or the American Library Association Award, and in lists published by the National Science Teachers Association in their publication Science and Children and the International Reading Association in The Reading Teacher.

As you can begin to develop the integrated unit, you will want to look at your curriculum to see what other content can be logically and meaningfully related to the unit. Typically, mathematics, social studies, art, and music are included. You will also want to determine which reading and science process skills can be developed during the unit.

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Reading and Writing in the Science Classroom, Dr. Patricia Bowers

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Just like peanut butter and jelly, science and the communication skills of reading and writing are natural partners for todays elementary classroom. The teaching of science concepts combined with communications skills is an approach whose time has come for two major reasons.

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PE Blog - Read & Discuss Current PE Topics

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As highlighted in an earlier post, all school staff members have opportunities to foster a love of learning through literacy or reading. Physical education teachers are role models and often build meaningful relationships with all students. Incorporating reading in PE with stories and children's books provides an avenue to encourage creativity through movement, dance, and social interaction.

Years ago I listened to an outstanding professional at the Illinois Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance annual conference. This master teacher shared with us one of my favorite activities to do each year during reading month, on Dr. Seuss' birthday, or whenever you need a quick 5-minute warm up.

Each year, I read the book My Many Colored Days, by Dr. Seuss to students in grades K-2. It is a very short book with beautifully colored images, and only takes a few minutes to read! The first time I read it to the students, I do not provide any additional directions other than listening. After I finish, I explain to the children that we are going to use the story to move around the gym. I flip through the pages again and ask students to share what the emotions, moods, and images might look like if we were to act them out. Finally, I ask students to find safe space and have them prepare to listen to the story again while acting out each emotion through creative play. I loudly read the story and pause before turning the page to allow for students to think and move. Students are led throughout the book to be horses, birds, bees, and more. The creativity comes alive with each child's own interpretation of the mood and animal.
Listen or watch the story.

Early elementary students love the opportunity to blend books and stories into movement! It is no different than using music to lead movement and often will leave more to the imagination. I encourage you to always read the book at least once before starting the activity if you have not read it to them previously.

Here are a few other examples of books to use, as well as quick outlines of activity ideas:

The book is perfect for a warm up activity as it is very low-impact. Have students find space and perform the movements as you read. Students can perform the stretches and actions in their own space. Read it again and have students partner up to perform matching/mirroring actions!

Throughout the book, new animals are introduced. Allow students to act out these actions in a safe space as you read the book.

Kids love dinosaurs! This book invites them to act out various locomotor movements (stomping, jumping, turning around, crawling, and more.) Several pages require additional imagination and creativity! A perfect task in their safe personal space but it also begs for the exploration of group work!

Pete the Cat is about the coolest cat around and students love the story. The story has a reoccurring theme that can be read in a fun, rhythmic beat. Create some basic dance steps for "My buttons, my buttons...". Ask students to act out emotions based on Pete's button saga as you read and dance. Check out an audio/visual of this book!

Have students in one large group. Number students off or come up with another way for students to know it is their turn. Designate another area as the pool. As you read students will hop to the pool and leave the original group. In the end all students end up in the pool. Also try in groups of five and have frogs leave their groups to go to center of playing area where a large pool party can form!

The bottom line is that there is no "one-way" to blend literacy and movement. You can keep it simple by introducing one book each month to a class, or a bit more complex by increasing the frequency to multiple times a month. Students love both reading and movement, and like mint and chocolate, it just works.

Scott is the Superintendent at Anderson School District #41 in Bozeman, MT. Formally, he was the Principal and Health Enhancement Teacher at Amsterdam School in Manhattan, MT. Scott was the recipient of the Northeastern District of Illinois Elementary Teacher of the Year award in 2009.

Scott is the Superintendent at Anderson School District #41 in Bozeman, MT. Formally, he was the Principal and Health Enhancement Teacher at Amsterdam School in Manhattan, MT. Scott was the recipient of the Northeastern District of Illinois Elementary Teacher of the Year award in 2009.

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As highlighted in an earlier post, all school staff members have opportunities to foster a love of learning through literacy or reading. Physical education teachers are role models and often build meaningful relationships with all students. Incorporating reading in PE with stories and children's books provides an avenue to encourage creativity through movement, dance, and social interaction.

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Storyline online is a free website where children can go to have teachers read a story to them

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Reading in Math Education at the High School Level

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Reading in Math Education at the High School Level

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This is a great resource to use in introducing/reviewing the properties of a circle. With math, I find it important to use resources that include visuals along with words. In this case if a student tries to recall what the diameter of a circle is they would have this image in their mind to help remember that it is the distance across the circle.

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Related Topics:
More Geometry Lessons
Math Worksheets

In these lessons, we will learn

about circles

the properties of circles

diameter

chord

radius

arc

semicircle, minor arc, major arc

tangent

secant

circumference and formula

area and formula

sector and formula

The following figures show the different parts of a circle: tangent, chord, radius, diameter, arc, segment, sector. Scroll down the page for more examples and explanations.

Circle

In geometry, a circle is a closed curve formed by a set of points on a plane that are the same distance from its center O. That distance is known as the radius of the circle.

