Using Picture Books to Inspire Writing {with a Freebie}

It's no secret that picture books are really my life. If you follow me on instagram, you know that I love the hunt for an amazing book. I use picture books to teach just about everything, but in the last two years, I've really focused on picture books that teach  writing traits. In this post, I'm going to give a few books that I like to use to inspire my students to create their own story.  I want my students to hear a story that they can relate to and create a spark for them to build upon.

Picture Books To Teach Writing

To inspire my students, I  like to start with some favorite books. One of my favorites is Fireflies! by Julie Brinckloe. This book is about those special times that may only last a few seconds. It has a clear theme and lesson to the story. When I read this story, I have my students think about a time they've spent with their family or friends that was special to them. 

Another great story to use to inspire students and spark ideas is A Bad Case of Stripes. This is a classic story that is a student favorite. In this story, the character explores things she likes and dislikes. While reading this story, I ask my students to think about specific items they like or don't like as we come across them in the story. At the end of the story, students are encouraged to make a list of things they like and dislike. Once they've created a list,  they can start brainstorming on a writing piece. I encourage students to describe a time when they came across something they liked or didn't like. What was their reaction? How did it make them feel? I always tell my students writers answer questions readers ask. So just like good readers ask questions, good writers ask questions to provide an answer in the text. We use this free planning sheet after reading the story. 

This next book is one of my favorites to use at the beginning of the school year. In the story How I Spent My Summer Vacation,  the character takes a different journey during his summer than most. This is a great story for students to also practice visualizing. Students often feen like they are on this journey with the little boy! Throughout this story, I remind my students to think about an extreme vacation they would like to go on. We discuss how the story is very extravagant. When we begin to plan, we start with a map. The students identify a fancy or place to visit that they might not have an opportunity to, but have dreamed about visiting. Next, we discuss how they would get to that dream location. Then, we move on to questions such as who would be on the trip with them? What would they need to bring? What type of clothing would the trip require?  I use this free planning map with this story. 

Most of you know that I've taught 1st through 4th grades.I've used each story with all grade levels.  In first grade, we may just be focusing on creating a sentence or two. By fourth grade, I'd want an elaborate and detailed story. I just adjust the support I provide depending on their levels. 

I hope this helps your writers develop ideas of their own.  I'll work on read alouds I use for voice and organization next! 

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Camping Room Transformation {Free Literacy Centers}

Hey friends! Every year, I spend the last few weeks doing a camp out. Since I didn't have a class of my own this year, I did the same theme with my tutoring students. They LOVED it! It was so easy and cheap to transform our library into a CAMP OUT! The students really enjoyed this easy camping themed room transformation!

We read some amazing stories! During guided reading groups, the kids read Froggy Goes to Camp, Flat Stanley Goes to Camp, Just Me and Dad, Curious George Goes to Camp, Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping and The Berenstain Bears Blaze a Trail

Books pictured: Camping Day, Arthur's Camp Out, The Campout Challenge, Pony Scouts The Camping Trip, Danny and the Dinosaur Go to Camp, Just Me and Dad

These little activity mats were a huge hit. I was able to see who really understood what they are reading!

For this activity, I just used the die cut machine to make stars. I wrote sight words on the stars and placed them around the room. Since I had K-2nd grade, I  kept each grade level of words in the same area. The kids had to "write the room" and then use the words in a sentence. The recording sheet is in my free camping center packet. 

 For this part of the room transformation, we just covered the book shelves with butcher paper. After day one, I put up the kids "Happy Campers" cover from Cara's Unit. We used SEVERAL literacy activities from Cara Carroll's  Camping Unit. I  was so busy, I didn't take that many pictures! 

For the tables, I just used picnic table cloths, campfire center pieces and tea lights from the dollar tree. The table cloths and tea lights were originally purchased for my book tasting. I need to share that with you! 

 The jumbo cut out signs came from Oriental Trading. They were only a few dollars, but really gave that "camp site" appearance. 

For literacy centers, we used Cara's unit and this unit. 

Click the picture to get your FREE Literacy Centers

Thank you for stopping by to read about our camping room transformation! 

How To Protect Your Classroom Library

It's that time of year that we start to picture our summer vacation. We might begin to make plans, schedule appointments and even book our vacation time. Summer can come up quickly, so I've made a list of a few things I try to do before summer creeps up on you! I try to tackle one project at a time. 

Inside My Classroom Library 

The first thing I do to prepare for summer is take a long hard look at my classroom library.  I've invested quite a bit and had a mentor that invested quite a bit. I want my library to stay nice for years to come. With these tips, I can proudly say after 11 years, I've barely had to get rid of ANY books. My kids know how I am about my library and they don't play around when it comes to taking care of books!

