https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9 en-us 2021-05-08 18:02:40 UTC 2025-11-14 19:37:24 UTC hello@padlet.com bweisel1 https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505320974 When I think about language tools, the first place my mind goes is our classroom library. One specific goal I have is to create a responsive classroom in which ALL students can access books that match their identity (as it relates to language and otherwise). To do this, I must stock my shelves with increased intentionality. This book diversity audit is an activity I performed with my class this year, after reading about it on the blog below.  I also think about ways to incorporate multiple modalities into reading so that every child has an entry point into comprehension.]]> 2021-05-08 18:04:36 UTC https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505320974 bweisel1 https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505329576 One language standard that third graders are expected to master is reading aloud with greater fluency; this means that most students enter the classroom with "robot reading" and learn throughout the year how to speak with expression, intonation, and prosody. Reader's Theater has been my saving grace to help students achieve this goal. It naturally lends itself to all kinds of learners: kinesthetic learners who use their bodies to act out gestures, ELLs who gain repeated exposure to new language through each rehearsal, and visual learners who utilize the script in hand as they perform. Poetry fulfills a similar need by giving kids bite-size exposure to rhythm and language patterns without overwhelming struggling readers. The line breaks also give children the freedom to read in a variety of silly ways. ]]> 2021-05-08 18:12:11 UTC https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505329576 bweisel1 https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505343853 by Jack Prelutsky]]> 2021-05-08 18:25:37 UTC https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505343853 bweisel1 https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505344543 By Jack Prelutsky]]> 2021-05-08 18:26:14 UTC https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505344543 bweisel1 https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505346035 2021-05-08 18:27:40 UTC https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505346035 bweisel1 https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505349926 2021-05-08 18:31:06 UTC https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505349926 bweisel1 https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505350690 2021-05-08 18:31:47 UTC https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505350690 bweisel1 https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505352499 I use Heggerty's primary curriculum to supplement our reading units of study. This pairs movement and hand motions with skills such as segmenting and blending, and can be incorporated into the classroom routine in fewer than 15 minutes. ]]> 2021-05-08 18:33:34 UTC https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505352499 bweisel1 https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505355246 Here is a sample Heggerty lesson for younger learners]]> 2021-05-08 18:35:57 UTC https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505355246 bweisel1 https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505358402 Audiobooks, playaways, and digital literacy resources to check out at the Stl County Library]]> 2021-05-08 18:38:25 UTC https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505358402 bweisel1 https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505359442 Pairing books with CD's ]]> 2021-05-08 18:39:17 UTC https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505359442 bweisel1 https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505361765 In my classroom, we learn one Greek or Latin root each week. This fills the time that younger classes would use for calendar time. The kids are fascinated by the etymology, and then feel so excited when they become word collectors and find related words in their independent reading books. This builds their vocabulary and decoding tools. To tweak this, I like the idea of using a bulletin board where I'd normally have a word wall to display all the roots we've learned throughout the year. ]]> 2021-05-08 18:41:24 UTC https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505361765 bweisel1 https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505365267 2021-05-08 18:44:30 UTC https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505365267 bweisel1 https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505376353 2021-05-08 18:54:03 UTC https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505376353 bweisel1 https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505380679 To help students build their oral language skills, I pass around an  wireless microphone during each of our morning meetings. This encourages students not only to speak clearly, but introduces them to basic conversational skills such as turn taking, asking questions, and public speaking. We also use this tool during the share time portion of writer's workshop. ]]> 2021-05-08 18:58:19 UTC https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505380679 bweisel1 https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505384830 These hold students accountable for their language skills and can help struggling speakers find an entry point by taking the burden off of word formation or syntax.]]> 2021-05-08 19:02:12 UTC https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505384830 bweisel1 https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505395145 I utilize "awkward silence" and long pauses in my classroom daily. It's important for students to have time to fully formulate their thinking before they are called on. This also holds me accountable as a teacher to make sure each child can have their moment in the spotlight, whether or not they were the first to raise their hand. I find that giving students more wait time increases the depth and detail in their thinking too. ]]> 2021-05-08 19:11:57 UTC https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505395145 bweisel1 https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505403674 Even though my kiddos are 8 and 9 years old, I include mirrors in my literacy items so that students have an opportunity to see the way their lips, tongue, cheeks, etc move while they speak. In earlier years, this helps them with phonics related skills, but as they get older they can also examine the nuances of facial expressions. Because communication is more than just the words we select, it is important for kiddos to note how their face looks as well as their tone of voice as they talk.  ]]> 2021-05-08 19:19:38 UTC https://padlet.com/bweisel1/tsb8j6zlcq7v1gl9/wish/1505403674