What sound does the letter t make? As scholars develop letter recognition, form sound associations with strategies like these. Explain the tongue movement in making the /t/ sound, asking learners to try it. Draw the t on the...

Use these inventive strategies to focus on the letter r, forming sound associations along with letter recognition. Explain the tongue movement in making the /r/ sound, asking learners to try it. Draw the r on the board and give...

Do your emerging readers know that letters sometimes borrow the sounds of other letters? Explore the soft /c/ sound, explaining that c has borrowed the sound from s. After giving scholars some examples of words that begin...

“Use ellipses to show omitted material from a quoted passage . . . and to maintain good grammar . . . .” Everything learners need to know about ellipses and how to uses them is included in colorful presentation that is rich with...

If your class is gearing up to read MAUS by Art Spiegelman, consider having them complete this KWHL chart as a prereading activity. They record what they know, what they want to learn, how they will find the information, and what they...

As the story unfolds and your class is introduced to George and Lennie, provide them with this short reading guide for chapter one. It addresses challenging vocabulary and any literary terms used in the section before asking learners to...

Feeling harried? Experiencing a sense of foreboding? Learners craft sentences using words from Homer’s The Odyssey. The two exercises included here are sure to stoke their enthusiasm.

Arguably one of the most famous novels, A Tale of Two Cities is a tough read for many learners. Help your readers understand the first chapters of the text by offering this vocabulary guide. Twenty new words are introduced, and two...

The best way to learn vocabulary is to see it in context, right? That's exactly what this activity does; it presents 20 terms for Macbeth in context. For part one, learners answer a list of questions that use the target vocabulary. In...

Read Our Town with your class, and introduce them to new vocabulary words. Twenty words (like agrarian, crestfallen, and ennui) are the focus, and learners complete to exercises to better acquaint themselves with the new words. Although...

Ah, The Catcher in the Rye. As your class reads this iconic book by J.D. Salinger, provide them with some opportunities to develop their vocabulary. Twenty new words are introduced, and learners deepen their understanding through both a...

Although dated in appearance, this PowerPoint presents current content in how learners can identity a theme, main idea, subject, and topic. The information is formatted for easy note taking, but offers no explanation of the themes...

There is nothing more frustrating than discussing theme in literature, and now the Common Core requires that your learners determine two or more, and discuss the development of it throughout the text. This is crazy, but manageable with...

Although the ideas on how to implement the skill RI.9-10.2 are lacking, the assessment would work well for challenging learners to summarize, and identify the main ideas of presidential speeches that are of similar topics. One could use...

New to teaching and the Common Core? Then you need to check out how the skill W.9-10.4 is broken down into easy-to-understand steps for your learners to dominate and conqueror. Included is a script to present to your class that details...

What would happen if I structured this review by beginning in the middle of it? Or by flashing back to the dinner I had last night that gave me bad heartburn, and then transitioned into how the lingering burn of acid seeped into my...

Determining the meaning of a word based on context clues or marking how the meaning of a term evolves in the course of a document can be a challenge in more complex text. Give your pupils an opportunity to practice this skill with a...

Comparing information found in images, charts, and graphs with that found in written text can be a challenge for even senior high scholars. Provide learners with an opportunity to practice this skill with an exercise that asks them to...

If you need an introduction to skill W.9-10.1 for writing, then you’re off to a good start here. Included is a funny script that introduces what the students need to know to conquer the skill. It also provides an introduction activity...

After reading each chunk of two chapters of Carl Hiaasen's novel Hoot, ask learners to respond to related study questions. The instructions at the top of the questions suggest that individuals should read the questions first, read the...

Young writers will surely remember this acronym while they are writing! Each letter prompts pupils to include a different aspect of a brief constructed response. The resource includes a checklist as well as a graphic organizer that...

Talk about technology in the classroom. This plan has all the resources needed to create a non-linear or branching story. Included is a step-by-step tutorial that walks middle schoolers through the project description, a model of a...

Sixth graders interview Veterans or role play to answer who, what, where, when questions. In this Veteran's Day questioning activity, 6th graders learn about the events in the military service of veterans. Students may simulate...

¿Quíen tiene la camiseta? Here's a fun, interactive activity using real pieces of clothing to teach and review new vocabulary. Get all of your young learners participating with this one!