How To Clean Your Classroom Library

This is something I've always done as I've seen needed, but I don't recall ever pulling all of the books out and cleaning them until I met my new media specialist. I still remember it like it was yesterday. I walked in to the library, and all I could see was books standing open. The fresh lemon scent went through the air and made everything seem so clean! I asked her "What are you doing?", she replied "Cleaning books". She was almost puzzled like duh, what does it look like. So I watched her and quickly adapted this system. We have sure bonded over our love for books and how to teach students how to TREAT the books. 

Before I start to clean my books, I go through and pull out all of the major repairs. I determine if they can be salvaged or if they should be tossed. I use cleaning wipes and packing tape to do most of my repairs. 

The first step: Take you cleaning wipe out of the container and ring it out. This seems like another "duh" moment, but you have to do this step. If you use the cleaning wipe while it is dripping wet, you will ruin your books. I repeat, you will ruin your books! 

After I wipe them down very thoroughly, I let them air out for a good bit. I might only do a few categories a day or before I leave. The next day, I'll put them back in their basket. This way, they have plenty of time to dry before I stack them on top of each other.

Here's a little proof that with a little love, your old and dirty books, can look very good again!

Once I've cleaned my books, I want to make sure they are all in the right baskets, so I reorganize them in order to pack up. I will wrap each stack of books up with large construction paper to pack them up. I've moved a lot due to my husband's service, and this is the way that has worked best for me over the years!  I also check to make sure each book has the right label. You can read more about how I organize my classroom library here. 

I'll be back to share another tip for ending the school year smoothly later in the week! Thank you for following along! 

Job Interview Tips for Teachers

It's that time of year when new teachers start applying for  new positions. Veteran teachers that are wanting a change also start looking for positions. Job interviews can be a scary and challenging task. As an educator who moves a lot (my husband is in the military), I've found a few tips that helped me remain calm and have a great interview!

Interview Tip #1

The first tip I'd share with you is that you know the grade level and standards of the grade level that you are applying for.  Do your homework to really learn the state standards and expectations of that grade level. It's very impressive when a candidate comes in and is aware of standards before being hired. This will show that you know how to prepare and understand the rigor of what you need to teach.

Interview Tip #2

 The next tip I'd like to share that might seem obvious, yet some often forget: Be on time and dress professionally. I often see candidates who arrive late and are not dressed appropriately. If you are a female, be sure your dress or skirt is knee length. Candidates who arrive on time and who are dressed professionally, assure the administrator that you value professionalism.

Interview Tip #3

Research the school that you are interviewing at thoroughly. Look up their data for the last three years and be prepared to discuss their strengths and weaknesses. You will want to show that you are knowledgeable about general facts about the school (is the school title one?  What are the demographics of the school? etc)  Be prepared to ask questions. Google the school you are applying to and switch over to news. Make sure that you are applying for a school that would be a good fit for YOU! 

Interview Tip #4

Be honest. I think most candidates always set out to be honest. However, if they are asked a question they are unsure of, sometimes we are scared to tell the truth. If I'm ever asked a question that I do not know the answer to, I like to tell the administrator, that I'm not familiar with that procedure, resource or strategy. I will follow with saying that I'm always researching and wanting to learn, so I look forward to learning the new procedure, resource or strategy with them as my mentor. This shows that you are willing to learn and you admit that you do not know it all. That's a very good quality to have for educators! We should always be willing to learn! 

Interview Tip #5

Relax. Look at your interview as a formal meeting with a friend. Treat the administrator like you've known them forever, and  be flexible. Education is a difficult field. A person who is professional, knowledgeable and willing to learn is the ideal candidate for most schools. 

Finally, if you are still unsure of how to prepare for your interview, join our free group to chat with other educators about how to NAIL your job interview! 

Guided Reading Tips

So a while ago I posted about Guided Reading. I always meant to have a follow up post, but somehow, never got back to it. 

Small Group Instruction or Guided Reading

You will often hear the term "small group instruction" or "guided reading". I wanted to clearly explain the differences between the two. Small Group Instruction is a format. It's an idea that we deliver content using smaller groups to reach more students. Guided Reading is an intentional, data driven form of instruction. Guided reading is done in the small group instruction format.Guided Reading is NOT a program. It's a best practice of education that fits into the Balanced Literacy Model. 

Guided Reading Strategies

During your guided reading groups, you want to be sure to use a variety of scaffolded reading strategies. 

 I want to spend some time discussing what kind of scaffolded reading strategies you could use during your guided reading time.