Diameter

The diameter of a circle is a line segment that passes through the center of the circle and has its endpoints on the circle. All the diameters of the same circle have the same length.

Chord

A chord is a line segment with both endpoints on the circle. The diameter is a special chord that passes through the center of the circle. The diameter would be the longest chord in the circle.

Radius

The radius of the circle is a line segment from the center of the circle to a point on the circle.

In the above diagram, O is the center of the circle and

An arc is a part of a circle.

In the diagram above, the part of the circle from B to C forms an arc. It is called arc BC.

An arc can be measured in degrees. In the circle above, the measure of arc BC is equal to its central angle

Semicircle, Minor Arc and Major Arc

A semicircle is an arc that is half a circle. A minor arc is an arc that is smaller than a semicircle. A major arc is an arc that is larger than a semicircle.

How to identify semicircle, minor arc and major arc?

Tangent

A tangent to a circle is a line that touches a circle at only one point. A tangent is perpendicular to the radius at the point of contact.

In the above diagram, the line containing the points B and C is a tangent to the circle.

It touches the circle at point B and is perpendicular to the radius

Secant

A secant is a straight line that cuts the circle at two points. A chord is the portion of a secant that lies in the circle.

Circumference

The circumference of a circle is the distance around a circle.

Calculating the circumference of a circle involves a constant called pi with the symbol π. The value of π (pi) is approximately 3.14159265358979323846... but usually rounding to 3.142 should be sufficient. (see a mnemonic for π)

The formula for the circumference of a circle is

C = πd (see a mnemonic for this formula)

or

C = 2πr

where C is the circumference, d is the diameter and r is the radius.

If you are given the diameter then use the formula C = πd

If you are given the radius then use the formula C = 2πr

Worksheet to calculate the circumference of a circle.

Worksheet to calculate the area and circumference of a circle.

Example 1: Find the circumference of the circle with a diameter of 8 inches.

Answer: The circumference of the circle is 8π ≈ 25.163 inches.

Example 2: Find the circumference of the circle with a radius of 5 inches.

Answer: The circumference of the circle is 10 π ≈ 31.42 inches.

Explore the relationship between the radius, diameter and circumference of a circle

Area

The area of a circle is the region enclosed by the circle.

It is given by the formula:

(see a mnemonic for this formula)

where A is the area and r is the radius.

Since the formula is only given in terms of radius, remember to change from diameter to radius if necessary.

Worksheet to calculate the area of a circle.

Worksheet to calculate the area and circumference of a circle.

Worksheet to calculate problems that involve the radius, diameter, circumference and area of circle.

Example 1: Find the area the circle with a diameter of 10 inches.

Step 1: Write down the formula:

A = πr ²

Step 2: Change diameter to radius:

Step 3: Plug in the value:

A = π5 ² = 25π

Answer: The area of the circle is 25π ≈ 78.55 square inches.

Example 2: Find the area the circle with a radius of 10 inches.

Answer: The area of the circle is 100π ≈ 314.2 square inches.

How to relate the radius and diameter of a circle with its area?

Sector

A sector is like a "pizza slice" of the circle. It consists of a region bounded by two radii and an arc lying between the radii. The area of a sector is a fraction of the area of the circle

The formula to calculate the area of a sector is

How to derive the formula to calculate the area of a sector in a circle?
It explains how to find the area of a sector.

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Related Topics: More Geometry Lessons Math Worksheets In these lessons, we will learn about circles the properties of circles diameter chord radius arc semicircle, minor arc, major arc tangent secant circumference and formula area and formula sector and formula The following figures show the different parts of a circle: tangent, chord, radius, diameter, arc, segment, sector.

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Strategies: Visualizing and Contextualizing for ESL students.

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Strategies: Visualizing and Contextualizing for ESL students.

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by Claudia Pesce 353,424 views

But becoming simply literate is not enough. For academic and professional success, you need to learn how to read well. ESL students, in particular, need to develop the reading skills that will enable them to not only comprehend texts in English, but also obtain what they need to deliver a response, whether this is a written/oral reply or an action they must take. These are the essential reading strategies that you should be teaching your students - at any level.

7 Reading Strategies Your ESL Students Must Know

1. Previewing

Previewing is absolutely essential for students to get a sense of what the text is about. Elements that are usually helpful for previewing are newspaper headlines or titles; images or photos; and signal words or format. For example, if the article has words like first, second, third, etc... at the beginning of each paragraph or is a numbered list, students will get the sense that the text lists steps or is a roundup article.

Reading Exercise: Choose a newspaper article with a great headline. Before reading the article, ask students what they think the article will be about, based on the headline.

2. Contextualizing

It is always helpful for students to learn to place the text within a context. Is the news article centered on something that happens everywhere in the world, or just in one specific location? Is this something that affects you, the reader, or other people in the world? Does the main character in the story go through something you can relate to, or something you have no experience in? These are great questions for students to think about as they read.

Reading Exercise: Before reading this text about Education in Britain, discuss the educational system in the country your students are currently in: How many years of grade school are there? How many years of high school? Students read about what it's like to go to school in Britain and compare it to their country.

