Reading

Interactive Task Folder

August 24, 2017 by Jodi 3 Comments

“I’m done. What do I do now?” I know you’ve heard this. My go-to answer is almost always “Go read a book.” This is always a great choice, but I also wanted to come up with a way for my students to have some other options. This Interactive Task Folder was the perfect answer.

After creating a Solar Eclipse Lapbook to use with my students, I knew that I needed to make something else like this that we could use on a regular basis. My students took so much ownership in their work and commented over and over again how much fun they had while making it.

This Interactive Task Folder is great for my early finishers. They can pull out their folders and work on sight words, phonics skills, vocabulary words, math facts, and more. These are also great for students to use when you find yourself with a couple of extra minutes before lunch or at the end of the day.

You will need a file folder for each student. Open up each folder and fold the two sides in towards the middle of the folder. Then, print off the pages needed to create the folder. I used Astrobrights colored paper, but you could definitely use white paper and have your students color their pages if they’d like. The front of the task folder includes a cover sheet, a 120’s chart, and a writing idea list.

For the inside, I have included a BOGGLE board that can be edited. This way, you can change out the letters when needed and just have the students glue the new board right on top of the old one. I also had someone give me the idea to put this on with velcro to make it easy to change out.

Students will also be able to practice their math facts and sight words. These pockets are sized to fit a 3×5 index card, or I have included editable math fact and sight word cards. The Reading Response sheets are perfect comprehension practice for students if they read a book in their spare time. I have included 4 different response sheets in this file.

The Making Words activity is a great way to practice spelling and phonics skills. I have included templates to create your own Making Words cards. I have also included a template for you to make your own vocabulary word strips. These can be changed out each week to keep the items fresh. I like to include the vocabulary words from our reading selections for the week.

On the back, I have included a Word List that is helpful for students when they are writing. It makes a great resource for them to use throughout the day.

These folders can take a bit of time to make, but once they are done, they are such a helpful resource. I highly recommend having your students make these instead of you or a parent volunteer. The students really take ownership in their work and are much more likely to use these if they are the ones making them.

What are teachers saying about this product?
“Very helpful; It’s nice to have everything a student needs in one place.”
“A great way to review basics on a daily basis! I love that I can edit parts of it, and can differentiate for all my students!” – Jennifer
“I think this is my favorite lap book ever! Such a useful tool and easy to individualize in my resource room.”

You can check these Interactive Task Folders out by clicking on any of the pictures in this post.

Strategies for Teaching Comprehension Skills – Listening Comprehension

March 5, 2017 by Jodi 1 Comment

We all know the importance of making sure our students are comprehending what they are reading, but why does it seem so difficult sometimes? With first graders, so much focus is put on “learning to read” at the beginning of the year. As the year progresses and students become more fluent readers, the shift needs to move from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” Many components need to go into creating this shift in reading. So, how can we make sure that our students are comprehending what they are reading?

I’m starting a new series on the blog over the next couple of weeks focusing on reading comprehension. I am hoping to share some strategies that can be implemented right away into your classrooms to help your students increase their comprehension skills. Today, we are discussing the importance of listening comprehension.

Listening Comprehension

Sometimes, we forget the power of the read aloud when talking about comprehension practice. This is especially important for students that are not yet readers. If you have your own children, think about all of times that you have read stories to them. Even the simple color and number books you read to toddlers. You look closely at the pictures. You talk about the colors. You count the objects. Most likely, you make the noises that the trucks or the animals are making. That is all comprehension practice. School aged children still need this practice. When you read books aloud to your class, really engage them in the story and make sure they are comprehending what you are reading to them. It is so important that your students are active listeners during read alouds.

Preview the book prior to reading. Make predictions based on the title and cover.
Take talk breaks during a book to explain your thinking or review what might be happening in the story.
Revisit parts that may be confusing or pages that you feel might need more explanation.
Discuss unknown vocabulary in the book.
Ask comprehension questions after reading the book. Talk about the characters, the problem and solution, and their thoughts about the book.

