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New Literacies (Online Reading Resources for Grades 3-5)

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New Literacies (Online Reading Resources for Grades 3-5)

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I found this website from another website and explored it for a little and really liked how it functioned as well as how easy it was to find books. I would use this in my classroom because students can get on the website on their own and find the book they are reading or that we are reading as a class and either listen to the book or play the games that are on the website.
-Sentasia Floyd

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I found this website and I really like the 5 ideas on this website. I think the ideas on this website are great for reading motivation. One of the ideas I really liked was the reading certificates and celebrations because it is always great to be celebrated. I think many students would like to be celebrated for accomplishments they achieved when it comes to reading. I would use these ideas in my classroom because they are great ideas to motivate students.
-Sentasia Floyd

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5 Reading Incentive Ideas for 3rd - 5th Graders That Really Work

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Getting students to read can be difficult, especially 3rd-5th graders. Here are 5 reading incentive ideas for 3rd-5th graders that really work!

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Close Reading in fiction and informational texts

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Close Reading in fiction and informational texts

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I found this blog by a teacher and I really enjoyed reading how to use close reading in informational text. I like the tips this teacher gave and how to not use it all the time because it might suck the joy of reading out of students. I would use this resource in my classroom and especially the posters that are on this blog and the task cards with the stem questions.
-Sentasia Floyd

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Expert Advice for Grade 3-5 readers-Gregory Glatz

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Expert Advice for Grade 3-5 readers-Gregory Glatz

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This is a great resource for parents who have questions about this students reading and how to improve it. The article answers 3 main questions on how to help students progression in reading and how to keep them engaged.

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A: The very first thing you can do is to make time as a family for quiet pleasure reading. The key is for your child to see you as a model, enjoying your own good book or catching up on current events with your newspaper. The second important element is that everyone gets to choose what he wants to read. This is not the time to force a particular book upon your child, nor should he do any reading associated with homework. It is a time during which pleasure reading can be shared, with your child reading to you, another parent, or a sibling, or even someone reading to him.

While it is likely impossible to have a family reading session that meets these criteria every night, try to set up some sort of regular routine once or twice a week. Consider a weekend morning after breakfast, a Sunday night before the work and school week begins all over again, or one night during the week when your family's schedule of activities is relatively light.

Bedtime reading: If a family reading session is not possible, try to keep up the bedtime-story ritual. As children progress through their elementary-school years, this tradition tends to wane, despite the fact that it continues to be a great benefit.

Just as you probably did when your child was a toddler, begin by reading a favorite story to him. Now you can read exciting books that he is not yet ready to read on his own - one chapter at a time. In this way, he will experience the pleasure of a good book, read bit by bit over time, without the stress of struggling through it on his own.

Then kiss him goodnight, leaving him just one option for staying up later: continued reading on his own. To make this half of pleasure reading successful, surround your child with short books that he can read quickly and easily. This is critically important for your child to gain confidence and control over his reading power.

Reading for enjoyment comes naturally for some, but not for others. But if your family is a reading-for-fun family, it may be harder to reject what gives everyone else a good time.
Q: What is the best way to help my 10-year-old daughter to write better and enjoy it?
A: Writing and reading go hand in hand and are important to student success in all areas of the curriculum. Writing better and more often will help your daughter clarify her thinking and demonstrate understanding of what she reads. Try these strategies:

Keep a writer's notebook. Ten-year-olds like journals and diaries. Encourage her to write something every day in a special place. She can keep track of important news, funny family stories, or meaningful events in family life. When she files these "reports," remind her to answer who, what, when, where and why questions about the event she is covering. For a variation of this activity, write a family history together. On one page, you write a recollection about your school, a trip, a party, or a historical event. Then your daughter can also do the same thing on the opposite page. You will be creating a keepsake and encouraging a writer.

Send a letter. Letter-writing provides a purpose for writing. Encourage your daughter to share her opinions. For example, if she has a strong feeling about a civic situation, she can contact City Hall, the local newspaper, or even The White House to let her thoughts be known. It is also important for her to master the art of thank you notes. Have her send them not just for gifts but also for special times shared.

Make a hamburger. Many kids have trouble getting started on writing tasks. It sometimes helps to have an organizer. Many teachers use a "hamburger organizer." Here's how it works: The top of the bun is for the topic sentence - the one that states an opinion or tells what the writer will be describing. The filling - the burger, the lettuce, tomato, and onion - represents the supporting details. The more details, the more "delicious" the paragraph will be. The bottom section of the bun represents the concluding sentence. Have your daughter sketch a picture of the hamburger and write her draft on the picture so she will have a fun way to organize her writing.

Look for writing opportunities everywhere. This is the time when your daughter will start to take notes in school. Have her get used to writing lists and notes to serve as reminders. These brief activities help to develop writing fluency or the ability to get ideas down quickly, correctly, and thoughtfully.

Copy the masters. Another way to develop writing fluency is to copy text. This helps students get the feel of text. One possibility: have your daughter select, copy, and present a poem as a gift for a special occasion.

Use the computer. The computer helps kids to do the one part of writing they like the least: rewriting. In fact, writing experts say that you need to rewrite, rewrite, and rewrite again. When students can use a word processor, they work harder at revising and getting it right.

Check work carefully. Have your daughter get into the habit of rereading her work. Remind her that when sending a letter or even using e-mail, she should check her work for correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

All of these activities are best accomplished in the context of having your daughter set a purpose for writing and for identifying the audience. These activities also encourage her to use the major types of writing: narrative, to tell a story; persuasive, to state an opinion, influence others, and solve a problem; and expressive, for poetry.

While you are encouraging your daughter to write, compose letters and notes to her and share stories and poems that you think are well written. She'll know that you appreciate good writing and will be inspired by your interest.
Q: My son is above grade level in math and reading, but below level in writing. His stories are well developed but his handwriting and spelling are poor. How do I get him to re-focus and take pride in his work?
A: Poor spelling and sloppy writing are common concerns that parents express when seeking advice about the quality of their children's school performance. It is quite natural to wonder whether these behaviors are symptoms of laziness or an ambivalent attitude towards learning and school.

In some cases, this very well may be true. But I would caution that in the majority of cases there are other factors that potentially lie behind the less-than-expected writing performance. Your description of your son makes me think that there may be more going on. His strong performance in reading and math shows not only his intelligence but also a desire to learn. Additionally, it appears that his expressive language skills are also good, as he is able to craft stories with depth and meaning.

So what could be the problem? Your son has learned many skills in the past few years, including how to identify and sound out words on increasingly higher levels. Additionally, he has been picking up new vocabulary through reading and has been learning to comprehend more complex sentences and longer reading passages.

It may be that these graduating demands are placing a burden on what we call his grapho-motor skills. It is not unusual for an intelligent and verbal child to have a specific weakness in coordinating the intense memory and cognitive demands that writing requires with the fine-motor demands necessary for forming legible letters and accurate spelling. This can be quite frustrating, as his thoughts may be racing far ahead of his fingers.

To prevent a downward motivational spiral, encourage him to do some writing on the computer. For some children using the keyboard makes an enormous difference. Second, explain that many good writers must make a rough and a final draft. This way they can get their wonderful ideas out without having to worry about what it looks like. Then they go back and "edit" their work by rewriting it in good form. Third, observe your child closely when he writes. Does he grip the pencil very hard? Does he bend close to the page as if to gain control over what his fingers are doing? If you suspect a problem with grapho-motor dysfunction (which can exist despite good eyesight and fine-motor coordination), seek professional assistance.

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A: The very first thing you can do is to make time as a family for quiet pleasure reading. The key is for your child to see you as a model, enjoying your own good book or catching up on current events with your newspaper.

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Online Resources for Students-Gregory Glatz

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Online Resources for Students-Gregory Glatz

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This site is wonderful because it gives students numerous resources for reading materials at home. There are a lot of audiobooks and ebooks for students who just want to listen to material and anyone can access it, you do not need to have a Denver library card. This site is something to share with parents for the summer!

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Here are some excellent online resources for reading at home with kids in 3rd-5th grade, featuring children's literature, authors, and eBooks and audiobooks that you can access from your computer or device.

Books and Authors

100+ Free Video Read Alouds:High quality picture book video read alouds collected by The Indianapolis Public Library.

Authors Everywhere: A YouTube Channel created and run by middle grade author Susan Tan, and made possible by an amazing community of children's book writers and illustrators.

The Big List of Children's Authors Doing Online Read-Alouds & Activities​: Comprehensive and updated list provided by We Are Teachers.

Harry Potter at Home: All the latest magical treats to keep you occupied - including special contributions from Bloomsbury and Scholastic, nifty magical craft videos (teach your friends how to draw a Niffler!), fun articles, quizzes, puzzles and plenty more for first-time readers, as well as those already familiar with the wizarding world.

KidLit TV: ​​KidLit TV is the place to discover great children's books and connect with the people who create them. Includes video read alouds, podcasts, book trailers, drawing tutorials, crafts and activities.

Read Wonder and Learn: Authors & Illustrators Share Resources for Learning Anywhere - Spring 2020: A growing collection of resources that include everything from first-chapter and picture book read-alouds (all shared with permission!) to drawing and writing mini-lessons. Be sure to check back often, as new resources will be added every day. Click here for resources for 3rd-5th graders.

Storyline Online: The SAG-AFTRA Foundation's award-winning children's literacy website, Storyline Online, streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children's books alongside creatively produced illustrations. Readers include Viola Davis, Chris Pine, Lily Tomlin, Kevin Costner, Annette Bening, James Earl Jones, Betty White and dozens more.

eBooks and Audiobooks

​Audible Free Streaming: Great selection of kids audiobooks for instant streaming. All stories are free to stream on your desktop, laptop, phone or tablet.

AudioBookCloud: All-ages audiobook database.

International Children's Digital Library: A ​​digital library of outstanding children's books from around the world, available online free of charge.

Kanopy for Kids Animated Picture Books: Did you know that besides movies, Kanopy for Kids also has more than 200 animated picture books? To access them, sign in to Kanopy and then go to Kids-->Browse-->Story Time to access the collection!

Open Library: ​​The ultimate goal of the Open Library is to make all the published works of humankind available to everyone in the world. They provide access to 1.7 million scanned versions of books. Here are some Children's and Young Adult collections to get you started: Children's Literature, Baby Books, Picture Books, Bedtime Books, Stories in Rhyme, Juvenile Literature, Young Adult Fiction.

Oxford Owl: Free eBook library containing over 100 books for children ages 3-11.

Sora: Sora is Overdrive's app designed for K-12 schools. Denver Public Schools (DPS) and Denver Public Library (DPL) have turned on the Sora Public Library Connect feature that allows students to access the DPL Overdrive collection from their DPS Overdrive account. One login now gives students access to two eBook collections! Our DPS library friends have created this great video about how to link accounts in Sora. Happy eBook reading!

Tumblebooks: eBook database for children Kindergarten-6th grade.

Unite for Literacy: Unite online library provides free access to more than 400 original picture books, one fourth of them written in Spanish. The digital books provide audio narrations in more than 40 languages, spoken by native speakers in warm, expressive voices. The languages of narration include indigenous and endangered languages along with languages most widely spoken in the US.

ASL Storytimes, Books and Resources

ASLized Library: Videos of community-owned literary works that were produced by the authors themselves. Great ASL storytime videos selected for the sake of preservation and promotion.

ASL Literacy Activities by Motion Light Lab: Free ASL Literacy resources for everyone with over 17 weeks worth of content. Sign up for free to access ASL storytelling, ASL lessons, worksheets, and more!

Boston University's Deaf Education Library: Crowdsourced collection of lessons for many academic subjects, all in ASL and English.

Transformed Deaf ASL Booktime: ASL storytimes that offer that representation for Black and Brown Deaf students.

VL2 Storybook Apps: Award-winning VL2 Storybook Apps service is now being offering an app for free each week! These apps are designed based on research on visual learning and bilingualism, and support literacy development in deaf children. Storybook apps are available in ASL/English as well as in other languages.

And for more listening fun, here are some great podcasts to share with kids of all ages!

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Online Resources for Reading at Home With Kids in 3rd-5th Grade

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Here are some excellent online resources for reading at home with kids in 3rd-5th grade, featuring children's literature, authors, and eBooks and audiobooks that you can access from your computer or device. Books and Authors 100+ Free Video Read Alouds: High quality picture book video read alouds collected by The Indianapolis Public Library.

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Great Site for Reading Materials-Gregory Glatz

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Great Site for Reading Materials-Gregory Glatz

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I found education.com to be a resourceful site to find work for students. In the example I found, this worksheet helps break down the text a lot similar for struggling readers. It also will build their confidence in reading comprehension.

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Close Reading in Fiction | Worksheet | Education.com

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Use this resource to practice close reading in a fictional text. Your students will look at the adjectives, adverbs, and verbs that give more details about the important story elements.

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Close Reading in Fiction and Informational Texts- Ashley Waltz

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Close Reading in Fiction and Informational Texts- Ashley Waltz

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I really liked this site as a resource for teachers and future teachers. It has a lot of videos and webinars from things from grade levels, close reading by grades, and informational texts.

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Janice Dole

Director, Reading & Literacy Program, Educational Psych, University of Utah

In my previous post, I shared how I use freely available video in my reading and literacy methods course to help my preservice teachers (PTs) understand close reading instruction at a level that could not be attained through reading and discussion alone.

Below is my curated collection of videos for general Common Core info, as well as videos to teach the close reading, text complexity and informational texts standards.

General Information About the Common Core

This 15-minute video gives a general overview of the CCSS and explains why the U.S. has moved to the Common Core. It summarizes how the ELA Standards are structured and is appropriate for elementary, middle and high school teachers.

This is a set of cartoon drawings that explain the different organizations and institutions involved in developing the CCSS. The CCSS were not developed by the federal government. This video shows you who did.

This eight-minute video provides an opportunity for teacher educators to hear from the two individuals who are most responsible for the CCSS -- David Coleman and Sue Pimentel. The video does not provide a lot of help in understanding the CCSS, just some background about what the original authors intended to do with the standards.

Close Reading

In this three-minute video, Dr. Fisher explains what close reading is. The video does not show an example of close reading, but Dr. Fisher does an excellent job of explaining the approach and describing what it might look like in a classroom.

This is another three-minute video explaining what teachers and students do during a close read. When the teacher models close reading, she notices that students aren't understanding, and changes her approach by helping them search the text to provide support for their ideas.

In this 15-minute video of a fourth grade teacher doing a close read with her students, the teacher does an excellent job of leading a discussion of the difficult text. Her questions draw out important information about the text itself, as well as information that will lead students to write a compare/contrast essay about the two selections they read.

This is a ten-minute video of a teacher doing a close read of a text in a whole-classroom setting. She stresses the importance of annotating a text. Students work on their own, read and reread the text, work in small groups, etc. As the teacher goes around the room, she observes that the kids really don't understand the main idea of the selection. She then scaffolds a bit with the whole group and has students go back and reread.

This 16-minute video shows a tenth grade instructor teaching close reading of a section from Frankel's Man's Search for Meaning. She has a whole group of students who periodically break into groups of four to discuss questions.

This 17-minute video is an actual small-group lesson (seven students) by a second grade teacher. The teacher is reading aloud from Bats at the Ballgame and helps students understand the story. The lesson is nicely interactive and shows the students' prior knowledge and understanding of words in the story.

This is a four-minute close reading from Dr. Seuss' Oh, The Places You'll Go, showing the kind of annotation strategies used to do a close read of the text, highlighting words, phrases and ideas worthy of further explanation/discussion.

This two-minute video shows students how to annotate -- highlighting, marking up the pages and putting notes in the margin. It's a good introductory video to give middle and high school students a heads-up on annotation skills.

Text Complexity

This 14-minute video explains text complexity well. It would be an excellent instructional video for pre- and in-service teachers as they begin to understand issues related to text complexity. It provides the what but not so much the why.

Dr. Elfrieda (Freddy) Hiebert gave this 53-minute webinar on text complexity and vocabulary. She presents theory, research and practice about vocabulary and text complexity and shares how ideas about these issues relate to English-language learners. The lengthy video should be required viewing for pre- and in-service teachers.

This 45-minute webinar presents a thorough discussion of text complexity and text difficulty. David Liben discusses a study conducted to compare the different measures of text difficulty and the results of those studies -- vocabulary and syntax are the most important components of text complexity. He ends the webinar explaining the amount of complex texts on which students at the different grades should read and spend time. This is a good overview of issues related to text complexity and a reasonable way to approach it within classrooms.

Informational Texts

This nine-minute video explains at a very basic level the difference between fiction and informational texts -- a good resource for beginning preservice teachers and upper elementary and secondary students who do not understand the difference between fiction and informational in terms of what students need to do.

In this eight-minute video, a primary grade teacher presents a lesson showing students the differences between fiction and nonfiction texts. The video is useful for preservice teachers in that this lesson shows teachers how to teach the difference.

This is a 46-minute PowerPoint webinar by Nell Duke about informational texts. Duke presents an excellent blend of theory, research and practice. Preservice and in-service teachers will learn how informational texts are embedded in the CCSS. Duke explains the potential uses and values of informational text for students, and also describes pitfalls that may occur. This webinar does not present practical applications for teachers.

Please share your favorite resources in the comments section below.

This is the second of three parts. In part one, I described how I use videos to reinforce the practice of close reading for preservice teachers. Part three will feature what I've found to be exceptional professional websites for reading teachers.

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Modeling Close Reading for Future Teachers: ELA Videos and Webinars

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Janice Dole Director, Reading & Literacy Program, Educational Psych, University of Utah In my previous post, I shared how I use freely available video in my reading and literacy methods course to help my preservice teachers (PTs) understand close reading instruction at a level that could not be attained through reading and discussion alone.

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I think this site has some excellent examples of websites to help students read, especially at home or with independent work. I even looked at a couple sites and will definitely save this as a resource in my classroom. These online resources keep students engaged and help keep them motivated.

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The Best Free Reading Websites for Elementary Students

Children become fluent in reading with practice, practice, practice. As a teacher and educational technology integrator, I've used these free, engaging reading games to hold their attention and keep them motivated. They are among the best methods for turning the hard work of learning to read into play. You might introduce your child to these websites while school is out of session or as an after-school activity-or just for some educational fun at any time!

10 Free Sites to Help Kids Practice Reading

These 10 excellent sites for pre-K and elementary children are backed by a tremendous amount of research into how kids learn to read and how they become fluent readers.

1. Between the Lions

2. Starfall

3. StoryPlace

4. Storyline Online

5. ReadWriteThink Student Interactives

6. PBS Reading Games

7. WordWorld

8. Storynory

9. OxfordOWL

10. ABCya

What Software Do I Need?

Many of these games, activities, and videos can be played through your browser, so no special software is needed. Some of the websites require the Adobe Flash Player plug-in, though, which is free to download.

1. Between the Lions

PBS LearningMedia hosts some terrific educational material for children, and its Between the Lions video resources are among the best. There are read-along folktales and fables with a twist, clever song videos of letter sounds, and many more amusing stories and catchy songs to capture kids' attention. The videos are short, with most ranging from 20 seconds to 6 minutes in length, so it's easy for children to watch a variety of them-or to re-watch a favorite several times.

Skills Covered

The videos for preschoolers cover phonological awareness, letter knowledge awareness, vocabulary and language development, and even book and print awareness (like the catchy "Reason to Read" video).

The videos for K-1 students incorporate the basic building blocks of reading skills using phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension.

These learning resources and the lessons they teach are memorable. In fact, my teenage daughter has fond memories of Between the Lions, and I had to tear her away from this website so I could finish this review!

Is It Really Free?

Yes. All of the videos are free to watch, and there are no ads on the website.

2. Starfall

Age Range: Pre-K to 3rd grade
Publisher: Starfall Education Foundation
Format: Read-along library, games, interactive activities
Cost: Free, although some materials require a paid subscription

Starfall Education (a nonprofit that focuses on free and low-cost learning resources for children) has created an engaging group of games and activities that range from the ABCs to fables. The stories and poems can be read by the narrator or by your child, with or without assistance. Your child can read the text on the screen and click on a word they need help with.

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10 Free and Fun Elementary Reading Websites for Kids

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Children become fluent in reading with practice. Help them build their skills with free, engaging reading games and videos that will hold their attention and keep them motivated. These websites offer a great way to keep kids learning outside of school.

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Reading Motivation for Grades 3-5- Ashley Waltz

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Reading Motivation for Grades 3-5- Ashley Waltz

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This page has a huge amount of ideas for different ways to motivate students to read.  I know some outside or home motivators are amazing too, like the book-it program. However, this site shows different options to help incorporate them into your lessons and lesson plans.

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The folks at the BOOK-IT! Program have given permission for Education World to reprint 25 great ideas from teachers -- ideas that are sure to get kids across the grades excited about reading.
The BOOK IT! Reading Incentive Program, sponsored by Pizza Hut, has motivated millions of young readers over the years.

Note: The following teacher ideas were originally published by the BOOK IT! National Reading Incentive Program.

Now, 25 Idea From 25 Terrific Teachers

TV vs. Reading. Begin a TV/Reading Chart for each child. It would be a weekly chart to keep a record of time spent reading and time spent watching TV at home. If total reading time exceeds total TV watching time, the child earns a treat. The class with the most winners could have a party.
Lindy Guy, Maclay School, Tallahassee, Florida, Librarian

Article by Gary Hopkins
Education World® Editor in Chief
Copyright ©2011, 2016 Education World

Last updated: 11/22/2016

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The folks at the BOOK-IT! Program have given permission for Education World to reprint 25 great ideas from teachers -- ideas that are sure to get kids across the grades excited about reading. The BOOK IT! Reading Incentive Program, sponsored by Pizza Hut, has motivated millions of young readers over the years.

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This is a great one-stop resource to find hundreds of online resources to use with your 3rd through 5th graders. This resource has something for every student. You can find read aloud, e-books, and so much more. This is a resource that I have saved a link to. I believe that it will be super helpful in the future.
References

Online Resources for Reading at Home With Kids in 3rd-5th Grade. (2020, March 25). Kids. https://kids.denverlibrary.org/activities/online-resources-reading-home-kids-3rd-5th-grade?msclkid=b3abcb25c68c11ec8e73d7ac6e6027c7

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Online Resources for Reading at Home With Kids in 3rd-5th Grade

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Here are some excellent online resources for reading at home with kids in 3rd-5th grade, featuring children’s literature, authors, and eBooks and audiobooks that you can access from your computer or device. Books and Authors 100+ Free Video Read Alouds: High quality picture book video read alouds co…

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Reading Motivation for Grades 3-5 by Linda Powell

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Reading Motivation for Grades 3-5 by Linda Powell

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This is a great article to read about the benefits and research behind using reading motivation with students. Our school uses the Book It Program from Pizza Hut and we also award AR prizes that the students can pick from. I believe that the students benefit when they are properly motivated.

References

Reading Motivation: What the Research Says. (2009, January 30). Reading Rockets. https://www.readingrockets.org/article/reading-motivation-what-research-says?msclkid=81db6e8ac68b11eca2176495c007c81b

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References

Click the "References" link above to hide these references.

Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Cordova, D., & Lepper, M. (1996). Intrinsic motivation and the process of learning. Beneficial effects of contextualization, personalization, and choice. Journal of Educational Psychology, 88, 715-730.

Fawson, P.C., & Fawson, C. (1994). Conditional philanthropy: A study of corporate sponsorship of reading programs. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Reading Association, Toronto, Canada.

Gambrell, L. (1996). Creating classrooms cultures that foster reading motivation. The Reading Teacher, 50, 4-25.

Gambrell, L., Palmer, B., Codling, R., & Mazzoni. S. (1996). Assessing motivation to read. The Reading Teacher,

Guthrie, J., & Wigfield, A. (2000). Engagement and motivation in reading. In M. Kamil & P. Mosenthal, D. Pearson, & R. Barr (Eds.), Handbook of reading research. Mahwah, N.J.:Earlbaum. 49(7), 518-533.

Iyengar, S., & Lepper, M. (1999). Rethinking the value of choice: A cultural perspective on intrinsic motivation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76, 349-366.

Marinak, B. & Gambrell, L. (2007). Boy's voices: I can read, I choose not to. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the College Reading Association, Salt Lake City, Utah, November 2, 2007.

Marinak, B. & Gambrell, L. (2008). Intrinsic motivation and rewards: What sustains young children's engagement with text? Literacy Research and Instruction. 47(1), 9-26.

McGee, L., & Richgels, D. (2003). Designing early literacy programs: Strategies for at-risk preschoolers and kindergarten children. ERIC Document ED 478237

Mohr, K. (2006). Children's choices for recreational reading: A three-part investigation of selection preferences, rationales, and processes. Journal of Literacy Research, 38 (1), 81-104.

Pappas, C. (1993). Is narrative "primary"?: Some insights from kindergartners' pretend readings of stories and inform books. Journal of Reading Behavior, 25, 97-129

Worthy, J. & McKool, S. (1996). Students who say they hate to read: The importance of opportunity, choice, and access. In D.J. Leu, C.K. Kinzer, & K.A. Hinchman (Eds.), Literacies for the 21st century: Research and practice. 45th yearbook of the National Reading Conference (pp. 245-256). Chicago: National Reading Conference.

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Reading Motivation: What the Research Says

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Click the "References" link above to hide these references. Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Cordova, D., & Lepper, M. (1996). Intrinsic motivation and the process of learning. Beneficial effects of contextualization, personalization, and choice. Journal of Educational Psychology, 88, 715-730.

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Close Reading in Informational Text by Linda Powell

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Close Reading in Informational Text by Linda Powell

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I really like this article and I think it is an amazing resource to have. What I think stood out to me the most was, it tells you that not every text is appropriate for close reading. As teachers I think that we often over look this point. This is a resource that I have printed out for my own use.
References
Mackethan, L. (n.d.). Teaching Through Close Reading: Historical and Informational Texts An Online Professional Development Seminar. Retrieved April 28, 2022, from http://www.americainclass.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/WEB-Close-Reading-Presentation_Part-II.pdf?msclkid=a8238337c68111ec831822c042e7b343

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Reading Motivation for Grades 3-5 - Jaine Johnson

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Reading Motivation for Grades 3-5 - Jaine Johnson

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This is a great website. It provides educators with ideas they can incorporate into their classroom to continuously engage students in reading. My personal favorite is the reading certificates and celebrations; as this is a way students can not only see progress, but also enjoy the progression.

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5 Reading Incentive Ideas for 3rd - 5th Graders That Really Work

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Getting students to read can be difficult, especially 3rd-5th graders. Here are 5 reading incentive ideas for 3rd-5th graders that really work!

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This website highlights it all As it gives us 38 of the most popular reading websites for students, it gives us the descriptions we all need. It highlight what the websites are, what they focus on, and the age level they are geared towards.

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As a teacher, you want your students to be reading whenever possible. However, it can be difficult to provide hard copies of books to every student, especially when the kids in your class are most likely reading at a variety of levels. Thanks to modern technology, there are lots of websites that allow students to practice reading from anywhere, at their level, about almost any topic. Try some of the suggestions below to get your students practicing!

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38 Best Reading Websites for Kids - Teaching Expertise

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As a teacher, you want your students to be reading whenever possible. However, it can be difficult to provide hard copies of books to every student, especially when the kids in your class are most likely reading at a variety of levels.

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Close Reading in Informational Texts - Jaine Johnson

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Close Reading in Informational Texts - Jaine Johnson

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I love this website. It provides information on how to engage students in reading informational texts, and assists the teacher in what they can provide for them. It provides individual engagement, and group engagement activities (which I believe is important to incorporate both within the classroom).

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Ask many students how they feel about close reading informational text, and they'll tell you it's a bore. Informational text is full of just that, information. Without a fun story or interesting characters, some view it as a one-way ticket to Snoozeville. Throw in close reading strategies, and you've entered the Humdrum House. But it doesn't have to be that way. Well chosen informational text will be interesting and engaging. Close reading activities can help your students further understand the content without being tedious. Keep reading for ideas on close reading activities to your students engaged and entertained.

There Are Different Close Reading Strategies

When deciding which close reading strategy to use with your students, keep the length of the text in mind.

Short text or passages from longer books can be completed using the traditional three read process outlined in this freebie. Click here to grab your copy to use for reference.

It's helpful to provide this anchor chart to your students or to have it posted in the classroom. This resource is also included in the Close Reading Toolkit for Informational Text along with six other posters/anchor charts to reference when completing close reading activities.

When reading a longer text, you can pull out passages and complete the three read process, or use other close reading strategies. Keep reading to learn ways to implement close reading with longer text successfully.

Engage In Discussion With Prompts

Meaningful discussions are the foundation of close reading activities. All questions, however, are not created equally. Questions should surround topics that students must refer to the text to answer. Remember, the purpose is for students to pay attention to details and develop a deeper understanding of the text.

