15 Creative Book Report Ideas for Every Grade and Subject Responding to what you read is an important literacy skill. Reading about other people’s experiences and perspectives helps kids learn about the world. And although students don’t need to dive deeply into every single book they read, occasionally digging into characters, settings, and themes can help them learn to look beyond the prose. Here are 42 creative book report ideas designed to make reading more meaningful. 1. This clever activity is basically a shape poem made up of words, phrases, and whole sentences found in the books students read. 2. Have students rewrite the book they are reading, or a chapter of their book, as a graphic novel. 3. Book Snaps are a way for students to visually show how they are reacting to, processing, and/or connecting with a text. 4. Have your students place themselves in the shoes of one of the characters from their book and write a first-person diary entry of a critical moment from the story. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Yum! 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19.
Best Short Stories for Middle Schoolers, As Chosen by Teachers Short stories are a perfect teaching tool for middle schoolers. Because they require less time to read, they’re an easy way to expose your students to new authors and genres. Also, between stylistic intricacies and plot twists, short stories hook readers and hold middle schoolers’ attention like nothing else. We’ve compiled this list of short stories that are great for teaching middle schoolers. Best Short Stories for Middle Schoolers 1. “The minute I walked in and the Big Bozo introduced us, I got sick to my stomach. Why I love this: Morrison’s stated goal in this short story, which begins in an orphanage, was to remove “all racial codes from a narrative about two characters of different races for whom racial identity is crucial.” 2. “‘Does this safari guarantee I come back alive?’” “‘We guarantee nothing,’” said the official, ‘except the dinosaurs.’” Why I love this: It’s rich with descriptive language and fast-paced, dialogue-heavy action. 3. 4. Why I love this: Even though O. 5. 6. 7.
5 Steps to Implementing Learning Stations in the Language Classroom - Madame's Musings My readers asked such great questions about learning stations after my recent post, that I decided to write up a quick “How To” for those who are new to learning stations. In this previous post I commented on some of the reasons why I find learning stations to such a valuable teaching tool. Today, I’ll just mention a few practical considerations. These are the steps I suggest when designing learning stations. Step 1: Decide how many stations you’re going to have. Step 2: Determine the maximum number of students you will have in each group. Step 3: Decide the logistics. Step 4: Design the station activities. Step 5: Create your groups. I hope this post has cleared up some of the questions that people had.
6 Alternatives to Reading Logs by @shfarnsworth - Teacher Tech Guest blog post by Shaelynn Farnsworth Let’s face it, reading logs are typically not accurate in time read or books finished. From forged signatures to parents exaggerating the time their student spends in a book, reading logs do very little to motivate students or to instill a love of books. If the purpose of reading logs is to create habitual readers why do they continually fail both students and teachers? What alternatives to tracking pages or time offer more value and choice to readers? 1. Have students share what they read on social media. 2. Book blogs provide students a social experience of sharing what they read with a global audience. 3. Along with Book Blogs, students can create Vlogs sharing what they read. 4. As adults, when we read something that we enjoy we talk about it. 5. Give Me 5 is a simple strategy where students choose 5 quotes from the book that best illustrate the author’s message, insight into a character, or conceptual understanding. 6. Shaelynn Farnsworth
Celebrity Culture - Ellis Cashmore, Professor of Culture Media and Sport Ellis Cashmore Oliver Twist (2005) Movie Script | SS Bow to the board. This is the boy. Born here in the workhouse. Moved to the parish farm. Nine years old today. Peergrade First Grade Spelling Words – Free 1st Grade weekly List, Worksheets The first grade spelling words program below covers 36 weeks with each week containing 5 different printable spelling worksheet activities. Schools, teachers and parents may print and duplicate materials for the classroom, or distribute for home use. (read more about the spelling curriculum design). Teacher / Parent Materials (PDF Format) Master Spelling List (36 weeks/4 pages) Download Master Spelling List 36 weeks of spelling lists, and covers sight words, academic words, and 1st grade level appropriate patterns for words, focusing on word families, prefixes/suffixes, and word roots/origins. Dictation Sentences are included in each week’s activity set: After writing all the spelling words, students write the sentence as you read it. Student Materials – First Grade Spelling List Worksheets (PDF Format)
Celebrity Society - Robert Van Krieken Reader's Theater Scripts and Plays for the Classroom Reader's Theater Scripts and Plays Readers Theater is a dramatic presentation of a written work in a script form. Readers read from a "script" and reading parts are divided among the readers. No memorization, costumes, blocking, or special lighting is needed. Presentations can easily be done in a k-3 classroom. Scripts are held by the readers. "Reader's Theater proved to be almost a magic solution for Griffith: In just 10 weeks of using RT, every child in her class had gained a full grade level in reading. Update - July 08 ESL printable Lesson plans, Cloze, Gap fill and Quiz Exercises Shopping Area More Lesson Plan materials to download and keep. Powerpoint, Video podcast, Flash video slides for Teaching , Grammar Quizzes, kids materials
Printable Spelling Lists for Grades 1 -9 We have oodles of printable spelling lists here at Spelling Words Well. If you know what grade level you need, see the links below to find lists for grades 1 through 9. However, if you're not sure what list is most appropriate for your child or students, read on below the list of links. We've selected just 30 sample words from grades 1-9 and compiled them here. You may use this list to get a rough idea of the proper level of words for your child to study. How to Use These Printable Spelling Lists 1) Quiz your child, orally or written, over the 30 words at the grade level you think might be at his current skill level. 2) If he spells 26 words or more correctly, he probably has a good grasp of most of the words in our larger lists at that level. 3) If he spells 20-25 words correctly, you should stay at that grade level and give your child plenty of practice in mastering those words. Printable spelling lists for grades 1-9 : Sample lists 30 sample 1st grade words 30 sample 2nd grade words
Songs and Activities for English Language Learners | (ELL, ESL, and EFL)