By Rachel Lynette
It may seem silly to read about ideas to help you teach main idea! It seems like such a simple… well… idea! But, even though the main idea of a text is the most central and important underlying idea, it can often be difficult for young students to recognize. Most main idea practice is just that – practice. Many textbook worksheets have students read a
Some of the best lesson plans are those that span over the course of many months. They build on concepts, helping students to develop learning strategies along the way. You may have a certain project or lesson that sticks out in your memory. Was it a one-off worksheet, or an intensive project that required your time, attention, and knowledge? Maybe it was a science fair
Minds in Bloom is pleased to welcome Nikki Lubing to the blog today! Nikki has experience teaching English language learners in foreign countries, and she’s written an extremely helpful post for our readers about why visuals are important for ELLs. Keep reading to learn her tips and suggestions! Have you ever been in a full immersion foreign language class? If you have, then you understand
Ask many students how they feel about close reading informational text, and they’ll tell you it’s a bore. Informational text is full of just that, information. Without a fun story or interesting characters, some view it as a one-way ticket to Snoozeville. Throw in close reading strategies, and you’ve entered the Humdrum House. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Well chosen informational text
Hey teacher friends! This is Tanya G. Marshall from The Butterfly Teacher! I am so excited to guest post again for Minds in Bloom! It is an honor to join this community of passionate educators who are looking for ways to engage students and improve learning. This post shares tips for helping students read more deeply and comprehend better. These close reading strategies can be
We are so excited to welcome a new guest blogger today, Terri Maples! Terri is a second grade teacher and spends a lot of time teaching reading fluency in her classroom. Her post today is all about fluency fun in her classroom and how she uses Rachel’s winter-themed reading fluency task cards to engage her students in practicing their reading skills. Keep reading to get
As you well know, your students need to have a clear understanding of prefixes and suffixes. But these concepts (especially suffixes!) can be tricky to teach. Of course your activities need to be related to the standard, but you also want them to be fun! Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! This post is your one-stop shop for effective and engaging lessons that will teach,
Are you feeling overwhelmed by the thought of teaching all of the different nonfiction text features? Don’t be! We’re excited to have Molly from the Sassy Apple guest blogging for us today, and Molly has written an excellent post all about how to successfully teach nonfiction text features. Her ideas are accessible for both teachers and students, and she’s included a freebie at the end.
Minds in Bloom is thrilled to have Dr. Erica Warren back to the blog today. Dr. Warren is sharing information about screening students for dyslexia and how to support them if and when a formal diagnosis is given. Continue reading to learn more! When considering the estimates that 1 in 10 people have dyslexia and that there are successful teaching methods available for this
Minds in Bloom is thrilled to welcome Christine to the blog today. Christine, who is a former reading teacher and a current librarian, has written a great post about teaching idioms as part of language acquisition for us. Enjoy! The power of idioms can often be taken for granted. It is easy to think of them as “old sayings” and perhaps dismiss them as worn
Reach high! Reach high up! Up to the top! To life lessons! It is the very reason we read. Open a children’s book, and open a window to the world of wisdom. Bringing the literary world to your students in the early years nourishes them in ways that they will hunger for more pages of worldly advice and admirable characters as they grow older.
We’re delighted to welcome our next guest blogger to Minds in Bloom! Shalyn is a teacher librarian who is sharing with us how to make novel studies more appropriate for 21st century skills and learning. Let’s go back in time and imagine that you are in your elementary/middle/high school classroom. The teacher announces that you are going to begin your literature circle rotation for the
Minds in Bloom is excited to welcome back Sharon from Classroom in the Middle! Her timely post on text-based evidence is sure to help you come up with fresh ideas for teaching your students how to utilize this important skill! Kids search for facts from texts when they’re doing research. They learn to find and use evidence to back up their claims when writing an
Minds in Bloom is delighted to welcome Sara of Secondary Sara back to the blog today! Her post is all about getting those primary readers ready for middle school, so we know that you’ll find her tips useful and informative! Confession time: I teach middle school English, and if the fifth and sixth grade ELA teachers below me ever quit or retire, I’m in BIG
As you probably know, there are many passages available that claim to be ideal for close reading and reading comprehension. Many are in published books. Many are available either for free or for purchase on the internet. As you select passages for your students to read, please keep in mind that not all passages are created equal. Teacher sites like Teachers Pay Teachers are open marketplaces. That
I hope your students read real books and articles. I hope you facilitate close reading activities using those books. I hope your students are having lively discussion, thinking deeply, and writing thoughtful reflections about the texts that they read. Unfortunately, creating these opportunities takes a great deal of time, time that you may not have each and every week. It takes time to research appropriate texts