The Structure Will Vary: Working collaboratively to answer these questions is ideal, whether in a whole group, with a partner or in small groups. It is amazing how lively and insightful a discussion can become as students interact with each other and the text. You can decide based on your class how to divide your students best. Let their level of independence and understanding of the process be your guide. If your students are not comfortable with close reading, you can complete these discussion questions as a whole group. With more practice, they will be able to have independent conversations.

Choosing The Text: Since the passages are longer for this strategy, you can select the parts of the text to discuss, or you can allow your students to choose. The ultimate goal would be to provide your students with the autonomy to make decisions about the discussion. In the beginning, as students are getting comfortable with close reading activities, you might want to choose the passages, and as they get better with the process, allow them to select their passage. Be sure to have students explain why they select a given passage. You might also consider assigning jobs within the groups, and one role could be choosing the passage to discuss.

Differentiated Questions: Be sure to ask the right question at the right time. The Close Reading Toolkit For Informational Text organizes the discussion questions by color based on if they would be most appropriate for a first read, second read, third read, or at any time. While the questions are meaningful at any point, the question levels indicate the anticipated depth of the discussion. With this coded color system, you can easily differentiate for your groups based on those that are ready for in-depth conversations and those that need to stay at the surface level of the text for now.

Use Graphic Organizers and Printables Effectively

Using graphic organizers and printables allows you to explore various aspects of the text including making connections, comparing and contrasting, making inferences, exploring text features, and more. When selecting materials, keep your busy-work sensor on high alert. Everything you give to your students should help them to dig deeper and further understand the text - and in doing so, learn strategies for understanding all texts.

Keep Thoughts Organized: Using graphic organizers gives students the opportunity to organize the information they're learning on paper often allows them to develop a better understanding of the facts and keep track of them easily. Some students really benefit from seeing things laid out in this fashion. This can also be a good way to check to make sure students are really understanding the passage and not missing something important.

Choose a Focus Skill: Perhaps you are focusing on a specific skill such as summarizing, predicting, or using context clues. Using the right printable is a great way to hone in on that skill. Choose activities that are best for your students based on their current comprehension ability level and the targeted skill. You can find a wide variety of ready to use printable and graphic organizers in the toolkit.

Resource for Discussion Questions: Graphic organizers can be used as a great pre-writing activity for an in-depth text-dependent question. When students take the time to organize their information on paper, they can refer to it as needed when answering longer-format questions or while discussing the passage. The graphic organizer provides them with an additional resource beyond the text.

Write All About It

Giving students the opportunity to provide a written response to the text is another close reading strategy that can improve overall comprehension by digging deeper at any stage of reading.

You can use the text to formulate questions or, as student progress, they can formulate their own questions. If your students aren't ready for that or you are short on time, you could also the questions in the Close Reading Toolkit for Informational Text. There are 20 sheets of writing prompts that you can print on Avery 8163 labels. You can also print them on regular paper and have students tape or glue them to their papers. You might consider dedicating one notebook or binder section to close reading writing prompt responses.

Independent Writing: While writing is generally an independent activity, you can also allow students to collaborate by discussing their responses before writing them. Allowing students to do the actual writing on their own gives them the chance to explore their own ideas and insights. Students can also share their writing within their group or with a partner. Doing this gives them practice in reading their writing and expressing their ideas.

Exit Slip Assessment: Writing prompts can also be used as an exit slip for students to quickly demonstrate their knowledge at the end of the lesson. When using them as an exit slip, be sure to choose responses that require shorter answers.

Resources for Close Reading Strategies

Are you ready to try out these Close Reading strategies during your next informational text lesson? You can get started with the Close Reading freebie. This free resource includes

You can use this freebie independently or in addition to other resources and ideas you have for close reading. However, if you want to dive into close reading fully, a better option for you might be the full Close Reading Toolkit for Informational Text.

This toolkit includes 68 pages full of great resources for your class including

7 posters/anchor charts

36 "Talk Time" discussion prompt cards

18 graphic organizers/printables

20 writing prompt labels/cutouts

An explanation of the close reading structure

Tips for implementing close reading

As you move forward with close reading in your classroom, remember that not all informational text reading needs to be close reading. Students can read with no discussion questions, writing prompts, or strategy. Allow students to read informational text for fun, to build their knowledge or because it's interesting.

What are your top close reading strategies? If you haven't tried it yet, what are you looking forward to most, or what questions do you still have? Let's chat in the comments.

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3 Effective Close Reading Strategies for Informational Text - Minds in Bloom

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Ask many students how they feel about close reading informational text, and they'll tell you it's a bore. Informational text is full of just that, information. Without a fun story or interesting characters, some view it as a one-way ticket to Snoozeville. Throw in close reading strategies, and you've entered the Humdrum House.

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Close Reading in Informational Texts - Nicole Gregory

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Close Reading in Informational Texts - Nicole Gregory

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This video is a bit on the longer side, but it has some useful information on how to teach close reading on informational text to students a bit older. This is a 5th grade class the teacher is working with. The teacher does an excellent job of modeling how to perform close reading on an article about eagles.

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This was a neat article that includes ten different sites or apps to check out. It includes information about each one, like grade level, if it is free, and the skills it teaches. It discusses these sites: Between the Lions, Starfall, StoryPlace, Storyline Online, ReadWriteThink Student Interactives, PBS Reading Games, WordWorld, Storynory, OxfordOWL, and ABCya.

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The Best Free Reading Websites for Elementary Students

Children become fluent in reading with practice, practice, practice. As a teacher and educational technology integrator, I've used these free, engaging reading games to hold their attention and keep them motivated. They are among the best methods for turning the hard work of learning to read into play. You might introduce your child to these websites while school is out of session or as an after-school activity-or just for some educational fun at any time!

10 Free Sites to Help Kids Practice Reading

These 10 excellent sites for pre-K and elementary children are backed by a tremendous amount of research into how kids learn to read and how they become fluent readers.

1. Between the Lions

2. Starfall

3. StoryPlace

4. Storyline Online

5. ReadWriteThink Student Interactives

6. PBS Reading Games

7. WordWorld

8. Storynory

9. OxfordOWL

10. ABCya

What Software Do I Need?

Many of these games, activities, and videos can be played through your browser, so no special software is needed. Some of the websites require the Adobe Flash Player plug-in, though, which is free to download.

1. Between the Lions

PBS LearningMedia hosts some terrific educational material for children, and its Between the Lions video resources are among the best. There are read-along folktales and fables with a twist, clever song videos of letter sounds, and many more amusing stories and catchy songs to capture kids' attention. The videos are short, with most ranging from 20 seconds to 6 minutes in length, so it's easy for children to watch a variety of them-or to re-watch a favorite several times.

Skills Covered

The videos for preschoolers cover phonological awareness, letter knowledge awareness, vocabulary and language development, and even book and print awareness (like the catchy "Reason to Read" video).

The videos for K-1 students incorporate the basic building blocks of reading skills using phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension.

These learning resources and the lessons they teach are memorable. In fact, my teenage daughter has fond memories of Between the Lions, and I had to tear her away from this website so I could finish this review!

Is It Really Free?

Yes. All of the videos are free to watch, and there are no ads on the website.

2. Starfall

Age Range: Pre-K to 3rd grade
Publisher: Starfall Education Foundation
Format: Read-along library, games, interactive activities
Cost: Free, although some materials require a paid subscription

Starfall Education (a nonprofit that focuses on free and low-cost learning resources for children) has created an engaging group of games and activities that range from the ABCs to fables. The stories and poems can be read by the narrator or by your child, with or without assistance. Your child can read the text on the screen and click on a word they need help with.

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10 Free and Fun Elementary Reading Websites for Kids

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Children become fluent in reading with practice. Help them build their skills with free, engaging reading games and videos that will hold their attention and keep them motivated. These websites offer a great way to keep kids learning outside of school.

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Reading Motivation for Grades 3-5 - Nicole Gregory

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Reading Motivation for Grades 3-5 - Nicole Gregory

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I picked this article because the items the author talks about all seem to be fun things teachers can do with their students. Some of the strategies discussed are enacting a favorite character, being a talk show host, using movement, and using read-alouds.

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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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I find that motivating students to read by doing different unique reading activities and offering them some choices will often get them more excited to engage in a book. All students have a different love for reading and that’s okay. However, all students need to be reading as we know-even if it’s not for pleasure. It is simply part of the school day and part of learning. Many students handle this expectation differently. I’ve been at this librarian thing for a long time and I have learned some tricks of the trade to help motivate your students to read.
https://www.stayingcoolinthelibrary.us/5-reading-incentive-ideas-for-3rd-5th-graders-that-really-work/

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5 Reading Incentive Ideas for 3rd - 5th Graders That Really Work

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Getting students to read can be difficult, especially 3rd-5th graders. Here are 5 reading incentive ideas for 3rd-5th graders that really work!

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New Literacies-Online reading resources grades 3-5- Lisa Tyson

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New Literacies-Online reading resources grades 3-5- Lisa Tyson

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As a teacher, you want your students to be reading whenever possible. However, it can be difficult to provide hard copies of books to every student, especially when the kids in your class are most likely reading at a variety of levels. Thanks to modern technology, there are lots of websites that allow students to practice reading from anywhere, at their level, about almost any topic. https://www.teachingexpertise.com/classroom-ideas/best-reading-websites/

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As a teacher, you want your students to be reading whenever possible. However, it can be difficult to provide hard copies of books to every student, especially when the kids in your class are most likely reading at a variety of levels. Thanks to modern technology, there are lots of websites that allow students to practice reading from anywhere, at their level, about almost any topic. Try some of the suggestions below to get your students practicing!

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38 Best Reading Websites for Kids - Teaching Expertise

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As a teacher, you want your students to be reading whenever possible. However, it can be difficult to provide hard copies of books to every student, especially when the kids in your class are most likely reading at a variety of levels.

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Close Reading in Fiction and Informational Text-Lisa Tyson

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Close Reading in Fiction and Informational Text-Lisa Tyson

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Ask many students how they feel about close reading informational text, and they’ll tell you it’s a bore. Informational text is full of just that, information. Without a fun story or interesting characters, some view it as a one-way ticket to Snoozeville. Throw in close reading strategies, and you’ve entered the Humdrum House. But it doesn’t have to be that way.  Well chosen informational text will be interesting and engaging.  Close reading activities can help your students further understand the content without being tedious.  Keep reading for ideas on close reading activities to your students engaged and entertained.

https://minds-in-bloom.com/3-close-effective-reading-strategies-for-informational-text/

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Ask many students how they feel about close reading informational text, and they'll tell you it's a bore. Informational text is full of just that, information. Without a fun story or interesting characters, some view it as a one-way ticket to Snoozeville. Throw in close reading strategies, and you've entered the Humdrum House. But it doesn't have to be that way. Well chosen informational text will be interesting and engaging. Close reading activities can help your students further understand the content without being tedious. Keep reading for ideas on close reading activities to your students engaged and entertained.

There Are Different Close Reading Strategies

When deciding which close reading strategy to use with your students, keep the length of the text in mind.

Short text or passages from longer books can be completed using the traditional three read process outlined in this freebie. Click here to grab your copy to use for reference.

It's helpful to provide this anchor chart to your students or to have it posted in the classroom. This resource is also included in the Close Reading Toolkit for Informational Text along with six other posters/anchor charts to reference when completing close reading activities.

When reading a longer text, you can pull out passages and complete the three read process, or use other close reading strategies. Keep reading to learn ways to implement close reading with longer text successfully.

Engage In Discussion With Prompts

Meaningful discussions are the foundation of close reading activities. All questions, however, are not created equally. Questions should surround topics that students must refer to the text to answer. Remember, the purpose is for students to pay attention to details and develop a deeper understanding of the text.

The Structure Will Vary: Working collaboratively to answer these questions is ideal, whether in a whole group, with a partner or in small groups. It is amazing how lively and insightful a discussion can become as students interact with each other and the text. You can decide based on your class how to divide your students best. Let their level of independence and understanding of the process be your guide. If your students are not comfortable with close reading, you can complete these discussion questions as a whole group. With more practice, they will be able to have independent conversations.

Choosing The Text: Since the passages are longer for this strategy, you can select the parts of the text to discuss, or you can allow your students to choose. The ultimate goal would be to provide your students with the autonomy to make decisions about the discussion. In the beginning, as students are getting comfortable with close reading activities, you might want to choose the passages, and as they get better with the process, allow them to select their passage. Be sure to have students explain why they select a given passage. You might also consider assigning jobs within the groups, and one role could be choosing the passage to discuss.

Differentiated Questions: Be sure to ask the right question at the right time. The Close Reading Toolkit For Informational Text organizes the discussion questions by color based on if they would be most appropriate for a first read, second read, third read, or at any time. While the questions are meaningful at any point, the question levels indicate the anticipated depth of the discussion. With this coded color system, you can easily differentiate for your groups based on those that are ready for in-depth conversations and those that need to stay at the surface level of the text for now.

Use Graphic Organizers and Printables Effectively

Using graphic organizers and printables allows you to explore various aspects of the text including making connections, comparing and contrasting, making inferences, exploring text features, and more. When selecting materials, keep your busy-work sensor on high alert. Everything you give to your students should help them to dig deeper and further understand the text - and in doing so, learn strategies for understanding all texts.

Keep Thoughts Organized: Using graphic organizers gives students the opportunity to organize the information they're learning on paper often allows them to develop a better understanding of the facts and keep track of them easily. Some students really benefit from seeing things laid out in this fashion. This can also be a good way to check to make sure students are really understanding the passage and not missing something important.

Choose a Focus Skill: Perhaps you are focusing on a specific skill such as summarizing, predicting, or using context clues. Using the right printable is a great way to hone in on that skill. Choose activities that are best for your students based on their current comprehension ability level and the targeted skill. You can find a wide variety of ready to use printable and graphic organizers in the toolkit.

Resource for Discussion Questions: Graphic organizers can be used as a great pre-writing activity for an in-depth text-dependent question. When students take the time to organize their information on paper, they can refer to it as needed when answering longer-format questions or while discussing the passage. The graphic organizer provides them with an additional resource beyond the text.

Write All About It

Giving students the opportunity to provide a written response to the text is another close reading strategy that can improve overall comprehension by digging deeper at any stage of reading.

You can use the text to formulate questions or, as student progress, they can formulate their own questions. If your students aren't ready for that or you are short on time, you could also the questions in the Close Reading Toolkit for Informational Text. There are 20 sheets of writing prompts that you can print on Avery 8163 labels. You can also print them on regular paper and have students tape or glue them to their papers. You might consider dedicating one notebook or binder section to close reading writing prompt responses.

Independent Writing: While writing is generally an independent activity, you can also allow students to collaborate by discussing their responses before writing them. Allowing students to do the actual writing on their own gives them the chance to explore their own ideas and insights. Students can also share their writing within their group or with a partner. Doing this gives them practice in reading their writing and expressing their ideas.

Exit Slip Assessment: Writing prompts can also be used as an exit slip for students to quickly demonstrate their knowledge at the end of the lesson. When using them as an exit slip, be sure to choose responses that require shorter answers.

Resources for Close Reading Strategies

Are you ready to try out these Close Reading strategies during your next informational text lesson? You can get started with the Close Reading freebie. This free resource includes

You can use this freebie independently or in addition to other resources and ideas you have for close reading. However, if you want to dive into close reading fully, a better option for you might be the full Close Reading Toolkit for Informational Text.

This toolkit includes 68 pages full of great resources for your class including

7 posters/anchor charts

36 "Talk Time" discussion prompt cards

18 graphic organizers/printables

20 writing prompt labels/cutouts

An explanation of the close reading structure

Tips for implementing close reading

As you move forward with close reading in your classroom, remember that not all informational text reading needs to be close reading. Students can read with no discussion questions, writing prompts, or strategy. Allow students to read informational text for fun, to build their knowledge or because it's interesting.

What are your top close reading strategies? If you haven't tried it yet, what are you looking forward to most, or what questions do you still have? Let's chat in the comments.

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3 Effective Close Reading Strategies for Informational Text - Minds in Bloom

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Ask many students how they feel about close reading informational text, and they'll tell you it's a bore. Informational text is full of just that, information. Without a fun story or interesting characters, some view it as a one-way ticket to Snoozeville. Throw in close reading strategies, and you've entered the Humdrum House.

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Reading Motivation for Grades 3-5 - Marianne Lopez

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Reading Motivation for Grades 3-5 - Marianne Lopez

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This video talks about motivating students to read by letting them choose the books that interest them. The teacher picks 10 books and then students choose their book using the protocol called PICK. The “P” asks if they understand the book’s purpose, the “I” reflects on their interest level, the “C” asks if they’re able to comprehend the text, and the “K” says if there are more than 5 words a student doesn’t know then the book is too hard. I think this would be a great strategy for upper elementary students.

Resource:
Motivating Students With Book Choice - Edutopia. Let's Play Index. (n.d.). Retrieved April 26, 2022, from https://www.letsplayindex.com/video/motivating-students-with-book-choice-edutopia-g20xJkEv6QQ

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New Literacies (online reading resources for grades 3-5) - Marianne Lopez

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New Literacies (online reading resources for grades 3-5) - Marianne Lopez

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This website provides reading games for students at all grade levels. I could see myself giving students the option to play the reading games that are appropriate for their reading level if they finish early or when we have extra time. I like the Martha Speaks reading games for 3rd to 5th-grade students.

Resource:
PBS Kids. Reading Games | PBS KIDS. (n.d.). Retrieved April 26, 2022, from https://pbskids.org/games/reading

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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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Close Reading in Fiction and Informational Texts - Marianne Lopez

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Close Reading in Fiction and Informational Texts - Marianne Lopez

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This website describes what close reading is and ways to make it engaging for the students. I like the idea of making it fun by choosing interesting passages and making annotating fun. Not only will it make it easier for students to read the passage three times but looking forward to using colors and stickers to annotate will make it appealing.

Resource:
Yorgey, A. (2022, January 17). Close Reading Steps For Your Upper Elementary Classroom. Fun in 5th Grade & MORE. Retrieved April 26, 2022, from https://funin5thgrade.com/close-reading-steps-for-upper-elementary/

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Close Reading Steps for Your Upper Elementary Classroom - Fun in 5th Grade & MORE

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I'm sure you've heard of it...close reading. But, what are the close reading steps and how do you get started? Reading comprehension will improve with some simple strategies.

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Reading Motivation for Grades 3-5 Selena Bryan 

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Reading Motivation for Grades 3-5 Selena Bryan 

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This is great website because it has five different reading incentives that I think that the student that I have been observing would like. I think that a good way for this to work is to have your student set monthly goals with their teacher like how many books they need to read for the month to be successful. With this if they make their goal they can receive their incentive on that last Friday of the month or something like that.

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5 Reading Incentive Ideas for 3rd - 5th Graders That Really Work

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Getting students to read can be difficult, especially 3rd-5th graders. Here are 5 reading incentive ideas for 3rd-5th graders that really work!

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New Literacies (online reading resources for grades 3-5)Selena Bryan 

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New Literacies (online reading resources for grades 3-5)Selena Bryan 

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This website is super great because it can be very useful in the classroom setting when there is potential down time or during reading groups. This website gives many different ideas that teachers can us for online resources. I like that with this website depending on the age that you teach it goes along with that as well. so this could work for any age.

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As a teacher, you want your students to be reading whenever possible. However, it can be difficult to provide hard copies of books to every student, especially when the kids in your class are most likely reading at a variety of levels. Thanks to modern technology, there are lots of websites that allow students to practice reading from anywhere, at their level, about almost any topic. Try some of the suggestions below to get your students practicing!

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38 Best Reading Websites for Kids - Teaching Expertise

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As a teacher, you want your students to be reading whenever possible. However, it can be difficult to provide hard copies of books to every student, especially when the kids in your class are most likely reading at a variety of levels.

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Close reading for Literature- Selena Bryan 

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Close reading for Literature- Selena Bryan 

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I picked this site because it gave some great ideas to how to use close reading in the classroom. Along with that they give examples of how it would work with the students and question that the students would have to think about along with collaborate with others as well. This website gave other great this as well that I thought were just interesting to look at and read from the eye of a teacher.

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A Short Guide to Close Reading for Literary Analysis

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Use the guidelines below to learn about the practice of close reading. Overview When your teachers or professors ask you to analyze a literary text, they often look for something frequently called close reading. Close reading is deep analysis of how a literary text works; it is both a reading process and something you include...

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Reading Motivation for Grades 3-5: Alexis Kline

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Reading Motivation for Grades 3-5: Alexis Kline

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This is a really good website to look at if you need some ideas for motivating your students to read. The five reading incentive ideas it list are:

Digital Choice Boards

Reading Certificates

Book Tasting

Make reading fun+Engaging

Special Activities earned.

I really like the different ideas that this website lists, it has different options from technology based activities to Kinesthetic activities as well.

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5 Reading Incentive Ideas for 3rd - 5th Graders That Really Work

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Getting students to read can be difficult, especially 3rd-5th graders. Here are 5 reading incentive ideas for 3rd-5th graders that really work!

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Reading Motivation for Grades 3-5- Ashley Lamb

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Reading Motivation for Grades 3-5- Ashley Lamb

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This was a fun one to look up! I found so many reading motivation ideas for this age group that I think other people would like as well. Some others to think about would be if your local pizza hut does bookits kids here love when they do that program. - Ashley Lamb

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New Literacies (online reading resources for grades 3-5)- Ashley Lamb

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New Literacies (online reading resources for grades 3-5)- Ashley Lamb

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Back at it with my favorite website! Here are tons of apps and websites that are great resources for students to use for reading- Ashley Lamb

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Browse these Top Picks to discover the best in educational apps and websites that support core literacy skills - phonics, fluency, vocabulary, spelling, comprehension, and writing. You'll also find recommendations for quality assistive technology to support kids who are struggling with reading. All of the tools are expert-tested and teacher-approved, and regularly updated by the team at Common Sense Education.

Finding your next favorite edtech tool

By Danny Wagner, Common Sense Education

Are you overwhelmed by the number of edtech tools available? Are you unsure how to best use the tools you already love? Common Sense Education's free Ratings and Reviews platform makes it easy to find the latest and greatest apps, games, and websites for your classroom.

What's it all about?

Our unbiased editorial reviews are based on a research-backed rubric developed specifically to evaluate the learning potential of digital tools. The rubric evaluates three key qualities essential to great digital learning experiences -- engagement, pedagogy, and support. Our editors and reviewers are experts in edtech, scholars in child development, instructional designers, K-12 subject area experts, and school technology leaders.

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Apps and Websites to Build Literacy Skills: Top Picks from Common Sense Education

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Browse these Top Picks to discover the best in educational apps and websites that support core literacy skills - phonics, fluency, vocabulary, spelling, comprehension, and writing. You'll also find recommendations for quality assistive technology to support kids who are struggling with reading.

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Close reading for Literature- Ashley Lamb

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Close reading for Literature- Ashley Lamb

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This is a great blog that I like to read. She gives tons of ideas and assignments hat can be done with literature. I plan to use some of this information. - Ashley Lamb

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I have heard close reading called "abusing the text" and that it kills the joy of reading, which is probably true in many classrooms. Close reading is like salt. A little is a very good thing - a lot, not such a good idea. I think this is especially true with literature because most kids (and adults, too) gravitate toward fiction when reading for pleasure. Fortunately, close reading and reading for pleasure are not mutually exclusive, and in fact, when done well, close reading can help to foster a deeper and more meaningful love for reading. Read on for some ideas on how to do just that, and get a freebie, too!

First off, in my opinion, there are two basic approaches for close reading literature. The first is the "traditional" three-read format similar to what you may have used with informational text. With this format you focus on different aspects of the text with each read, closely following the RL Common Core Standards. This poster (which is free with the download) is a nice summary. This approach is best for short selections - either stand alone short stories or passages pulled from a longer story.

But what if you are reading a longer story or chapter book? Clearly, you will not be close reading the entire thing; honestly, I can't think of a better way to make kids hate reading. Instead, read the text as you normally would, and stop at certain places to dig a little deeper. Here are some tips for close reading in this way:

Ideally every student will have a copy of the book or story; however, in most cases, students will not be allowed to write directly on the text. Here are some ideas for helping students to track their thoughts and questions when they cannot directly annotate:

Allow students to use small sticky notes to jot down their ideas, thoughts, and questions. They can use the notes as markers so they can come back to the place in the book later for further examination.

Have students use the bookmarks that they can write on to jot down ideas as they read. You may want to use guided bookmarks like the ones pictured.

Older students could write their reflections on notebook paper in a list or chart format, noting the page numbers where they paused to reflect.

Discussion is an important part of close reading, as students often glean insight from each other. It can also help to foster enthusiasm for the text, build critical thinking skills, and build confidence as students see their ideas reinforced by their peers.

Depending on your students' level of independence, you could discuss sections of the text as a class, in small groups, or even in partners.

Sections of the text that merit discussion can be chosen by the teacher; however, a more authentic discussion may occur if students are encouraged to select places in the text they would like to discuss.

Students can use the notes they took while reading as prompts for discussion or to jog their memories when discussing specific aspects of the story.

Using discussion prompt cards can really help. I find that it is especially helpful if they are worded in first person, like the ones in the picture.

By writing their responses to text dependent questions, students gain independence in their ability to understand the text. It also gives students an opportunity to explore their own ideas in relation to the text without distraction.

Students can use the notes they took while reading to jog their memories while writing about the text.

The graphic organizers can be used to help students focus on a specific aspect of the text.

For more advanced students, consider using a graphic organizer as a pre-writing activity. The students can then use the completed graphic organizer to write a response to a text-dependent question in paragraph form.

Writing prompt labels/cut-outs (like the ones below) can be used with interactive notebooks or on notebook paper, either with a graphic organizer or independently.

You may want to provide avenues for students to share their written reflections.

Close reading for literature poster

Character description bookmarks

3 graphic organizers

3 text evidence writing prompts for interactive notebooks

Set of 6 "Talk Time" cards for group discussion.

If you are ready to jump in with both feet full steam ahead, then you will want to purchase The Close Reading Toolkit for Literature, which features 115 pages of close reading goodness! In addition to more close reading tips it includes:

7 posters (including annotation guides)

12 close reading bookmarks

42 "Talk Time" discussion cards

26 graphic organizers and printables

32 writing prompts/cut-outs for interactive notebooks

Have you been doing close reading with your students? How is it going? Got any tips to help your teaching colleagues? Please share with a comment!

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Close Reading for Literature (Fiction) plus a Freebie!

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I have heard close reading called 'abusing the text' and that it kills the joy of reading, which is probably true in many classrooms. Close reading is like salt. A little is a very good thing - a lot, not such a good idea.

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Reading Motivation for Grades 3-5: Sydney Raborn

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Reading Motivation for Grades 3-5: Sydney Raborn

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This site provided some great activities to use in the classroom to motivate students. Including movement was a big part of promoting motivation Read-alouds were also recommended.

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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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This site was tailored as resources to use when at home, but these could easily be utilized in the classroom. There are resources for video read-alouds, audiobooks, ASL storytimes. These would be great as extra practice for students to practice comprehension. They could also be used in the students free time if they don't want to sit down and read, but instead want to listen. For the auditory learners in the room these resources will be a lifeline for them.

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Here are some excellent online resources for reading at home with kids in 3rd-5th grade, featuring children's literature, authors, and eBooks and audiobooks that you can access from your computer or device.

Books and Authors

100+ Free Video Read Alouds:High quality picture book video read alouds collected by The Indianapolis Public Library.

Authors Everywhere: A YouTube Channel created and run by middle grade author Susan Tan, and made possible by an amazing community of children's book writers and illustrators.

The Big List of Children's Authors Doing Online Read-Alouds & Activities​: Comprehensive and updated list provided by We Are Teachers.

Harry Potter at Home: All the latest magical treats to keep you occupied - including special contributions from Bloomsbury and Scholastic, nifty magical craft videos (teach your friends how to draw a Niffler!), fun articles, quizzes, puzzles and plenty more for first-time readers, as well as those already familiar with the wizarding world.

KidLit TV: ​​KidLit TV is the place to discover great children's books and connect with the people who create them. Includes video read alouds, podcasts, book trailers, drawing tutorials, crafts and activities.

Read Wonder and Learn: Authors & Illustrators Share Resources for Learning Anywhere - Spring 2020: A growing collection of resources that include everything from first-chapter and picture book read-alouds (all shared with permission!) to drawing and writing mini-lessons. Be sure to check back often, as new resources will be added every day. Click here for resources for 3rd-5th graders.