Scaffolded Reading Strategies

Echo Reading 

The teacher will introduce echo reading and how it sounds. Once children are comfortable with the method of echo reading, the teacher’s goal is to decide how much of the text to read each time before pausing for the children to echo it back. In this strategy, I recommend chunking the text.  During this strategy, students should track with their fingers. 

Choral Reading

This is often called "unison reading". Students are reading at the same time as the teacher. The teacher is modeling correct phrasing, annotation and expression. Students are tracking with their finger while reading. Research suggests that students should choral read at the first or second exposure to a text, but should eventually be able to whisper read. 

Whisper Read

Students are reading at the same time but not at the same rate. The teacher will listen in or take a running record on one student at a time. The biggest mistake about using this strategy, is not using this strategy! Students who are always asked to choral read and never given the opportunity to read out loud for their teacher are going to have gaps created in their instruction. I like to work through each level of support depending on my students ability. Once your students are whisper reading consistently, have them remove their fingers. Tracking is helpful in Kindergarten and early first grade, but tracking can slow their fluency as they begin to read harder texts. 

The biggest take away about scaffolded reading strategies is that we should be using ALL of them. Students will need more support at different times. As educators, we have to use our own judgement for when to give support and when to let them fly. My biggest advice, is try to give students the opportunity to whisper read each day. Even your kindergarten babies! They can do it!

Understanding Response to Intervention: A Guide for Teachers and Parents

As a classroom teacher who has moved all over the country, understanding how each district does RTI can be difficult.However, with a strong understanding of the purpose of Response to Intervention and the goal, Response to Intervention does not have to be difficult.  RTI is a process that helps identify students who are experiencing difficulty in the classroom.

                                  Understanding the Levels of Interventions

Response to Intervention or RTI has three levels.  I have always been told to look at it like it was a pyramid.   The framework for RTI is detailed for each tier, but how you instruct at those levels vary from district to district. I believe that regardless of what "tier" students are on, students need the opportunity to have an intervention time to work out problems. 

Picture from: St. Croix Center for RTI

Tier One Instruction in the RTI Framework

Tier one instruction is the level that all students receive. At this level, teachers should provide high quality instruction and assessment. Teachers are able to screen students to determine their deficiencies.  Assessment is key, because it gives the teachers information. This is the level that nearly 80% of students fall in for instruction and intervention. One common misconception that children should not receive intervention in tier 1 instruction. RTI does not say that, and their is no research to support that. I base my intervention groups off of classroom needs and what my data shows. If your district uses a computer based assessment, that's great for a starting point. Often times, we can provide intervention and fill the gaps, students will demonstrate success and no longer need intervention services.

Tier Two Instruction in the RTI Framework

Students who are not progressing in Tier 1, should be moved to Tier 2 with adequate time given. Each district has a different requirement, but if you ask me, I believe it should be at least 6 weeks. This is where we look at more targeted instruction. Often times, computer based assessments can be skewed, so I like to give my own assessment to be sure it matches up.  In tier two, we are focused on specific skills. We should have less students in Tier 2 than Tier 1. It's generally no more than 15% of your students. It's important to think about group size for Tier 2. A lot of times, we will just keep our lowest group and say that we are providing Tier 2 instruction. However, if the instruction is not targeted and purposeful, that is not the case. Questions I like to ask myself "Does each student struggle with the skill I am teaching?" or "Can I prove that through my data collection?". 

If  I have a students who failed a rhyming assessment, for example, then I would re-teach rhyming for one or two weeks, then test again. I would keep that cycle up until the student passes that specific skill. The key with RTI is documentation.  Below is an example of how I keep up with my data for RTI. I needed something that had the skill listed several times  to show the students progress or lack of progress after quality instruction has taken place.

Tier Three Intervention in the RTI Framework

Once a student has advanced to Tier 3, they should be receiving individualized instruction. The group consists of one on one instruction and is happening daily. If the student is still not making progress at this level, further evaluation might be needed. Questions that I ask myself when providing Tier 3 Instruction (And parents should ask their child's teacher):

-Is this instruction individualized for each specific student?

- Am I consistently providing instruction on their needs?

-Do I have the documentation to prove that?

-Have I  presented the skill in a variety of ways to give the students ample opportunity to learn?

That last question is where I sometimes have to make SURE I can answer. Sometimes, we can present the material over and over again with students who just don't get it. Reflection is a HUGE part of instruction, so I will reflect to make sure I am truly presenting it in another way. Sometimes, I'll ask a colleague to come in and try to present the same skill.  I find so many ideas for just watching all of the awesome educators I get to work with. 