3. Visualizing

Some students, especially those who are visual learners, need to "see" the information. Can you see the main character in your mind's eye based on the description? Can you picture the contaminated river as described in the news article? Visualizing also involves organizing the information in a visual way, usually through the use of a mind map or other graphic organizer.

Reading Exercise: Have students read a text like By the Water. After the reading, ask students to record the images that come to mind as they read: I can picture the sun shining on the water and the birds flying above ...

4. Asking and Answering Questions

What questions come to mind when you preview an article? How will the main character solve this problem? Students need to come up with questions they would like answered in the text and pay attention to how they are answered.

Reading Exercise: Read a news article or a piece like this one about the Boston Marathon. After reading the title, ask students to come up with three questions they expect the article will answer and then read to see if they find the answers.

5. Summarizing

After the reading, students should be able to summarize what they've read. This may be a short oral summary or a full paragraph. Summarizing includes a very important skill: getting the gist. What was the main point in the story? Summarizing is not retelling everything that happened as it happened, and students need to not only tell the difference, but also learn to give back information in a clear concise manner.

Reading Exercise: Ask the class to read the story of Helen of Troy. Then, ask them to summarize in just one sentence or two what caused the Troyan War.

6. Skimming

Skimming and scanning are usually considered speed-reading skills because they are not used for intensive reading. They are essential skills nonetheless, and students need to know that sometimes intensive reading is not necessary.

Skimming a text involves running your eyes over it quickly to get the main idea. It also allows you to identify which parts of a long text you might want to read more closely. This skill is particularly useful, for example, for Business English students who have to read long reports that are several pages long. By skimming the report, they can still follow the gist and stop when they find something of particular interest to them.

Reading Exercise: Hand out different magazines or newspapers in English, and tell the class they have five minutes to skim one. After they're done skimming, ask them what stories they remember reading.

7. Scanning

Scanning, on the other hand, allows you to quickly search a text for a particular piece of information. Scanning is ideal when students need to find a phone number in a directory, the date of a historical event or the time their train is leaving.

Reading Exercise: Show the class this PowerPoint slide about Jobs. Divide the class into groups and give each group 2-3 questions to answer. You can use the same questions that appear on the right but in a different order. Each group must scan the text to find the information they need to answer the questions.

Sometimes teaching ESL is more than "teaching English".

We must also teach skills and strategies that will help our students succeed in whatever they choose to do.

What other reading skills do you think are useful for ESL students? Share your thoughts below!

P.S. If you enjoyed this article, please help spread it by clicking one of those sharing buttons below. And if you are interested in more, you should follow our Facebook page where we share more about creative, non-boring ways to teach English.

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7 Essential Reading Strategies Your ESL Students Must Know (and YOU Must Teach)

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No one is born knowing how to read. But becoming simply literate is not enough. For academic and professional success, you need to learn how to read well. ESL students, in particular, need t

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Use games to make the students have fun while also learning basics of reading or widening their vocabulary. For Example, I use PBS reading games to help the student I tutor.

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Explore reading and play games with your favorite PBS KIDS characters like Elmo, Molly of Denali, Clifford, WordGirl, and Daniel Tiger!

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This video gives a 5-step process that leverages literacy skills to help students solve math word problems.

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I have been involved in teaching physical education for many years. My colleagues and I often remark on how some movement skills are so natural to some children while others struggle with simple movements. Starting from infancy, children learn and develop motor skills. Many people think that all this is just natural movement and most motor skills do develop as a natural process with maturation. But maturation takes care of only part of the process - the part that allows a child to execute most movement skills. As your child develops and begins running, jumping, throwing and playing, you need to observe if there are any movements that look awkward. For example, if your child runs with stiff legs, or doesn't bend their knees when they are jumping, or lands on their toes instead of their heels, then these are signs that your child may need some help to develop the correct gross motor movement. If children don't get the help they need to learn physical skills at an early age, many will never master gross (large muscle) motor skills.

Enter MPA. We are teaching our children gross motor movement from Pre-Kindergarten through ninth grade in our physical education classes. Our knowledgeable and experienced staff can teach a skill by breaking it into smaller movements, then putting them all together to demonstrate the larger movement or skill. As parents, it helps to support this learning at home and make sure your child has enough play time where they are working on these new skills. It can be a simple matter of demonstrating the proper technique to your child and using words of encouragement. For instance, if your child regularly drops a ball when you toss it to him, explain to him/her to keep his/her eyes on the ball all the way into his/her hands, then squeeze the ball. As you watch your child play, encourage him to use the proper form when throwing or catching a ball, running, jumping, and just playing. Repetition is the key to learning and mastering a skill. If the problems of movement persist, consider talking to your child's physical education teacher first. If you and the teacher feel that further help is needed, then you can talk to your pediatrician or occupational therapist for an evaluation.

All children develop at different speeds, so don't jump to a conclusion about your child's athletic ability because he/she seems to be learn a skill at a different pace than their classmates. Some children love sports, will play them in their spare time, and play on competitive teams, so they will develop their gross motor movements more quickly and to a finer degree than a child who isn't on a team. Give your child as much opportunity as possible to just play with their friends; this is where they develop their skills because they are having fun and not thinking about working on skill development. Gross motor skills are related to physical fitness and we all want our children to be physically fit. Instilling physical activity at an early age and encouraging children to go outside and play will help children as they grow to remain physically active.

