K-6 Literacy Resources for Teachers & Parents
Oh, the best laid plans…I was really hoping Poems for Kids: Over 600 Poems for Teaching Poetry Terms & Poetic Devices to Children in Grades 3-6 was going to be published in March just before National Poetry Month in April, but sometimes projects just take a little bit longer than expected. It’s now June, and …
St. Patrick’s Day is almost here so it’s a wonderful time to sneak some funny limericks into your March language arts curriculum. The best way to teach limericks is to read lots of limerick examples and then try your hand at writing some! So . . . just what is a limerick? A limerick is …
Today ABC books are available in every possible theme from The Dinosaur Alphabet Book to The Construction Alphabet and B is for Ballet: A Dance Alphabet. There’s an alphabet book for every possible interest and theme. But . . . Not all ABC books are created equal for learning how to read. A child’s first exposure …
It may be surprising, but learning how to read actually starts with the ears, not the eyes. Hearing and discriminating sounds comes first, before learning alphabet letters. There are five essential components to reading instruction, but at the very foundation is phonological awareness & phonemic awareness. So…what is the difference between phonological awareness & phonemic …
I live in a wonderful little coastal town in North County San Diego and it’s nice to be able to get some fresh air at the beach when it’s a bit less crowded on a week day. One of my favorite things to do in the summer is hang out under our canopy and watch …
I’m a long time collector of children’s book quotes, so I’ve assembled some of my favorites from classic children’s literature to share. Book quotes from classic children’s literature are snippets of good writing, so why not use them as exemplars for teaching writing? Even if you haven’t read any of these classic books (yet), these …
Read moreUse Quotes From Children’s Books in a Writing Mini-Lesson
A simile compares two unlike things using the words like or as to make the comparison. It’s a form of figurative language as well as a literary device and it is used in both prose and poetry. So…does that clear it up? No? Rather than look at the definition of a simile, which is never …
What is oral reading fluency? Reading fluency is the ability to read accurately smoothly with expression But the focus should always be on reading fluently with good comprehension. I think it’s also important to remember, that for most of us, fluent reading happens much more frequently as a silent process in our heads. Fluency Speed: …
Writers use similes and other forms of figurative language to create strong mental images for readers. However, before we can expect students to use similes effectively in their own writing, they should read lots of good simile examples in the writing of others. Similes can certainly be found in prose as well as poetry, but …
Presidents’ Day traditionally honors President George Washington, born February 22, 1732, and President Abraham Lincoln, born on February 12, 1809, but we celebrate their combined birthdays on the third Monday in February. Because Presidents’ Day is a Federal holiday, I suspected there might be some great online teaching resources produced by the federal government, and …
Read more5 Government Websites for FREE Presidents’ Day Teaching Resources