Storyline Online: The SAG-AFTRA Foundation's award-winning children's literacy website, Storyline Online, streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children's books alongside creatively produced illustrations. Readers include Viola Davis, Chris Pine, Lily Tomlin, Kevin Costner, Annette Bening, James Earl Jones, Betty White and dozens more.

eBooks and Audiobooks

​Audible Free Streaming: Great selection of kids audiobooks for instant streaming. All stories are free to stream on your desktop, laptop, phone or tablet.

AudioBookCloud: All-ages audiobook database.

International Children's Digital Library: A ​​digital library of outstanding children's books from around the world, available online free of charge.

Kanopy for Kids Animated Picture Books: Did you know that besides movies, Kanopy for Kids also has more than 200 animated picture books? To access them, sign in to Kanopy and then go to Kids-->Browse-->Story Time to access the collection!

Open Library: ​​The ultimate goal of the Open Library is to make all the published works of humankind available to everyone in the world. They provide access to 1.7 million scanned versions of books. Here are some Children's and Young Adult collections to get you started: Children's Literature, Baby Books, Picture Books, Bedtime Books, Stories in Rhyme, Juvenile Literature, Young Adult Fiction.

Oxford Owl: Free eBook library containing over 100 books for children ages 3-11.

Sora: Sora is Overdrive's app designed for K-12 schools. Denver Public Schools (DPS) and Denver Public Library (DPL) have turned on the Sora Public Library Connect feature that allows students to access the DPL Overdrive collection from their DPS Overdrive account. One login now gives students access to two eBook collections! Our DPS library friends have created this great video about how to link accounts in Sora. Happy eBook reading!

Tumblebooks: eBook database for children Kindergarten-6th grade.

Unite for Literacy: Unite online library provides free access to more than 400 original picture books, one fourth of them written in Spanish. The digital books provide audio narrations in more than 40 languages, spoken by native speakers in warm, expressive voices. The languages of narration include indigenous and endangered languages along with languages most widely spoken in the US.

ASL Storytimes, Books and Resources

ASLized Library: Videos of community-owned literary works that were produced by the authors themselves. Great ASL storytime videos selected for the sake of preservation and promotion.

ASL Literacy Activities by Motion Light Lab: Free ASL Literacy resources for everyone with over 17 weeks worth of content. Sign up for free to access ASL storytelling, ASL lessons, worksheets, and more!

Boston University's Deaf Education Library: Crowdsourced collection of lessons for many academic subjects, all in ASL and English.

Transformed Deaf ASL Booktime: ASL storytimes that offer that representation for Black and Brown Deaf students.

VL2 Storybook Apps: Award-winning VL2 Storybook Apps service is now being offering an app for free each week! These apps are designed based on research on visual learning and bilingualism, and support literacy development in deaf children. Storybook apps are available in ASL/English as well as in other languages.

And for more listening fun, here are some great podcasts to share with kids of all ages!

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Online Resources for Reading at Home With Kids in 3rd-5th Grade

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Here are some excellent online resources for reading at home with kids in 3rd-5th grade, featuring children's literature, authors, and eBooks and audiobooks that you can access from your computer or device. Books and Authors 100+ Free Video Read Alouds: High quality picture book video read alouds collected by The Indianapolis Public Library.

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Close Reading in Fiction and Informational Texts: Sydney Raborn

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Close Reading in Fiction and Informational Texts: Sydney Raborn

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This site gave some great examples of how to use close reading in the classroom. They all look easy to incorporate into daily reading practices. There are also printables to use with your students or display somewhere in the room for them to refer to whenever necessary.

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In this fast-paced age, it's hard for students to take time to do anything. Reading material closely is often far down on the list of student-preferred activities. When modern technology provides search results that "seem" to have the answers your students need, they think...what is the purpose of close reading?

Close reading means to read a text closely, paying special attention to one or more facets of the literature. For example, you might ask students to focus on specific patterns, figurative language, character traits, craft, symbolism, or meanings. Close reading develops students' critical thinking muscles and teaches them to notice as they read and use metacognition to think about their own thinking.

As a teacher, you may know all the great reasons to use close reading in your classroom, but perhaps you're struggling to find ways to meaningfully incorporate it into your curriculum. In this post, we'll discuss six effective ways to use close reading in the classroom.

Close reading is basically what great readers, scientists, thinkers, and researchers do every single day; however, it used to be the ONLY way to gain knowledge. Scholars had to read closely across texts and articles as well as within them, because there was no information superhighway to pop out answers. Students today sometimes make the mistake of thinking the almighty Internet has every answer. Sometimes, it will have answers, but not the ones you're truly looking for in relation to the question that was asked. Teaching close reading is a helpful skill for students to use as they carefully look across multiple sources to find in-depth, thorough answers for questions.

S TRATEGY: PRE-SELECTED AUTHENTIC SOURCES

Pose a question to your students or give them an Informative Writing Prompt. It could be related to a current social studies or science standard. Provide authentic sources such as articles, textbooks, informational text, and picture books where students can find the answer. Students must read closely to identify the evidence that answers your question in at least two of your pre-selected sources. They should not be allowed to search the Internet for the answer. Your students will likely complain about this task, yet they will feel quite accomplished when you explain that this is how scientists, scholars, and leaders use close reading. Remind them that their information is coming from authentic sources, which leaves nothing to chance. This could be used as a stand-alone activity or along with an Informative Writing Unit.

2. PRE-READING/INTRODUCTORY

What does it mean to close read as a pre-reading activity? Close reading is a strategy and activity that will definitely be used during reading; however, it can be used as a pre-reading activity as well.
Examples:

1. If you're about to begin a unit on figurative language, give students a basic definition of the types of figurative language. Have them read a short passage, looking closely for examples of figurative language.

2. Before students begin a new unit in science, give them a short passage with some key scientific terms, ensuring that the text is not bolded. Have students try to activate prior knowledge about the subject by reading through the passage and highlighting words they think are most important to the topic.

3. Before you begin a novel or even a picture book about a specific person or concept, have students do a close reading of a summary of the book or the passage on the back of the book to identify the main characters and plot.

STRATEGY: SCRUTINIZE A SUMMARY

Prior to beginning a new novel or introducing a new topic in a content area, provide students with a short multi-paragraph summary about it. Give students a purpose for their reading, whether it is to identify key characters, the main idea and supporting details, or potential keywords. Provide them with a graphic organizer that will encompass their pre-reading and provide space for notes during reading. As they read, have students refer back to their initial close reading notes to see if predictions were correct or how terms were used, etc.

While compare and contrast is a type of nonfiction text structure, it is also used when examining elements in literature. Using close reading to compare and contrast informational and fiction pieces will build your students' analytical muscle. Use close reading to compare two pieces by the same author, two pieces on the same topic, two main characters in different books, or a myriad of other options.

STRATEGY:BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

Choose a current topic from your science or social studies unit and find a fictional or literary text that centers around the same topic. For example, if you were studying the Black Plague, you could choose an excerpt from Fever, 1793. If you were studying ecosystems, you might choose to read The Great Kapok Tree or If I Ran the Rain Forest, or other short passages. Pairing fiction and nonfiction texts may seem daunting at first, but remember, you do not need to pair a whole textbook or novel for this exercise unless you want to. You can find short passages or take excerpts from books. Once you have your set, have students use close reading to analyze similarities and differences they uncover about the same topic when examined from a factual vs. fictional standpoint.

You may think that all literature groups involve close reading-that it should be a naturally occurring component; however, some students seem to read the required pages, answer whatever questions are necessary, and move on to the next task. Close reading for specific purposes within a literature circle can revitalize the standard novel study procedure and increase engagement by providing a new challenge.

STRATEGY: COLLABORATIVE CLOSE READING

Before students begin their reading for the day, tell them that they will be looking for something specific in their close reading. (A list of suggested elements is below, but you can choose anything that you feel is relevant for your students.) Not only will they be searching for this element while reading, they will be looking for one passage in the chapter or section that has prime examples of this element. Each student will select one passage from the reading and lead the other students in examining it collaboratively, sharing comments, and identifying examples. All students could end up choosing the same passage or they could choose different ones. Either way, all students should share insights and discuss examples of the elements they found in the passage.

Suggested elements to search for in collaborative close reading. Note: Some suggestions are aimed at developing readers and others are aimed for critical thinking.

Evidence of cultural influence in the plot, setting, or characters

Evidence of character bias toward a situation or person

Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing realized

Dialogue tags and the impact on mood and tone

Descriptive adjectives

Figurative language and how it relates to the story

Changes in characters or perspective

Specific genre elements for mystery, sci-fi, fantasy, historical fiction, etc.

5. TEXT-DEPENDENT ANALYSIS

Text-dependent analysis questions have become a major component of assessment as educational leaders want students to do more than simply "recall and regurgitate" answers. TDA questions require students to provide evidence from the text as well as show inferential and interpretive skills when answering higher-order thinking questions. When students know they are going to be asked basic recall and factual questions only, they tend to read at the "surface" level. Knowing they will have to dig deep to be successful promotes close reading. If your students groan when they are confronted with TDA practice, it is likely because they fear they will not be able to successfully answer the question. Encourage students to use close reading with TDAs, really searching out information and evidence in the text while re-reading the passage. Explain that this is actually like a safety net for success, because they will not be trying to pull all the information out of their heads after one initial read. They can highlight the TEXT EVIDENCE.

STRATEGY: SELF-SELECT AND SHARED-SELECT TDA PRACTICE

Student choice is beneficial for motivation and engagement. Yet, as a teacher, you know that sometimes your students need targeted practice. TDAs are usually specific to the text your students are reading, but there are some TDA questions that lend themselves to many genres and passages with little or no tweaking. After reading a passage, have s tudents self-select two TDA questions from the list below, or one you create yourself. Assign students one TDA prompt that targets a skill they need to hone. You can create one yourself or use one of the suggested questions below. You can also assign different TDAs to different students, based on their needs. This strategy is great for student engagement as well as differentiation.
Suggested TDA Questions:
→ How does the main character treat other characters? What evidence does the author include?

→ How does the main character change throughout the story? What evidence does the author include?

→ What makes this story ________ (name a specific genre)?

→ How did ______event influence a character's actions?

→ How did the author enhance the writing using ___ (a specific literary device)?

→ What uncertainties were left in the story (cliffhangers, etc)? What evidence in the text allows you to make a prediction of how these events will be resolved?

→ Explain what (character) learns about themselves as a result of_______.

→ Analyze the ______ (theme, characteristics, central idea) in the arguments between two texts.

→ Why is the title appropriate for a specific story, or event in the story?

→ The author includes details about character's actions. What does the author want you to understand about the character?

→ How is (object or symbol) significant to the plot, events, or character's actions?

→ Describe a pattern that is starting to emerge between characters/actions/events.

→ What are the strengths and limitations of the character? How does that effect an outcome of an event in the story?

→ How does ___ (event) contribute to the passage?

→ Which sentence(s) describe(s) how central ideas are introduced?

→ Select a main strategy used throughout an article to develop a claim.

→ Why does an author choose to end a passage with ___ (event or a phrase)?

→ Which claim from the article is best supported by this _____(sentence, phrase, or quote)?

→ An author usually does some research to help him/her write the text. What evidence of research do you find in this text?

→ Can you tell if the story describes a particular culture? How do you know? Would the story be different if set in a different culture/setting?

→ What is the most important point in this ___ (paragraph, passage, page, piece)?

→ How do you know? What supporting details does the author include to help you learn about ___?

→ What does the author think about ___?

6. STANDARD-BASED PRACTICE

Are you worried about covering all reading standards? Use READING PASSAGES that are written specifically for each standard. You can use it during a lesson on that standard, as extra practice, or a review for the year. Either way, students will be zeroed in on a specific standard for close reading. If the questions include higher-order thinking and TDA, students will need to read the whole passage for understanding and for finding the correct answers.

STRATEGY:DETECTIVE STAN (for standards )

Provide STANDARD-BASED PASSAGES WITH COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS. Students will need to write and highlight on and around the passage. Either print the passages or use highlighting tools for digital learning. For each question, students should highlight and number the question where they found the answer. Then they should answer the question using the text evidence.

Tip: You can motivate your students by supplying mini magnifying glasses or making detective hats.

For more detective fun check out this mystery unit bundle.

I hope you found something you can use in your classroom. Throughout the year, there will be endless opportunities to utilize close reading. The six suggestions and strategies here are just the tip of the iceberg. Enjoy finding inventive and meaningful ways to incorporate close reading into your daily routine. You will happily see your students transform and become more engaged in their reading!

Keep Rockin',

DISCOVER RELATED RESOURCES:

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Six Ways to Use Close Reading in Your Classroom

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In this fast-paced age, it's hard for students to take time to do anything. Reading material closely is often far down on the list of student-preferred activities. When modern technology provides search results that "seem" to have the answers your students need, they think...what is the purpose of close reading?

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Close Reading in Fiction and Informational Texts- Ashley Santillan

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Close Reading in Fiction and Informational Texts- Ashley Santillan

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I like this site because it gives out 3 effective close reading strategies for informational text. This site provides a chart that teachers can put up in their classroom for students to look at when doing close reading.

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Ask many students how they feel about close reading informational text, and they'll tell you it's a bore. Informational text is full of just that, information. Without a fun story or interesting characters, some view it as a one-way ticket to Snoozeville. Throw in close reading strategies, and you've entered the Humdrum House. But it doesn't have to be that way. Well chosen informational text will be interesting and engaging. Close reading activities can help your students further understand the content without being tedious. Keep reading for ideas on close reading activities to your students engaged and entertained.

There Are Different Close Reading Strategies

When deciding which close reading strategy to use with your students, keep the length of the text in mind.

Short text or passages from longer books can be completed using the traditional three read process outlined in this freebie. Click here to grab your copy to use for reference.

It's helpful to provide this anchor chart to your students or to have it posted in the classroom. This resource is also included in the Close Reading Toolkit for Informational Text along with six other posters/anchor charts to reference when completing close reading activities.

When reading a longer text, you can pull out passages and complete the three read process, or use other close reading strategies. Keep reading to learn ways to implement close reading with longer text successfully.

Engage In Discussion With Prompts

Meaningful discussions are the foundation of close reading activities. All questions, however, are not created equally. Questions should surround topics that students must refer to the text to answer. Remember, the purpose is for students to pay attention to details and develop a deeper understanding of the text.

The Structure Will Vary: Working collaboratively to answer these questions is ideal, whether in a whole group, with a partner or in small groups. It is amazing how lively and insightful a discussion can become as students interact with each other and the text. You can decide based on your class how to divide your students best. Let their level of independence and understanding of the process be your guide. If your students are not comfortable with close reading, you can complete these discussion questions as a whole group. With more practice, they will be able to have independent conversations.

Choosing The Text: Since the passages are longer for this strategy, you can select the parts of the text to discuss, or you can allow your students to choose. The ultimate goal would be to provide your students with the autonomy to make decisions about the discussion. In the beginning, as students are getting comfortable with close reading activities, you might want to choose the passages, and as they get better with the process, allow them to select their passage. Be sure to have students explain why they select a given passage. You might also consider assigning jobs within the groups, and one role could be choosing the passage to discuss.

Differentiated Questions: Be sure to ask the right question at the right time. The Close Reading Toolkit For Informational Text organizes the discussion questions by color based on if they would be most appropriate for a first read, second read, third read, or at any time. While the questions are meaningful at any point, the question levels indicate the anticipated depth of the discussion. With this coded color system, you can easily differentiate for your groups based on those that are ready for in-depth conversations and those that need to stay at the surface level of the text for now.

Use Graphic Organizers and Printables Effectively

Using graphic organizers and printables allows you to explore various aspects of the text including making connections, comparing and contrasting, making inferences, exploring text features, and more. When selecting materials, keep your busy-work sensor on high alert. Everything you give to your students should help them to dig deeper and further understand the text - and in doing so, learn strategies for understanding all texts.

Keep Thoughts Organized: Using graphic organizers gives students the opportunity to organize the information they're learning on paper often allows them to develop a better understanding of the facts and keep track of them easily. Some students really benefit from seeing things laid out in this fashion. This can also be a good way to check to make sure students are really understanding the passage and not missing something important.

Choose a Focus Skill: Perhaps you are focusing on a specific skill such as summarizing, predicting, or using context clues. Using the right printable is a great way to hone in on that skill. Choose activities that are best for your students based on their current comprehension ability level and the targeted skill. You can find a wide variety of ready to use printable and graphic organizers in the toolkit.

Resource for Discussion Questions: Graphic organizers can be used as a great pre-writing activity for an in-depth text-dependent question. When students take the time to organize their information on paper, they can refer to it as needed when answering longer-format questions or while discussing the passage. The graphic organizer provides them with an additional resource beyond the text.

Write All About It

Giving students the opportunity to provide a written response to the text is another close reading strategy that can improve overall comprehension by digging deeper at any stage of reading.

You can use the text to formulate questions or, as student progress, they can formulate their own questions. If your students aren't ready for that or you are short on time, you could also the questions in the Close Reading Toolkit for Informational Text. There are 20 sheets of writing prompts that you can print on Avery 8163 labels. You can also print them on regular paper and have students tape or glue them to their papers. You might consider dedicating one notebook or binder section to close reading writing prompt responses.

Independent Writing: While writing is generally an independent activity, you can also allow students to collaborate by discussing their responses before writing them. Allowing students to do the actual writing on their own gives them the chance to explore their own ideas and insights. Students can also share their writing within their group or with a partner. Doing this gives them practice in reading their writing and expressing their ideas.

Exit Slip Assessment: Writing prompts can also be used as an exit slip for students to quickly demonstrate their knowledge at the end of the lesson. When using them as an exit slip, be sure to choose responses that require shorter answers.

Resources for Close Reading Strategies

Are you ready to try out these Close Reading strategies during your next informational text lesson? You can get started with the Close Reading freebie. This free resource includes

You can use this freebie independently or in addition to other resources and ideas you have for close reading. However, if you want to dive into close reading fully, a better option for you might be the full Close Reading Toolkit for Informational Text.

This toolkit includes 68 pages full of great resources for your class including

7 posters/anchor charts

36 "Talk Time" discussion prompt cards

18 graphic organizers/printables

20 writing prompt labels/cutouts

An explanation of the close reading structure

Tips for implementing close reading

As you move forward with close reading in your classroom, remember that not all informational text reading needs to be close reading. Students can read with no discussion questions, writing prompts, or strategy. Allow students to read informational text for fun, to build their knowledge or because it's interesting.

What are your top close reading strategies? If you haven't tried it yet, what are you looking forward to most, or what questions do you still have? Let's chat in the comments.

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3 Effective Close Reading Strategies for Informational Text - Minds in Bloom

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Ask many students how they feel about close reading informational text, and they'll tell you it's a bore. Informational text is full of just that, information. Without a fun story or interesting characters, some view it as a one-way ticket to Snoozeville. Throw in close reading strategies, and you've entered the Humdrum House.

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Reading Motivations for grades 3-5- Kylea Ricketts

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Reading Motivations for grades 3-5- Kylea Ricketts

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This website has five different reading incentives that the students will like. My favorite is reading celebrations. Students love to have celebrations in the classroom, so we could have quarterly classroom celebrations. I think I would have the students set personal goals each quarter on how many books they would like to read and take AR test on and pass them. If the students meet their goal for the quarter, then they get to attend our party. I think this will help the students get reading and want to read.

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5 Reading Incentive Ideas for 3rd - 5th Graders That Really Work

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Getting students to read can be difficult, especially 3rd-5th graders. Here are 5 reading incentive ideas for 3rd-5th graders that really work!

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New Literacies (online reading resources for grades 3-5)- Kylea Ricketts

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New Literacies (online reading resources for grades 3-5)- Kylea Ricketts

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This website is very cool and will be useful in my classroom. This website you can pick the ages of the students and then find books that the students can listen too. This would be a great resource to use during reading centers. This could be a station that the students have to listen to a book for the time of the station. Most of the books on this website are popular books that students in the age range read.

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Find the most popular kids' books for children of all ages, best books for toddlers and favorite board books for babies at Barnes & Noble!

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Close Reading in Fiction and Informational Text- Kylea Ricketts

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Close Reading in Fiction and Informational Text- Kylea Ricketts

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This website is very beneficial because there is a lot of material on this website that will help with close reading. This website gives a couple different ways to close read like doing annotations and asking questions. You can also print off posters from this website and text that the students can annotate and ask questions that go along with the text.

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This a great foundation for a lesson plan centered around expository and argumentative writing. This could be made more complex or simpler depending on the age group you are teaching. This approaches argumentative writing from a teachers perspective and demonstrates how it could be taught by providing a step by step process. It breaks down how this lesson plan could look and what you could do differently.

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Listen to this post as a podcast:
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For seven years, I was a writing teacher. Yes, I was certified to teach the full spectrum of English language arts-literature, grammar and usage, speech, drama, and so on-but my absolute favorite, the thing I loved doing the most, was teaching students how to write.

Most of the material on this site is directed at all teachers. I look for and put together resources that would appeal to any teacher who teaches any subject. That practice will continue for as long as I keep this up. But over the next year or so, I plan to also share more of what I know about teaching students to write. Although I know many of the people who visit here are not strictly English language arts teachers, my hope is that these posts will provide tons of value to those who are, and to those who teach all subjects, including writing.

So let's begin with argumentative writing, or persuasive writing, as many of us used to call it. This overview will be most helpful to those who are new to teaching writing, or teachers who have not gotten good results with the approach you have taken up to now. I don't claim to have the definitive answer on how to do this, but the method I share here worked pretty well for me, and it might do the same for you. If you are an experienced English language arts teacher, you probably already have a system for teaching this skill that you like. Then again, I'm always interested in how other people do the things I can already do; maybe you're curious like that, too.

Before I start, I should note that what I describe in this post is a fairly formulaic style of essay writing. It's not exactly the 5-paragraph essay, but it definitely builds on that model. I strongly believe students should be shown how to move past those kinds of structures into a style of writing that's more natural and fitting to the task and audience, but I also think they should start with something that's pretty clearly organized.

So here's how I teach argumentative essay writing.

Step 1: Watch How It's Done

One of the most effective ways to improve student writing is to show them mentor texts, examples of excellent writing within the genre students are about to attempt themselves. Ideally, this writing would come from real publications and not be fabricated by me in order to embody the form I'm looking for. Although most experts on writing instruction employ some kind of mentor text study, the person I learned it from best was Katie Wood Ray in her book Study Driven (links to the book: Bookshop.org | Amazon).

Since I want the writing to be high quality and the subject matter to be high interest, I might choose pieces like Jessica Lahey's Students Who Lose Recess Are the Ones Who Need it Most and David Bulley's School Suspensions Don't Work.

I would have students read these texts, compare them, and find places where the authors used evidence to back up their assertions. I would ask students which author they feel did the best job of influencing the reader, and what suggestions they would make to improve the writing. I would also ask them to notice things like stories, facts and statistics, and other things the authors use to develop their ideas. Later, as students work on their own pieces, I would likely return to these pieces to show students how to execute certain writing moves.

Step 2: Informal Argument, Freestyle

Although many students might need more practice in writing an effective argument, many of them are excellent at arguing in person. To help them make this connection, I would have them do some informal debate on easy, high-interest topics. An activity like This or That (one of the classroom icebreakers I talked about last year) would be perfect here: I read a statement like "Women have the same opportunities in life as men." Students who agree with the statement move to one side of the room, and those who disagree move to the other side. Then they take turns explaining why they are standing in that position. This ultimately looks a little bit like a debate, as students from either side tend to defend their position to those on the other side.

Every class of students I have ever had, from middle school to college, has loved loved LOVED this activity. It's so simple, it gets them out of their seats, and for a unit on argument, it's an easy way to get them thinking about how the art of argument is something they practice all the time.

Step 3: Informal Argument, Not so Freestyle

Once students have argued without the support of any kind of research or text, I would set up a second debate; this time with more structure and more time to research ahead of time. I would pose a different question, supply students with a few articles that would provide ammunition for either side, then give them time to read the articles and find the evidence they need.

Next, we'd have a Philosophical Chairs debate (learn about this in my discussion strategies post), which is very similar to "This or That," except students use textual evidence to back up their points, and there are a few more rules. Here they are still doing verbal argument, but the experience should make them more likely to appreciate the value of evidence when trying to persuade.

Before leaving this step, I would have students transfer their thoughts from the discussion they just had into something that looks like the opening paragraph of a written argument: A statement of their point of view, plus three reasons to support that point of view. This lays the groundwork for what's to come.

Step 4: Introduction of the Performance Assessment

Next I would show students their major assignment, the performance assessment that they will work on for the next few weeks. What does this look like? It's generally a written prompt that describes the task, plus the rubric I will use to score their final product.

Anytime I give students a major writing assignment, I let them see these documents very early on. In my experience, I've found that students appreciate having a clear picture of what's expected of them when beginning a writing assignment. At this time, I also show them a model of a piece of writing that meets the requirements of the assignment. Unlike the mentor texts we read on day 1, this sample would be something teacher-created (or an excellent student model from a previous year) to fit the parameters of the assignment.

Step 5: Building the Base

Before letting students loose to start working on their essays, I make sure they have a solid plan for writing. I would devote at least one more class period to having students consider their topic for the essay, drafting a thesis statement, and planning the main points of their essay in a graphic organizer.

I would also begin writing my own essay on a different topic. This has been my number one strategy for teaching students how to become better writers. Using a document camera or overhead projector, I start from scratch, thinking out loud and scribbling down my thoughts as they come. When students see how messy the process can be, it becomes less intimidating for them. They begin to understand how to take the thoughts that are stirring around in your head and turn them into something that makes sense in writing.

For some students, this early stage might take a few more days, and that's fine: I would rather spend more time getting it right at the pre-writing stage than have a student go off willy-nilly, draft a full essay, then realize they need to start over. Meanwhile, students who have their plans in order will be allowed to move on to the next step.

Step 6: Writer's Workshop

The next seven to ten days would be spent in writer's workshop, where I would start class with a mini-lesson about a particular aspect of craft. I would show them how to choose credible, relevant evidence, how to skillfully weave evidence into an argument, how to consider the needs of an audience, and how to correctly cite sources. Once each mini-lesson was done, I would then give students the rest of the period to work independently on their writing. During this time, I would move around the room, helping students solve problems and offering feedback on whatever part of the piece they are working on. I would encourage students to share their work with peers and give feedback at all stages of the writing process.

If I wanted to make the unit even more student-centered, I would provide the mini-lessons in written or video format and let students work through them at their own pace, without me teaching them. (To learn more about this approach, read this post on self-paced learning).

As students begin to complete their essays, the mini-lessons would focus more on matters of style and usage. I almost never bother talking about spelling, punctuation, grammar, or usage until students have a draft that's pretty close to done. Only then do we start fixing the smaller mistakes.

Step 7: Final Assessment

Finally, the finished essays are handed in for a grade. At this point, I'm pretty familiar with each student's writing and have given them verbal (and sometimes written) feedback throughout the unit; that's why I make the writer's workshop phase last so long. I don't really want students handing in work until they are pretty sure they've met the requirements to the best of their ability. I also don't necessarily see "final copies" as final; if a student hands in an essay that's still really lacking in some key areas, I will arrange to have that student revise it and resubmit for a higher grade.

So that's it. If you haven't had a lot of success teaching students to write persuasively, and if the approach outlined here is different from what you've been doing, give it a try. And let's keep talking: Use the comments section below to share your techniques or ask questions about the most effective ways to teach argumentative writing.

Want this unit ready-made?

If you're a writing teacher in grades 7-12 and you'd like a classroom-ready unit like the one described above, including mini-lessons, sample essays, and a library of high-interest online articles to use for gathering evidence, take a look at my Argumentative Writing unit. Just click on the image below and you'll be taken to a page where you can read more and see a detailed preview of what's included.

Keep in touch.
Join my mailing list and get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration-in quick, bite-sized packages-all geared toward making your teaching more effective and fun. To thank you, I'll send you a free copy of my e-booklet, 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half, which has helped thousands of teachers spend less time grading!

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A Step-by-Step Plan for Teaching Argumentative Writing

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The art of persuasion is an essential life skill. It also happens to be part of the required curriculum for many, many teachers. In this post, I'll share my method for teaching argumentative writing.

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Fix It Strategies/Miscues/Self-Correcting - Jessamyn Mansfield 

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Fix It Strategies/Miscues/Self-Correcting - Jessamyn Mansfield 

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I really like this resource. This is just a few of many fix it self correcting strategies. I love how this source breaks down each of the summaries into description, steps, and growth questions. This allows for easy in striction as well as easy self guided practice for students. Gradual release is a great way to help students practice and develop skills so they can eventually do it on their own.

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1. Back Up, Fix Up

Great for any Reading Level

Strategy Steps

1. Pay attention as you are reading.

2. While you are reading, if you realize that you don't understand what is happening or if what you said doesn't make sense - pause.