Side bar--- One of the biggest downsides of this process that I've noticed, is once a student is moved out of Tier 3, tested and found eligible for services, the one on one instruction stops from the general education teacher. If you are a parent, advocate for that to continue. If you are a teacher, remember the student maybe receiving services, however, they still likely will benefit from one on one instruction. I know this can be challenging, trust me, I've been there. That's really not related, but it's just something important to me. I've seen it happen to my own child and students in nearly every district I've been in.

Back to Tier 3--Once a student gets to Tier 3, a parent can request an evaluation at this point. It is important to know and understand that not all students in Tier 3 are special education students. Students can struggle without having a disability, but that is why we have to continue to work on providing targeted instruction. If targeted and intensive instruction is being provided ( and documented), parents and teachers should be able to see some growth. Parents, don't be afraid to ask about the specific interventions taking place with the teacher. Sometimes, districts will offer tutoring services and intervention with a volunteer. This does NOT take the place of tier 3 intervention that should be conducted by the classroom teacher. In other words, if the teacher isn't pulling the student one on one, I would question the validity of that tier 3 data. As a parent, I would not accept a computer based program as tier 3 intervention. 

Collecting Data for RTI

The process of RTI can be difficult. Without proper documentation to show that you have moved students between each tier,  you are unable to move forward with the evaluation process. While each state and district have their own specific paperwork, the skills that you teach have to be documented. I created a system so that I could adequately test my students through the LITERACY FRAMEWORK. I didn't mean to  shout, wait, YES I DID!  We have to assess the literacy framework to find the students true deficiencies. 

How to Teach Sight Words Tips for Parents and Teachers

Teaching sight words is different for every student. Sight words are words that students need to know without having to decode or sound out the words. Sight words are in approximately
50% to 65% of the words students will encounter in text. Sight words instruction is imperative to any student who is learning to read. In this post, we will talk about different methods to ensure your students or child learns their sight words. As parents, it's difficult to know exactly how our children's teacher is spending time on sight words. However, with these ideas, you can implement your own sight word plan at home!

Be specific and Purposeful with Teaching Sight Words

When teaching sight words, it's important to be very specific. Depending on the students age, depends on how many words students should work on each week. In Kindergarten, students should only start off practice two to three words a week. As the year progresses, students can gradually work up to 6-8 words per week. I like to do this slowly. Starting with two to three words a week gives students a chance to start the year off with confidence once they master the words.

In first grade, starting with 6-7 words in the beginning would be ideal.  For second graders, they should be able to handle 8-9 to start with. Every class and student is different, so use your judgement. If students are not mastering words, dial it back a bit. By third grade, students should be able to handle 10-12 words a week.

Look at your year long plan for teaching sight words. Every few weeks, add a week of spiral review in. Students should continuously practice words they've learned. If you are a parent, feel free to do this as well. Spiral review is one of the most effective ways to make sure students have really learned the content. 

Building Sight Words

One of the best ways to have students learn their sight words, is for students to build their sight words. Using tactile methods, students can develop a deeper connection to the words. 

I love using all kinds of different things for students to practice building words.  In PreK-1st Grade, one of my favorite tools to use this are Melissa and Doug's ABC Blocks. They are durable, colorful, inexpensive and last forever!

Another student favorite is magnetic letters.  Students love building words with them and placing them on cookie sheets or magnetic boards. The more colorful, the better! 

Students love these sight word builder cards and teachers love them too! Let me tell you why. Students get to practice building the word and then immediately apply it to text. 

Use seasonal items to practice sight words. Right now, our students are having. so much fun with these sight word building puzzles. Anything the kids can move, is a win-win!! 

Turn Learning into a Game

This looks large, it's really not. We would take this outside for recess though and place the sight words the kids have already mastered on the Lego Duplos . I even added a little math by having them keep score.

Sight Word Pyramids are also a great way to review words and maybe introduce a few more. The best part about this is. that both of these games can be done at school or home. Parents, the cup pyramids make for a GREAT rainy day activity! 

I love giving my students hands on activities for them to complete. It allows them to practice using the words in a variety of ways. 

Here are some of my favorite activities to practice mastering sight words. 

Be Consistent

Students need to consistently be practicing words. Sometimes, you will see students practicing one set of words with the teacher, and another set of words with the home. It's important to present the words differently with each encounter the children have with the words. For example, on Monday, you might write the words. On Tuesday, you might build the words using on the the methods above. On Wednesday, the students might read the words in a list or buddy read the words using flash cards. For Thursday, students might read the words in a sentence while building them. By Friday, students can read the words in a passage.  The big picture is that students need to practice words a different way each day. They need the opportunity to apply what they've been taught, so give them the chance to read the words on their own. 

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