The Reading Strategies Book: Goal 5 {Book Study}

One of the greatest gifts of summer is time. Time to dive into whatever inspires you, rejuvenates you, and relaxes you. One of my favorite ways to spend my time is reading. This summer I have been reading about pirates, catching up on some children's literature and diving into The Reading Strategies Book by Jennifer Serravallo.

This week I am teaming up with some amazing bloggers to host a quick reflection of Goal 5 -Supporting Comprehension in Fiction: Understanding Plot and Setting.

Truthfully, this book had been on Amazon wishlist for awhile, but I never pulled the trigger on the purchase. I don't know why! Now, I can't believe I didn't have this book in my hands the minute it was published. The Reading Strategies Book is truly an incredible resource for teachers. It is practical, easy to use, and filled with great ideas that are easily implemented and great for students. I can't wait to make this book part of my daily practice in the classroom.

To catch up on our book study and all things Reading Strategies Book related click below:

• Intro & Book Set-Up
• Goal 1: Supporting Pre-Emergent and Emergent Readers
• Goal 2: Teaching Reading Engagement
• Goal 3: Supporting Print Work:
• Goal 4: Teaching Fluency: 

 

Now, let's take a closer look at Goal 5

Supporting Comprehension in Fiction:

Understanding Plot and Setting

Why is Goal 5 important?  Well, it is basically the heart of what makes reading enjoyable. The best reading happens when one is completely immersed in the text, lost in another world, and apart of a story that feels all too real. Naturally, we want all our students to experience this true magic of reading. But in order for this to happen, readers must know what is happening.  They need to know the who, the where, and the what to fully understand what they read. Plot and setting are a pretty big deal.

Who needs Goal 5? Students who may need additional practice with this skill are your kiddos that retell with WAAAY too much detail, or not enough detail, or jumble up the order of events during a retell. They are the kids that miss the connections between events and don't see how one event leads to another event in the story. Sequential understanding is a key component of understanding plot. I can think of many students who fall into one or more of these categories and I'm sure you can too.

Serravallo breaks down plot and setting into 4 parts and offers twenty-eight (TWENTY-EIGHT!) different strategies to support readers working on this goal.

• problem/conflict and solution/resolution
• retelling/summarizing (must be sequential)
• visualizing setting
• cause and effect (connecting events in the story)

 

Today, I want to focus on three strategies that I can't wait to use with my students this year in both independent conferences, guided reading, and general reading instruction.

5.3 Summarizing What's Most Essential

What is it?

This strategy focuses on summarizing what is most important in the story in order in a way that makes sense.  It is ideal for levels E-K and fictional texts.

This is basically an introduction to a good fictional summary. I love the language Serravallo uses to explain a summary. She says, "Your summary should include enough information to make sense to someone who hasn't read the story before. That means you need to make it clear in your summary how one event led to another." This idea forces students to think about the most important events that are connected to each other, not simply part of the story.  

Best Part:

My favorite part of this strategy was the foldable idea presented in the book (shown above,  The Reading Strategies book, pg. 136).  It is a wonderful visual for students and serves as a practical guide for summarizing.  I could see making these foldables with my small group as we talk about  the important elements of a good summary. Then using this tool each time we finish a book or a chapter to help us practice.  I can't wait!

Now, I know you could easily recreate this with markers and colored paper, but I was so excited about this idea, that I created a template for my students to use to create their own.

If you think you may use this strategy and would like to use my template, go for it! Click the pictures above to download it for free!

5.14 Chapter-End Stop Signs

What is it?

This strategy gives students additional practice finding the most important events in each chapter. At the end of a chapter, students simply stop and jot the most important event. Students can then reread their notes to remind themselves of where they are in the story. This strategy is great for kids reading level L and up.

It is also incredibly versatile. You could easily use post-it notes, bookmark, or notes page to keep track of big ideas in each chapter.

I've used them all, but I like the notes page best for independent reading/conferences and guided reading. I like to have everything all in one place and easily accessible. Kids simply fold the page in half, stick it in their books, and use their notes as their bookmark.

Click the image below to grab my End-of-Chapter Summary Stop & Jot Notes Sheet.  It includes a two-sided fill in the chapter form and pages for chapters 1-47.

Best Part:

I love to use this strategy during read alouds. After each chapter, we pause and think about the most important event in that chapter. We write 1-2 sentences on a strip of colored paper and add it to our "Story Chain."  I just tape the new sheet on to the old and we keep building on, always switching colors for each chapter.  By the end of the novel, our "Story Chain" is almost touching the floor!