3. Think about what is confusing.

4. Back up to the part before.

5. Look at the words on the page before or the sentence before.

6. Look at the pictures or images or charts (if available).

7. Think about what is happening or what the author is describing in this part.

8. Change what you said before or revise your thinking.

9. Think, "does it make sense now?"

You can prompt your child to back up and fix a part they misread by asking the following questions:

Does that go with what you just read? Let's back up and think about what might be happening here.

Do those pages connect?

What was confusing here?

What made that fact confusing? (nonfiction)

Based on what you just read, do you think you read it incorrectly the first time?

2. Think About "Who's Telling the Story?"

Great for Reading Levels H and up

Strategy Steps

1. Pay attention to the narration of a story.

2. Pay attention to any dialogue tags ("Charlie said"or "Callie exclaimed")

3. If a character is telling the story you will see words like I, me, we, my

4. If a narrator is telling the story you will see words like he, she, they, and character's names.

5. Think about who is telling the story to keep track of what is happening in the story.

6. Consider who is telling the story as you get to know the character(s).

You can prompt your child to think about who is telling the story by asking the following questions:

Can you tell who the narrator is?

Do you see any pronouns or words that can give you a clue?

When someone is talking, look at the dialogue tags - what is the relationship between the speaker and the narrator?

Do you see a place where there is a description? Look at the words used.

3. Refocus a Wandering Mind

Great for any Reading Level

Strategy Steps

1. Notice that your mind has wandered and you are no longer thinking about what you are reading.

2. Say to yourself, "I am not going to think about that right now."

3. Retell what you remember about your book.

4. Think about whether you need to back up and reread a part.

5. Begin reading again in a spot where you know what is happening or what the author is explaining.

Note: Remind your child that everyone's mind wanders from time to time - the important thing is they refocus on the text.

You can prompt your child to refocus by asking the following questions:

Tell me what you remember?

What part seems fuzzy/unclear? Can you go back and retell that part?

When do you think your mind started to wander?

4. Insert a Synonym

Great for any Reading Levels H and up

Strategy Steps

1. When you come across an unfamiliar word (even if you can pronounce it), pause.

2. Think about a word you know that would fit into the sentence and the text as a whole.

3. Put the word you thought of in place of the unfamiliar word as you reread.

4. Does it make sense?

You can prompt your child to use a synonym by asking the following questions:

Think about what's going on so far - what might this word mean?

Try a different word. Does that make sense?

Does that word keep the meaning of the sentence?

What's another word the author could have used that would make sense here?

Do you think you are reading too fast to catch the words you don't know?

Do you know how this word is being used here?

Great for Reading Levels P and up

If a character travels from place to place or if an author is introducing multiple places in a text, you can make a map to keep track of what you are reading.

Strategy Steps

1. As you read, draw a map based on the details the author gives you.

2. Refer to the map as you read.

3. (fiction) Visualize the character moving from place to place as you read.

4. Think about why the author chose to set the story or introduce each of the places. How does it impact the text?

You can prompt your child to make a map by asking the following questions:

Think about the places you've read about. Can you draw (sketch) a map to show all of those places.

Where is this place compared to that one?

Where, on your map, is the character in this scene?

Can you tell me about how the character travels from place to place?

What's important about each of these places?

How does each place impact the text or character?

For my all-time favorite monitoring and summarizing strategy, check out Read, Cover, Remember, Retell .

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5 Strategies for Monitoring and Self-Correcting - Welcome to LiteracyDoc!

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Great for any Reading Level Pay attention as you are reading. While you are reading, if you realize that you don't understand what is happening or if what you said doesn't make sense - pause. Think about what is confusing. Back up to the part before.

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Reading Inventories and Assessments- Jessamyn Mansfield

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Reading Inventories and Assessments- Jessamyn Mansfield

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Reading inventories are a great tool for students and teachers. For teachers, its a great way to see where students are in their reading level, what genres/books they enjoy, and where their strengths and weaknesses are. For student, it is a great way for them to see how much they have grown, how their tastes have changes, and discover new things about books/classmates/themselves. Reading inventories should be done all throughout elementary school and preferably several times a year. This is an informal assessment, but an effective assessment all the same.

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Student interest reading surveys are an important way to find out information about your students that you may not know yet. They can be a great tool to help you plan instruction, find motivating texts to add to your classroom library, and to reach those students that just may not seem interested. The only thing is...one size does not fit all. We all have different kids, different ages, and different needs. One inventory that I may find extremely useful, someone down the hall may not like at all! So I wanted to search for different reading inventories that are free. Hopefully, you will find one that works for you and your students.

This inventory is simple and geared towards younger students. I created it with my first graders in mind. I knew that I was going to read the questions aloud and needed simple answers.

This inventory comes from Young Teacher Love. It is geared towards upper elementary students.

This one comes from Ginger Snaps. I would say that it is for students that have read a wide range of genres and would understand the different types that she lists in the inventory.

This inventory comes from Ms. D's Literacy Lab. She recommends that it is for grades 2 and up.

Leslye Tilton created this inventory. I like the layout of it and find it to be user friendly. She suggests 1st through 6th grade for this one.

Creative Connections created an inventory for younger students that has graphics instead of written answers.

Smekens Education created these inventories. This one is for grades 3-5. When I downloaded it, I found that the layout is inviting and easy on the eyes. I liked this one a lot.

This one is for 6th-12th students.

If you have an inventory that you find helpful, please leave the link in the comments! We would love to look at it and try it out.

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A blog about all things literacy from reading specialists and coaches from all parts of the US!

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Reading Motivation for grades 3-5 - Sydney Gennuso

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Reading Motivation for grades 3-5 - Sydney Gennuso

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This site lists activities shared from teachers that have worked well for them. They are ideas for various age groups that have helped motivate students to read. There are a lot that are new to me and I like as well. I can see myself using the activity mystery reader, tv vs. reading, book word search, and two characters meet. I like sites that have teachers list what has worked best for them and their class. There are so many different teaching styles and I think that they can be helpful to all teachers.

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The folks at the BOOK-IT! Program have given permission for Education World to reprint 25 great ideas from teachers -- ideas that are sure to get kids across the grades excited about reading.
The BOOK IT! Reading Incentive Program, sponsored by Pizza Hut, has motivated millions of young readers over the years.

Note: The following teacher ideas were originally published by the BOOK IT! National Reading Incentive Program.

Now, 25 Idea From 25 Terrific Teachers

TV vs. Reading. Begin a TV/Reading Chart for each child. It would be a weekly chart to keep a record of time spent reading and time spent watching TV at home. If total reading time exceeds total TV watching time, the child earns a treat. The class with the most winners could have a party.
Lindy Guy, Maclay School, Tallahassee, Florida, Librarian

Article by Gary Hopkins
Education World® Editor in Chief
Copyright ©2011, 2016 Education World

Last updated: 11/22/2016

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The folks at the BOOK-IT! Program have given permission for Education World to reprint 25 great ideas from teachers -- ideas that are sure to get kids across the grades excited about reading. The BOOK IT! Reading Incentive Program, sponsored by Pizza Hut, has motivated millions of young readers over the years.

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Online Reading Resources - Sydney Gennuso

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Online Reading Resources - Sydney Gennuso

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This site lists a variety of online resources based on many different needs. I think an educator would find this so useful because it's one site that lists so many helpful resources within it. The resources are directed towards all grades being K-6 and collections.

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Here's a selected list of trusted sources for online learning. Most are free or offering free access while schools are closed due to COVID-19.

Resource and lesson plan collections

Reading, writing, and language arts

Early Literacy

Writing and Language Arts

Social studies, history, and current events

Art and music

More resources for sparking curiosity

See additional resources families can use to support learning at home in this related resource collection.

Distance learning: ideas and tools

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Here's a selected list of trusted sources for online learning. Most are free or offering free access while schools are closed due to COVID-19. Social studies, history, and current events Art and music See additional resources families can use to support learning at home in this related resource collection.

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Reading Motivation for Grades 3-5 -Ashton Hernandez-Cabanas

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Reading Motivation for Grades 3-5 -Ashton Hernandez-Cabanas

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I thought these were super cute ideas that many students could get into. And even if a few students couldn't get into one, they might get into one of the others. I think students would prefer the digital choice boards since many of them prefer digital work to written work. Many students also really like having incentives. I know at my school we have prizes that our ELL students can pick from. So grades 1-5 read a certain amount of days to receive a prize. There was the idea on here for a Book Tasting, which I had never heard about so I had to look that up. I think this would be interesting but I think might be difficult to accomplish in the regular classroom unless maybe the whole grade got together to do it together. Many other things could bridge or grow off of these incentive ideas though. There are endless possibilities and I am able to see it working at my school with our ELL students. ~Ashton Hernandez-Cabanas

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5 Reading Incentive Ideas for 3rd - 5th Graders That Really Work

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Getting students to read can be difficult, especially 3rd-5th graders. Here are 5 reading incentive ideas for 3rd-5th graders that really work!

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Online reading resources for grades 3-5 - Ashton Hernandez-Cabanas

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Online reading resources for grades 3-5 - Ashton Hernandez-Cabanas

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This is my favorite online reading resource. My preschooler, 1st grader, and 3rd grader all use it. I've tutored 5th graders who love using it. Many students can't afford the paid version, though it's not horribly expensive at $9.99, it may be more than what their parents can budget into. But during the hours of 8-4, students can use this free online reading resource to read. It has books, graphic novels, comics, read-to-me, listening center type books, etc. Students have the option of picking books that interest them. Similar to going to the school or city library and picking any book. Students can read at whatever level they feel comfortable at and then take a test for understanding afterwards if the teacher wants them to. They can even set goals for themselves. I really think this app is a great online resource for students to have access to. ~Ashton Hernandez-Cabanas

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Instantly access over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids on Epic

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Close Reading in Fiction and Informational Text - Ashton Hernandez-Cabanas

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Close Reading in Fiction and Informational Text - Ashton Hernandez-Cabanas

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I really do love a good, informational blog. Sometimes you'll get one that is real boring or doesn't have what you are looking for. What I really liked about this was all of the tips that it had. If you are a brand new teacher, like we will be, it made it easy to follow along and understand why she is saying what she is saying. She mentions what works for her. She explains how important it is for students to do the work of understanding and connecting on their own without front-loading and introducing the passage ourselves. I like how she bolded very important things. Like right under #4. Questioning. That Close Reading is "text-dependent". She also posted a few links and pages for grades to use for Close Reading. I could definitely use these tips in my classroom. Especially considering I just taught my practicum using a poem that was kind of informational. This would have been good to have read beforehand. ~Ashton Hernandez-Cabanas

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On here is a list of activities put together by a group of teachers. These activities help motivate students to get excited about reading. I like the activities on this site and can see myself using these in my future classroom. I really like the books on tape activity. The students tape themselves reading books that are from a children's hospital. The tapes are sent to the hospital where children can listen to them as they look at the books.

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The folks at the BOOK-IT! Program have given permission for Education World to reprint 25 great ideas from teachers -- ideas that are sure to get kids across the grades excited about reading.
The BOOK IT! Reading Incentive Program, sponsored by Pizza Hut, has motivated millions of young readers over the years.

Note: The following teacher ideas were originally published by the BOOK IT! National Reading Incentive Program.

Now, 25 Idea From 25 Terrific Teachers

TV vs. Reading. Begin a TV/Reading Chart for each child. It would be a weekly chart to keep a record of time spent reading and time spent watching TV at home. If total reading time exceeds total TV watching time, the child earns a treat. The class with the most winners could have a party.
Lindy Guy, Maclay School, Tallahassee, Florida, Librarian

Article by Gary Hopkins
Education World® Editor in Chief
Copyright ©2011, 2016 Education World

Last updated: 11/22/2016

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The folks at the BOOK-IT! Program have given permission for Education World to reprint 25 great ideas from teachers -- ideas that are sure to get kids across the grades excited about reading. The BOOK IT! Reading Incentive Program, sponsored by Pizza Hut, has motivated millions of young readers over the years.

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Prodigy reading is an online reading activity that the students at my school use. They always get excited when they have the oppurtunity to use it. On Prodigy the students can join in a group where they join their classmates as they do battles and interact with one another.

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Prodigy English and Prodigy Math are both adaptive, engaging, game-based learning platforms designed to help students love learning. And all of Prodigy Math and Prodigy English's educational content is free!

In Prodigy English, players answer reading and writing questions to gain energy that allows their in-game character to build their own world.

In Prodigy Math, players answer math questions to help them win battles, complete quests and earn awesome rewards.

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Prodigy English and Prodigy Math are both adaptive, engaging, game-based learning platforms designed to help students love learning. And all of Prodigy Math and Prodigy English's educational content is free! In Prodigy English, players answer reading and writing questions to gain energy that allows their in-game character to build their own world.

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This is a video that a teacher has made of her classroom as she is teaching a close read lesson with them. She explains the steps that the students are following as she teaches the lesson. I like this video and would use it to help guide me as a new teacher in teaching this type of lesson.

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Close Reading: An Instructional Strategy for Conquering Complex Text

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Close Reading in Fiction - Sydney Gennuso

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Close Reading in Fiction - Sydney Gennuso

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I thought this was helpful in explaining what close reading is since I had never heard of it before now. Close reading is a critical analysis of a text focusing on important details and patterns to develop a deep understanding of the texts meaning. Close reading is a strategy that includes pre-reading activities, reading responses, small group, think-pair-share, and more. I'd only use this if I was going to begin using this strategy to get some background knowledge.

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Calling all teachers of literature!  Do you dream of guiding your students to reading complex text with increased comprehension and commitment? Do you wake up wondering what you should do to get closer to these outcomes?

What's the "dream strategy" to reaching all these lofty reading goals? Close reading!

I like this definition and breakdown of close reading from Beth Burke, NBCT, in her work A Close Look at Close Reading: Scaffolding Students With Complex Texts ¹

"Close reading is thoughtful, critical analysis of a text that focuses on significant details or patterns in order to develop a deep, precise understanding of the text's form, craft, meanings, etc. It is a key requirement of the Common Core State Standards and directs the reader's attention to the text itself. The close reading strategy includes:

Clearly, a simple answer and single skill aren't enough to access close reading outcomes. The answer must reach further beyond - to a formula. And one formula I'd recommend includes six signposts designed by Beers and Probst in their book, . Notice & Note: Strategies for Close Reading ²  These six signposts help readers "notice" text features that enhance understanding of fiction.

Besides the signposts support, close reading is accomplished by using anchor texts, dialogic talk, student-led discussions, and generalizable language.  These tools beautifully blend to help readers make important connections with text which leads to higher levels of reading enjoyment. Doesn't that sound dreamy?

I knew I was going to love this close reading framework when I read the introduction about Louise Rosenblatt, professor of literature and creator of the "transactional" approach to reading in which she argues that the act of reading literature involves a transaction between the reader and the text. In her view, each "transaction" is a unique experience in which the reader and text continuously act and are acted upon by each other. For the reader's part, he or she must pay close attention to every detail of the text and pay equal attention to his or her own responses. This process exemplifies not only reader-response criticism but also close reading. Rosenblatt's theory resonated in my head and heart. (To learn more about Rosenblatt's theory, click here)

An aside: It always amazes me when I "uncover" important educational theories or practices that were somehow overlooked in my undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate studies. I wonder, "How did I miss this big reading theory in my teacher preparation and ongoing professional development?"  But quickly I am reminded that education is constantly evolving, building upon theories and practice, always striving to engage new research that supports teaching and learning success .

If your "reading instruction radar" is up, I invite you to sign up for a new course we've created to introduce this instructional framework for close reading of fiction. I promise it will be worth your time and attention: signposts will draw readers and text closer!

When it comes to reading, teachers are passionate and purposeful. Reading, after all, is the skill that supports all learning and academic achievement. Close reading is an embedded and expected skill outcome in the CCSS - but don't let that be your only source of inspiration (or deter you from digging deeper...whichever your professional slant.) Teachers must honor the importance of guiding students into deeper connections with text of all kinds. It's up to each teacher to seek strategies to support that goal.

Course 5040: Increasing Comprehension with Close Reading in Your Classroom comes straight to your computer bringing simple tools and practices to improve your literacy instruction toolkit.  Building closer connections between students and fiction will transform your teaching and their learning. Close reading using signposts could be your teacher "dream come true."
Sources:

1. Burke, B., NBCT. (n.d.). A Close Look At Close Reading. Retrieved June 19, 2017, from https://nieonline.com/tbtimes/downloads/CCSS_reading.pdf

2. Beers, K., & Probst, R. E. (2012). Notice & Note: Strategies for Close Reading. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

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Calling all teachers of literature!  Do you dream of guiding your students to reading complex text with increased comprehension and commitment? Do you wake up wondering what you should do to get closer to these outcomes? What's the "dream strategy" to reaching all these lofty reading goals? Close reading!

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I chose this resource because it provides you with 10 different options to motivate your students to read. The author of the article also provides helpful links on some of the options to get a better idea of the tip. I specifically liked the option of inviting an author to read to the class, I feel the students would love to hear the author read their own book!

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How to Motivate Students to Love Reading - TeachHUB

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Not all students embrace reading, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to instill in them a love for it. Learn how to motivate students to love reading.

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I chose Epic to give students new literacies for all elementary grades. The website provides a free option of reading 1 book a day and a limited library, but for only $7 a month you can get unlimited options to over 40,000 books. I chose this resource because it is very modern for the students today as I have seen a couple people post this link already and my mentor teacher also uses this for reading/language arts practice and loves it!

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Instantly access over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids on Epic

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Get unlimited access to 40,000 of the best books, audiobooks, videos, & more for kids 12 and under. Try it free.

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I chose this link because the author describes the importance and the misconceptions about close reading. The author also provides this poster as a freebie and mentions multiple different ideas on activities to do with the close during close reading. This resource can be put up in the classroom or used as references for students to use as they read.

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I have heard close reading called "abusing the text" and that it kills the joy of reading, which is probably true in many classrooms. Close reading is like salt. A little is a very good thing - a lot, not such a good idea. I think this is especially true with literature because most kids (and adults, too) gravitate toward fiction when reading for pleasure. Fortunately, close reading and reading for pleasure are not mutually exclusive, and in fact, when done well, close reading can help to foster a deeper and more meaningful love for reading. Read on for some ideas on how to do just that, and get a freebie, too!

First off, in my opinion, there are two basic approaches for close reading literature. The first is the "traditional" three-read format similar to what you may have used with informational text. With this format you focus on different aspects of the text with each read, closely following the RL Common Core Standards. This poster (which is free with the download) is a nice summary. This approach is best for short selections - either stand alone short stories or passages pulled from a longer story.

But what if you are reading a longer story or chapter book? Clearly, you will not be close reading the entire thing; honestly, I can't think of a better way to make kids hate reading. Instead, read the text as you normally would, and stop at certain places to dig a little deeper. Here are some tips for close reading in this way:

Ideally every student will have a copy of the book or story; however, in most cases, students will not be allowed to write directly on the text. Here are some ideas for helping students to track their thoughts and questions when they cannot directly annotate:

Allow students to use small sticky notes to jot down their ideas, thoughts, and questions. They can use the notes as markers so they can come back to the place in the book later for further examination.

Have students use the bookmarks that they can write on to jot down ideas as they read. You may want to use guided bookmarks like the ones pictured.

Older students could write their reflections on notebook paper in a list or chart format, noting the page numbers where they paused to reflect.

Discussion is an important part of close reading, as students often glean insight from each other. It can also help to foster enthusiasm for the text, build critical thinking skills, and build confidence as students see their ideas reinforced by their peers.

Depending on your students' level of independence, you could discuss sections of the text as a class, in small groups, or even in partners.

Sections of the text that merit discussion can be chosen by the teacher; however, a more authentic discussion may occur if students are encouraged to select places in the text they would like to discuss.

Students can use the notes they took while reading as prompts for discussion or to jog their memories when discussing specific aspects of the story.

Using discussion prompt cards can really help. I find that it is especially helpful if they are worded in first person, like the ones in the picture.

By writing their responses to text dependent questions, students gain independence in their ability to understand the text. It also gives students an opportunity to explore their own ideas in relation to the text without distraction.

Students can use the notes they took while reading to jog their memories while writing about the text.

The graphic organizers can be used to help students focus on a specific aspect of the text.

For more advanced students, consider using a graphic organizer as a pre-writing activity. The students can then use the completed graphic organizer to write a response to a text-dependent question in paragraph form.

Writing prompt labels/cut-outs (like the ones below) can be used with interactive notebooks or on notebook paper, either with a graphic organizer or independently.

You may want to provide avenues for students to share their written reflections.

Close reading for literature poster

Character description bookmarks

3 graphic organizers

3 text evidence writing prompts for interactive notebooks

Set of 6 "Talk Time" cards for group discussion.

If you are ready to jump in with both feet full steam ahead, then you will want to purchase The Close Reading Toolkit for Literature, which features 115 pages of close reading goodness! In addition to more close reading tips it includes:

7 posters (including annotation guides)

12 close reading bookmarks

42 "Talk Time" discussion cards

26 graphic organizers and printables

32 writing prompts/cut-outs for interactive notebooks

Have you been doing close reading with your students? How is it going? Got any tips to help your teaching colleagues? Please share with a comment!

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Close Reading for Literature (Fiction) plus a Freebie!

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I have heard close reading called 'abusing the text' and that it kills the joy of reading, which is probably true in many classrooms. Close reading is like salt. A little is a very good thing - a lot, not such a good idea.

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I though this source was interesting and a great simplified example of how reading strategies could be taught. It starts with a list of different reading and reading response skills, defining these terms, and explaining what they look like. After that they have several basic lesson templates that teachers can use as a foundation for teaching these strategies; a foundation that they can build on and structure to fit a specific unit or grade level. I think this is a great source because it is so straight forward and malleable to each teacher, classroom, and student.

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To assume that one can simply have students memorize and routinely execute a set of strategies is to misconceive the nature of strategic processing or executive control. Such rote applications of these procedures represents, in essence, a true oxymoron-non-strategic strategic processing.
- Alexander and Murphy (1998, p. 33)

If the struggling readers in your content classroom routinely miss the point when "reading" content text, consider teaching them one or more of the seven cognitive strategies of highly effective readers. Cognitive strategies are the mental processes used by skilled readers to extract and construct meaning from text and to create knowledge structures in long-term memory. When these strategies are directly taught to and modeled for struggling readers, their comprehension and retention improve.

Struggling students often mistakenly believe they are reading when they are actually engaged in what researchers call mindless reading (Schooler, Reichle, & Halpern, 2004), zoning out while staring at the printed page. The opposite of mindless reading is the processing of text by highly effective readers using cognitive strategies. These strategies are described in a fascinating qualitative study that asked expert readers to think aloud regarding what was happening in their minds while they were reading. The lengthy scripts recording these spoken thoughts (i.e., think-alouds) are called verbal protocols (Pressley & Afflerbach, 1995). These protocols were categorized and analyzed by researchers to answer specific questions, such as, What is the influence of prior knowledge on expert readers' strategies as they determine the main idea of a text? (Afflerbach, 1990b).

The protocols provide accurate "snapshots" and even "videos" of the ever-changing mental landscape that expert readers construct during reading. Researchers have concluded that reading is "constructively responsive-that is, good readers are always changing their processing in response to the text they are reading" (Pressley & Afflerbach, 1995, p. 2). Instructional Aid 1.1 defines the seven cognitive strategies of highly effective readers, and Instructional Aid 1.2 provides a lesson plan template for teaching a cognitive strategy.

Instructional aids

Instructional Aid 1.1: Seven Strategies of Highly Effective Readers

Activating

"Priming the cognitive pump" in order to recall relevent prior knowledge and experiences from long-term memory in order to extract and construct meaning from text

Inferring

Bringing together what is spoken (written) in the text, what is unspoken (unwritten) in the text, and what is already known by the reader in order to extract and construct meaning from the text

Monitoring-Clarifying

Thinking about how and what one is reading, both during and after the act of reading, for purposes of determining if one is comprehending the text combined with the ability to clarify and fix up any mix-ups

Questioning

Engaging in learning dialogues with text (authors), peers, and teachers through self-questioning, question generation, and question answering

Searching-Selecting

Searching a variety of sources in order to select appropriate information to answer questions, define words and terms, clarify misunderstandings, solve problems, or gather information

Summarizing

Restating the meaning of text in one's own words - different words from those used in the original text

Visualizing-Organizing

Constructing a mental image or graphic organizer for the purpose of extracting and constructing meaning from the text

Instructional Aid 1.2: A Lesson Template for Teaching Cognitive Strategies

1. Provide direct instruction regarding the cognitive strategy

a. Define and explain the strategy

b. Explain the purpose the strategy serves during reading

c. Describe the critical attributes of the strategy

d. Provide concrete examples/nonexamples of the strategy

2. Model the strategy by thinking aloud

3. Facilitate guided practice with students

Instructional Aid 1.3: A Lesson Template for Teaching Summarizing

Lesson Template for Teaching Cognitive Strategies Lesson Plan for Teaching Summarizing

1. Provide direct instruction regarding the cognitive strategy

a. Define and explain the strategy.

Summarizing is restating in your own words the meaning of what you have read-using different words from those used in the original text-either in written form or a graphic representation (picture of graphic organizer).

b. Explain the purpose the strategy serves during reading

Summarizing enables a reader to determine what is most imporant to remember once the reading is completed. Many things we read have only one or two bid ideas, and it's important to identify them and restate them for purposed of retention.

c. Describe the critical attributes of the strategy.

A summary has the following characteristics. It:
-Is short
-Is to the point, containing the big idea of the text
-Omits trivial information and collapses lists into a word or phrase
-Is not a retelling or a "photocopy" of the text

d. Provide concrete examples/nonexamples of the strategy.

Examples of good summaries might inlude the one-sentence book summaries from The New York Times Bestsellers List, an obituary of a famous person, or a report of a basketball or football game that captures the highlights.

The mistakes that students commonly make when writing summaries can be more readily avoided by showing students excellent nonexamples (e.g., a paragraph that is too long, has far too many details, or is a complete retelling of the text rather than a statement of the main idea.

2. Model the strategy by thinking aloud.

Thinking aloud is a metacognitive activity in which teachers reflect on their behaviors, thoughts, and attitudes regarding what they have read and then speak their thoughts aloud for students. Choose a section of relatively easy text from your discipline and think aloud as you read it, and then also think aloud about how you would go about summarizing it - then do it.

3. Facilitate guided practice with students.

Using easy-to-read content text, read aloud and generate a summary together with the whole class.

Using easy-to-read content text, ask students to read with partners and create a summary together.

One students are writing good summaries as partners, assign text and expect students to read it and generate summaries independently.

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teach the seven strategies of highly effective readers

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Teach the Seven Strategies of Highly Effective Readers

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To improve students' reading comprehension, teachers should introduce the seven cognitive strategies of effective readers: activating, inferring, monitoring-clarifying, questioning, searching-selecting, summarizing, and visualizing-organizing. This article includes definitions of the seven strategies and a lesson-plan template for teaching each one.

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Reader Response Activities Jessamyn Mansfield

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Reader Response Activities Jessamyn Mansfield

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This is another blog post that has a bunch of really interesting reading response templates, formats, buildable ideas, and fun activities/projects. I found that a lot of these ideas are relatively creative and incorporate other skills; these ideas are also a really great base for each educator to make their own. These ideas also seem fun enough to keep students engaged and excited.

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Are you teaching your students all the steps in the reading process?

The reading process is something I came up with to help my kiddos understand that REAL reading is soooo much more than just reading the words in the text.

If we want to really understand what we read, we need to engage in all steps of the reading process each and every time we wit down to read a text... and one of those key steps is responding to reading.

Reading response is an important part of the reading process. When students respond to their reading it helps them to apply key comprehension strategies and also assists them with internalizing what they read - think of it like reading the actual text is the input, and creating a response is the output... responding to a text we read is evidence that thinking took place during the reading process.

It's not uncommon for students to lose interest or get bored with their "respond to reading" routine, which means as teachers, we need to constantly be thinking about ways we can keep our students engaged and excited about responding to reading.

In this post, you'll get 10 ideas that will keep your students engaged and excited about responding to reading.

But first, let's talk about WHY we want our students to respond to reading.

Purpose of responding to reading:

1. Sticky Note Templates

I love giving kids sticky note templates to use for their reading response assignments. If you haven't figured out how to print on sticky notes yet, check out THIS blog post and THIS resource. These little graphic organizer templates are the perfect size for students to quickly jot down their thoughts while reading, but not overwhelm them or take up too much time to complete.

And one of the things I love about them is that students can stick them directly in their independent reading text or reading journal... they are one of my students all-time-favorite ways to respond to reading.