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Gross Motor Movement, Development, & Physical Education - Morgan Park Academy

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I have been involved in teaching physical education for many years. My colleagues and I often remark on how some movement skills are so natural to some children while others struggle with simple movements. Starting from infancy, children learn and develop motor skills.

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https://www.morganparkacademy.org/2016/gross-motor-movement-development-physical-education/'

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Dolly Parton sends books children from birth until five every month, this helps children get a head start on reading by having those books at home.

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Here are six games parents or tutors can use to help young readers practice word recognition, spelling patterns, and letter-sound knowledge. When planning to play one of these games, choose words to use from books the child is reading or has read recently. The games should also be chosen or designed to promote the child's sense of competence and success.

1. Concentration

To make

Select five to ten words from a book (or books) the child is reading. Print each word clearly and boldly on separate 3x5 inch index cards, making pairs of each word. (The child may be able to help you by copying the words you write.)

To play

Shuffle the cards and place them face down in neat rows. Take turns turning up two cards at a time and reading the words aloud. If the two cards match, the player keeps them and takes a second turn. If they do not match, the cards are replaced face down and the next player takes a turn. Play until all the cards are matched. The player with the most pairs wins. If the child has trouble recognizing a word, say the word - do not ask the child to "sound out" the word. The purpose of this game is to build automatic recognition of whole words.

You can control the difficulty of the game by the choice and number of words used: for very beginning readers, choose meaningful words that are visually distinctive: "ghost", "dark", "sister", and keep the number of words low. For a more challenging game, include some words that are less distinctive: "when", "what", "this", "that", but be careful not to overwhelm the child.

Variation 1

Instead of matching pairs, you can use rhyming pairs: look, book; dark, park.

Variation 2

This game can also be used to build letter recognition and letter/sound association. Paste or draw simple pictures on one set of cards; and on the other set, print initial consonants to go with the pictures. For example, paste the picture of a dog on one card, and write the letter "D" on a matching card.

Note: This game can be adapted to use with older children, or more advanced readers: variations can include vocabulary practice such as using homonyms, (words that sound alike but are spelled differently and have different meanings: cent/scent; dear/deer, etc.) or contractions, (can't; cannot, etc.).

2. Go fish

This game is good for early fluent to fluent readers.

To make

Select ten to 20 words from a book (or books) the child is reading. Print the words clearly and boldly on separate 3x5 inch index cards, making pairs of each word. (Children may help by copying the words you write.) Two to four players can play this game.

To play

Shuffle and deal three to five cards to each player. Place the rest of the deck face down. Players take turns asking each other for a card to match one held in his or her hand. If the opponent has a matching card, it is given over, and the first player takes another turn. If the opponent does not have a match, he or she says "Go Fish" and the player draws from the remaining deck of cards, and the next player takes a turn. Each time a player has a match, he or she reads the words, and puts down the pair, face up. Continue the game until the cards are all used up.

Instead of matching words, rhyming words can be used. In this case, players ask for "a word that sounds like 'night'..." At the end, the child can earn extra points by dictating or writing additional words that rhyme with the base words, or creating "silly" sentences using the rhymes.

Note: This game can be adapted to use with older children, or more advanced readers: variations can include vocabulary practice such as using homonyms (words that sound alike but are spelled differently and have different meanings: cent/scent; dear/deer, etc.), or contractions (can't; cannot, etc.).

3. Old maid

To make

Select three words per player from a book (or books) being read. Print them clearly and boldly on separate 3x5 inch index cards, making pairs of words. Choose one more word without a match that will be the winning card.

To play

Shuffle and deal three to six cards to each player. Players take turns drawing a card from a player to their left. If a player draws a card that matches one in his or her hand, he/she reads the two matching words in order to keep the pair. Play continues until all the cards are matched, except for the one odd card. The player who holds that card at the end wins the game.

Note: This game can be adapted to use with older children, or more advanced readers: variations can include vocabulary practice such as using homonyms (words that sound alike but are spelled differently and have different meanings: cent/scent; dear/deer, etc.), or contractions (can't; cannot, etc.).

4. Monopoly

This is a great game to help teach word family patterns and spelling patterns. This should be used with children who write fairly comfortably, usually second grade or older.

To make

Create a game board with four or five squares on each side. Prepare word cards with families of words that emerge from the child's reading: night, light, tight; went, bent, sent; hat, cat, bat. (For beginning readers or younger children, make sure the patterns are not too similar: mat, sat, rat; man, can, ran; met, set, bet.) Color code each word family and each side of the game board.

Place the words face up around the board in sets. To add to the element of chance, have other game directions on the board, such as "take another turn", "go back 2 spaces", etc. Prepare score sheets for each player with color-coded headings for each word family.

To play

Role dice or use a spinner to move around the board. Wherever a player lands he reads the word, then writes it in the appropriate "word family" category on the score sheet. Extra points can be earned by dictating or writing sentences with the rhyming words.

5. Rhyming games

Play rhyming games to teach about the patterns in words. Try the following, for example, for words in the same family as the word black:

Introduce a poem or rhyming story such as Miss Mary Mack:
Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack
all dressed in black, black, black
with silver buttons, buttons, buttons
up and down her back, back, back...

