Tag Archives: Teaching reading

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month: Watercress and Other Read Alouds

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and it’s an excellent opportunity to celebrate the contributions and experiences of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in our classroom. As educators, it’s essential to help our students understand the diversity and richness of different cultures, and one way to do that is through literature. One particularly fittingContinue reading “Asian Pacific American Heritage Month: Watercress and Other Read Alouds”

Teaching Reading with the CCSS: Making Connections to Self, Across Texts, and to the World

Introduction As teachers, we all want to inspire our students to become lifelong learners and critical thinkers. We want them to engage with the world around them and develop empathy for others. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) provide a framework for teaching essential skills that will prepare our students for success in college, career, and life. In thisContinue reading “Teaching Reading with the CCSS: Making Connections to Self, Across Texts, and to the World”

8 Tips to Improve Reading Comprehension for 2nd Graders: Strategies and Book Suggestions

I remember struggling with my son’s reading comprehension in 2nd grade. Although he could read the words, he often couldn’t answer questions about the text because he wasn’t paying attention to what he was reading. This is a common problem that elementary educators face with their students. It can be frustrating for both parents and teachers toContinue reading “8 Tips to Improve Reading Comprehension for 2nd Graders: Strategies and Book Suggestions”

Engage Your Students with Fun and Educational Activities: How to Catch a Leprechaun Book Companion

Are you looking for an exciting and educational way to engage your students during reading time? Look no further than my book companion for the read-aloud book “How to Catch a Leprechaun.” This fun and engaging activity pack is designed to help children develop important skills while enjoying a beloved tale of trickery and adventure.Continue reading “Engage Your Students with Fun and Educational Activities: How to Catch a Leprechaun Book Companion”

Benefits of Reading Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs During Your Weather Unit

Integrating literature into content areas is a powerful way to engage students in learning. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett is an excellent example of a book that can be used in the classroom to supplement a weather unit in science. Reading this book aloud to elementary students can have numerous benefitsContinue reading “Benefits of Reading Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs During Your Weather Unit”

Structure of a Story: Plot

Elementary students need to understand the structure of a story. Knowing the elements of a story will help with comprehension during reading and when writing one, not to mention it’s one of the Common Core: RL.2.7. Characters, setting, point of view and plot are the basic elements of a story. Let’s focus on the plot. TheContinue reading “Structure of a Story: Plot”

Strategies to Build Background Knowledge

Background knowledge is often something we teachers overlook by jumping into the lesson, but it is crucial in helping students understand and retain new knowledge. For instance, a memory came up on my Facebook page recently where I posted a conversation between my youngest son and me: The joy of homeschooling is seeing those lightbulbContinue reading “Strategies to Build Background Knowledge”

READ-ALOUDS A POWERFUL TOOL

As teachers, we remind the parents of our elementary students to read to their children. We tell them how important it is and that it is also an enjoyable time to spend together. We need to heed our advice and utilize that strategy in our classrooms. Besides being pleasant, modeling reading through teacher read-alouds benefitsContinue reading “READ-ALOUDS A POWERFUL TOOL”