2. Graphic Organizers

Graphic organizers are such a great reading response assignment, and they really help students boost their comprehension as well. Here are some of the perks of using graphic organizers as your reading response assignments:

They help students visually organize their thinking

Students don't have to write in complete sentences so writing doesn't become a roadblock to responding to reading

You can usually find graphic organizers that are aligned to specific reading standards or skills (if you're looking for some, check THESE out).

You can teach students how to create their own which means they will ALWAYS have the ability to respond to reading... all they will need is paper and pencil.

3. Choice Boards

Anytime you can give your students a choice in how they respond, you will see an instant increase in engagement... which will lead to an increase in comprehension. I love giving kids choice boards with a wide range of reading response activities.

I especially like to give kids options that appeal to a variety of learning styles... summarize the text you read...create a social media profile for the main character...create a comic strip to communicate the theme... draw a timeline of key events...write a letter to the author... the possibilities are endless.

If you regularly use choice boards in your classroom, one thing you can do to spice it up is let your students come up with the reading response ideas. You can have them all submit an idea on a notecard and then you can pick the 9 best options and turn them into a choice board.

Anytime students can give input, you'll see an increase in investment and motivation... and this way your students are the ones doing all the hard work.

4. Response Question Stems

I LOVE giving students a set of question stems/starters or thinking stems as an option for responding to reading...Question stems/starters are a great way to get students to naturally apply the skills/strategies you want them to become confident and independent readers.

When we ask ourselves questions, our brains naturally want to find out the answers, so the more questions our students ask about the texts they are reading, the harder they are going to work to find the answers.

This can be such an easy way to get students to respond to their reading:

You can give students a set of question stems on a book mark or a question ring and they can select which ones they want to answer in their reading journal...or on a sticky note... or on a note card. It's a quick and easy way for them to respond to their reading.

OR you can have your students help you brainstorm a set of questions for a particular skill or read aloud and you can let your students pick the ones they want to answer.

5. Book Review

Having students write a book review can be a quick, easy, and fun way to have them respond to their reading. When they are writing a book review, they have to apply a variety of reading skills to complete the book review:

Students have to summarize the key events in the text.

Students have to evaluate the author's writing and determine if the text is worth reading.

Students have to think about the characters, setting, and key events and what made the text enjoyable/not enjoyable to read.

Students have to think about what they liked and didn't like about the text.

6. Book Talks

I love using book talks as an option for reading response for a few reasons:

A book talk is a great reason/purpose to get students to intentionally reflect on and think about their reading.

It's a great way to combine so many key communication skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking).

Students have fun putting together a book talk and sharing it with their classmates.

It's a really easy way to introduce students to variety of book titles.

If you've never used book talks in your classroom, you can learn more about them in THIS blog post.

7. Thinking Routine Prompts

I love using thinking routines all throughout my instructional day and giving students the option of using a thinking routine as a reading response assignment was always a great way to get them to think meaningfully about what they were reading. A few of my favorites include:

Draw Label Caption - This prompt really appeals to students who like to draw or are really creative. Students will draw an image that captures the theme or a really important part of the text, then they will add in labels to point out key details in their illustration, and finally they will add in a caption for what they drew.

Sentence, Phrase, Word - With this prompt, students would pick out the most important sentence, the most important phrase, and the most important word from what they have read. It's a great exercise to get them to think about the most important details/main idea of the text.

I used to think, but now I think - This one works great for non-fiction. Students simply respond to this prompt after they have read something to share how their thinking about that topic has changed.

8. Coding a Text

This is an option that I would give students on occasion and all it is is letting them create a set of symbols to show their thinking about a text. Students could come up with a set of symbols to show their thinking....

Letting students code a text is a great way to have them share their thinking about a text, but in a way that saves time and doesn't put a TON of dependence on their writing ability - it keeps the focus on reading, while reminding them to think while reading.

9. Talk with a Friend

Responding to a text doesn't ALWAYS have to show up in written form. You can let your students talk to a friend as a form of reading response. One of my favorite ways to end my reading workshop was to give students 2-3 min to talk with a classmate about what they read and what they were working on.

Students would take their independent reading text and go find a friend and they would each share their title, what reading skill they were working on, what they thought about the text, and just have a short little conversation about what they were reading. It was a quick and easy way to get them to talk about a text.... and I love that it was a chance for them to work on their speaking and listening skills.

10. No Response

Ok, ok, ok... so maybe this one isn't really a reading response idea, but here me out... In case no one has given you this permission, let me go ahead and tell you that it is ok to have your students read just for the sake of reading... no response required.

So often we feel like we NEED to account for every single minute of our instructional day with some form of assessment or student product... and accountability is such a buzz word in education, that we forget our goal is to inspire and create life-long readers... and if that is what we are working towards, then we need to remember it is ok to let kids read just for the fun of it and not always respond.

As much as we want our students to respond to reading (and we really do), more importantly, we want them to LOVE reading and in order to achieve that goal, sometimes we need to be ok with them reading just for fun. A few ways you can give your students a free pass with their reading response assignments, but still be intentional about it are with the following ideas:

Just a few reminders...

Now that you have all these ideas for reading response assignments, let me end with just a few reminders:

Happy reading. Happy responding.

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10 Engaging Reading Response Ideas for Upper Elementary

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Learn10 quick and easy reading response ideas you can have your upper elementary students do after they have read any text.

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Book Club/ Literature Groups Jessamyn Mansfield 

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Book Club/ Literature Groups Jessamyn Mansfield 

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I really like this resource because it gave me several different ideas for ways I could structure book club groups in my classroom. I like how this educator structured each group initially by giving each student in the group a specific role and task they need to do to contribute. They also created and agenda for the book group to ensure each time the group meets it is a productive session built around conversation. This gently guides students but also allows room for free flowing conversation and student led discovery. They also had several resources and other ideas that teachers can use and print!

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Does anyone else struggle with setting up book clubs in the classroom?

On the surface, a book club always sounds like a great idea! But, (if you're like me), you may have fallen into the trap of pushing back the date that you actually start book clubs in the classroom with your students, because you can't seem to find the time to prep all of the things that you feel like you need to have ready to ensure that your students' book clubs are successful.

The truth is, book clubs are for the students, and they do not need to have months of prep work behind them. If you have found yourself spinning your wheels trying to get everything organized enough to simply start book clubs, then I have 5 tips for you today that will help you get your classroom book clubs up and running this week!

What is a student-led book club?

Book clubs, formally known as a literature circles in many places, are a shared reading experience among a small group of students. The goal is that the students are facilitating the discussion, rather than the teacher leading the group, as you would see in a traditional small group.

Students meet according to a set schedule, and practice the reading skills you have been teaching them through their own text-based discussion. It's another way to incorporate independent skill practice into your reading block!

How will book clubs help my students?

Book clubs are one of the most authentic reading experiences you can give your students. Reading a book, and engaging in discussion with peers over that book is exactly how we approach reading as adults. Additionally, positive book club experiences in elementary school can encourage students to continue reading as they get older.

The more positive reading moments we can curate in our classrooms, the better job we are doing of creating lifelong readers, which is our ultimate goal!

Have a Clear Agenda/Routine for Each Book Club

There is no wrong way to do a book club. You may have internalized the idea that you need to have dozens of jobs set up and taught before you can officially place students in a book club. There is nothing inherently wrong with incorporating different roles into your students' book clubs, but if this has been holding you back from getting started,

I want you to know that jobs are not necessary for book club success! The real key to hosting well-run book clubs is to have a clear agenda. Students thrive when things are consistent and predictable. Explicitly stating what should be done during book club, and for how long, gives your students the parameters they need to be successful, while also keeping things loose enough for their discussion to be their own.
Some items that a book club agenda may include:

Summarize yesterday's reading: 5 minutes.

Share connections: 3 minutes.

Discuss predictions: 5 minutes.

Ask questions: 2 minutes

...or whatever you want to include!

Introduce Your Book Club Structure in Whole Group

This was a lifesaver for me. If you have created a routine that will be the same for book clubs, no matter which students are in it, and regardless of the text that is being read, then you can teach the routine one time to everyone. Put students in their groups during your typical book club time, but read one text to everyone aloud. Then, have students practice the discussion routine you created in their small groups over the text you read them.

This allows you to circulate and give feedback to the discussion of different groups, without having to hold 4-6 different texts in your head. Establishing the routine well on the front end will be a lifesaver for you as you release the responsibility to your students in the future.

Use Picture Books as Your Book Club Text

This is not as common, especially in upper elementary, but I am a big believer in using picture books as a teaching tool across all grades...even in book clubs! There are no rules that state that book clubs have to last for weeks at a time, or that they have to use chapter books.

If the purpose of a book club is for students to have a shared reading experiences, then any text will do! Using picture books can be a great way to further establish the routine of small group discussion with shorter texts.

You can use picture books in a few different ways:

Introduce a handful of picture books to your students, and let them choose which book club they would like to be a part of.

Pull several picture books by the same author, and create author study book clubs.

Pull several picture books that are the same genre, and host genre study book clubs!

Let Students Choose their Texts

This raises plenty of concern for teachers everywhere, and I understand it. We want to make sure that our students are reading texts at an appropriate level, that they are on task, and (most importantly), that they are learning through their book club experience. But, offering choice is such a powerful tool in our teaching. If you are hesitant to allow students to choose their book club texts, I'd like to offer a couple of points for consideration.

Choice is an automatic engagement-booster. When students choose, they are inherently more invested in the task at hand. Assigning a text that a student has no interest in, simply because it's the right lexile level for them, will not promote engagement in the reading, which won't help your students grow.

Engagement in a task promotes grit. If the text is a tiny bit harder than you may have chosen for the student yourself, the fact that they chose it can be enough to encourage them to work harder to comprehend than they may have if the book were handed to them.

Positive reading experiences produce more reading experiences. Forcing a student into a group they didn't want can have the opposite effect of what we're looking for in our book clubs. If a text is a little too easy, or a little too hard, but the student desperately wanted to see what would happen, and they were enjoying learning from the other students in the group, then they will be more apt to pick up a book in their free time.

Create 5-6 different book clubs, and allow students to sign up for the one they prefer. Yes, some of your students' may end up in groups with their very best friends. But again, this mirrors real life, and we are trying to create authentic reading experiences! If you are worried about off-task behavior between friends, I'd encourage you to make sure that your routine is clear and tight to eliminate space for off-task discussions.

Another option you can consider is letting your students select their book club right before or after an extended break. We all know how antsy students can get right before a holiday break. And as teachers we are looking for all the help we can get during those crazy weeks. Giving students the chance to select their own book club can be just one simple way you boost engagement right before the holidays.

Minimize and Simplify Book Club Homework

The traditional book club routine is for students to both read and complete several discussion questions independently. I don't recommend that you pile on the homework, because (again) we want to create a shared, positive reading experience for our students!

Instead, I recommend allowing your students to decide as a group how many chapter they would like to have read each week, and then creating a one-size-fits-all assignment for each group to complete before each book club meeting.
For example, you could ask students to come to each book club prepared to discuss:
An assignment like this can be written on any kind of paper, so no copies are necessary, and puts the responsibility on your students' shoulders, rather than creating an extra task your weekly to-do list!

Your time is better spent teaching than facilitating, after all.

These 5 tips will help your students run their own book clubs, and allow you to truly sit back and observe. Instead of running the book clubs yourself, you can spend time providing feedback to your students that will deepen their discussion, and help them grow as readers!!

There is no magic number here...you get to decide! You can have them run for one month, each quarter. Or, maybe you have students rotating through book clubs for the entire second semester.

One thing I would consider, is if your students are also in guided reading groups, are you providing enough space for them to balance all of their assignments, and hold all of those texts in their head?

Best practice tells us, yes, we should know exactly what a text is about before we assign it to our students. But, reading every book in its entirety may not be feasible. So, if you don't have time to read a book to completion, at least make sure that you have done some research to ensure that inappropriate themes are not present in the book, and that you've read a few chapters to familiarize yourself with the complexity of the vocabulary!

There are pros and cons to roles! There is a lot of structure added when you incorporate student jobs into book clubs. So, if structure and keeping students busy the entire time is the most important thing to you, then you may want to use specific jobs. However, some of the cons may be that you are not creating as authentic of a reading experience as you may have wanted. When adults discuss books with their peers, they aren't looking only for their questions, or only for their connections. They are looking at the text as a whole.

Another con is that roles create extra prep work for the teacher. The teaching on the front end needs to be more in-depth to cement all of the different routines for the different jobs, and often different roles require different types of writing assignments, which may mean more copies.

At the end of the day, it's just about your preference and teaching style!

Happy Teaching!

Want to learn more about how to get started with book clubs?

Check out this episode of Stellar Teacher TV where I share some of my best tips for getting started with book clubs.

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5 Tips for Successful Book Clubs in the Classroom

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Does anyone else struggle with setting up book clubs in the classroom? On the surface, a book club always sounds like a great idea!

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I found this website and I think it is a pretty good resource as well as informational. It explains to you what are reading comprehension strategies as well as talk about struggling readers. At the end of this article you will find a list as well as a description of 10 different strategies that you can use for comprehension reading. I really enjoyed this website because it gave me a bit more insight on what fix it up strategies are.

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If you've ever taught a struggling reader alongside a confident reader, you'll notice some stark differences. While both come to words they don't know, the confident reader is more likely to try different reading strategies to figure out the unknown words. Often times, the struggling reader freezes because he either doesn't have the strategies or isn't sure which one(s) to use.

Both kinds of readers also have times when the text just doesn't make sense to them. The confident reader is more likely to use reading comprehension strategies {or fix-up strategies} while the struggling reader either freezes or isn't sure what comprehension strategies to use.

*This post contains affiliate links.

One of the issues for struggling readers is they think that confident or "good" readers don't need to use these reading comprehension strategies {or fix-up strategies}. Only "bad" readers do. Many times they avoid using them because they feel that using them makes them a "bad" reader (or confirms the fact that they are a "bad" reader). "Good readers", in their mind, don't need to use these strategies because "good readers" get it right the first time. What readers, especially struggling readers, need to see is that proficient readers DO use fix-up strategies!

What are Reading Comprehension Strategies {Fix-Up Strategies}?

Have you ever read a passage of text and then realized that while you read every word, you can't remember a thing? Maybe you misread a word only to find out that the sentence you just read didn't make a lick of sense. Or perhaps you came across a word that you had never heard of before. Chances are you used a fix-up strategy to help you make sense of what you read. And that's just what fix-up strategies are. They are reading comprehension strategies that help you "fix up" your understanding (or misunderstandings) as you read.

10 Fix-Up Reading Comprehension Strategies

1. Re-read. This is one that most readers want to skip. "I'll just keep on reading and she'll never notice I misread that," is what a lot of young readers tend to think. But re-reading helps readers to clarify their thoughts or go back and re-read something that was misread to find the mistake and fix it.

2. Read out loud. Sometimes it just helps to hear yourself read out loud. {I personally do this when we buy a new game board and I have no idea what the directions are telling me.}

3. Use context clues. What clues does the picture or sentence(s) surrounding the unknown word offer to help you comprehend? Using context clues can help readers figure out how to decode words or figure out a words meaning. As readers advance, context clues are typically used to figure out how to read words with more than one pronunciation (such as tear or live) or words with more than one meaning (such as run).

4. Look up a word you don't know. When using context clues still doesn't help, readers may need to look up the meaning of a word. Words can most certainly be researched on the computer, tablets, or phones {supervised for kids}, but we don't want to neglect the dictionary. Most readers do not even know how to use a dictionary. Yes, they might be able to look up the word they need, but they also need to be need to be taught how the dictionary lists words by base or root so they can find the definition quickly.

5. Ask questions. Questions such as, "Where did my thinking get off?", "Does that make sense?", "What will happen next?" or "What does that word mean?" are quite helpful to the reader.

6. Think about what you've already read. Is what you're now reading fit into the story or purpose of the text?

7. Make connections. Making connections is at the heart of reading comprehension strategies. Readers want to be able to use what they know so it can be connected with what they're reading. When text doesn't make sense, good readers may try to make a meaningful connection to make sense of it.

8. Slow down. This another one struggling readers tend to avoid. They want to zoom right past so that no one can draw attention to their mistake. They may also want to just get the reading assignment "done". Slowing down is the last thing they want to do.

9. Think about the author's purpose. The author's purpose for writing dictates the structure they use, the vocabulary they use, and the text features they use. While a reader may be reading the find out more information about a subject, he may discover quickly that the author's purpose isn't to share all the arguments, but to persuade the reader only to one side.

10. Pay attention to your own thinking {metacognition}. This may the umbrella that covers all the other fix-up strategies: Proficient readers pay attention to and heed the warnings of the thoughts in their head. When a prediction they make does not pan out as they read, they stop and make new predictions. We must teach readers to think about and be aware of the thoughts in their head as they read.

Download this FREE printable pack. It contains book marks and a 1-page poster (in color and black/white) that you can use to help your readers know that fix-up strategies are a must for every reader!

Modeling Fix-Up Reading Comprehension Strategies

Struggling and reluctant readers need to SEE that proficient readers use these strategies. One SIMPLE way to do this is to model them as we read aloud to kids. We tend to use these naturally without bringing much attention to them. So much so, that a struggling reader may not even realize we're using them. Instead, we need to slow down and point them out so our kids can see how we use them.

For example, as I was reading The Indian in the Cupboard just recently to my 3rd grader, I came to the word lorry. I honestly had no idea what it meant {UK readers: insert laugh here}. I stopped and said out loud,

"I wonder what a lorry is?" {strategy #5}

"I'm going to re-read what I just read to see if I can figure out what lorry means because I've never heard it before." {strategy #1}

Upon re-reading a little slower this time {strategy #1 and #8}, I was able to say, "Well, I think it's some kind of vehicle because the word Matchbox is in front of it and we have plenty of Matchbox vehicles. But I'm still not sure what lorry means. I'm going to keep reading a bit more and see if there are any clues." I finished the paragraph and said, "Nope. I still am not sure of the exact meaning of lorry." {strategy #3 and #7}

I was about to pick up my phone and say, "What does lorry mean?" {strategy #4} when my husband, who is a marketing manager in the trucking industry, popped his head into the room and said, "Truck. It means truck."

Once I had that info, I said, "Okay. Let me re-read that part again and think 'truck' when I read lorry this time." {strategy #1}

While I don't do this with every mistake I make at the time it happens during a read aloud {because this could totally interfere with the comprehension and momentum of a read aloud}, I'll often revisit those places where I re-read or slowed down or listened to my thoughts of "this doesn't make sense" after we've read the book/chapter just to show readers that I STILL use these fix-up reading comprehension strategies. YES, even "good" readers do!

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More Ideas for Readers:

Follow This Reading Mama's board Comprehension Strategies on Pinterest.

Follow This Reading Mama's board Struggling Readers on Pinterest.
~Becky

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If you've ever taught a struggling reader alongside a confident reader, you'll notice some stark differences. While both come to words they don't know, the confident reader is more likely to try different reading strategies to figure out the unknown words. Often times, the struggling reader freezes because he either doesn't have the strategies or isn't ...

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I looked at this website and liked the different literacy assessments that this teacher offered on her teacher page. This teacher put the link to a website with the resources but also put them into categories for easier access. I looked at some of the literacy assessments and I really enjoyed a few to see how well a student is understanding the topic. I would use these resources in my classroom.
-Sentasia Floyd

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Mrs.Judy Araujo, M.Ed.,CAGS, Reading Specialist

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I found this website and really liked that this teacher gives ways to help readers who don't recognize their errors during reading. I really liked the mention of waiting and being patient because if a student doesn't fix their error right then and there they might realize they made an error and go back. This article I liked because it just gave some advice to other teachers out there who may need some help with helping their students.
-Sentasia Floyd

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How to Help When Students Don't Notice Reading Errors

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I found this website and really enjoyed reading how to teach argumentative writing. This website shows how to teach middle school students but I think this can be used for intermediate grade levels as well because that will help students when they get to middle school and high school. I also really like that it compares and contrasts what argumentative and persuasive writing is.
-Sentasia Floyd

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Ready to start teaching argumentative writing? Arguments and middle school students go hand in hand!

Looking for essay topics and ideas to help your students?

Read on!

I want you to know that this post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small fee from any qualifying purchases you make. You can read more here.
What is an argument?

That seems like a silly question, but ask your students and you'll be surprised at the responses you get!

What you really want to focus on is the difference between an argument and writing an argument (or argumentative writing). Focus on:

an argument is a disagreement

in its most simple form, it has two opposing sides

it relies on logic and evidence culled from research

it addresses counterclaims (or opposing views)

considers the audience

How is it different from persuasive writing?

If you've already taught persuasion or propaganda techniques, your students need to understand the subtle differences between the two types of writing.

Two key differences your students should understand:

1. Argument writing is based on logic and fact.

2. Argument writing addresses counterclaims.

While persuasive writing may include facts and address counterclaims, argument needs to explicitly include that.

It might be helpful to distinguish the two this way:

Persuasion is used to convince you to drink a certain kind of water

Argument is used to convince you about the guilt or innocence of a person

Getting started with Mentor Texts

Begin teaching argument writing by having your students analyze mentor texts.

Picture Books: The beauty of using pictures books as mentor texts is that they are short and easy for students to analyze.

Some fun books you can use include:

You can provide students with these quick questions to get started:

1. What is being argued?

2. Who is the audience?

3. What are the claims in favor?

4. Describe the counterclaims (those opposed)? What logic and/or evidence does the speaker use?

5. Do you think the argument is effective? Why or why not?

It is often easiest for students to work with a partner as they analyze. You can even have each group of students analyze a different book.

Once they have completed their analysis, allow students to share what they've discovered. Use simple summarizing questions like:

What makes the argument compelling?

How does the writer use evidence?

What kind of evidence is most effective?

Rate the evidence from strongest to weakest.

As students complete their analysis and observations, as a class create a list of "Elements of a good argument" that students can record in their resource notebooks. This will provide a checklist for students as they move forward.

Once students have a list of elements of argument writing, you may want them to analyze more advanced texts.

Political speeches are a great resource for analyzing an argument since they are more complex.

Even a short speeches like the Gettysburg Address or Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman?" can provide students with practice analyzing an argument.

As your students work on analyzing more complex pieces, they can create an anchor chart in their resource notebook.

Generating ideast

Try this: ask your students to list ten things they can't live without, ten things they don't want to live without, and ten things they want to live without.

Take each of those lists and start building ideas your students can argue.

For example, students will say they can't live without food. What other ideas are contained in that one thought?

Take those big ideas and start to narrow them into topics that a middle school students could argue:

vegetarianism - what are the health benefits for a teen?

fast food - why should our school allow fast food vendors in the cafeteria

hunger - does our community need a food bank?

fruits vs vegetables - is one better than the other?

reasons to eat dessert first

these are the best chocolate chip cookies

reasons to pack your lunch

Some ideas will be better than others, but the idea here is to brainstorm as many as possible. Allow students to add to keep growing their idea "trees."

Narrow the focus

Students often struggle with writing an argument if the topic isn't narrowed enough.

As students begin to choose what they want to research and write about, be sure you are checking in with them. Is their topic narrow enough?

Try this: ask students to generate a list of questions they need to answer for their topic. What information do they need in order to argue their point?

If their list is long, they need to narrow the topic. If it's only a question or two, then the topic might be too shallow.

"Prove It!"

It is sometimes difficult to know which should come first - the draft or the research.

Try this: provide students with time to freewrite about their topic. Set a time for about ten minutes to allow students to "brain dump." Tell them to just write their ideas, questions, and arguments down. It doesn't have to be organized or perfect. This is just a way to get their ideas from their head to the paper (or screen!).

As they write, ask them to keep a separate list for questions they have or information they need to support their claims. Students should ask themselves where they need to "prove it."

In other words, where do they need facts, statistics, or anecdotes to support their claim?

Address counterclaims

One of the hallmarks of argument writing is to respond to counterclaims. What is your opposition saying?

Try this: pair students up. Have the first student share his or her argument - giving the partner all the reasons why the argument is sound.

As the partner listens, he or she should be making a list of questions or counterclaims. The partner's job is to challenge the writer with questions or gaps in the argument.

This kind of feedback is golden!

Before setting your students on this kind of critique, you may want to model what it looks like for them and set up some ground rules.

For example, it's not fair to simply say, "That argument is stupid" or "I disagree." The writer needs concrete feedback, so the listener should give specific arguments.

Drafting and final draft

As students begin to write their final arguments, check in with them to make sure they're on the right track.

Try this:

check in with students to make sure they are incorporating research into their writing. You can quickly check by having them highlight or underline their research.

use exit cards to get instant feedback from students - they can simply let you know if they need more help or are on track

use a writing scheduler so you can have regular formative assessments

set up your writing workshop mini lessons to focus writing tasks for each day - you'll want to spend a day or two on creating a works cited and incorporating quoted material into their writing

So, are you ready to get into an argument (writing)?!

Ready to start teaching argumentative writing? Arguments and middle school students go hand in hand!

Looking for essay topics and ideas to help your students?

Read on!

I want you to know that this post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small fee from any qualifying purchases you make. You can read more here.
What is an argument?

That seems like a silly question, but ask your students and you'll be surprised at the responses you get!

What you really want to focus on is the difference between an argument and writing an argument (or argumentative writing). Focus on:

an argument is a disagreement

in its most simple form, it has two opposing sides

it relies on logic and evidence culled from research

it addresses counterclaims (or opposing views)

considers the audience

How is it different from persuasive writing?

If you've already taught persuasion or propaganda techniques, your students need to understand the subtle differences between the two types of writing.

Two key differences your students should understand:

1. Argument writing is based on logic and fact.

2. Argument writing addresses counterclaims.

While persuasive writing may include facts and address counterclaims, argument needs to explicitly include that.

It might be helpful to distinguish the two this way:

Persuasion is used to convince you to drink a certain kind of water

Argument is used to convince you about the guilt or innocence of a person

Getting started with Mentor Texts

Begin teaching argument writing by having your students analyze mentor texts.

Picture Books: The beauty of using pictures books as mentor texts is that they are short and easy for students to analyze.

Some fun books you can use include:

You can provide students with these quick questions to get started:

1. What is being argued?

2. Who is the audience?

3. What are the claims in favor?

4. Describe the counterclaims (those opposed)? What logic and/or evidence does the speaker use?

5. Do you think the argument is effective? Why or why not?

It is often easiest for students to work with a partner as they analyze. You can even have each group of students analyze a different book.

Once they have completed their analysis, allow students to share what they've discovered. Use simple summarizing questions like:

What makes the argument compelling?

How does the writer use evidence?

What kind of evidence is most effective?

Rate the evidence from strongest to weakest.

As students complete their analysis and observations, as a class create a list of "Elements of a good argument" that students can record in their resource notebooks. This will provide a checklist for students as they move forward.

Once students have a list of elements of argument writing, you may want them to analyze more advanced texts.

Political speeches are a great resource for analyzing an argument since they are more complex.

Even a short speeches like the Gettysburg Address or Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman?" can provide students with practice analyzing an argument.

As your students work on analyzing more complex pieces, they can create an anchor chart in their resource notebook.

Generating ideast

Try this: ask your students to list ten things they can't live without, ten things they don't want to live without, and ten things they want to live without.

Take each of those lists and start building ideas your students can argue.

For example, students will say they can't live without food. What other ideas are contained in that one thought?

Take those big ideas and start to narrow them into topics that a middle school students could argue:

vegetarianism - what are the health benefits for a teen?

fast food - why should our school allow fast food vendors in the cafeteria

hunger - does our community need a food bank?

fruits vs vegetables - is one better than the other?

reasons to eat dessert first

these are the best chocolate chip cookies

reasons to pack your lunch

Some ideas will be better than others, but the idea here is to brainstorm as many as possible. Allow students to add to keep growing their idea "trees."

Narrow the focus

Students often struggle with writing an argument if the topic isn't narrowed enough.

As students begin to choose what they want to research and write about, be sure you are checking in with them. Is their topic narrow enough?

Try this: ask students to generate a list of questions they need to answer for their topic. What information do they need in order to argue their point?

If their list is long, they need to narrow the topic. If it's only a question or two, then the topic might be too shallow.

"Prove It!"

It is sometimes difficult to know which should come first - the draft or the research.

Try this: provide students with time to freewrite about their topic. Set a time for about ten minutes to allow students to "brain dump." Tell them to just write their ideas, questions, and arguments down. It doesn't have to be organized or perfect. This is just a way to get their ideas from their head to the paper (or screen!).

As they write, ask them to keep a separate list for questions they have or information they need to support their claims. Students should ask themselves where they need to "prove it."

In other words, where do they need facts, statistics, or anecdotes to support their claim?

Address counterclaims

One of the hallmarks of argument writing is to respond to counterclaims. What is your opposition saying?

Try this: pair students up. Have the first student share his or her argument - giving the partner all the reasons why the argument is sound.