Encourage the child to point out words in books that have a similar spelling pattern as in black.

Help the child think of other words that have this pattern. You may have to write a few words for him or her:
sack
pack
stack

Then have the child read the whole word and underline the repeated part of the word, "ack."

Using magnetic letters or Scrabble pieces, form a word with the "ack" pattern. Ask the student to change the first letter of the word (for example: 's' in sack) to make a new word, such as pack. You should be sure to provide a limited number of letters (two or three at first) for the child to choose from.

Remember to choose a word pattern that is useful and important to the student and that relates to something that he or she has read or will read. If possible, start with a word he or she already knows in the word family. After reading a book about being sad, for example, start with the word "cry" and then follow with "fry", "try", and "wry".

Remember to review the word families you've chosen to work on periodically by playing some of the other games described above.

Be sure to give the student a chance to go back to a book, poem, or other texts where he or she can apply this new reading skill. Poems, nursery rhymes, and jump rope jingles are a great resource for early readers.

6. Fishing for sounds

This is a game for emergent readers and writers.

To make

Find and cut out small pictures of familiar objects from magazines, old workbooks, catalogues. Try to find several pictures that start with the same letter, such as book, bed, basket, boy; snake, sun, skate, slide, etc. (The child can help; this is a good language activity too.)

Cut out 12-15 fish shapes and paste or draw one picture on each fish.

On individual 3x5 inch index cards or on an 8x11 inch piece of paper or cardboard, print consonant letters with a key picture for each group of pictures found. (For example, print the letter "S" with the picture of a sun to represent all the words beginning with that letter.) (If using a sheet of paper, print only two or three letters per sheet.)

To play

Select two or three sets of fish pictures that start with the same letters and mix them up. Place face down on a table and take turns "going fishing." As each fish is turned over, the child names the picture and places it in the appropriate pile under the key letter / picture. When all the fish are caught and placed correctly, have the child "read" the pictures under each heading. If necessary, read along with him or her, saying the letter name and stressing the initial sound of the word. "Yes, here are 'S' pictures: sssun, sssnake, sssaxophone."

To add excitement, you can play as opponents, each player having one or two categories and key letter / pictures. Take turns fishing, and discard those fish that belong to the other player.

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Here are six games parents or tutors can use to help young readers practice word recognition, spelling patterns, and letter-sound knowledge. When planning to play one of these games, choose words to use from books the child is reading or has read recently.

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ABCMouse.com is a free and great at home resource to progress learning to read at a kindergarten age.

Having sight words avaliable on the walls of the classroom to help when struggling with their selcected book. This will allow them to feel comfortable using their resources to sound out their struggling words.

Scholastic is a wonderful and free resource that allows a variety of books at different levels to be exposed to students of all ages.

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Health & Physical Education K-12 / Rubrics

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https://www.education.com/activity/article/superhero-research-project/
Super fun way for kids to read about their favorite superhero

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Reading and writing is extremely important in lower levle history. Without reading and writing it would be very hard for some students to retain the information given in the lessons. The linked article explains how  without reading students wouldnt be able to make conecctions throughout history.

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Sun 25 2011

"Do we just use the text as evidence to answer this question or can we use the date of the document also?"

A bright 8th-grade student asked me this question in the middle of a lesson on Reconstruction. He and his partner were working their way through several prepared documents to answer the lesson's central question. Matt was figuring out that the specific circumstances surrounding an historical account mattered to making sense of that account. When I answered, "Yes, by all means use the date," he answered, "Because the date matters to the question."

Matt was "reading historically," even if he didn't know it.

Matt was "reading historically," even if he didn't know it.

Consider another scenario: Susie, a conscientious 5th-grader, was working on writing an essay about the events leading up to the American Revolution. She asked me for help with beginning her essay. I asked, "What story will you tell in this essay? Or will you make an argument? What will you argue about this topic?" With a blank look that turned into a slightly annoyed one, she told me that she would do neither: "It's an essay on the American Revolution, we're just supposed to include important facts."

Susie had not yet learned that historical essays tell stories and make arguments. Without one of these coherent structures, introducing her "important facts" was a difficult task.

Both of these are instances where literacy was central to the work that students were doing in history classrooms. And this is how it should be, as all history teachers are also literacy teachers.

Literacy is Central to History

This may be obvious to you, depending on your own teaching context, training, and experience. Even when I earned my teacher credential, more than two decades ago, I was required to take a "content-area" reading course. Together, prospective teachers of all the secondary subjects spent a semester learning about pre-reading strategies and different kinds of reading guides. But the truth is that this course didn't help me identify as a reading teacher; I was a history/social science teacher through and through and this approach to literacy seemed only marginally useful to me.

My easy dismissal was partly my mistake and partly due to the generic nature of the course. I should have known better. Doing history in college meant reading mountains of material-identifying and critiquing arguments and their evidentiary warrants, and seeking out alternative interpretations and multiple voices. These were some of the aspects of history that drew me to the subject and reading was core to all of them. Regardless of historical topic or task, I had to read to do my work. As Princeton historian Hendrik Hartog said in a Journal of American History roundtable on the state of the historical practice, "The one [practice] we all engage in as historians is reading." But, in my content reading course, it was not obvious to me how learning about cloze reading guides was important to teaching history.

