Category: Blog
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St. Patrick’s Day Mentor Texts for Upper Elementary
These St. Patrick’s Day book ideas and read aloud activities are perfect for teachers of upper elementary students.
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Best Read Alouds for Women’s History Month
With March just a few days away, there’s no better time to gather your favorite books to celebrate Women’s History Month. In the classroom, we honor strong female leaders who have shaped history. Below are a few top picks from our 3rd and 4th grade teams. The Watcher: Jane Goodall’s Life with the Chimps I…
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Upper Elementary Read Alouds for Black History Month
Honor Black History Month with twelve outstanding picture books for older kids!
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4th Grade Books for February
Best upper elementary read alouds for February. Celebrate Black History Month, and promote kindness without taking away from rigorous fourth grade standards!
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4th Grade Winter Read Alouds for January
Keeping fourth grade students engaged during the winter months can be challenging. The best way to keep your reading lessons purposeful, yet fun and engaging is through winter read alouds. What kinds of books should I read aloud to my fourth graders? Read alouds should be SHORT. Please don’t fall for the misconception that fourth…
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Teach Upper Elementary Reading Skills with Silver Packages
Silver Packages by Cynthia Rylant is a must-read for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classrooms in December. The story is set in a poor region of the Appalachia, where children eagerly await the arrival of the Christmas Train. This story perfectly demonstrates themes of gratitude and wants vs. needs, both wonderful reminders during the holiday…
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Gifts of the Heart Elementary Book Activities
Gifts of the Heart by Patricia Polacco is one of my favorite books to read aloud with my class during the Christmas season. Like many other Patricia Polacco books, this story is rich in theme and vocabulary. Plus, the lesson opportunities for character analysis of Richie are too great to pass up! The Story Trisha’s…
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Borrow FREE Digitized Books at Open Library
Many teachers and parents use Epic to access hundreds of books at little to no cost. Many others use sources such as Storyline Online or Youtube Channels to access read alouds. What surprises me is that few parents and teachers are aware of Open Library. At Open Library, you can access thousands of digitized books…
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The Carpenter’s Gift Classroom Book Activities
The Carpenter’s Gift by David Rubel is a heartwarming Christmas story about the Rockefeller Center Tree. This story is set in New York City during the Great Depression. Times are hard, Henry’s parents are out of work, and the family lives in a cold shack. Eight-year-old Henry couldn’t be more excited when his dad asks…
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Easy Inexpensive Snow Globe Craft for Kids – Classroom Friendly Crafts
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! It’s also that time of year where teachers have an ever growing list of things to do. There is so much to keep track of from grades, testing, and paperwork to holiday programs, class parties, and gifts. My hope is that my blog will at least give…
The Pedagogical Planner 