As the partner listens, he or she should be making a list of questions or counterclaims. The partner's job is to challenge the writer with questions or gaps in the argument.

This kind of feedback is golden!

Before setting your students on this kind of critique, you may want to model what it looks like for them and set up some ground rules.

For example, it's not fair to simply say, "That argument is stupid" or "I disagree." The writer needs concrete feedback, so the listener should give specific arguments.

Drafting and final draft

As students begin to write their final arguments, check in with them to make sure they're on the right track.

Try this:

check in with students to make sure they are incorporating research into their writing. You can quickly check by having them highlight or underline their research.

use exit cards to get instant feedback from students - they can simply let you know if they need more help or are on track

use a writing scheduler so you can have regular formative assessments

set up your writing workshop mini lessons to focus writing tasks for each day - you'll want to spend a day or two on creating a works cited and incorporating quoted material into their writing

So, are you ready to get into an argument (writing)?!

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How to teach argument writing - Just Add Students

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Ready to start teaching argumentative writing? Arguments and middle school students go hand in hand! Looking for essay topics and ideas to help your students? Read on! I want you to know that this post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small fee from any qualifying purchases you make.

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Reading inventories and assessments - Sydney Gennuso

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Reading inventories and assessments - Sydney Gennuso

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I think teachers pay teachers is a great resource for so many different reasons. This particular resource you have to purchase but you can find some good ones for free. I've had students fill out surveys like this to get their view on reading along with likes and dislikes. It's helpful to know what your students are thinking and what their feelings are towards things.

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Reading Interest Inventory / Reading Survey for Elementary

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Do you have your students complete a Reading Interest Inventory at the beginning of the year? Your elementary students will love this reading survey, now available in both print and digital versions. Matching the right book with the right kid is vital for positive reading experiences! This is a perf…

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Self-correcting strategies - Sydney Gennuso

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Self-correcting strategies - Sydney Gennuso

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This provides 5 strategies for monitoring and self-correcting along with question prompts to ask students. The strategies are back and fix it, think about who's telling the story, refocus a wandering mind, insert a synonym, and make a map. The steps are provided on how to go about the strategy. It walks you through how to use it with students.

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1. Back Up, Fix Up

Great for any Reading Level

Strategy Steps

1. Pay attention as you are reading.

2. While you are reading, if you realize that you don't understand what is happening or if what you said doesn't make sense - pause.

3. Think about what is confusing.

4. Back up to the part before.

5. Look at the words on the page before or the sentence before.

6. Look at the pictures or images or charts (if available).

7. Think about what is happening or what the author is describing in this part.

8. Change what you said before or revise your thinking.

9. Think, "does it make sense now?"

You can prompt your child to back up and fix a part they misread by asking the following questions:

Does that go with what you just read? Let's back up and think about what might be happening here.

Do those pages connect?

What was confusing here?

What made that fact confusing? (nonfiction)

Based on what you just read, do you think you read it incorrectly the first time?

2. Think About "Who's Telling the Story?"

Great for Reading Levels H and up

Strategy Steps

1. Pay attention to the narration of a story.

2. Pay attention to any dialogue tags ("Charlie said"or "Callie exclaimed")

3. If a character is telling the story you will see words like I, me, we, my

4. If a narrator is telling the story you will see words like he, she, they, and character's names.

5. Think about who is telling the story to keep track of what is happening in the story.

6. Consider who is telling the story as you get to know the character(s).

You can prompt your child to think about who is telling the story by asking the following questions:

Can you tell who the narrator is?

Do you see any pronouns or words that can give you a clue?

When someone is talking, look at the dialogue tags - what is the relationship between the speaker and the narrator?

Do you see a place where there is a description? Look at the words used.

3. Refocus a Wandering Mind

Great for any Reading Level

Strategy Steps

1. Notice that your mind has wandered and you are no longer thinking about what you are reading.

2. Say to yourself, "I am not going to think about that right now."

3. Retell what you remember about your book.

4. Think about whether you need to back up and reread a part.

5. Begin reading again in a spot where you know what is happening or what the author is explaining.

Note: Remind your child that everyone's mind wanders from time to time - the important thing is they refocus on the text.

You can prompt your child to refocus by asking the following questions:

Tell me what you remember?

What part seems fuzzy/unclear? Can you go back and retell that part?

When do you think your mind started to wander?

4. Insert a Synonym

Great for any Reading Levels H and up

Strategy Steps

1. When you come across an unfamiliar word (even if you can pronounce it), pause.

2. Think about a word you know that would fit into the sentence and the text as a whole.

3. Put the word you thought of in place of the unfamiliar word as you reread.

4. Does it make sense?

You can prompt your child to use a synonym by asking the following questions:

Think about what's going on so far - what might this word mean?

Try a different word. Does that make sense?

Does that word keep the meaning of the sentence?

What's another word the author could have used that would make sense here?

Do you think you are reading too fast to catch the words you don't know?

Do you know how this word is being used here?

Great for Reading Levels P and up

If a character travels from place to place or if an author is introducing multiple places in a text, you can make a map to keep track of what you are reading.

Strategy Steps

1. As you read, draw a map based on the details the author gives you.

2. Refer to the map as you read.

3. (fiction) Visualize the character moving from place to place as you read.

4. Think about why the author chose to set the story or introduce each of the places. How does it impact the text?

You can prompt your child to make a map by asking the following questions:

Think about the places you've read about. Can you draw (sketch) a map to show all of those places.

Where is this place compared to that one?

Where, on your map, is the character in this scene?

Can you tell me about how the character travels from place to place?

What's important about each of these places?

How does each place impact the text or character?

For my all-time favorite monitoring and summarizing strategy, check out Read, Cover, Remember, Retell .

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5 Strategies for Monitoring and Self-Correcting - Welcome to LiteracyDoc!

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Great for any Reading Level Pay attention as you are reading. While you are reading, if you realize that you don't understand what is happening or if what you said doesn't make sense - pause. Think about what is confusing. Back up to the part before.

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Expository text activities - Sydney Gennuso

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Expository text activities - Sydney Gennuso

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This site has a list of expository writing prompts for all ages and stages in life. I thought is was nice that this is a source that already has a wide variety of writing prompts to use for a writing lesson. The prompts are directed toward student interest and relevant helping them to be interested in writing a response to the prompt. I like the idea of having students share their writing response in pairs or whole group. I think they are interesting enough for students to want to share with peers.

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Hooray! Our list of expository writing prompts was created with younger writers in mind, but these ideas are actually very useful good for writers of many ages and stages of life.

You see...

The basics are a fantastic starting point regardless of the writer's age. So take a look now and enjoy!

A Few Words on Expository Writing

This form of writing is a method of writing in which the author describes, informs, or explains a topic to the reader.

Learning how to write an expository paper (or essay) is one of the most important skills that students can develop from an early age. Of course, it is also a skill one may develop or refine at any age or stage in school or life.

Expository writing is a lifelong skill that will serve studentsnot only throughout the rest of their school years but also throughout their entire lives.

Great Topic Choices for Your English Classes

Again, our list of expository prompts while created with younger students in mind is also appropriate for writers of all ages.

You see...

Some of the ideas to write about listed below ask your students and writers to explain a concept (such as why it's so important to eat healthy foods).

Other expository topic ideas allow them to practice their expository writing skills by explaining why they hold a particular viewpoint or belief (such as why a person they find heroic should be admired by others).

As students and their classmates go through these descriptive prompts, they'll improve their descriptive writing skills and will gain a better understanding of what it means to explain or teach something to another person.

33 Expository Writing Prompts for Everyone

Use this fantastic list of prompts with your writers today!

1. Think of your most valued possession. Explain why it is so important to you.

2. Explain why it is so important for kids to attend school.

3. Think about a time when you did something that you didn't want to do. Explain why you did it anyway.

4. Think of a person whom you consider to be a hero. Explain why other people should admire this person.

5. Explain three ways that people can do nice things for one another.

6. Explain what you would do if a friend got mad at you for something that you didn't do.

7. Think about a famous person whom you would like to meet and explain why you would want to meet them.

8. Choose an important tool that can be found in our classroom. Explain how it has made an impact on teachers and students.

9. Think about a time when you couldn't stop laughing and explain what happened.

10. Explain why it is important to eat healthy foods.

11. Explain why you shouldn't have too many sweets or snacks.

12. Think of something your parents always tell you and explain why it is or isn't true.

13. Are you the oldest, middle, or youngest child in your family? Explain what you like or dislike about your position.

14. Think about what you want to be when you grow up and explain why you think that would be the best job.

15. Explain what your favorite thing to do after school is.

16. Choose your favorite holiday and explain why people celebrate it.

17. Think about one of your best friends and explain why you like them.

18. Explain what it means to be a good person.

19. Explain what you would do if you were at a store and couldn't find your grownup.

20. Choose a type of transportation (car, bike, plane, etc.) and explain why it is beneficial for people who use it.

21. Explain what you like most about living in our city.

22. Think of one of your family's traditions. Explain why it matters to your family and how you perform the tradition.

23. Explain why it is important for students to learn how to do math.

24. Think of something that you know how to do well and explain how to do it as if you were teaching someone who didn't know.

25. Explain why it is important for students to follow our classroom rules.

26. Explain what you would do if you saw someone being bullied.

27. Choose a food that you love and explain what you like about it.

28. Think of your favorite TV show and explain why you like it better than other programs.

29. Explain what you like most about summer vacation.

30. Choose your favorite book and explain what elements made it a good book.

31. Think about how you feel when someone notices something you've done well. Explain what kinds of feelings you get.

32. Choose one of your favorite activities and explain what you like most about it.

33. Explain why it is important to help people who are less fortunate than us.

Bonus List of Simple Ideas Expository Essays or Compositions

Write about your:

Favorite movie

Favorite toy

Favorite music

Favorite animal or

A particular animal

and explain in detail what you like most about it.

Oh yeah!

We hope your writers enjoyed this bonus list of things to write about for youngsters.

Maybe they'll even share them with a good friend who isn't in their English or writing class. Now, wouldn't that be a hoot!

A Few Final Thoughts

These all-new expository writing prompts are full of interesting topics and ideas that writers will be excited to describe.

Use these ideas with your students and kids. By doing so, you'll help your students learn the valuable skill of narrative writing, composition, and expository writing skill development.

Now is the perfect time for your young students to pick a good topic they enjoy and practice this form of writing. Doing so will help them refine their writing skills and help give them a boost when they have to write more elaborate essays later on in life (such as I in middle school, high school, college and beyond).

Well, that's all for today.

Until next time, write on...
If you enjoyed these Expository Writing Prompts,
please share them on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest.
I appreciate it!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Expository Writing Prompts for First, Second, and Third Grade

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Hooray! Our list of expository writing prompts was created with younger writers in mind, but these ideas are actually very useful good for writers of many ages and stages of life. You see... The basics are a fantastic starting point regardless of the writer's age. So take a look now and enjoy!

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This article is a step-by-step plan to teach argumentative writing. This is beneficial because it gives tips and hints for persuasive writing. This can be used with any grade when teaching persuasive writing.

https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/persuasive-writing/

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Listen to this post as a podcast:
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For seven years, I was a writing teacher. Yes, I was certified to teach the full spectrum of English language arts-literature, grammar and usage, speech, drama, and so on-but my absolute favorite, the thing I loved doing the most, was teaching students how to write.

Most of the material on this site is directed at all teachers. I look for and put together resources that would appeal to any teacher who teaches any subject. That practice will continue for as long as I keep this up. But over the next year or so, I plan to also share more of what I know about teaching students to write. Although I know many of the people who visit here are not strictly English language arts teachers, my hope is that these posts will provide tons of value to those who are, and to those who teach all subjects, including writing.

So let's begin with argumentative writing, or persuasive writing, as many of us used to call it. This overview will be most helpful to those who are new to teaching writing, or teachers who have not gotten good results with the approach you have taken up to now. I don't claim to have the definitive answer on how to do this, but the method I share here worked pretty well for me, and it might do the same for you. If you are an experienced English language arts teacher, you probably already have a system for teaching this skill that you like. Then again, I'm always interested in how other people do the things I can already do; maybe you're curious like that, too.

Before I start, I should note that what I describe in this post is a fairly formulaic style of essay writing. It's not exactly the 5-paragraph essay, but it definitely builds on that model. I strongly believe students should be shown how to move past those kinds of structures into a style of writing that's more natural and fitting to the task and audience, but I also think they should start with something that's pretty clearly organized.

So here's how I teach argumentative essay writing.

Step 1: Watch How It's Done

One of the most effective ways to improve student writing is to show them mentor texts, examples of excellent writing within the genre students are about to attempt themselves. Ideally, this writing would come from real publications and not be fabricated by me in order to embody the form I'm looking for. Although most experts on writing instruction employ some kind of mentor text study, the person I learned it from best was Katie Wood Ray in her book Study Driven (links to the book: Bookshop.org | Amazon).

Since I want the writing to be high quality and the subject matter to be high interest, I might choose pieces like Jessica Lahey's Students Who Lose Recess Are the Ones Who Need it Most and David Bulley's School Suspensions Don't Work.

I would have students read these texts, compare them, and find places where the authors used evidence to back up their assertions. I would ask students which author they feel did the best job of influencing the reader, and what suggestions they would make to improve the writing. I would also ask them to notice things like stories, facts and statistics, and other things the authors use to develop their ideas. Later, as students work on their own pieces, I would likely return to these pieces to show students how to execute certain writing moves.

Step 2: Informal Argument, Freestyle

Although many students might need more practice in writing an effective argument, many of them are excellent at arguing in person. To help them make this connection, I would have them do some informal debate on easy, high-interest topics. An activity like This or That (one of the classroom icebreakers I talked about last year) would be perfect here: I read a statement like "Women have the same opportunities in life as men." Students who agree with the statement move to one side of the room, and those who disagree move to the other side. Then they take turns explaining why they are standing in that position. This ultimately looks a little bit like a debate, as students from either side tend to defend their position to those on the other side.

Every class of students I have ever had, from middle school to college, has loved loved LOVED this activity. It's so simple, it gets them out of their seats, and for a unit on argument, it's an easy way to get them thinking about how the art of argument is something they practice all the time.

Step 3: Informal Argument, Not so Freestyle

Once students have argued without the support of any kind of research or text, I would set up a second debate; this time with more structure and more time to research ahead of time. I would pose a different question, supply students with a few articles that would provide ammunition for either side, then give them time to read the articles and find the evidence they need.

Next, we'd have a Philosophical Chairs debate (learn about this in my discussion strategies post), which is very similar to "This or That," except students use textual evidence to back up their points, and there are a few more rules. Here they are still doing verbal argument, but the experience should make them more likely to appreciate the value of evidence when trying to persuade.

Before leaving this step, I would have students transfer their thoughts from the discussion they just had into something that looks like the opening paragraph of a written argument: A statement of their point of view, plus three reasons to support that point of view. This lays the groundwork for what's to come.

Step 4: Introduction of the Performance Assessment

Next I would show students their major assignment, the performance assessment that they will work on for the next few weeks. What does this look like? It's generally a written prompt that describes the task, plus the rubric I will use to score their final product.

Anytime I give students a major writing assignment, I let them see these documents very early on. In my experience, I've found that students appreciate having a clear picture of what's expected of them when beginning a writing assignment. At this time, I also show them a model of a piece of writing that meets the requirements of the assignment. Unlike the mentor texts we read on day 1, this sample would be something teacher-created (or an excellent student model from a previous year) to fit the parameters of the assignment.

Step 5: Building the Base

Before letting students loose to start working on their essays, I make sure they have a solid plan for writing. I would devote at least one more class period to having students consider their topic for the essay, drafting a thesis statement, and planning the main points of their essay in a graphic organizer.

I would also begin writing my own essay on a different topic. This has been my number one strategy for teaching students how to become better writers. Using a document camera or overhead projector, I start from scratch, thinking out loud and scribbling down my thoughts as they come. When students see how messy the process can be, it becomes less intimidating for them. They begin to understand how to take the thoughts that are stirring around in your head and turn them into something that makes sense in writing.

For some students, this early stage might take a few more days, and that's fine: I would rather spend more time getting it right at the pre-writing stage than have a student go off willy-nilly, draft a full essay, then realize they need to start over. Meanwhile, students who have their plans in order will be allowed to move on to the next step.

Step 6: Writer's Workshop

The next seven to ten days would be spent in writer's workshop, where I would start class with a mini-lesson about a particular aspect of craft. I would show them how to choose credible, relevant evidence, how to skillfully weave evidence into an argument, how to consider the needs of an audience, and how to correctly cite sources. Once each mini-lesson was done, I would then give students the rest of the period to work independently on their writing. During this time, I would move around the room, helping students solve problems and offering feedback on whatever part of the piece they are working on. I would encourage students to share their work with peers and give feedback at all stages of the writing process.

If I wanted to make the unit even more student-centered, I would provide the mini-lessons in written or video format and let students work through them at their own pace, without me teaching them. (To learn more about this approach, read this post on self-paced learning).

As students begin to complete their essays, the mini-lessons would focus more on matters of style and usage. I almost never bother talking about spelling, punctuation, grammar, or usage until students have a draft that's pretty close to done. Only then do we start fixing the smaller mistakes.

Step 7: Final Assessment

Finally, the finished essays are handed in for a grade. At this point, I'm pretty familiar with each student's writing and have given them verbal (and sometimes written) feedback throughout the unit; that's why I make the writer's workshop phase last so long. I don't really want students handing in work until they are pretty sure they've met the requirements to the best of their ability. I also don't necessarily see "final copies" as final; if a student hands in an essay that's still really lacking in some key areas, I will arrange to have that student revise it and resubmit for a higher grade.

So that's it. If you haven't had a lot of success teaching students to write persuasively, and if the approach outlined here is different from what you've been doing, give it a try. And let's keep talking: Use the comments section below to share your techniques or ask questions about the most effective ways to teach argumentative writing.

Want this unit ready-made?

If you're a writing teacher in grades 7-12 and you'd like a classroom-ready unit like the one described above, including mini-lessons, sample essays, and a library of high-interest online articles to use for gathering evidence, take a look at my Argumentative Writing unit. Just click on the image below and you'll be taken to a page where you can read more and see a detailed preview of what's included.

Keep in touch.
Join my mailing list and get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration-in quick, bite-sized packages-all geared toward making your teaching more effective and fun. To thank you, I'll send you a free copy of my e-booklet, 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half, which has helped thousands of teachers spend less time grading!

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A Step-by-Step Plan for Teaching Argumentative Writing

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The art of persuasion is an essential life skill. It also happens to be part of the required curriculum for many, many teachers. In this post, I'll share my method for teaching argumentative writing.

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This article explains how to teach the skill of self-correction. This is resourceful because it gives tips to share with your students how to self-correct and the importance of it.

https://www.literacyworldwide.org/blog/literacy-now/2016/02/11/teaching-the-skill-of-self-correction

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Literacy Daily is a space to connect educators, students, and leaders with the latest news, ideas, tools, strategies, and research in literacy instruction.

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Reading Inventories and Assessments  - GLOSSBRENNER

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Reading Inventories and Assessments  - GLOSSBRENNER

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This resource is a great website to use for the classroom. This free website has eleven other reading websites to use for books and other children articles. This is a good resource to use when having the children read from online.

https://blog.reallygoodstuff.com/11-free-reading-websites-for-kids/

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This resource has a ton of great fix-it strategies to help make students better readers. There are a lot of different methods to try for all the different types of learners.

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I believe this resource is a good example of an informal assessment that teachers can use to get an idea of what to give their students. I like how it breaks down the measurement of the students reading interests.

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Elementary Writing Attitude Survey
This is an informal assessment used as a quick way to find out how a student feels about writing. It consists of 28 items that can be administered to an entire classroom in approximately 20 minutes. Each item presents a brief, simply worded statement about writing, followed by four pictures of Garfield. Each pose is designed to depict a different emotional state, ranging from very positive to very negative.

Informal Assessment

Target Age Range: 4-7

This assessment measures the literacy interest of young students.

Estimate Completion Time: 10-20 minutes

Format: Paper/Pencil

This assessment can be administered individually or to the whole class.

Reading Interest Inventory
This is an informal assessment used to find out how a student feels about reading. It consists of five short answer questions, a book genre questionnaire, and an activity rating scale. This assessment is aimed at upper elementary students, and it can be completed in approximately 15 minutes. The assessment was created by Laura Candler, a 30 year veteran teacher.

Informal Assessment

Target Grade Level: 3-5

This assessment measures the reading interest of upper elementary students.

Estimated Completion Time: 15 minutes

Format: Paper/Pencil

This assessment can be administered individually or to the whole class.

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Elementary Writing Attitude Survey This is an informal assessment used as a quick way to find out how a student feels about writing. It consists of 28 items that can be administered to an entire classroom in approximately 20 minutes. Each item presents a brief, simply worded statement about writing, followed by four pictures of Garfield.

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I wanted to use this resource to help teachers come up with different expository prompts for their students. I think that most of these are great for critical thinking. As well as a chance for us teachers to see how they can be creative with their writing.

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Hooray! Our list of expository writing prompts was created with younger writers in mind, but these ideas are actually very useful good for writers of many ages and stages of life.

You see...

The basics are a fantastic starting point regardless of the writer's age. So take a look now and enjoy!

A Few Words on Expository Writing

This form of writing is a method of writing in which the author describes, informs, or explains a topic to the reader.

Learning how to write an expository paper (or essay) is one of the most important skills that students can develop from an early age. Of course, it is also a skill one may develop or refine at any age or stage in school or life.

Expository writing is a lifelong skill that will serve studentsnot only throughout the rest of their school years but also throughout their entire lives.

Great Topic Choices for Your English Classes

Again, our list of expository prompts while created with younger students in mind is also appropriate for writers of all ages.

You see...

Some of the ideas to write about listed below ask your students and writers to explain a concept (such as why it's so important to eat healthy foods).

Other expository topic ideas allow them to practice their expository writing skills by explaining why they hold a particular viewpoint or belief (such as why a person they find heroic should be admired by others).

As students and their classmates go through these descriptive prompts, they'll improve their descriptive writing skills and will gain a better understanding of what it means to explain or teach something to another person.

33 Expository Writing Prompts for Everyone

Use this fantastic list of prompts with your writers today!

1. Think of your most valued possession. Explain why it is so important to you.

2. Explain why it is so important for kids to attend school.

3. Think about a time when you did something that you didn't want to do. Explain why you did it anyway.

4. Think of a person whom you consider to be a hero. Explain why other people should admire this person.

5. Explain three ways that people can do nice things for one another.

6. Explain what you would do if a friend got mad at you for something that you didn't do.

7. Think about a famous person whom you would like to meet and explain why you would want to meet them.

8. Choose an important tool that can be found in our classroom. Explain how it has made an impact on teachers and students.

9. Think about a time when you couldn't stop laughing and explain what happened.

10. Explain why it is important to eat healthy foods.

11. Explain why you shouldn't have too many sweets or snacks.

12. Think of something your parents always tell you and explain why it is or isn't true.

13. Are you the oldest, middle, or youngest child in your family? Explain what you like or dislike about your position.

14. Think about what you want to be when you grow up and explain why you think that would be the best job.

15. Explain what your favorite thing to do after school is.

16. Choose your favorite holiday and explain why people celebrate it.

17. Think about one of your best friends and explain why you like them.

18. Explain what it means to be a good person.

19. Explain what you would do if you were at a store and couldn't find your grownup.

20. Choose a type of transportation (car, bike, plane, etc.) and explain why it is beneficial for people who use it.

21. Explain what you like most about living in our city.

22. Think of one of your family's traditions. Explain why it matters to your family and how you perform the tradition.

23. Explain why it is important for students to learn how to do math.

24. Think of something that you know how to do well and explain how to do it as if you were teaching someone who didn't know.

25. Explain why it is important for students to follow our classroom rules.

26. Explain what you would do if you saw someone being bullied.

27. Choose a food that you love and explain what you like about it.

28. Think of your favorite TV show and explain why you like it better than other programs.

29. Explain what you like most about summer vacation.

30. Choose your favorite book and explain what elements made it a good book.

31. Think about how you feel when someone notices something you've done well. Explain what kinds of feelings you get.

32. Choose one of your favorite activities and explain what you like most about it.

33. Explain why it is important to help people who are less fortunate than us.

Bonus List of Simple Ideas Expository Essays or Compositions

Write about your:

Favorite movie

Favorite toy

Favorite music

Favorite animal or

A particular animal

and explain in detail what you like most about it.

Oh yeah!

We hope your writers enjoyed this bonus list of things to write about for youngsters.

Maybe they'll even share them with a good friend who isn't in their English or writing class. Now, wouldn't that be a hoot!

A Few Final Thoughts

These all-new expository writing prompts are full of interesting topics and ideas that writers will be excited to describe.

Use these ideas with your students and kids. By doing so, you'll help your students learn the valuable skill of narrative writing, composition, and expository writing skill development.

Now is the perfect time for your young students to pick a good topic they enjoy and practice this form of writing. Doing so will help them refine their writing skills and help give them a boost when they have to write more elaborate essays later on in life (such as I in middle school, high school, college and beyond).

Well, that's all for today.

Until next time, write on...
If you enjoyed these Expository Writing Prompts,
please share them on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest.
I appreciate it!

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Expository Writing Prompts for First, Second, and Third Grade

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Hooray! Our list of expository writing prompts was created with younger writers in mind, but these ideas are actually very useful good for writers of many ages and stages of life. You see... The basics are a fantastic starting point regardless of the writer's age. So take a look now and enjoy!

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Writing Prompts for 5th graders- Gregory Glatz

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Writing Prompts for 5th graders- Gregory Glatz

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This resource I found to be beneficial because it gives teachers wonderful ideas when starting writing prompts for students. Why I like this resources is students can be creative and descriptive when they are giving a prompt and I feel sometimes teachers can't think of a topic for their students to write about. This article gives you 47 different ideas to start a writing!

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See how well your fifth graders teach, define, and explain using these high-interest expository writing prompts for 5th grade.

Whether teaching the tricks to one's favorite video game or defining an abstract concept, these expository writing prompts for 5th grade motivate fifth grade students to share their knowledge.

So pencil a few of these delightful expository writing prompts for 5th grade students into your lesson plans this week.

Expository Writing Prompts for 5th Grade

1. Explain the benefits of mastering a few good study skills.

2. Tell why elementary students should be allowed to choose their own seats in the cafeteria.

3. Outline some ways that people can do more to keep the earth clean.

4. Explain the benefits of having a classroom job.

5. Describe the differences between the four seasons.

6. Explain how to brush one's teeth.

7. Share how responding to expository writing prompts for 5th grade helps you become a better writer and thinker.

8. Explain what a typical day looks like at school.

9. Step-by-step, explain how to make your favorite snack or meal.

10. Explain the importance of learning how to read.

11. Describe your favorite vacation spot.

12. Explain the pros of an elementary student carrying a cell phone to school.

13. Imagine that you are speaking to a younger child. Explain to him or her how to have an enjoyable first day of school.

14. Explain how to use chopsticks for eating.

15. Define excitement.

16. Explain at least two benefits of riding a bike instead of using a car.

17. Using the five senses, explain snow to someone who has never experienced it first-hand.

18. Explain with specific details how to care for a dog or cat.

19. Share the secrets to being a good child to parents.

20. Explain how to make a bed neatly.

21. Discuss the reasons why homework is or is not important.

22. Explain the importance of exercising regularly.

23. Teach someone how to perform a reader's theater.

24. Explain to an out-of-town visitor which attractions he or she should definitely visit in your city/town.

25. In detail, explain to someone how to do something that you are very good at doing.

26. Explain why Martin Luther King, Jr. is considered a hero.

27. Define jealousy.

28. Explain, step-by-step, the process of solving a word problem in math.

29. Choose any planet, and describe its characteristics.

30. Explain different ways to stay entertained in the absence of cell phones, TVs, tablets, or computers.

31. Describe to a new student how after-school extracurricular activities work.

32. Explain the harmful effects of watching too much television.

33. If you could choose any animal as class pet, which would you choose and why.

34. Explain your favorite type of music.

35. Write about what you think the world will be like in 100 years.

36. Describe the benefits of healthy eating and exercise on a daily basis.

37. Write two expository writing prompts for 3rd grade you think your teacher might like.

38. If someone was new to your town, what sights, highlights would you encourage them to see?

39. Define the differences between mammals and amphibians or any other two groups of animals.

40. Explain why people get mad with others.

41. Share something new you learned in school this week. How does this new knowledge help you in life?

42. Tell about your favorite game or sport.

43. Share one current issue in the world. Explain how the problem can be solved.

44. What makes a good friend?

45. If you could change one thing about your school, what would it be and why?

46. Without giving names, explain why one teacher is/was so special to you.

47. What are two expository writing prompts for 5th grade that you can create that your teacher might like?

Now you have a collection of fifth grade expository writing prompts to use during writer's workshop or as early finisher activities.