History Requires Specific Literacy Strategies and Skills

We've all heard about "content area literacy" practices and "reading and writing across the curriculum." Both of these terms support my first point: that even if you're not an English teacher, you are still a literacy teacher. But some of the books and programs that focus on "content-area literacy" fall short in their answers to two key questions: in history class, what should students read? And how should students read?

. . . even if you're not an English teacher, you are still a literacy teacher.

Too often, these programs identify textbooks as the primary, if not the only, history/social studies classroom text and focus primarily on generic literacy practices that cut across all disciplines, like scanning and summarizing.

Textbooks can be useful classroom tools and students should be taught how to read and use them wisely, but when students read only these books, they do not get experience, practice, or coaching with reading more authentic discipline-specific texts. Doing history requires reading many genres of text, from presidential proclamations to private letters to political cartoons. It includes "reading" images and video, objects and art. It includes analyzing primary sources for perspective and reliability and secondary sources for argument and supporting evidence.

True content-area literacy in history requires students learn reading and writing strategies specific to history. In the examples above, Matt is " sourcing " even if he doesn't know it and this is an essential skill for reading in history. Susie is struggling with how to communicate historical knowledge in writing and needs help with understanding and producing historical arguments.

Students must learn that place, time, audience, and purpose matter to how authors craft and deliver their message.

History requires particular kinds of reading and writing strategies that are critical to students being college-, career-, and citizenship-ready. It requires that students become creators and connoisseurs of arguments, careful readers, and good questioners. Students must learn that place, time, audience, and purpose matter to how authors craft and deliver their message. They should learn to ask questions of text like: whose voice is missing? What is the evidence for that claim? How are conclusions about this topic limited? History offers opportunities for students to learn how to identify and write causal claims, use hedging language to assert neither too little nor too much, identify ambiguities, and weigh evidence to make a convincing claim.

Teachinghistory.org has many resources that can help you teach students discipline-specific reading and writing strategies and competencies. We strive to be faithful to the discipline in the materials we compile and produce for the site and this means that reading and writing are central to our classroom resources. We pay special attention to providing resources for teaching historical thinking, or what we call, "the reading, analysis, and writing that is necessary to develop our understanding of the past." Given that class time for history instruction, especially at the elementary level, is threatened in some schools, history educators need to be clear and explicit about how our discipline demands and fosters students' critical reading skills. Teachinghistory.org can help with that message as well as with providing classroom resources for developing those skills.
(Author's note: All names are pseudonyms.)

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Sun 25 2011 "Do we just use the text as evidence to answer this question or can we use the date of the document also?" A bright 8th-grade student asked me this question in the middle of a lesson on Reconstruction. He and his partner were working their way through several prepared documents to answer the lesson's central question.

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Help identify, understand, and define vocabulary

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Literacy is important to help develop the "whole child"

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Allowing students to be in a group, taking turns reading to one another. Builds classroom community along with confidence.

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It is important that we include reading and writing while we teach math. Literacy is important in all subject areas.

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"When will I ever use this?" If you're a math teacher, this is a question you're very familiar with. As the math curriculum becomes ever more abstract in middle and high school, it's difficult for students to see when and where the material they're learning will be applicable.

Just telling them that the material will be useful for their following math courses or future academic career doesn't cut it-and it shouldn't. This is when the " unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics," as explored through reading and writing, is the ace up the sleeves of teachers.

Reading and writing are complex, fundamental, integrative learning skills that should be used to their potential in math class. Reading is a two-part process that is similar to mathematics in that it requires first the transfer of encoded information to the reader and then the comprehension of that information. And writing is one of the most powerful modes of learning because it engages both hemispheres of the brain -one side generates ideas, the other structures them.

Effective writing also clarifies and organizes a student's thoughts, and the slow pace of writing is conducive to student learning because it allows them to reason carefully to make sure they're correct before they state their thoughts. Studies have shown that writing is valuable specifically for the math classroom-for example, it seems that a student's ability to explain concepts in writing is related to the ability to comprehend and apply them.

And of course written explanations also allow the teacher to understand and assess the student's thinking in a way that computational steps alone may not provide.

Writing in Math Class

Although writing prompts for the elementary-and less frequently for the middle school-math classroom have been available for some time, they generally focus on attitudes and dispositions, likes and dislikes, and thoughts, concerns, and feelings about math or math class. They include journals, math autobiographies, letters to the teacher, and freewriting activities. They involve writing about a concept or a process the students are studying, or center on metacognitive skills such as effort, goals, expectations, study habits, and so on.

These prompts can be adapted for high school students, but I've found it more useful to use reading and writing to illustrate how mathematics is embedded in every aspect of life. Reading and writing are particularly effective in developing a quantitative understanding of the world around us because they can be used to lead students to reflect on everyday experiences. One assignment that I've found effective is having students create a magazine of excerpts of articles about various applications of mathematics in real life.