Strategies for Listening Comprehension

Use Listening Centers. I always purchase the book and CD Listening Centers from the Scholastic Book Orders each month. Then, I use my bonus points to get a couple of additional books to go along with each CD. Have students complete an activity after the story to work on their comprehension skills. You can download a FREE Listening Center Response Sheet HERE.
Prepare comprehension questions or talking points prior to reading. I like to write discussion questions on Post-It notes and put them inside the front cover of my books that I’m reading aloud to students. The majority of the time, I can remember what discussion points I want to hit, but let’s be honest, we have a million things going on in our heads at any given moment. The Post-It notes allow me to pick up a book and be able to very quickly know what I want to discuss, so I don’t overlook a particular skill.
Have comprehension practice ready for any book. Preparing discussion questions and comprehension skills for every single read aloud you do in your classroom would be very time consuming and overwhelming. It is perfectly fine to have general comprehension discussion points ready for any book. I know that plenty of times, I have received a new book from a Scholastic Book order or from Amazon, and I just have to read it aloud right away. For these times, I like to have ways to get the students involved in the story. I bought these pinwheels from Dollar Tree a couple of years ago. They make wonderful Comprehension Wheels. I just wrote with a Sharpie on each petal. After we read a book together, I spin the pinwheel and grab a petal to see which question we will answer. It’s an easy way to add some novelty to a lesson. These Comprehension Question Cards are also a great way to have a quick discussion about a book. After printing them, I laminate the cards and place them on a metal ring. These are easy to pull out during read alouds to make sure that I am asking a variety of comprehension questions. I also like to keep a set at my reading table to use with my small groups. You can click on the picture below to check these out.

Remember that Listening Comprehension strategies need to be used before reading, during reading, and after reading. We need to look at the entire picture.

The ability to comprehend a text can make or break a student’s reading success. These are strategies that we need to work on over and over again throughout the school day. We really need to make sure that we are not overlooking the power of building listening comprehension with our students. I hope you continue to join me as I discuss more comprehension strategies and skills in the next couple of weeks. Feel free to pin the image below or any of the images above to remember this blog post for future reference.

A Camping Themed Classroom Transformation

February 25, 2017 by Jodi 1 Comment

Classroom transformations have been the highlight of my school year this year. My students always look forward to them. I love planning for them and setting them up. Even though they can be a lot of work sometimes, it is always worth it. This time around, I transformed the classroom into a campground, and we “camped out” all day.

To set up the classroom, I brought in a tent that we had at home. This was a gift to my girls a couple of years ago, so it was something we already had. You could definitely bring in a regular camping tent, but I was just using what we already had at home. I also brought in my decorative trees that I set out at Christmas time. These were the perfect addition to the “campsite.” I purchased small camping chairs from Walmart for less than $10. I also hung some white Christmas lights from the ceiling to add to the glow of the room and to look like stars in the night sky. I made a fire using construction paper and rocks that I bought at Dollar Tree.

I brought in some mason jars that I had at home and put battery-powered tealight candles inside of them. I bought the candles at Dollar Tree. Then, I threw some red and white checkered table clothes, that I already had, on the tables. I also bought a spray bottle at Dollar Tree and filled it with water. I used the Bug Spray label from my friend, Stacy, at Simpson’s Superstars. The kids loved being sprayed with “bug spray.” Set up was super easy, and I really used mostly things I already had at home or in the classroom.

Before the students came in, I placed a campsite coloring page onto clipboards for each student.

Then, I turned off the lights and projected a crackling campfire onto the screen. I used this one below.

It really felt like we were camping. It was so relaxing. The students were able to sit anywhere around the room to do their work. Throughout the day, we completed camping themed activities. We read camping books including Arthur Goes to Camp, Berenstain Bears Go to Camp, and Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping. I purchased little flashlights from Amazon for each of my students, so they could use them throughout the day. They were really cheap, but also cheaply made. I think I’ll just have them bring in their own next year.

The students had so much fun in the campground for the day.

You can find all of these activities and printables in my Camping Day packet HERE.

Want to save these ideas for later? Feel free to pin the image below, or any other image from the post, to your Pinterest boards. Be sure to check out my other Classroom Transformations below.

You can read more about our other classroom transformations in these blog posts.

A Bat Cave

An Arctic Adventure

Games to Play in Your Classroom

February 5, 2017 by Jodi 1 Comment

Playing games in your classroom is the perfect way to review skills while keeping students engaged in their learning. I like to make sure that I always have some games prepped and ready to go. Not only do I purposefully place games into my lesson plans for the week, but I also use games when I see that my students may be losing focus and we need to change things up.

The Benefits of Playing Games

Playing games has so many benefits for students. First of all, students LOVE playing games. Games grab their attention and keeps them engaged in their learning. Students can also learn a variety of important skills while playing games. Not only can they learn academics, but games allow children to work on critical thinking skills as well as learning good sportsmanship and teamwork.

There is plenty of research to prove that games are beneficial in the classroom. “Studies show that, on average, using academic games in the classroom is associated with a 20 percentile point gain in student achievement.” (Haystead and Marzano, 2009.)