This is a great way to help students keep track of the "important stuff" as we read and serves as a jumping off point the next day when we return to our book. Plus, it create a pretty fun display in the classroom. I really wish I had a picture to show y'all, but (of course) I can't find a a single one. Follow me on Instagram and I will be sure to post a picture this upcoming year when we start again.  :)

5.24 FQR (Facts/Questions/Response) 

Sheets for Filling in Gaps

What is it?

This strategy is helpful when you are reading a book that is a bit confusing.  A FQR Sheet is any simple three column chart with a column for facts, questions, and responses. I have known about FQR charts for what feels like forever, but I always associated them with non-fiction text. Turns out, they are great for fiction too! FQR charts are a great way to help readers on levels Q and up develop a better understanding of complicated plots.

Best Part:

I love that it is a new way to use this old idea. Recommended for when you are reading a more challenging text that is set in imaginary places or historical times, this strategy helps the reader take stock of what they DO know and what the NEED to know to better understand the text. I can think of so many books this would be great for: The Westing Game, City of Ember, The Fog Diver, Sky Jumpers, The Lost Planet, etc.

********

These are three of my favorite strategies from this chapter, but I flagged many more in my book. I hope you find these ideas as helpful and inspiring as I did. I'm just itching to get started. 

Thank you for joining my for a quick look at 

Goal 5: Understanding Plot and Setting. 

Have you read The Reading Strategies Book? 

Do you already use it in your classroom? Tell us more!

We would love for you to share your knowledge, ideas, and expertise with us. 

Comment below or link up your blog to join the conversation. 

Thanks for reading!

An InLinkz Link-up

15 Ways for Teachers to Utilize Parent Volunteers {freebie}

I believe classroom volunteers can be an incredible asset to teachers. However, a few years ago I would have told you that I hated having classroom help. Seriously.

In the past, having classroom volunteers always ended up being a lot more work for me.  I had to plan ahead when I was mostly living day by day. I had to prepare activities (with directions) for parents to do with students. Organizing small groups for parent volunteers was my nightmare. Without the content knowledge and background of what and how I was teaching, it was difficult for parents to support students without a lot of instruction and explicit direction from me. I even went to the extent of writing a mini-lesson plan.  Whaaat?? That's outrageous! Ain't nobody got time for that.

Then I realized I was going about it all wrong. There are millions of ways for volunteers to support a classroom, big and small. I wasn't thinking about involving parents in our classroom the right way.

When I think of classroom volunteers I no longer limit my thinking to in-class support.  In fact, it was all the in-class support that was stressing me out. Now, I think about what can I honestly commit to and what would make my life easier, benefit my students, and make learning more meaningful and fun.

Here is a list of easy ways I've found to utilize parent volunteers in any classroom, but especially upper elementary and beyond. 

1. Mystery Readers

Invite a parent to come in once a week or once a month to read a picture book to your class, but don't tell your class who is coming in.  It is the most fun when it is a surprise. I suggest collecting names at the beginning of the year of those interested and emailing out a Google Doc sign-up sheet in the first few weeks with all the dates for the school year.

2. Art in the Classroom

Have a crafty or artistic parent?  Invite them into the classroom to do an art project with the kids every couple of months.  

3. Copy Heroes

Have a parent make copies for you. I recommend a 1/4 sheet with directions that you can paper clip to the top of each page you need copied. One sided or two?  Staples? Holes?  This minimizes questions and allows you to keep on teaching when your amazing copy hero shows up to help. You can easily make your own or click the image below to download my Superhero Copy Volunteer Form for free. 

4. Sending in Supplies & Requested Materials

This is a great option for working parents and we ALWAYS need glue, like always. Our classroom couldn't run without the help of these generous parents, so they get an A+ as a parent volunteer in my book.

5. Sharpening Pencils

Send home a bag of new or dull pencils to be sharpened at home with a student.  You will never have to sharpen a pencil again!

6. Cutting, Folding, & Creating

Another great at-home help is sending home lamination to be cut, centers or games to be created, or foldables that need folding. I always send home all necessary materials (baggies, craft sticks,etc.) and an example what I would like done. 

7. Bulletin Board Help

Invite a parent with a great design eye to put up and take down your exterior bulletin boards.

8. Parent Show & Tell

Show and tell is not just for kids. Invite a parent to show & tell something from their job, their hobbies, or their lives. I had a parent bring in a piece of a meteor and the kids were fascinated.  They all immediately made a beeline for the space books after that presentation. It is a bonus if it connects with something you are studying, but either way real world connections will be made, classroom community will be built, and parent-student-teacher relationships will grow.

9. Classroom Party Help/ Room Parent/ Field Trip Chaperone

I just grouped all the usual suspects together. :)

10. Science Lab Set-Up

Give a parent the directions for an upcoming lab and have them get the science lab all set up. 

