Close reading is key to the analysis and interpretation of literature. A close reading of the title and the epigraph of “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” offers readers an opportunity to examine how even single words or names can...

Learning to read is not a simple task, but there are methods for assisting pupils as they develop literacy skills. The first four pages of this resource include information about language development and reading development, as well as...

Posted here are dozens of questions to present when reading The Hobbit. Questions for 19 chapters are available. Either give this guide to your class, or use it to help you develop appropriate, yet challenging material to explore each...

As your youngsters begin to recognize the letters of the alphabet and their correponsding sounds, there are some they will be more familiar with than others. Cement their letter associations using this quick strategy, shown here with the...

Foster critical thinking skills by using the DR-TA Strategy with Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal.” Class members read portions of the essay, stop and discuss what is happening, make predictions based on evidence from the text, and...

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...

What makes a poem difficult? Explore that topic and more with your class as you work through the lesson detailed here. Using materials from Poetry Out Loud, a national recitation contest, individuals or small groups examine poems and...

Support a class reading of the novel Song of the Trees by Mildred D. Taylor with this series of discussion questions. Covering a variety of topics from character and setting to historical accuracy and symbolism, these questions...

An interactive practice challenges scholars to read an informational text and answer 10 questions. The topic of the passage is the American Revolution.

Fridays can be a challenge with learners already dreaming about their weekends. Here's a routine that will bring their minds back to the classroom. Read aloud the beginning of a story, sure to engage your listeners.

Jacque's soliloquy from Act II, scene ii of As You Like It sets the stage for a close reading exercise that models how to approach difficult, dense text and enables readers to practice reading comprehension and analysis...

Analyze a seminal speech from the 20th century with an activity focused on President John F. Kennedy's inaugural address. After reading an excerpt from the address, pupils use a learning exercise to practice their reading...

The Odyssey, one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer, is often a difficult read. Be sure to include the internet activity involving Ageanet List, where pupils can ask scholars questions that arise while reading. One...

Consider using this worksheet, another in a series of sentence completion exercises, as the basis of a lesson on test taking or comprehension strategies, as a critical thinking exercise, or as extra practice for up-coming standardized...

Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass provides the text for a study of how writers bring characters to life. Using the provided character mapping worksheets, readers respond to questions and then write a short character sketch.

Even your best readers will be challenged by this worksheet that asks learners to pick the word that best completes each sentence. An answer sheet not only identifies the correct response but also details the strategies used to determine...

Desiccate, despoil, devise, descry! You would be remiss if you did not use this sentence completion worksheet to challenge even your best pundits. The SAT level words and the beautifully detailed explanations key would help to ameliorate...

Skateboarding fans will love to read about Gary the gorilla, who loves his red skateboard! As kids read the short passage, they fill in the blanks with words from the word bank at the bottom of the page.

Take an in-depth look at a passage from Kate DiCamillo's Because of Winn-Dixie. Included here is the reading passage as well as a step-by-step procedure for reading the text, a set of text-dependent questions, and a final writing...

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...

Many informational texts are written as factual, but can your learners determine when an opinion is presented as fact? Have your kids read several articles on the same topic and record the statements that contain either facts or...

Put up a poster near your class library to encourage your pupils to take trips to different worlds and times through books. The poster features one large hot air balloon made out of book covers and several smaller balloons, some with...

Some days, the world seems like it is becoming darker, but research suggests that the world might actually be becoming a more peaceful place. An informational reading passage accompanied by a series of activities builds English language...

A four-paragraph informational text details the life of the famous baseball player, Jackie Robinson. A prompt challenges scholars to write or discuss a time in their life when they were not included and how that made them feel.