By Rachel Lynette
Artwork credits: Edusong, Dancing Crayon Designs, KG Fonts The title of this post (It’s Rigor, Not Rigor Mortis) comes from a subheading in the book, Notice and Note: Strategies for Close Reading by Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst. I love this subheading because it speaks to what so many fear will be the outcome of close reading: the death of the love of reading in our students. And
Oh, close reading, you temptress. How could I resist your charms? Who gets tempted by close reading? I mean, seriously, who? Me, actually. I love task cards. Really, I do. Task cards are awesome, and they will always have a special place in my heart. I am not in any way abandoning them – really, I’m not. I’m just taking a little break. Here’s the
Friends, I’m Monica Schroeder, and I am so excited to be writing this guest post for Minds in Bloom! The amazing Rachel Lynette has allowed me to share my Close Readings with QR Codes! I am here to show you how my students have been using QR codes to practice their reading skills. Now, please know that we have been practicing our close reads all year
Please welcome Megan of Mrs. Wheeler’s First Grade. Today, she shares with us how she keeps her classroom library tidy and accessible to her students, which is not an easy task! Thanks Megan. Over the last few years, I’ve developed a system that works beautifully for keeping our classroom library organized, and I am excited to share it with you today! It’s so
Hi friends! I’m absolutely thrilled to be a guest blogger here on Rachel’s site! Today I’d like to talk about close reading and share how I used Maya Angelou’s poem “Human Family” to launch close reading in my sixth grade class this year. Close reading has quickly become one of the most talked about instructional strategies related to the Common Core. And tips on
Please welcome Brian and Eric of Wise Guys! Today they share with us how they are meeting informational text standards in their classrooms. Thanks guys! Informational text has become a major focus under the Common Core Standards. As classroom teachers, it is our goal to help our students become proficient in reading and writing informational text. Below are our top five ways we accomplish this
Please welcome Caitlin of The Room Mom. Today, she shares how she has guided her students to choose that one special book that leads them into being vivacious readers. Be sure to check out her book suggestion path down below. Thanks so much, Caitlin! It only takes one perfect book to get a child hooked on reading. I like to call this book the gateway book.
Please welcome Carla of Comprehension Connection. Today, she shares some reading strategies that she has found work well in her classroom. She has generously shared some freebies with you all, too. They are linked within the text, so make sure to click on them to pick up your copy. Thank you for sharing, Carla! Hello from Comprehension Connection! My name is Carla, and I am honored
Today we will be presented with fantastic ideas from Pam of Rockin Resources. She shares some effective techniques along with free samples from her Higher-Level Thinking product. I am so stinkin’ excited that Rachel invited me to guest blog! Do you hear my “Woo woo?” Thanks Rachel! This post will provide you with effective ideas to get your students to think and question at a
We all know how motivating games can be in the classroom. In this post Adrianne Meldrum of The Tutor House shares some great ideas for using file folders, as well as a Halloween freebie! Thank you to Rachel for inviting me to write here on Minds in Bloom. Ever since I stumbled upon Rachel two years ago, I’ve been ever amazed at the high quality posts here
Please welcome Julie Faulkner, an English teacher from Tennessee. Julie shares with us how a shift in your view of how to accomplish Common Core standards can change everything. Thanks, Julie! I am excited to guest post for such an accomplished blog – Minds in Bloom! When Common Core was first introduced to me, I saw lists of standards, new testing requirements, and instructional shifts. I
Please welcome Gina of Beach, Sand, and Lesson Plans! She shares with us today a pretty snappy way to handle homework that’s fun for everyone. She included a great freebie that you’ll want to download and rate for sure! Thanks for sharing this great, idea Gina! Hi everyone! I’m Gina from Beach, Sand, and Lesson Plans, and I’m thrilled to be a guest blogger
As we all know, students already get plenty of tests, so why not let your students show what they learned creatively? Whether your students are reading independent books or your class has just finished a unit on space or pioneers, a culminating project can really cement that learning. Here are 72 fun and creative ways for your students to show what they know. Create a
I am once again so thrilled to welcome Dr. Erica Warren to Minds in Bloom. This post is a must-read for any teacher (or parent) who teaches reading or works with struggling readers. Many young learners encounter obstacles with the reading process and, for some, it is a pervasive problem. New estimates report that as many as 1 in 10 children have reading disabilities,
It is always a treat to have an expert blog for Minds in Bloom. Dr. Erica Warren is an educationalist specialist who focuses on multi-sensory teaching, and today she’s talking about teaching visualization. Most children have vivid imaginations, and they have no difficulty visualizing make-believe scenes and characters. However, once they enter school, concrete learning methods often leave fantasy and self-generated visuals out of the learning
Sometimes, we as teachers get so involved in teaching students to write poetry that we forget to teach them to love it. Rebecca Reid from Line upon Line shares some wonderful ideas, as well as a huge list of favorite poems. The perfect post for Poem in Your Pocket Day! I was a teenager before I got the point of poetry. I always thought of poetry as
