The one about creating a reading classroom community
Building a reading classroom community can be a challenge. These ten ideas will help you create a positive reading environment in your upper elementary classroom.
Category: read alouds
The one about changing your read aloud books
Do you remember the read aloud books your teachers read to you? I didn’t have that many teachers who read aloud to us, especially as we got older. I remember in fourth grade, our teacher read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Island of the Blue Dolphins. In
The one with MUST HAVE picture books for upper elementary
I’ve always loved using novels in the classroom, but in more recent years, I’ve recognized the power of picture books. They’re short and easily have multiple ways to be used in the classroom. They can be inspirational and mentor texts. While virtual for most of 2020-2021, I relied heavily on
The one about building your classroom library without breaking the bank
I’m a bibliophile. I can’t help it. I love books and I’m constantly looking for new ones to add to my classroom library. When I first started teaching, I was given the leftover stack of books from teachers who retired or others who were cleaning out their stash. You know
The one with read aloud books for upper elementary
Previously, I shared some favorite read aloud books for fourth grade. Since writing that post back in 20??, I’ve made a few updates to my read alouds. This list represents the read alouds I’ve used in the past few years. My #1 favorite is at the end! Six New Read
The one about engaged poetry readers and writers
It’s all about a dog. I mean, how can you look in those eyes and not fall desperately in love? This is why I loved creating a poetry unit for elementary around Love that Dog by Sharon Creech. First: gratuitous picture of my dog! 😍 Okay, but really, I’m here
The one about planning read aloud time
First off, read aloud time is non-negotiable in my classroom. But how to fit it into an already packed schedule? Here’s what I’ve learned and how I adapted my schedule. This post may contain some affiliate links, which means if you click on one of the links and make a
The one about Harry Potter in the classroom
I am 10,000% obsessed with Harry Potter. From the moment I started teaching, I kept looking for ways to incorporate this novel into my classroom. I really wanted to be able to show my students the magic of these books, even though it’s now so easy for them to have
The one about starting a novel {set the stage to engage}
The day we start a new novel is one of my favorites. I’m always ecstatic to share a book that I love with my class and to get them all as interested in reading as I am. Choosing the right way to start off a novel unit can be tricky
The one about teaching the mystery genre with novels
Hopefully you’ve been following along with my series about teaching all about mysteries. If you’re just jumping in, be sure to flip back to read about how I set the stage to engage my students with a Detective Mission and how we used Scooby Doo to help us practice what
The first FIVE days of lesson plans for the beginning of the year.