For support, teach students how to respond well to these expository writing prompts for 5th grade.

If you enjoyed these expository writing prompts for 5th grade, you might also be interested in ... persuasive writing prompts for fifth grade

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Expository Writing Prompts for 5th Grade: 47 Amazing Ideas

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See how well your fifth graders teach, define, and explain using these high-interest expository writing prompts for 5th grade. Whether teaching the tricks to one's favorite video game or defining an abstract concept, these expository writing prompts for 5th grade motivate fifth grade students to share their knowledge.

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Developing Students into Independent Readers- Gregory Glatz

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Developing Students into Independent Readers- Gregory Glatz

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This article give 5 resources when helping students monitor and self-correct when they are reading. Why I found this resource to be so helpful is that you are training students to become more independent in their reading. Instead of asking the teacher for help, students are learning how to push through struggles when they are challenged in reading.

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1. Back Up, Fix Up

Great for any Reading Level

Strategy Steps

1. Pay attention as you are reading.

2. While you are reading, if you realize that you don't understand what is happening or if what you said doesn't make sense - pause.

3. Think about what is confusing.

4. Back up to the part before.

5. Look at the words on the page before or the sentence before.

6. Look at the pictures or images or charts (if available).

7. Think about what is happening or what the author is describing in this part.

8. Change what you said before or revise your thinking.

9. Think, "does it make sense now?"

You can prompt your child to back up and fix a part they misread by asking the following questions:

Does that go with what you just read? Let's back up and think about what might be happening here.

Do those pages connect?

What was confusing here?

What made that fact confusing? (nonfiction)

Based on what you just read, do you think you read it incorrectly the first time?

2. Think About "Who's Telling the Story?"

Great for Reading Levels H and up

Strategy Steps

1. Pay attention to the narration of a story.

2. Pay attention to any dialogue tags ("Charlie said"or "Callie exclaimed")

3. If a character is telling the story you will see words like I, me, we, my

4. If a narrator is telling the story you will see words like he, she, they, and character's names.

5. Think about who is telling the story to keep track of what is happening in the story.

6. Consider who is telling the story as you get to know the character(s).

You can prompt your child to think about who is telling the story by asking the following questions:

Can you tell who the narrator is?

Do you see any pronouns or words that can give you a clue?

When someone is talking, look at the dialogue tags - what is the relationship between the speaker and the narrator?

Do you see a place where there is a description? Look at the words used.

3. Refocus a Wandering Mind

Great for any Reading Level

Strategy Steps

1. Notice that your mind has wandered and you are no longer thinking about what you are reading.

2. Say to yourself, "I am not going to think about that right now."

3. Retell what you remember about your book.

4. Think about whether you need to back up and reread a part.

5. Begin reading again in a spot where you know what is happening or what the author is explaining.

Note: Remind your child that everyone's mind wanders from time to time - the important thing is they refocus on the text.

You can prompt your child to refocus by asking the following questions:

Tell me what you remember?

What part seems fuzzy/unclear? Can you go back and retell that part?

When do you think your mind started to wander?

4. Insert a Synonym

Great for any Reading Levels H and up

Strategy Steps

1. When you come across an unfamiliar word (even if you can pronounce it), pause.

2. Think about a word you know that would fit into the sentence and the text as a whole.

3. Put the word you thought of in place of the unfamiliar word as you reread.

4. Does it make sense?

You can prompt your child to use a synonym by asking the following questions:

Think about what's going on so far - what might this word mean?

Try a different word. Does that make sense?

Does that word keep the meaning of the sentence?

What's another word the author could have used that would make sense here?

Do you think you are reading too fast to catch the words you don't know?

Do you know how this word is being used here?

Great for Reading Levels P and up

If a character travels from place to place or if an author is introducing multiple places in a text, you can make a map to keep track of what you are reading.

Strategy Steps

1. As you read, draw a map based on the details the author gives you.

2. Refer to the map as you read.

3. (fiction) Visualize the character moving from place to place as you read.

4. Think about why the author chose to set the story or introduce each of the places. How does it impact the text?

You can prompt your child to make a map by asking the following questions:

Think about the places you've read about. Can you draw (sketch) a map to show all of those places.

Where is this place compared to that one?

Where, on your map, is the character in this scene?

Can you tell me about how the character travels from place to place?

What's important about each of these places?

How does each place impact the text or character?

For my all-time favorite monitoring and summarizing strategy, check out Read, Cover, Remember, Retell .

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5 Strategies for Monitoring and Self-Correcting - Welcome to LiteracyDoc!

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Great for any Reading Level Pay attention as you are reading. While you are reading, if you realize that you don't understand what is happening or if what you said doesn't make sense - pause. Think about what is confusing. Back up to the part before.

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Better Understanding of Reading Inventory-Gregory Glatz

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Better Understanding of Reading Inventory-Gregory Glatz

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I have used reading rocket a lot for resources and this article is no exception. It is a simple way to break down reading inventory and shows why we as teachers use this to help students. It give us a better understanding of where each reader stands grade level wise when using inventory.

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Informal Reading Inventory (Qualitative Reading Inventory)

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An informal assessment of reading inventory, including what the assessment measures, when is should be assessed, examples of questions, and the age or grade at which the assessment should be mastered.

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Expository Writing/Argumentative Writing Activities by Linda Powell

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Expository Writing/Argumentative Writing Activities by Linda Powell

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This is a great article that really explains what expository writing is. It really informs the reader about how the process of expository writing and what to look for. I really think that this is a great resource to have on hand.

Reference
Edward. (n.d.). Expository Writing: Introduction. Www.elephango.com. Retrieved April 14, 2022, from https://www.elephango.com/index.cfm/pg/k12learning/lcid/12316/Expository_Writing:_Introduction#:~:text=An%20expository%20essay%20includes%20an%20introductory%20paragraph%20with

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Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

When I was a little girl, my favorite thing to do was to go fishing with my dad.

What is your favorite thing to do?

Can you explain to me why you like it and how I can do it, too?

Then, we can share the fun!

Expository writing explains a topic by telling how something is done, how something works, or by explaining what something is.

An expository essay includes an introductory paragraph with a topic sentence, at least one body paragraph with details, and a concluding paragraph.

Explaining in detail an activity you enjoy, or how to do that activity, is an example of expository writing.

Take out a piece of paper and pencil and take some notes as you watch Writing an Expository Essay from Mometrix Academy:

Before you jump into a full, five-paragraph essay, start with one paragraph that has all the same elements.

Begin by looking at the big picture, then shrink the paragraphs into sentences to create one well-written expository paragraph.

So, your first step is deciding on a topic and how to approach the topic.

For example, you might decide that you want to write about cupcakes.

What exactly do you want your reader to know about cupcakes?

You can write about how to make a particular kind of cupcake, or maybe how to select the best cupcakes from a bakery, or even the history of cupcakes. The point is, you need to have a very specific idea of what type of information you want to provide to your reader.

When you write an expository essay, the next thing you will do after deciding on a topic is to write your introductory paragraph.

You want to include a hook that will grab your reader's attention before presenting your topic sentence.

How can you get your readers excited about learning why popcorn is the best snack food?

First Paragraph or Opening

Write a topic sentence that tells your readers, in an interesting way, what they will be learning by reading your paper

You also want to use examples to explain to your reader why it is important for him or her to know this information.

Supporting Idea 1: This might be because popcorn is easy to make.

Supporting Idea 2: This might be because popcorn is good for you.

Supporting Idea 3: This might be because popcorn tastes good.

(If you are writing an essay, you will need a closing or transitional sentence at the end of each paragraph.)

In the following paragraphs, you will provide reasons that support your topic, or give a set of sequential steps if you are explaining how to do something.

When you are supplying your readers with reasons, you will start with the least important reason and build in each paragraph, with the last paragraph being the most important reason (or the final step).

For example, if you decide to explain to your reader why popcorn is the best snack food, you may want to complete a pre-writing outline such as the one that follows:

Body Paragraphs or Sentences (All body paragraphs or sentences will have the same format.)

Begin with your least-important idea, as presented in the first paragraph or sentence, and build up to your strongest or m ost-important idea.

When writing a full essay, each opening sentence will now become the topic sentence of each of your body paragraphs. You will want to present this information in an exciting way, much like you did your topic.

Supporting Evidence and Details

You will now include some details about your ideas or information. Use examples and anecdotes (stories) to help your reader to understand what you are explaining.

Continue this format with all your body paragraphs and use the same formula above for your concluding paragraph.

Concluding Paragraph or Sentence

In an essay, you would use the concluding paragraph to restate your topic in a fresh, new way; restate your most important ideas; and add a closing statement that makes your reader want to take action.

When closing your paragraph, you want to roughly do the same -- make your reader feel as though he or she has learned something or get them interested in your topic.

This format also works to explain how things work, or why something is the way it is, or why you like something.

For this lesson, as you focus on writing about something you enjoy doing, ask the question "Why?" for the outline process.

You will need to answer the "because" and offer good supporting details and anecdotes to support your reasons.

For now, you don't need to be quite so detailed because each outline section labeled "paragraph" will only need to be a sentence or two.

This pre-writing activity will help you craft your essay once you have decided on your topic and purpose.

Are you ready to get started?

Move on to the Got It? section and practice completing some "because" statements.

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Audio: When I was a little girl, my favorite thing to do was to go fishing with my dad. What is your favorite thing to do? Can you explain to me why you like it and how I can do it, too? Then, we can share the fun!

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This is a great single-page pdf, that would be great to have in a notebook to look at during small groups when students are reading with you. I like how it shows what a high-quality miscue looks like and what a low-quality miscue is. This is a resource that I have printed and added to my small group folder.

References
Reading Miscues and Fix Up Strategies. (n.d.). https://literacyconnects.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/rs-3-reading-micues-and-fix-up-strategies.pdf

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I really enjoyed reading this text because it gave a list of 5 tips on making writing fun. as much as argumentative writing is fun it is not as easy to teach. I think that it is important that this breaks it down simple to  terms that everyone can understand.

Hampton, S. (2021, April 24). 5 tips and tricks for teaching the argumentative essay. WRITING MINDSET. Retrieved April 13, 2022, from https://www.writingmindset.org/blog/2020/1/11/5-tips-and-tricks-for-teaching-the-argumentative-essay-1

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5 Tips and Tricks for Teaching the Argumentative Essay — WRITING MINDSET

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When that beautiful time of year rolls around to teach the argumentative essay to your middle school students, you might find yourself crinkling your nose and thinking, “Oh boy, let’s just get through this.”  I don’t blame you!  Teaching the argumentative essay is no easy feat.

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I think this article was great because it was written by a  reading specialist and the author gives many ways to correct your students. I also think this is a great article because it is personable and the writer actually works with students. This writer has help the students to recognize what they read and why they read it wrong and she shows them how to improve them.
Johnson, J. (n.d.). Ila's Blog. International Literacy Association. Retrieved April 13, 2022, from https://www.literacyworldwide.org/blog/literacy-now/2016/02/11/teaching-the-skill-of-self-correction

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Literacy Daily is a space to connect educators, students, and leaders with the latest news, ideas, tools, strategies, and research in literacy instruction.

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reading inventories and assessment -Selena Bryan 

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reading inventories and assessment -Selena Bryan 

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This website is great because it goes into detail about how the screening and measuring works. This website also suggests the age of students and the best way for them to be assess to be successful. I like how this is coming from more of a teacher standpoint and not just a researcher.

rockets, reading. (2013, November 19). Informal reading inventory (qualitative reading inventory). Reading Rockets. Retrieved April 13, 2022, from https://www.readingrockets.org/article/informal-reading-inventory-qualitative-reading-inventory

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Informal Reading Inventory (Qualitative Reading Inventory)

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An informal assessment of reading inventory, including what the assessment measures, when is should be assessed, examples of questions, and the age or grade at which the assessment should be mastered.

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Expository Writing/Argumentative Writing Activities - Marianne Lopez

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Expository Writing/Argumentative Writing Activities - Marianne Lopez

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This video goes over what expository writing is and the key components that it has. The video also uses a sample text to break down what expository composition looks like.

Resource:

Worsley, A. (2017, January 25). Expository Writing: Writing to Explain. YouTube. Retrieved April 13, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5IPrxafggQ

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This article is written by a reading specialist, she gives multiple self-correction strategies that have helped students from 1st to 4th grade. Her strategies are made to help students recognize what they read wrong the first time and improve it the second time they read.

Resource:

Johnson, J. (2016, February 11). Teaching the Skill of Self-Correction. International Literacy Association. Retrieved April 13, 2022, from https://www.literacyworldwide.org/blog/literacy-now/2016/02/11/teaching-the-skill-of-self-correction

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Literacy Daily is a space to connect educators, students, and leaders with the latest news, ideas, tools, strategies, and research in literacy instruction.

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Reading Inventories and Assessments - Marianne Lopez

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Reading Inventories and Assessments - Marianne Lopez

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This website goes into detail on how to screen, diagnose and monitor your students’ fluency progress. It gives teachers a guide on what they should be doing at every step. In the end, it also gives an example of what a diagnosis may look like and they provide additional resources to develop students’ fluency.

Resource:

Hasbrouck, J. (2022, February 24). Screening, diagnosing, and progress monitoring for fluency: The details. Reading Rockets. Retrieved April 13, 2022, from https://www.readingrockets.org/article/screening-diagnosing-and-progress-monitoring-fluency-details

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Screening, diagnosing, and progress monitoring are essential to making sure that all students become fluent readers - and the words-correct per-minute (WCPM) procedure can work for all three. The only aspect of the procedure that has to change is the difficulty level of the text.

For screening, passages are selected from text at the student's grade level. For diagnosing, passages are selected at the student's instructional level (which may be lower than her grade level). In this context, instructional level text is challenging but manageable, with the reader making errors on no more than one in 10 words (i.e., the reader is successful with 90 percent of the text) (Partnership for Reading, 2001). For progress monitoring, passages are selected at a student's individually determined goal level. For example, if an 8th-grade student's instructional level is at the 5th-grade level, the teacher may conduct the progress monitoring assessments using passages at the 6th-grade level.

Screening

Because empirical research clearly indicates the urgent need to provide high quality, intensive instructional interventions to students at risk of reading difficulty as soon as possible (Snow, Burns, and Griffin, 1998), schools should administer screening measures to every student through the 5th grade.

First-graders should be screened in the winter and the spring; second- through fifth-graders should be screened in the fall, winter, and spring. To determine if students are at the expected levels in their reading fluency, my colleague Gerald Tindal and I (2006) suggest comparing students' WCPM scores to the 50th percentile score on the norms table (below), given the students' grade placement and the approximate time of year in which the assessment was conducted.

A score falling more than 10 words below the 50th percentile should raise a concern; the student may need additional assistance, and further assessments may be needed to diagnose the source of the below-average performance. Depending on the age of the student and any concerns about reading performance noted by the teacher or parents, such additional testing might include assessments of oral language development, phonemic awareness, phonics and decoding, and/or comprehension.

Diagnosing

If a student scores poorly on a fluency screening, or if the teacher has some other cause for concern such as poor performance in class or on another assessment, the teacher should take a more careful look at the student's strengths and needs. The student could be deficient in a variety of reading skills or in related areas like vocabulary and background knowledge, so administering some informal diagnostic assessments would be helpful for designing effective instruction, providing evidence of the need for a reading specialist, or referring the student for further evaluation.

Typically, if a student's fluency level is low, but word reading accuracy in grade-level texts is adequate, a teacher can place the student in an intervention focused just on improving fluency. But if diagnostic assessments indicate other areas of weakness, a more comprehensive intervention may need to be developed. ( See example below)

Monitoring student progress

If a student's diagnostic assessment reveals concerns about one or more areas of reading, additional, targeted instruction should begin right away. WCPM procedures can be used to monitor the student's progress. Many educators have found WCPM to be a better tool for monitoring students' progress than traditional standardized measures that typically are time-consuming, expensive, only administered infrequently, and of limited instructional utility (Good, Simmons, and Kame'enui, 2001; Tindal and Marston, 1990).

For students reading six to 12 months below grade level, progress monitoring should be done frequently, perhaps once or twice monthly for as long as students require supplemental instruction. Progress monitoring should be done as often as once per week for students who are reading more than one year below level and receiving intensive intervention services, including special education. This regular monitoring assures that if the intervention is not working well, it can be modified.

When monitoring the progress of these struggling readers, the standard procedures are expanded by graphing the student's WCPM scores. A progress monitoring graph, for perhaps a grading period or a trimester, is created for each student. Teachers can use the average weekly improvement (AWI) data in the norms table to select an ambitious, yet reasonable, instructional goal; for example, a fourth-grader's goal could be to improve by 15 WCPM over 10 weeks of intensive instruction. An aim line is placed on the graph to represent the progress a student must make to achieve a preset fluency goal. Each time the student is assessed, that score is added to the graph. If three or more consecutive scores fall below the aim line, the teacher must consider adjusting the instructional program (Hasbrouck et al., 1999).

Teachers should also consider having the students record their own WCPM scores on their graphs - it increases their motivation and investment in their reading progress (Shinn, 1998).

These procedures for screening, diagnosing, and progress monitoring have been available for many years, but have not been widely used in schools (Hasbrouck, et al., 1999). This situation will likely change as educators become more aware of the importance of preventing reading difficulties and providing intensive intervention as soon as a concern is noted.

Using fluency norms to set appropriate goals for student improvement and to measure progress toward those goals can be a powerful and efficient tool to help educators make well-informed and timely decisions about the instructional needs of their students, particularly the lowest performing, struggling readers.

Examples of a diagnosis

Andrew (a pseudonym), is an eighth-grader who recently moved to a different town where he entered a new school in March. It soon became evident to his teachers that Andrew was having difficulty with his academic work.

At a weekly meeting during which teachers discuss any concerns about their students, several teachers brought samples of Andrew's work to share. The teachers agreed that the school's reading specialist should determine if reading problems were contributing to Andrew's struggle with his assignments in several classes.

The reading specialist conducted an IRI (informal reading inventory) and planned to follow up with additional assessments if Andrew's performance on the IRI indicated possible deficits in phonemic awareness, phonics and decoding, vocabulary, and/or comprehension. The specialist built a fluency assessment into the initial IRI by using a stopwatch to determine how many words Andrew could read in the first 60 seconds of each IRI passage.

The reading specialist began the IRI using a sixth-grade passage, two years below Andrew's grade. The passage was at a frustration level for him: He had difficulty with decoding, phrasing, and expression, and was only able to correctly answer four of the eight comprehension questions. Because the passage was at Andrew's frustration level, the WCPM score was not calculated. The specialist then repeated the assessment using a fifth-grade passage; Andrew was able to read it with 94 percent accuracy and correctly answer six of the eight comprehension questions.

The specialist calculated Andrew's WCPM score for this passage and compared his score, 131 WCPM, to the norms for fifth-graders in the spring (Hasbrouck and Tindal, 2006). The 50th percentile in the spring of fifth grade is 139 WCPM. Because Andrew's score fell less than 10 words below it, his fluency is within the expected range for fifthgrade readers in the spring.

The reading specialist's conclusion was that Andrew appears to be reading approximately three years below grade level, but that his fluency skill level appears to be appropriate for his overall reading level. Before designing Andrew's reading program, the specialist plans to administer a diagnosticassessment focused on phonics and decoding, and a more comprehensive assessment of vocabulary and comprehension.

She suspects there may be some underlying weaknesses in Andrew's decoding skills contributing to his delay in overall reading development. His intervention will likely include fluency instruction and practice to keep him on track, and may also include decoding and comprehension instruction, depending on the results of the other diagnostic assessments.

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Screening, Diagnosing, and Progress Monitoring for Fluency: The Details

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Screening, diagnosing, and progress monitoring are essential to making sure that all students become fluent readers - and the words-correct per-minute (WCPM) procedure can work for all three. Here's how teachers can use it to make well-informed and timely decisions about the instructional needs of their students.

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This site shows five strategies to help students monitor and self-correcting. It also shows what strategies the students began to use when they start reading to help them work on self-correcting.

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1. Back Up, Fix Up

Great for any Reading Level

Strategy Steps

1. Pay attention as you are reading.

2. While you are reading, if you realize that you don't understand what is happening or if what you said doesn't make sense - pause.

3. Think about what is confusing.

4. Back up to the part before.

5. Look at the words on the page before or the sentence before.

6. Look at the pictures or images or charts (if available).

7. Think about what is happening or what the author is describing in this part.

8. Change what you said before or revise your thinking.

9. Think, "does it make sense now?"

You can prompt your child to back up and fix a part they misread by asking the following questions:

Does that go with what you just read? Let's back up and think about what might be happening here.

Do those pages connect?

What was confusing here?

What made that fact confusing? (nonfiction)

Based on what you just read, do you think you read it incorrectly the first time?

2. Think About "Who's Telling the Story?"

Great for Reading Levels H and up

Strategy Steps

1. Pay attention to the narration of a story.

2. Pay attention to any dialogue tags ("Charlie said"or "Callie exclaimed")

3. If a character is telling the story you will see words like I, me, we, my

4. If a narrator is telling the story you will see words like he, she, they, and character's names.

5. Think about who is telling the story to keep track of what is happening in the story.

6. Consider who is telling the story as you get to know the character(s).

You can prompt your child to think about who is telling the story by asking the following questions:

Can you tell who the narrator is?

Do you see any pronouns or words that can give you a clue?

When someone is talking, look at the dialogue tags - what is the relationship between the speaker and the narrator?

Do you see a place where there is a description? Look at the words used.

3. Refocus a Wandering Mind

Great for any Reading Level

Strategy Steps

1. Notice that your mind has wandered and you are no longer thinking about what you are reading.

2. Say to yourself, "I am not going to think about that right now."

3. Retell what you remember about your book.

4. Think about whether you need to back up and reread a part.

5. Begin reading again in a spot where you know what is happening or what the author is explaining.

Note: Remind your child that everyone's mind wanders from time to time - the important thing is they refocus on the text.

You can prompt your child to refocus by asking the following questions:

Tell me what you remember?

What part seems fuzzy/unclear? Can you go back and retell that part?

When do you think your mind started to wander?

4. Insert a Synonym

Great for any Reading Levels H and up

Strategy Steps

1. When you come across an unfamiliar word (even if you can pronounce it), pause.

2. Think about a word you know that would fit into the sentence and the text as a whole.

3. Put the word you thought of in place of the unfamiliar word as you reread.

4. Does it make sense?

You can prompt your child to use a synonym by asking the following questions:

Think about what's going on so far - what might this word mean?

Try a different word. Does that make sense?

Does that word keep the meaning of the sentence?

What's another word the author could have used that would make sense here?

Do you think you are reading too fast to catch the words you don't know?

Do you know how this word is being used here?

Great for Reading Levels P and up

If a character travels from place to place or if an author is introducing multiple places in a text, you can make a map to keep track of what you are reading.

Strategy Steps

1. As you read, draw a map based on the details the author gives you.

2. Refer to the map as you read.

3. (fiction) Visualize the character moving from place to place as you read.

4. Think about why the author chose to set the story or introduce each of the places. How does it impact the text?

You can prompt your child to make a map by asking the following questions:

Think about the places you've read about. Can you draw (sketch) a map to show all of those places.

Where is this place compared to that one?

Where, on your map, is the character in this scene?

Can you tell me about how the character travels from place to place?

What's important about each of these places?

How does each place impact the text or character?

For my all-time favorite monitoring and summarizing strategy, check out Read, Cover, Remember, Retell .

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5 Strategies for Monitoring and Self-Correcting - Welcome to LiteracyDoc!

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Great for any Reading Level Pay attention as you are reading. While you are reading, if you realize that you don't understand what is happening or if what you said doesn't make sense - pause. Think about what is confusing. Back up to the part before.

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Reading Inventories and Assessments- Linda Powell

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Reading Inventories and Assessments- Linda Powell

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This is a great resource that gives a breakdown of what different types of assessments are available. It also shows where the teacher can use the resource in the classroom. This is a resource that I will keep and use in the future.

References
Assessment: In Depth. (2014, May). Reading Rockets. https://www.readingrockets.org/teaching/reading101-course/modules/assessment/assessment-depth

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Expository Writing/Argumentative Writing Activities - Ashley Lamb

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Expository Writing/Argumentative Writing Activities - Ashley Lamb

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Great resource and information on writing activities. Something to keep around to look back at.

Claim;

Reason;

Evidence;

Warrant;

Acknowledgement and Response.

-Ashley Lamb

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ENGL001: English Composition I | Saylor Academy

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While opinions on the best type of writing style is inherently subjective and may even be based on cultural standards or preferences, in this unit we provide you with some guidelines that are most academics generally agree upon. Our first goal is to learn how to write as clearly, persuasively, and elegantly as possible.

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Fix It Strategies/Miscues/Self-Correcting - Ashley Lamb

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Fix It Strategies/Miscues/Self-Correcting - Ashley Lamb

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This is a great poster for students to have around for students to think about self correcting themselves. Something I plan to have on my classroom walls. -Ashley Lamb

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Reading Inventories and Assessments- Ashley Lamb

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Reading Inventories and Assessments- Ashley Lamb

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This is a great resource that gives a little more information and examples on reading inventory. This is something I plan to keep around to use for future classrooms.
-Ashley Lamb

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Informal Reading Inventory (Qualitative Reading Inventory)

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An informal assessment of reading inventory, including what the assessment measures, when is should be assessed, examples of questions, and the age or grade at which the assessment should be mastered.

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Teach the argumentative essay to your students in a fun, clear, and simple way!
1.     Mentor Texts are Golden
2.     Structure is Everything
3.     Research is Key
4.     The Little Details Matter
5.     Checklists are a Must
https://www.writingmindset.org/blog/2020/1/11/5-tips-and-tricks-for-teaching-the-argumentative-essay-1

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5 Tips and Tricks for Teaching the Argumentative Essay — WRITING MINDSET

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When that beautiful time of year rolls around to teach the argumentative essay to your middle school students, you might find yourself crinkling your nose and thinking, “Oh boy, let’s just get through this.”  I don’t blame you!  Teaching the argumentative essay is no easy feat.

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Re-read. This is one that most readers want to skip. ...
Read out loud. Sometimes it just helps to hear yourself read out loud. ...
Use context clues. ...
Look up a word you don't know. ...
Ask questions. ...
Think about what you've already read. ...
Make connections. ...
Slow down.

https://thisreadingmama.com/reading-comprehension-strategies/

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If you've ever taught a struggling reader alongside a confident reader, you'll notice some stark differences. While both come to words they don't know, the confident reader is more likely to try different reading strategies to figure out the unknown words. Often times, the struggling reader freezes because he either doesn't have the strategies or isn't sure which one(s) to use.

Both kinds of readers also have times when the text just doesn't make sense to them. The confident reader is more likely to use reading comprehension strategies {or fix-up strategies} while the struggling reader either freezes or isn't sure what comprehension strategies to use.

*This post contains affiliate links.

One of the issues for struggling readers is they think that confident or "good" readers don't need to use these reading comprehension strategies {or fix-up strategies}. Only "bad" readers do. Many times they avoid using them because they feel that using them makes them a "bad" reader (or confirms the fact that they are a "bad" reader). "Good readers", in their mind, don't need to use these strategies because "good readers" get it right the first time. What readers, especially struggling readers, need to see is that proficient readers DO use fix-up strategies!

What are Reading Comprehension Strategies {Fix-Up Strategies}?

Have you ever read a passage of text and then realized that while you read every word, you can't remember a thing? Maybe you misread a word only to find out that the sentence you just read didn't make a lick of sense. Or perhaps you came across a word that you had never heard of before. Chances are you used a fix-up strategy to help you make sense of what you read. And that's just what fix-up strategies are. They are reading comprehension strategies that help you "fix up" your understanding (or misunderstandings) as you read.

10 Fix-Up Reading Comprehension Strategies

1. Re-read. This is one that most readers want to skip. "I'll just keep on reading and she'll never notice I misread that," is what a lot of young readers tend to think. But re-reading helps readers to clarify their thoughts or go back and re-read something that was misread to find the mistake and fix it.

2. Read out loud. Sometimes it just helps to hear yourself read out loud. {I personally do this when we buy a new game board and I have no idea what the directions are telling me.}

3. Use context clues. What clues does the picture or sentence(s) surrounding the unknown word offer to help you comprehend? Using context clues can help readers figure out how to decode words or figure out a words meaning. As readers advance, context clues are typically used to figure out how to read words with more than one pronunciation (such as tear or live) or words with more than one meaning (such as run).

4. Look up a word you don't know. When using context clues still doesn't help, readers may need to look up the meaning of a word. Words can most certainly be researched on the computer, tablets, or phones {supervised for kids}, but we don't want to neglect the dictionary. Most readers do not even know how to use a dictionary. Yes, they might be able to look up the word they need, but they also need to be need to be taught how the dictionary lists words by base or root so they can find the definition quickly.