What are My Favorite Games to Play in our Classroom?

I love to transform classic board games and give them an academic twist. You can do this in many different ways, and the possibilities are truly endless.

I have way too many Candy Land games in my classroom, maybe more than I care to admit. However, I love using this game for reviewing many different skills. To create a sight word version of Candy Land, just write a sight word on each colored square. Before the player can move to that color, he/she has to read the sight word. I have also created math fact Candy Land where the player has to tell the answer to the problem before moving to their color. Other ideas for transforming Candy Land include: letter sounds, blends and digraphs, synonyms and antonyms, rhyming words, etc.

Connect Four is another game that lends itself to academics. I just write on the chips, and the students are ready to play. In the first picture, I wrote addition math facts on each piece. The player had to say the answer before putting in their chip. The second picture has beginning blends and digraphs on each chip. The players had to say a word that began with that blend or digraph before putting their piece into the game.

Another idea is to use Jenga. For the game above, I wrote ending punctuation on each block. Before pulling out the block, the player had to say a sentence that ended with that punctuation mark.

We also use Chutes and Ladders to review words with particular vowel sounds. In the picture above, I wrote a vowel on each section of the spinner. Before moving their piece, the student had to say a word that contained that vowel sound. You could use this with short or long vowel sounds. Another idea is to have the student say a math fact that equals the number they landed on before moving their game piece. For the Sorry games above, I wrote letters on each square. As the students move around the board, they have to say the letter sound. For the one on the bottom, I just wrote tasks on each card. For example, “Say a word with 2 syllables.”

I also love to have other games on hand in my classroom. Each month, I print off the games from my monthly NO Prep Game packets. I almost always print the black and white versions, but sometimes I print off colored copies and then laminate them. At the beginning of each month, I print classroom copies of each game and place them in a drawer. Anytime I notice that we need a change of pace or we have a couple extra minutes, I can pull out one of these games. Each month has a variety of math and literacy games that are perfect for reviewing skills that we have been learning. You can check out each month or the entire bundle HERE. The TIC TAC TOE game is from my Phonics TIC TAC TOE packet that you can check out HERE.

These math fact games are also great to have on hand. Our math series really lacks in math fact practice, so I like to use these to make sure that my students are getting plenty of practice with these skills. You can check the addition and subtraction games HERE.

Want to Pin this post for future use? Feel free to pin the image below or any of the pictures above.

What are your favorite games to use in your classroom?

5 Ways to Get Your Students Up and Moving

January 16, 2017 by Jodi Leave a Comment

If you have any experience with children, you know that they need to get up and move throughout they day. Even as an adult, I do not sit still very well. I cannot stand when I have to sit through a meeting all day. I need to move around. Research has shown that movement can increase focus and retention. Brain researcher, John Medina, stated in Brain Rules (2008), that “physical activity is cognitive candy and exercise boosts brain power.” Did you know that in Finland, it is typical for students to get a 15 minute break for every 45 minutes of instruction? With our push for longer school days and more time on task, this seems almost impossible. But, we truly have to think about if our “time on task” involves the students giving 100% of their focus and attention to what we are teaching. So, how can we incorporate more movement into our classrooms?

1. Have Students Transition Around the Classroom Throughout the Day

We are constantly moving to different areas of our classroom during the day. We do not stay in one area for too long. As soon as I notice that my students are losing focus, we change it up. I do whole group instruction at our desks or on the carpet together. I do small group instruction at my reading table, while my students transition around the classroom doing learning stations.My students also love to find a spot in the classroom to work on their Morning Tubs in the morning.

The most important thing to remember, is to be very aware of when your students are starting to lose focus. As the year progresses, students will be able to stay in one spot for longer periods of time, but definitely switch it up often.

2. Integrate Movement into Learning

The easiest way to get your students up and moving is to find ways to integrate movement into your learning. Have students act out vocabulary words or play games that get them moving around the classroom.

One of my students favorite games is 4 corners. There are a couple different ways you can play this game. One that we played recently was Vowel Sound 4 Corners. (You could definitely do 5 areas instead of 4.) I hung signs up in each corner of my room labeled short a, short e, short i, and short o. Each student stood under a sign of their choice. Then, I drew a short vowel word from a jar. For example, “cat.” All of the students under the Short a sign, went and sat down. Then, the students picked a new sign to stand under. This continued until there was one winner. This can easily be adapted to many reading and math skills.