11. Technology Support

This is a great role for the beginning of the year in particular. Invite some tech savvy parents to join you in the computer lab to help get students logged in and troubleshoot any unforeseen tech glitches. 

12. Door Decorating

Invite a parent to decorate your door for the season, a unit of study, or a special event. For example, I have parents design and decorate my door for Writing Camp.  You could also do something for Dr. Seuss week, the 100th Day of School, Global Read Aloud, etc. 

13. Book Clubs

Parents who love to read?  Invite them to lead a weekly book club with a group of students.

14. STEM Challenge Help

This is a great way to get more dads in the classroom. Invite parents in for a monthly STEM challenge. They can organize materials, help groups get started, and assist with the excitement of discovery during the activity.

15. Scholastic Book Club Manager

Invite a parent to put together your monthly book order flyers from Scholastic.  They can write in your classroom code and due date, staple multiple flyers together, and/or attach a top sheet with recommendations and order info.

You'll notice that most of my suggestions are ways for parents to help outside the classroom, help with special projects, join in our classroom community,  and/or participate in a whole class activity at one time. This allows me to plan accordingly and maintain my class scheduled as much as possible. It also allows me to have all those "extras" in my classroom without taking my precious planning time. This means I can put all my energy into lesson planning, but my bulletin boards still look good.  :)

Over the years, I have learned to utilize classroom help. It is still a work in progress, but I have found that classroom volunteers really do make life easier. I simply had to figure out what worked for me and I hope some of my ideas work for you too! 

Happy teacher, happy parents, happy students, happy classroom!

I highly recommend creating your own Volunteer Sign-Up sheet at the beginning of the year. This way you can list the help that you really want and will really use. Be specific with the help you need.  Parents will appreciate direct requests and clear expectations knowing their time is valued and appreciated.

Once you know how your parents will be volunteering, it is time to get organized.  I use my Classroom Volunteer Forms to keep track of volunteer contact information, preferred volunteer activities, and classroom help provided. I put all of these pages (and my original sign-up sheets) in my teacher binder for quick reference throughout the year. The Volunteer Log is especially helpful towards the end of the year when it is time to write thank you notes and give appreciation gifts. Click here to read about how I thanked my awesome volunteers this year.

Classroom Volunteer Forms also includes at Volunteers at Home directions sheet which has been an absolute life saver for me in my classroom.

Click the image above to visit my TPT store. 

You can grab these forms 50% off today ONLY. 

Enjoy!!

Fireworks go KABOOM! Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July Y'all!!

I'm hope your day is filled with friends, family, grilling, and relaxation! 

I'm just stopping in today to share a little project I've been working on to celebrate the 4th.  One of my favorite products, Multiplication Kaboom got a total over haul and I've in love.

There are new fonts, new backgrounds, and new frames!

Have you ever played Kaboom?!? It's super fun!! The best part about this game is it can be played practicing all different skills. Once your kids know how to play, the sky is the limit. This Multiplication Kaboom game focuses on multiplying large numbers and is mostly geared toward 4th and 5th grade. The fireworks patriotic theme makes it perfect for Veteran's Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, or...basically anytime. Fireworks are fun all year!

Game Cards Included:

• KABOOM! cards
• 2 digit x 1 digit 
• 3 digit x 1 digit
• 2 digit x 2 digit

There are 16 multiplication game cards for each skill.  Skills can be played individually or all together. There are also 2 different styles of cards included in the set because choice is a good thing for teachers too. There is a basic rectangular game card for easy storage in baggies and long skinny game cards that fit nicely in refurbished chip cans.

Game play is simple. Each player draws a card from the deck or from the Kaboom container. (I prefer the cards that can be stored in baggies because they take up less space and I just don't have space to spare in my classroom.) If the player draws a multiplication card they must solve the problem. Other players solve as well to check their work.

If the players solves correctly, they get to keep the card. If not, it goes back in the deck. However...and this is where the fun comes in, if a player draws a Kaboom card, they loose all cards previously earned and must return all cards to the deck and start collecting again. 

And... that's it! It's a great game and has been a huge success in my classroom! Once your kids know how to play, you can adapt it to practice any skill you want. I included some blank card pages for you and/or students to come up with their own problems to add to the game.

I don't know about you, but I need low maintenance, easy to set up, easy to explain math games in my classroom. Kaboom fits all my needs and my students love LOVE it!

The best part about this game is the game grows with them as their skills grow. I start with 2x1 digit multiplication for review and add game cards as we build our skills. It is also an easy game to differentiate for my students and a great tutoring activity!

To celebrate the 4th and the revisions,
 Patriotic Kaboom will be 50% off July 4th & 5th! 