5. Ask questions. Questions such as, "Where did my thinking get off?", "Does that make sense?", "What will happen next?" or "What does that word mean?" are quite helpful to the reader.

6. Think about what you've already read. Is what you're now reading fit into the story or purpose of the text?

7. Make connections. Making connections is at the heart of reading comprehension strategies. Readers want to be able to use what they know so it can be connected with what they're reading. When text doesn't make sense, good readers may try to make a meaningful connection to make sense of it.

8. Slow down. This another one struggling readers tend to avoid. They want to zoom right past so that no one can draw attention to their mistake. They may also want to just get the reading assignment "done". Slowing down is the last thing they want to do.

9. Think about the author's purpose. The author's purpose for writing dictates the structure they use, the vocabulary they use, and the text features they use. While a reader may be reading the find out more information about a subject, he may discover quickly that the author's purpose isn't to share all the arguments, but to persuade the reader only to one side.

10. Pay attention to your own thinking {metacognition}. This may the umbrella that covers all the other fix-up strategies: Proficient readers pay attention to and heed the warnings of the thoughts in their head. When a prediction they make does not pan out as they read, they stop and make new predictions. We must teach readers to think about and be aware of the thoughts in their head as they read.

Download this FREE printable pack. It contains book marks and a 1-page poster (in color and black/white) that you can use to help your readers know that fix-up strategies are a must for every reader!

Modeling Fix-Up Reading Comprehension Strategies

Struggling and reluctant readers need to SEE that proficient readers use these strategies. One SIMPLE way to do this is to model them as we read aloud to kids. We tend to use these naturally without bringing much attention to them. So much so, that a struggling reader may not even realize we're using them. Instead, we need to slow down and point them out so our kids can see how we use them.

For example, as I was reading The Indian in the Cupboard just recently to my 3rd grader, I came to the word lorry. I honestly had no idea what it meant {UK readers: insert laugh here}. I stopped and said out loud,

"I wonder what a lorry is?" {strategy #5}

"I'm going to re-read what I just read to see if I can figure out what lorry means because I've never heard it before." {strategy #1}

Upon re-reading a little slower this time {strategy #1 and #8}, I was able to say, "Well, I think it's some kind of vehicle because the word Matchbox is in front of it and we have plenty of Matchbox vehicles. But I'm still not sure what lorry means. I'm going to keep reading a bit more and see if there are any clues." I finished the paragraph and said, "Nope. I still am not sure of the exact meaning of lorry." {strategy #3 and #7}

I was about to pick up my phone and say, "What does lorry mean?" {strategy #4} when my husband, who is a marketing manager in the trucking industry, popped his head into the room and said, "Truck. It means truck."

Once I had that info, I said, "Okay. Let me re-read that part again and think 'truck' when I read lorry this time." {strategy #1}

While I don't do this with every mistake I make at the time it happens during a read aloud {because this could totally interfere with the comprehension and momentum of a read aloud}, I'll often revisit those places where I re-read or slowed down or listened to my thoughts of "this doesn't make sense" after we've read the book/chapter just to show readers that I STILL use these fix-up reading comprehension strategies. YES, even "good" readers do!

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More Ideas for Readers:

Follow This Reading Mama's board Comprehension Strategies on Pinterest.

Follow This Reading Mama's board Struggling Readers on Pinterest.
~Becky

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If you've ever taught a struggling reader alongside a confident reader, you'll notice some stark differences. While both come to words they don't know, the confident reader is more likely to try different reading strategies to figure out the unknown words. Often times, the struggling reader freezes because he either doesn't have the strategies or isn't ...

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Lisa Tyson-Reading Inventories and Assessments (online reading resources for grades 3-5)

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Lisa Tyson-Reading Inventories and Assessments (online reading resources for grades 3-5)

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Basic Reading Inventory (BRI) is an easy-to-use, individually administered informal reading assessment. This all-in-one package includes all of the tools needed for teachers to assess, interpret, and develop responsive reading instruction for their students.
https://education.scholastic.ca/category/SRI_READING_INVENTORY

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SOAR (Scholastic Online Reading Assessme

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Expository Writing/ Argumentative Writing Activities: Sydney Raborn

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Expository Writing/ Argumentative Writing Activities: Sydney Raborn

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This slideshow presentation is a great resource! it starts by determining the vocabulary terms for the lesson and giving their definitions, as well as, examples. This is great for the students and should set them up for success when they start their independent work. Later in the presentation is a think-pair-share option to go through with the students. Then there is an activity for the students to complete where they get to work together to create an argument and back it up with evidence. The presentation ends with a review section to go back over everything they just learned. Overall, the presentation is a great and would work well in the classroom.

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This site gives five example strategies to utilize as self-correction tools. each strategy describes what it is meant to do and the steps to take. There are also a bunch of example questions to ask your students when they need to make a correction and didn't catch themselves, or don't know the necessary correction to make.

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1. Back Up, Fix Up

Great for any Reading Level

Strategy Steps

1. Pay attention as you are reading.

2. While you are reading, if you realize that you don't understand what is happening or if what you said doesn't make sense - pause.

3. Think about what is confusing.

4. Back up to the part before.

5. Look at the words on the page before or the sentence before.

6. Look at the pictures or images or charts (if available).

7. Think about what is happening or what the author is describing in this part.

8. Change what you said before or revise your thinking.

9. Think, "does it make sense now?"

You can prompt your child to back up and fix a part they misread by asking the following questions:

Does that go with what you just read? Let's back up and think about what might be happening here.

Do those pages connect?

What was confusing here?

What made that fact confusing? (nonfiction)

Based on what you just read, do you think you read it incorrectly the first time?

2. Think About "Who's Telling the Story?"

Great for Reading Levels H and up

Strategy Steps

1. Pay attention to the narration of a story.

2. Pay attention to any dialogue tags ("Charlie said"or "Callie exclaimed")

3. If a character is telling the story you will see words like I, me, we, my

4. If a narrator is telling the story you will see words like he, she, they, and character's names.

5. Think about who is telling the story to keep track of what is happening in the story.

6. Consider who is telling the story as you get to know the character(s).

You can prompt your child to think about who is telling the story by asking the following questions:

Can you tell who the narrator is?

Do you see any pronouns or words that can give you a clue?

When someone is talking, look at the dialogue tags - what is the relationship between the speaker and the narrator?

Do you see a place where there is a description? Look at the words used.

3. Refocus a Wandering Mind

Great for any Reading Level

Strategy Steps

1. Notice that your mind has wandered and you are no longer thinking about what you are reading.

2. Say to yourself, "I am not going to think about that right now."

3. Retell what you remember about your book.

4. Think about whether you need to back up and reread a part.

5. Begin reading again in a spot where you know what is happening or what the author is explaining.

Note: Remind your child that everyone's mind wanders from time to time - the important thing is they refocus on the text.

You can prompt your child to refocus by asking the following questions:

Tell me what you remember?

What part seems fuzzy/unclear? Can you go back and retell that part?

When do you think your mind started to wander?

4. Insert a Synonym

Great for any Reading Levels H and up

Strategy Steps

1. When you come across an unfamiliar word (even if you can pronounce it), pause.

2. Think about a word you know that would fit into the sentence and the text as a whole.

3. Put the word you thought of in place of the unfamiliar word as you reread.

4. Does it make sense?

You can prompt your child to use a synonym by asking the following questions:

Think about what's going on so far - what might this word mean?

Try a different word. Does that make sense?

Does that word keep the meaning of the sentence?

What's another word the author could have used that would make sense here?

Do you think you are reading too fast to catch the words you don't know?

Do you know how this word is being used here?

Great for Reading Levels P and up

If a character travels from place to place or if an author is introducing multiple places in a text, you can make a map to keep track of what you are reading.

Strategy Steps

1. As you read, draw a map based on the details the author gives you.

2. Refer to the map as you read.

3. (fiction) Visualize the character moving from place to place as you read.

4. Think about why the author chose to set the story or introduce each of the places. How does it impact the text?

You can prompt your child to make a map by asking the following questions:

Think about the places you've read about. Can you draw (sketch) a map to show all of those places.

Where is this place compared to that one?

Where, on your map, is the character in this scene?

Can you tell me about how the character travels from place to place?

What's important about each of these places?

How does each place impact the text or character?

For my all-time favorite monitoring and summarizing strategy, check out Read, Cover, Remember, Retell .

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5 Strategies for Monitoring and Self-Correcting - Welcome to LiteracyDoc!

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Great for any Reading Level Pay attention as you are reading. While you are reading, if you realize that you don't understand what is happening or if what you said doesn't make sense - pause. Think about what is confusing. Back up to the part before.

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This article details the informal reading assessment one can do for their students. It had levels for grades 1-6 so it can be useful for anybody. There are portions for both oral and silent reading so students will be practicing/testing all of their reading skills.

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Argumentative Writing Activities - Kaelee

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Argumentative Writing Activities - Kaelee

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I chose this website to give teachers two different argumentative writing activities to play in the classroom. These activities will build students perspectives and help them gain more information to write about in their papers. I love this source because of the clear instructions on how to use the activities but also how fun they can be for the students.

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I absolutely LOVE teaching argument writing because of its natural ability to engage students, and the amazing life skills (21st century skills) naturally taught within the unit. What teenager does not love an opportunity to argue their opinion? I have long since allowed my students the opportunity to choose their topic for the final assessment piece. It is wonderful to see their truest passion sprawled across the page. Teenagers are nothing if not passionate about their beliefs. When this passion is coupled with a new, greater understanding of the larger world around them, the product is truly amazing. Teenagers naturally begin to leave to security of their family and search for greater meaning, and their greater purpose in the world. They begin to understand and question like never before. When given an opportunity to explore a new topic with vigor and excitement, their argument papers are the better for it.

Yet, I found that even with this passionate topic, students still struggled with the essential argument writing skills. I yearned for a way to practice skills such as evaluating the sufficiency of evidence and seeing multiple perspectives on a topic. I wished to help them in creating rich and effective arguments with elements of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. Finally, I needed to find a way to help students in creating effective counter-arguments that actually refute the argument as opposed to simply changing the subject.

I spent some time over the summer wracking my brain for ideas on improving these skills without removing the natural engagement my students have with this unit. In fact, the question I repeatedly posed to myself was: how can I increase engagement? How can I get students as passionate about argument writing as I am?

The answer came within a professional development course taken during workshop week. Though I was desperate to get into my classroom, I, rather begrudgingly, attended one of the mandatory sessions. This session was on "Gaming in the Classroom: Increasing Student Engagement". As I listened to gaming options for other subjects, as few were English relevant, I began to think about this particular argument unit. How could I gamify argument writing? Pencil hit paper, and I was able to created several games for my own classroom. I have since been able to add to, and perfect this list.

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Collaborative and Interactive Games to Practice Argument Writing! - TeachWriting.org

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I yearned for a way to practice skills such as evaluating the sufficiency of evidence and seeing multiple perspectives on a topic. I wished to help them in creating rich and effective arguments with elements of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos.

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This PDF includes tips and tricks to teach students how to use their fix-it strategies and self monitoring. The PDF also provides examples of lessons in which you would use these strategies. I love this for a good example of how I should present this information to students.

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This PDF includes the IRI assessment to test on your students on their comprehension and reading accuracy. The PDF provides instructions to grade the assessments and grade specific examples for the educator to print off to use in the classroom. I love this for the purpose that I can use it for my own students and am given clear instructions on how to do so.

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Expository Writing/Argumentative Writing Activities - Jaine Johnson

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Expository Writing/Argumentative Writing Activities - Jaine Johnson

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This website provides great information regarding how to teach upper level elementary the basics of writing and argumentative essay. From the list of books provided for students to examine, to the examples of teaching rough drafts and final drafts. This is a website I think could benefit a lot of educators in teaching students.

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Ready to start teaching argumentative writing? Arguments and middle school students go hand in hand!

Looking for essay topics and ideas to help your students?

Read on!

I want you to know that this post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small fee from any qualifying purchases you make. You can read more here.
What is an argument?

That seems like a silly question, but ask your students and you'll be surprised at the responses you get!

What you really want to focus on is the difference between an argument and writing an argument (or argumentative writing). Focus on:

an argument is a disagreement

in its most simple form, it has two opposing sides

it relies on logic and evidence culled from research

it addresses counterclaims (or opposing views)

considers the audience

How is it different from persuasive writing?

If you've already taught persuasion or propaganda techniques, your students need to understand the subtle differences between the two types of writing.

Two key differences your students should understand:

1. Argument writing is based on logic and fact.

2. Argument writing addresses counterclaims.

While persuasive writing may include facts and address counterclaims, argument needs to explicitly include that.

It might be helpful to distinguish the two this way:

Persuasion is used to convince you to drink a certain kind of water

Argument is used to convince you about the guilt or innocence of a person

Getting started with Mentor Texts

Begin teaching argument writing by having your students analyze mentor texts.

Picture Books: The beauty of using pictures books as mentor texts is that they are short and easy for students to analyze.

Some fun books you can use include:

You can provide students with these quick questions to get started:

1. What is being argued?

2. Who is the audience?

3. What are the claims in favor?

4. Describe the counterclaims (those opposed)? What logic and/or evidence does the speaker use?

5. Do you think the argument is effective? Why or why not?

It is often easiest for students to work with a partner as they analyze. You can even have each group of students analyze a different book.

Once they have completed their analysis, allow students to share what they've discovered. Use simple summarizing questions like:

What makes the argument compelling?

How does the writer use evidence?

What kind of evidence is most effective?

Rate the evidence from strongest to weakest.

As students complete their analysis and observations, as a class create a list of "Elements of a good argument" that students can record in their resource notebooks. This will provide a checklist for students as they move forward.

Once students have a list of elements of argument writing, you may want them to analyze more advanced texts.

Political speeches are a great resource for analyzing an argument since they are more complex.

Even a short speeches like the Gettysburg Address or Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman?" can provide students with practice analyzing an argument.

As your students work on analyzing more complex pieces, they can create an anchor chart in their resource notebook.

Generating ideast

Try this: ask your students to list ten things they can't live without, ten things they don't want to live without, and ten things they want to live without.

Take each of those lists and start building ideas your students can argue.

For example, students will say they can't live without food. What other ideas are contained in that one thought?

Take those big ideas and start to narrow them into topics that a middle school students could argue:

vegetarianism - what are the health benefits for a teen?

fast food - why should our school allow fast food vendors in the cafeteria

hunger - does our community need a food bank?

fruits vs vegetables - is one better than the other?

reasons to eat dessert first

these are the best chocolate chip cookies

reasons to pack your lunch

Some ideas will be better than others, but the idea here is to brainstorm as many as possible. Allow students to add to keep growing their idea "trees."

Narrow the focus

Students often struggle with writing an argument if the topic isn't narrowed enough.

As students begin to choose what they want to research and write about, be sure you are checking in with them. Is their topic narrow enough?

Try this: ask students to generate a list of questions they need to answer for their topic. What information do they need in order to argue their point?

If their list is long, they need to narrow the topic. If it's only a question or two, then the topic might be too shallow.

"Prove It!"

It is sometimes difficult to know which should come first - the draft or the research.

Try this: provide students with time to freewrite about their topic. Set a time for about ten minutes to allow students to "brain dump." Tell them to just write their ideas, questions, and arguments down. It doesn't have to be organized or perfect. This is just a way to get their ideas from their head to the paper (or screen!).

As they write, ask them to keep a separate list for questions they have or information they need to support their claims. Students should ask themselves where they need to "prove it."

In other words, where do they need facts, statistics, or anecdotes to support their claim?

Address counterclaims

One of the hallmarks of argument writing is to respond to counterclaims. What is your opposition saying?

Try this: pair students up. Have the first student share his or her argument - giving the partner all the reasons why the argument is sound.

As the partner listens, he or she should be making a list of questions or counterclaims. The partner's job is to challenge the writer with questions or gaps in the argument.

This kind of feedback is golden!

Before setting your students on this kind of critique, you may want to model what it looks like for them and set up some ground rules.

For example, it's not fair to simply say, "That argument is stupid" or "I disagree." The writer needs concrete feedback, so the listener should give specific arguments.

Drafting and final draft

As students begin to write their final arguments, check in with them to make sure they're on the right track.

Try this:

check in with students to make sure they are incorporating research into their writing. You can quickly check by having them highlight or underline their research.

use exit cards to get instant feedback from students - they can simply let you know if they need more help or are on track

use a writing scheduler so you can have regular formative assessments

set up your writing workshop mini lessons to focus writing tasks for each day - you'll want to spend a day or two on creating a works cited and incorporating quoted material into their writing

So, are you ready to get into an argument (writing)?!

Ready to start teaching argumentative writing? Arguments and middle school students go hand in hand!

Looking for essay topics and ideas to help your students?

Read on!

I want you to know that this post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small fee from any qualifying purchases you make. You can read more here.
What is an argument?

That seems like a silly question, but ask your students and you'll be surprised at the responses you get!

What you really want to focus on is the difference between an argument and writing an argument (or argumentative writing). Focus on:

an argument is a disagreement

in its most simple form, it has two opposing sides

it relies on logic and evidence culled from research

it addresses counterclaims (or opposing views)

considers the audience

How is it different from persuasive writing?

If you've already taught persuasion or propaganda techniques, your students need to understand the subtle differences between the two types of writing.

Two key differences your students should understand:

1. Argument writing is based on logic and fact.

2. Argument writing addresses counterclaims.

While persuasive writing may include facts and address counterclaims, argument needs to explicitly include that.

It might be helpful to distinguish the two this way:

Persuasion is used to convince you to drink a certain kind of water

Argument is used to convince you about the guilt or innocence of a person

Getting started with Mentor Texts

Begin teaching argument writing by having your students analyze mentor texts.

Picture Books: The beauty of using pictures books as mentor texts is that they are short and easy for students to analyze.

Some fun books you can use include:

You can provide students with these quick questions to get started:

1. What is being argued?

2. Who is the audience?

3. What are the claims in favor?

4. Describe the counterclaims (those opposed)? What logic and/or evidence does the speaker use?

5. Do you think the argument is effective? Why or why not?

It is often easiest for students to work with a partner as they analyze. You can even have each group of students analyze a different book.

Once they have completed their analysis, allow students to share what they've discovered. Use simple summarizing questions like:

What makes the argument compelling?

How does the writer use evidence?

What kind of evidence is most effective?

Rate the evidence from strongest to weakest.

As students complete their analysis and observations, as a class create a list of "Elements of a good argument" that students can record in their resource notebooks. This will provide a checklist for students as they move forward.

Once students have a list of elements of argument writing, you may want them to analyze more advanced texts.

Political speeches are a great resource for analyzing an argument since they are more complex.

Even a short speeches like the Gettysburg Address or Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman?" can provide students with practice analyzing an argument.

As your students work on analyzing more complex pieces, they can create an anchor chart in their resource notebook.

Generating ideast

Try this: ask your students to list ten things they can't live without, ten things they don't want to live without, and ten things they want to live without.

Take each of those lists and start building ideas your students can argue.

For example, students will say they can't live without food. What other ideas are contained in that one thought?

Take those big ideas and start to narrow them into topics that a middle school students could argue:

vegetarianism - what are the health benefits for a teen?

fast food - why should our school allow fast food vendors in the cafeteria

hunger - does our community need a food bank?

fruits vs vegetables - is one better than the other?

reasons to eat dessert first

these are the best chocolate chip cookies

reasons to pack your lunch

Some ideas will be better than others, but the idea here is to brainstorm as many as possible. Allow students to add to keep growing their idea "trees."

Narrow the focus

Students often struggle with writing an argument if the topic isn't narrowed enough.

As students begin to choose what they want to research and write about, be sure you are checking in with them. Is their topic narrow enough?

Try this: ask students to generate a list of questions they need to answer for their topic. What information do they need in order to argue their point?

If their list is long, they need to narrow the topic. If it's only a question or two, then the topic might be too shallow.

"Prove It!"

It is sometimes difficult to know which should come first - the draft or the research.

Try this: provide students with time to freewrite about their topic. Set a time for about ten minutes to allow students to "brain dump." Tell them to just write their ideas, questions, and arguments down. It doesn't have to be organized or perfect. This is just a way to get their ideas from their head to the paper (or screen!).

As they write, ask them to keep a separate list for questions they have or information they need to support their claims. Students should ask themselves where they need to "prove it."

In other words, where do they need facts, statistics, or anecdotes to support their claim?

Address counterclaims

One of the hallmarks of argument writing is to respond to counterclaims. What is your opposition saying?

Try this: pair students up. Have the first student share his or her argument - giving the partner all the reasons why the argument is sound.

As the partner listens, he or she should be making a list of questions or counterclaims. The partner's job is to challenge the writer with questions or gaps in the argument.

This kind of feedback is golden!

Before setting your students on this kind of critique, you may want to model what it looks like for them and set up some ground rules.

For example, it's not fair to simply say, "That argument is stupid" or "I disagree." The writer needs concrete feedback, so the listener should give specific arguments.

Drafting and final draft

As students begin to write their final arguments, check in with them to make sure they're on the right track.

Try this:

check in with students to make sure they are incorporating research into their writing. You can quickly check by having them highlight or underline their research.

use exit cards to get instant feedback from students - they can simply let you know if they need more help or are on track

use a writing scheduler so you can have regular formative assessments

set up your writing workshop mini lessons to focus writing tasks for each day - you'll want to spend a day or two on creating a works cited and incorporating quoted material into their writing

So, are you ready to get into an argument (writing)?!

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How to teach argument writing - Just Add Students

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Ready to start teaching argumentative writing? Arguments and middle school students go hand in hand! Looking for essay topics and ideas to help your students? Read on! I want you to know that this post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small fee from any qualifying purchases you make.

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Fix It Strategies/Miscues/Self-Correcting - Jaine Johnson

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Fix It Strategies/Miscues/Self-Correcting - Jaine Johnson

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This website provides information on how students find themselves to struggle in the learning process of comprehension, but then provides tips on how teachers can help the learning process become easier. I love the idea of the bookmarks at the end, as it can be a tool students keep with them all of the time.

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Reading Inventories and Assessments - Jaine Johnson

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Reading Inventories and Assessments - Jaine Johnson

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I have found Epic to be popular in the classrooms as I have observed within the last few years. I think this resource is a great way for students to engage in reading the books they find interesting. As well, this is a GREAT website that allows both parents and teachers to track a students progress, as it has students engage in quizzes after reading books!

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Fix It Strategies/Miscues/Self-Correcting - Nicole Gregory

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Fix It Strategies/Miscues/Self-Correcting - Nicole Gregory

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This site has a downloadable self-monitoring checklist for students. It explains some of the benefits of self-monitoring strategies. This article also gives 4 different strategies for students to follow to check for understanding as they read.

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That sense of independence and belief in one's ability to comprehend a text independently often leads to students challenging themselves and taking more risks. By providing students with self-monitoring strategies, teachers help them reach a higher level of independence and a better understanding of how to analyze a text because they will not be so dependent on teacher support while reading a text.

Benefits of Self-Monitoring Reading Strategies

Self-monitoring strategies help students independently keep track of what they do and do not understand while reading a complex text. Other benefits of self-monitoring reading strategies include:

Give students greater independence

Foster a deeper understanding of a text

Enable students to learn more effectively

Encourage risk-taking

Promote students to take more responsibility for their learning

Empower students

Before you scroll any further...download the Self-Monitoring Strategies Checklist now and model these strategies for your students.

Self-Monitoring Reading Strategies to Help Students Better Understand a Text

When reading closely, students can use self-monitoring strategies to ensure they check for basic understanding and think more critically. The process of "self-monitoring" includes:

Below I've briefly outlined the process of self-monitoring. First, I will state the self-monitoring strategy and then give a brief explanation. Next, I will provide you with questions to share with your students to help them while using that strategy. Finally, I will give you one of the titles of a Patricia Polacco book I use to reinforce that particular strategy.

Strategy 1: Create a Visual

Students use their five senses to visualize what is going on in the text. By visualizing what is happening in the text, students are more likely to notice and remember details.

Questions for Students
When picturing in their mind the people or other characters, places, and events in the text, students can ask themselves the following questions:

Book to Reinforce the Strategy
For this strategy, I like to use Picnic at Mudsock Meadow by Patricia Polacco. A great way to practice creating a visual is by reading a picture book to your students without showing them the pictures. After reading, have students create a visual of the most important part of the text. Then, show the students the book's illustration for that part and do a compare and contrast discussion.

Strategy 2: Draw Conclusions

Students use their background knowledge (b.k.) and clues from the text (t.c.) to make an inference (something that you know that the author does not come right out and tell you). Encouraging students to think about "why" a character did or said something, and "why" an author may have written the text, creates an environment where students are naturally making inferences.

Questions for Students
Students can think about questions like these while making an inference:

What new information were you able to figure out?

Why do you think the character did _____________?

Why do you think the character said _____________?

Why do you think the author wrote this text?

Book to Reinforce the Strategy
For this strategy, I like to use Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco. This book encourages students to make thoughtful inferences about the characters' actions.

Strategy 3: Ask Yourself Questions

Students need to remember that good readers are ALWAYS thinking and wondering. By actively reading, students will develop a better understanding of the text. Students should be aware of the difference between a thin and thick question.

Questions for Students
Thin questions are the ones where the answers are right in the text (you can actually point to the answer in the text).

Thick questions are those where the answers are supported by the text.

Encourage students to use questions like these while actively reading a text:

Book to Reinforce the Strategy
For this strategy, I like to use My Rotten Red Headed Older Brother by Patricia Polacco. This book is good for understanding the difference between thin and thick questions. For example, a thin question would be, "How does Richie help his sister?" A thick question would be, "What lesson does this book teach?"

Strategy 4: Re-Read to Clarify

Students need to go back to the text and re-read parts that are still confusing and/or to clarify misinterpretations. Re-reading will lead to a better understanding of a text and analysis at a deeper level.

Questions for Students
Here are some questions for students to think about while re-reading.

What new information did I learn?

What do I understand better?

How has my thinking changed?

Book to Reinforce the Strategy
For this strategy, I like to have my students reread any of the Polacco books mentioned above. I then have them answer one of these three re-reading questions.

1. What new information did I learn?

2. What do I understand better?

3. How has my thinking changed?

In Summary

Self-monitoring strategies have many benefits, such as giving students greater independence and fostering a deeper understanding of a text. These strategies enable students to learn more effectively and encourage risk-taking. Self-monitoring strategies encourage students to take more responsibility for their own learning and, most importantly, will empower students.

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How Self-monitoring Strategies Support Students When Reading Closely

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When reading closely, students can use self-monitoring strategies to ensure they check for basic understanding and think more critically. Self-monitoring strategies have many benefits, such as giving students greater independence and fostering a deeper understanding of a text. Download a checklist..

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Expository Writing/Argumentative Writing Activities - Nicole Gregory

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Expository Writing/Argumentative Writing Activities - Nicole Gregory

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I picked this article because I think it has some helpful items to follow when teaching argumentative essay skills to students. It has 5 tips and tricks to help instruct your students in a fun, clear, and effortless way. The 5 tips include Mentor Texts are Golden, Structure is Everything, Research is Key, The Little Details Matter, and Checklists are a Must.

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5 Tips and Tricks for Teaching the Argumentative Essay — WRITING MINDSET

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When that beautiful time of year rolls around to teach the argumentative essay to your middle school students, you might find yourself crinkling your nose and thinking, “Oh boy, let’s just get through this.”  I don’t blame you!  Teaching the argumentative essay is no easy feat.

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Reading Inventories and Assessments - Nicole Gregory

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Reading Inventories and Assessments - Nicole Gregory

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I know this is a paid resource, but it is just a couple of dollars. It is a great form to have students fill out at the start of year to learn students view on reading, how they read, why they read, their reading likes or dislikes, and their personal view and value of reading in general. This form allows teachers to get to know their students and their reading habits.

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((I would recommend using this for 4th graders and up!!))

This Reading Inventory is *PERFECT* for back to school! The students can easily reflect on what makes them readers, why they like to read what they read (or don't read), and how they best read.

As the teacher, this provides you with a glimpse into their world of reading as an individual reader.

It provides information about:

- their view on reading

- how they read

- why they read

- their reading likes/dislikes

- personal view and value of reading in general

- a road map in helping provide texts that interest even the *HARDEST*-to-motivate readers!

(c) 2016 Lindsay Flood

For SINGLE classroom USE ONLY!

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((I would recommend using this for 4th graders and up!!))This Reading Inventory is *PERFECT* for back to school! The students can easily reflect on what makes them readers, why they like to read what they read (or don't read), and how they best read.As the teacher, this provides you with a glimpse i...