The magazine-I've included an issue here-is composed of summaries of published articles, so to get students started, I keep an updated list of articles that highlight the ways math is present in different facets of the real world-from the probability that a soccer team ends up in a particular World Cup group to gerrymandering, fractals in Jackson Pollock's paintings, black holes, the fairness of social media, invisibility cloaks, and more.

I select articles from a variety of newspapers, journals, and magazines, such as The Washington Post, The New York Times (especially the Upshot section), The Economist, New Scientist, Scientific American, and The Atlantic, as well as from blogs, websites, podcasts, videos, and other online resources. The app MathFeed ( downloadable for free in the Apple App Store), curated by mathematician Francis Su, is my most valued and trusted source-it allows me to find the most important news and views about math in the media in a single place.

After picking an article that has piqued their interest-from the list I provide or other sources of their choice-the students read it carefully, summarize it, and post it on the online magazine. (If they want to work with an article they have found, they have to ask me first so we don't end up with repetitions in the magazine.) They know they're required to understand the article content properly, edit their summary thoroughly, provide a visual to aid their readers' comprehension, and cite their source.

I give them access to the draft of the magazine, and they also have to upload their article and take care of any technical issues that may arise.

For assessment, I've created a simple rubric that looks at content understanding, clarity of communication, editing, critical thinking, initiative, and creativity.

This has been one of my most popular projects-students are amazed to discover some of the myriad applications of math. They also enjoy being able to choose articles according to their interests, and appreciate that the end product, the magazine, can be easily shared with family and friends and stored in their own e-portfolios.

This is a valuable activity that encourages students who enjoy reading and writing more than the computational side of math and gives all a deeper understanding and stronger appreciation of the usefulness and effectiveness of mathematics.

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"When will I ever use this?" If you're a math teacher, this is a question you're very familiar with. As the math curriculum becomes ever more abstract in middle and high school, it's difficult for students to see when and where the material they're learning will be applicable.

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Vocabulary terms to help understand how those specific terms connect to applications.
Comprehension in reading word problems to identify what the problem is giving and asking.
Prior Knowledge can help when learning new and gradual applications.
Explanations can help students want to be able to read when it comes to understanding and predicting.

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There always seems to be a new debate about the best way to teach math or which curriculum is the best. I also hear often from homeschool moms who love and feel confident teaching reading, yet feel uncertain and ill-equipped to teach math. Today I am not trying to put any debates to rest or say that I have the final answer to math education questions, I simply want to share some ideas to help you wherever you are, and hopefully show that teaching math doesn't have to be difficult or scary. You may also be surprised to hear it isn't as far away from teaching reading as it seems. Because you can actually use helpful and recognized literacy strategies to teach math!
*Please Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and help support the work of this site. Read our full disclosure here.*
I've recently been reading a book by Laney Sammons called, Building Mathematical Comprehension. It is an excellent resource and if you are interested in learning more and seeing more examples and in depth analysis of these strategies, I highly recommend it.

As I've read through and considered various literacy strategies, it has struck me that applying these strategies to math seems so obvious, and yet, it's not something I have heard or thought of before.

For instance, she makes the point that the goal of reading instruction is to comprehend and apply. The same is true of math! The goal of teaching and learning math is not to be able to compute or work through algorithms or memorize facts. It is to understand. To comprehend the meaning of all the numbers and their connections to each other and then apply that to real life.

So if you're familiar with these strategies, I hope this will give you new insight into how you can apply them to math instruction, and if you're not familiar with these strategies, I hope this will be packed full of useful information for you!

5 Ideas for Using Literacy Strategies to Teach Math:

1. Teach Math Vocabulary

In reading, vocabulary (and figuring out unknown words) is an essential component of comprehension. In math, the task of knowing and determining unknown vocabulary is even more challenging because there are words that are specific to math and not used in everyday conversation.

Math is a foreign language and it is important that we don't take for granted the language used to talk about and describe math problems and situations. The good thing is, there are lots of different ways you can teach and help kids understand math specific vocabulary.
Here are just a few ideas:

Have a "word wall" in your home or classroom to expose kids to math specific words and start discussions

Encourage students to explain their thinking when they solve a problem using math words. If they explain in a way that doesn't incorporate the correct vocabulary, rephrase it for them using appropriate terms

Use "word sorts" to allow students to make connections between various words and mathematical operations (for example, sort words like "add, altogether, in total, plus, etc." under the addition symbol

Have math talks and encourage (and model yourself) the use of math specific vocabulary

Incorporate writing into your lessons to allow students to write about mathematical experiences, or explain a solution in their own words using math vocabulary

Use graphic organizers such as a Frayer diagram or Venn diagram to compare words, find examples, etc.

Read math stories (this is one of my favorites!)

Related: The Importance of Math Vocabulary
2. Use Schema (a.k.a prior knowledge)

Every child has a schema, or set of knowledge, that is unique to them. Each child's schema will be varied in its breadth and depth. Some may overlap, some may have a lot of prior knowledge (some may have a much larger vocabulary, for instance) while others may have virtually no prior knowledge.

It's important, however, in reading and math, to try and start with what they know and build on that knowledge. In fact, according to Marzano, research suggests that "what students already know about the content is one of the strongest indicators of how well they will learn new information relative to the content." (This also means you may need to spend time determining what they know before you start).