Hello dollar deal!! :)

Click any of the images of Multiplication Kaboom above to download this game for $1 and add it to your collection for the summer or the upcoming school year. If you already own this product, please be sure to download the revised version for a more explosive and colorfully fun game!

Enjoy!!

Building Problem Solvers One Cowpoke at a Time

As I'm sure you've heard, TODAY is the day! It is back to school shopping at Teachers Pay Teachers!

My whole store is 20% off and with the addeded TPT bonus code BTS15, you save 28%! It's hard to beat.

Now...not to shamelessly promote, but...I do want to highlight one little product I especially love (and so did my students!) just in case you are looking to add one more small thing to your cart.

One of my favorite items in my store are my Wild-West Problem Solving Task Cards. This great resources will challenging students by applying their learning, extend their thinking, and building better problem solving skills.

These 10 task cards have a Western theme and cover a range of skills across 4th grade (both Texas and Common Core approved). All the problems are multi-step and challenge the student to think all the way through the problem. My students loved working with partners to solve and check as they went through the problems.

One of my favorite things about task cards is that they can be used so many ways, making them a versatile resources and classroom staple.

This set of cards includes quarter page task cards for small groups and also full sheet task cards for around the room problem solving. 

You also get two choices for answer documents. There is a traditional one page answer sheet AND a template for students to make their very own problem solving booklet with clip art to match the clip art on the task cards.

This task-card set was designed as a review of 4th grade material making it a great review for 4th graders before testing or end of the year, AND a great  beginning of the year review for 5th grade. 

Click any of the images above to learn more about the Wild West Problem Solving Task Cards.  They are a great deal anytime, but especially over the next 2 days.  :)

Happy shopping!!

Magic Squares: Supporting ELA Vocabulary & Concepts {A Magical Giveaway}

I did it! I am taking the plunge.  I finished my first product for TPT.

Ahhhh!!! I'm so nervous and excited all at the same time.

But... y'all... I'm also so proud of my work. :)

Introducing... ELA Magic Squares

An Activity Pack to "Magically" Support 

ELA Vocabulary & Concepts

One of my student's favorite activities we did this year was our Non-Fiction Text Feature Magic Square. I knew it was popular in my room, but then I looked on TPT and it was popular there too! It was right then and there that I started imagining the possibilities and this is the final result! Isn't it cute?!

What are Magic Squares?

In the simplest form, a magic square is a puzzle. The puzzle itself consists of 9 squares that contain vocabulary words and their definitions. When the square is completed correctly, all definitions match up and the border of the square is left completely blank. (Which is awesome for teachers because you can quick check student work in seconds!!)

How can Magic Squares be used?
Magic squares can be used as a whole group activity, literacy station, review, or intervention activity. You can run individual copies for students have them glue completed squares on construction paper or in their ELA journals for reference. You can also copy squares on colored paper, laminate, and use over and over again in stations to build student's problem solving skills and content vocabulary mastery. The choice is yours.

How do Magic Squares support student learning?
Magic squares give students an opportunity to revisit the vocabulary they have learned in a new and different way. As teachers, we present material in many ways to help our students make connections and "lock in" their learning. This is just one more great strategy for students to work with the content vocabulary but in a new context. The puzzle element challenges even the highest students in your class. For the kids who want a quick match up game, the magic square pushes them to think outside the box. They must manipulate the pieces, use problem solving skills, and review the content vocabulary all at the same time.

What vocabulary is covered in this activity pack?
The ELA magic squares that are included in this packet cover the a variety of topics covered throughout the year, including:

• Non-Fiction Text Features & Purpose
• Reading Genres 
• Poetry Terms
• Drama Terms
• Writing Terms
• Parts of Speech

How should I introduce this to my class?
Don't give too much away! That takes away from the fun. I tell them they are getting a vocabulary puzzle.  Their job is to match the vocabulary word with the definition. They will know they have completed the square when the outside border is blank. (I usually draw a sample on the board, so they know what I mean by a clean edge). The only other hint I give is to start in the center. The center square is the only square with all four sides filled with writing (vocab word or definition) From there, I let them figure it out. Do some get frustrated a first?  Yes. Do they give up?  Never! They always want to figure it out and the feeling of success they have when they do is priceless!! 

My class LOVED this activity and I hope your class will too.  

How about a freebie?
Sure! I can't wait to share the fun! Click here to grab your free Text Feature Magic Square from my TPT store today! Your feedback is greatly appreciated and valued.

Now for the giveaway...

To win a copy of Magic Squares: An Activity Pack to "Magically" Support ELA Vocabulary & Concepts Grades 3-5 just enter the giveaway below! 

Don't forget to check out my TPT store for other great activities and freebies!

a Rafflecopter giveaway