Another favorite game that gets students out of their seats is Splat. I group the students into 4 or 5 teams. I place skill cards on the board. In the example above, we were working with soft and hard c and g. I read a word, and the first person to “Splat” the correct answer scored a point for their team. (The Splat flyswatter were purchased at Walmart.)

An easy and fun way that I integrate academics and exercise is with my Reading on the Move and Math on the Move packets. The students roll the dice after reading to see what “movement” they are going to complete before rereading the passage. (The passage above is from my Reading on the Move – Winter Edition). You can check out all of my Reading on the Move packets HERE.

We also use my Math on the Move packets to integrate math and exercise. The students love getting up and moving after each section of work that they complete.

3. Allow Flexible Seating in your Classroom

This is something that is still evolving in my classroom. I have Wobble Chairs at my reading table that the students may use at their desks if they need them. I also allow the students to stand at their desks if they work better this way. A couple of my students also prefer to use clipboards on the floor. My only absolute “no” with seating is that students may not sit dangerously in their seats. (Leaning back on two legs, turned around backwards with their feet stuck in the back, shoes tied to their chair legs. I mean…not that I’ve learned those from previous experiences or anything.)

4. Take Brain Breaks

When you notice that students are losing focus, take a Brain Break. We absolutely love using GoNoodle for our Brain Breaks. There are so many great options to choose from depending on what the students need at that time. I love all of the KooKoo Kangaroo videos when I need my students to “wake up” and recharge. However, sometimes I need the opposite effect, and I want them to settle down. The Flow and Maximo videos are perfect for this.

Another great way to add a little bit of movement to your day is to use this movement dice.

This can be used as a whole group when you notice that students are starting to get off task. It also works great for students that may need to keep it at their desk to use when they need an extra break. You can download it for free HERE.

5. Head Outside

Weather permitting, I love to take learning outside. Living in Indiana, this is not always possible, but on nice spring and fall days, we love to head outside. You can take books outside and let students read. We have also taken our white boards and dry erase markers out to a picnic table to work on math. Sidewalk chalk is a great way to practice spelling words and math facts. Another idea is to have students use their senses while outside to enhance their writing. The possibility are endless.

How do you use movement in your classroom?

Christmas Chaos or Fun – You Decide

December 8, 2016 by Jodi Leave a Comment

‘Twas two weeks before break and all through the school,

All the children were crazy and not following the rules.

How about you? Are you ready for Christmas Break, yet? I love almost everything about the weeks before Christmas. (Christmas crafts, Christmas decorations, Christmas programs and plays, Christmas music, …) However, wouldn’t it be perfect if we could slow it down and not try to squeeze everything into a short time frame? Then, the icing on the Christmas cookie would be to have perfectly behaved students. I know…I want to still believe in Christmas miracles. Anyways, I wanted to show you a couple of things that we are doing in the classroom in preparation for Christmas.

We will be performing our ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas Reader’s Theater next week. I wrote this last year for my students, but then made it editable before putting it in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store. I’m so glad I did that because it was so easy to switch out my students names for this year.

You can grab the reader’s theater HERE if you are interested.

We also made these measurement trees from Mrs. Lee’s Kindergarten.

To gear the lesson towards 1st graders, I have them actually measure their strips and cut them appropriately. I cut out 8×1 inch strips from a packet of scrapbook paper. Then, the students each picked 5 strips. They glued the first 8 inch strip on the bottom, cut the second strip into a 7 inch and a 1 inch piece, the third strip into a 6 inch and a 2 inch piece, and so on until they created their tree. Then, we used white paint and Q-tips to make snow. They make a really easy bulletin board display.

Another great way that we have been helping to control the Christmas chaos is by using my Reading on the Move Christmas Edition.

The students have so much fun moving around while they practice their reading. It’s a nice way to mix things up a bit during the holiday season. You can check it out in my store HERE.

We have also been busy with our Gift of Kindness. You can read more about it HERE. Today, we gave out candy canes to every adult in our building.

The students absolutely LOVED this activity. The first set of students delivered the candy canes to the office staff. When they came back, two of the boys immediately told me how good it made them feel to give something to someone else. Too cute! You can download this editable note HERE.

We have also been completing activities from my Christmas Comprehension packet.

We are having fun reading Christmas stories while practicing our comprehension skills. You can check it out HERE.

Even though I cannot wait until Christmas, I still cannot believe that we are in the middle of December already! How are you surviving the last week before break?

Interactive Task Folder

Strategies for Teaching Comprehension Skills – Listening Comprehension

A Camping Themed Classroom Transformation

Games to Play in Your Classroom

5 Ways to Get Your Students Up and Moving

Christmas Chaos or Fun – You Decide

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