By starting with something familiar, students can then make a connection from the new concept to what they already know, helping to make sense of the new ideas, as well as helping with retention.

This is the reason the first few lessons in my introduction to multiplication bundle focus on reinforcing and understanding repeated addition. This allows kids to take something familiar (addition) and think about it in a new way (repeated addition) and then form a connection from repeated addition to multiplication.

So when you are planning math lessons, it is helpful for students if you start with the familiar and work towards building a bridge to new content.

But it is also important to help students see how they can do this on their own to help them solve problems. When they look at a math problem, have them first ask themselves, "What do I know?" and then write that down. Look for things that are familiar (such as known vocabulary words) and see if that provides any insight into how to solve the problem.

A popular method in reading instruction is to use a KWL chart (What do I KNOW, what do I WANT to know, and then what did I LEARN). This could easily be used when learning a new math concept as well, helping kids make those important connections!
Related: Teaching Readers to Use Their Schema
3. Make Connections

This leads me to the next literacy strategy: making connections. Helping kids use their prior knowledge gives them something to connect a new concept to.

But students can make connections in other ways as well, and this is a very useful strategy to help them learn, apply and remember new math concepts.
Types of math connections:
All of math is interconnected, and it's important to help kids see the connections between one math concept and another. We also then, have to find ways to make connections between the math they're learning and their life, and help them see math in the world around them.

One way you can help kids form connections is to plan lessons in which connections are abundant. Be intentional in the way you present new topics. Teach it in a way that uses all sorts of other math to see and learn the new math idea.

Sometimes it is helpful to point out these connections to students, and other times, encourage them to make the connections on their own. Eventually, you want seeing and making connections to be a habit, natural and automatic for kids.
Ideas for helping kids make mathematical connections:

Have a daily "how did you use math yesterday?" discussion

Keep math journals documenting math situations or connections

If you're a classroom teacher, encourage parents to have "math talks" or go on "math walks" at home

Read the book Math Curse and spend time discussing it and other ways we see and use math (get FREE resources to use with this book here)

Related: Making connections to help with reading comprehension
4. Make predictions

Making predictions and inferences is an important reading comprehension strategy, and adapting that to math instruction is vital. As Laney Sammons states,

"Students need to know that making predictions that are then proved or disproved is a process mathematicians have used throughout history."

Having an idea about how to solve a problem and then seeing that that is either a valid method or not is what we do as mathematicians. It's the crux of the problem solving process. Play around with ideas and numbers and see what happens.
Related: 8 reasons making mistakes in math is a good thing
The problem is, this is not normally how math is taught. Often, students are told, "Here is the process. Do each problem exactly like this." Students then memorize a procedure without understanding the concept or making any connections to prior knowledge or their world.

Instead, encourage exploration. Encourage mistakes, and then have students analyze why a method did or did not work. Then have them try again.

Help them look for patterns and see if they can generalize their observations.

Just as students can make predictions about how to solve problems, they should also be in the habit of predicting the solution. This is called estimating.

Unfortunately, this is a rarely taught skill, and is usually only seen in the form of, "How many balls do you think are in this jar?"

Helping kids get in the habit of estimating the solution is important though, because it will help them to self check and make sure that the answer makes sense in the context of the problem. They can use what is given in the problem as well as their prior knowledge to make predictions about the solution.

For instance, in an addition problem, students should know that the final solution must be larger than the numbers they are adding.

In more challenging problems, they should think about whether the solution should be positive or negative, large or small, a whole number or a fraction, exactly one solution or more than one solution, etc.

I think the best way to encourage this kind of estimating is to constantly model it for kids. Talk out loud as you solve a problem and explain why you think the answer will be large and positive. Then talk through your thinking as you do the math.

Related: Making predictions as you read and Using inferences to help with comprehension

5. Teach kids to visualize

Just like reading a story creates a visual image in our minds, math problems should as well. When using visualizing to help with reading comprehension, it's a good idea to underline or circle visual words (adjectives).

Kids can do this with math word problems as well. Circle words that paint a picture and provide important information, and then use those words to draw a picture.

Visualizing and drawing a picture is a helpful strategy because it provides kids with a mental image which will help them remember what they've learned.

It can also help them break down a problem into easier to understand parts to make sense of it. If a problem seems overwhelming at first glance, spending time circling visual words and then drawing a picture of the problem can help make it less overwhelming.
Related: Problem solving by drawing a picture
This is an exhaustive list of literacy strategies, or ideas for how you can apply reading comprehension strategies to math instruction. It is simply meant to give you a starting point and hopefully some good ideas for how you can encourage your kids to be thinkers and problem solvers who have a deep understanding of math and how it relates to the world around them.

And if you're looking for more strategies to help kids make sense of math, grab a FREE copy of my ebook, Strategies for Problem Solving: Equip Kids to Solve Math Problems with Confidence!
Click HERE to learn more and request your copy! References in this post:

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There always seems to be a new debate about the best way to teach math or which curriculum is the best. I also hear often from homeschool moms who love and feel confident teaching reading, yet feel uncertain and ill-equipped to teach math.

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Dolly Parton's imagination library sends books every month from birth until 5 to children