By Rachel Lynette
One of the reasons I did not dig into close reading sooner is that it seemed really intimidating. But, it turns out that while it does go deep – way beyond traditional comprehension – it is not all that mysterious. Once you learn the key pieces – what makes close reading close reading – it becomes less intimidating and more intriguing (or at least it
Minds in Bloom is excited to present Anne-Marie of Bay Tree Blog, who is giving us a TON of great tips on teaching students with dyslexia. You work so hard. You’re dynamite with your students. You spend hours preparing your classroom activities. And yet, your hard work isn’t paying off for all of your students. You’re not alone. Most classroom teachers have a small handful of students who
Minds in Bloom is excited to have April Smith of Performing in Education guest posting today! This post is packed with great ideas on using mentor texts. Enjoy! If you teach writing, then you’ve invariably used, or heard about, mentor texts. A mentor text is a book that you use to show your students examples of excellent writing, which they can then go imitate
Artwork credits: Edusong, Dancing Crayon Designs, KG Fonts NOTE: As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases. 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
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
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
Toss that Test Aside! As we all know, students already get plenty of tests, so why not let your elementary students show what they learned creatively? Whether your students are reading independent books or your class has just finished an inquiry project on space or pioneers, a culminating project can really cement that learning. Whether you’re focused on building academics or building character, we have
