By Rachel Lynette
Informational Text Structures can be tricky to teach, but they are important for understanding nonfiction text. Not only that, but they are also part of the Informational Text Common Core Standards for fourth and fifth grade: RI.4.5. Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text. RI.5.5. Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g., chronology,
I don’t usually write about my own products unless they are free, but in this case, I am going to use them as examples to demonstrate five different ways that a teacher can approach the same concept. Of course, I would be thrilled if you saw something that you want to purchase, but the focus of this post is to highlight the different approaches, and
I know what you are thinking. Sticky hands, really? Seriously? Yes, it’s true! Those sticky hands on a rubbery string that kids adore can be a valuable learning tool. Here is how: In a small group, give each child a sticky hand. Lay some laminated task cards on the floor or on a table face down. Ideally, these should be ones that can be answered
I saw this idea on Classroom DIY and thought it was so clever that I wanted to pass it along. When a kid puts a card in at the top, it flips over inside and comes out the bottom upside-down, revealing the answer. So, if you wanted to use this with task cards at a center, you could just write the answer on the back.
Traveling Task Cards is a great way to get your kids up and moving while they are learning! Here is What You Need: One set of multiple choice task cards with enough cards so that each student can have one card. Prize globes, plastic eggs, snack-sized storage container, colorful envelopes, or other fun container Signs for the answer choices (A, B, C, etc.) Here is
This Giveaway closed on April 18. Congratulations to these 60 Winners! Winners were contacted by email and each given the prize of one set of Questioning Task Cards. I know there were only supposed to be 25 winners, but so many people entered that I increased the number of winners to 60. Thank you to EVERYONE who entered. I really appreciate you visiting Totally Task
Use these bright and colorful, free reading response posters for centers or classroom decor. Posters included: Author’s Purpose (using the PIE acronym) Summarize It (using a SUM acronym that I created) Connecting (text-to-self, text-to-text, text-to-world) Compare and Contrast Inference Questioning Visualizing Predicting UK/AU spellings are included at the end of the document. These will also go well with several of my reading strategy task card sets.
Lately, several teachers have asked for ideas for different ways to use task cards. I am working on a project to address that question more fully, but in the meantime I created these three game boards that you can use for reinforcing skills in almost any subject. Each game includes student instructions, along with the game board. Just glue them into file folders, add task
I started off making a set of free task cards for upper elementary, but then I decided that the younger set should have some, too, so now there is something for almost everyone! Not only that, but both of these sets are also correlated with Common Core Standards. Measurement Task Cards for Grades 2-3 To complete these cards, your students will be measuring things around
There are so many ways to use task cards: I have heard from teachers who use them in partners, with the whole class, and, of course, at centers. Here are pictures from two teachers who have graciously shared how they use task cards with their students. Randy Seldomridge teaches in Granite Falls, NC. Here is what Randy says about the way he uses
This set of Presidents’ Day task cards is a great way for your students to learn some fun facts about the presidents while practicing their higher-level thinking skills. Each of the 20 cards includes a piece of presidential trivia, along with a creative or critical thinking challenge. These would work well at a center. Another idea is to choose one each day for your students
If you use task cards to play the game SCOOT with your class, one problem you might have is having more students than cards. Here are some easy ways to solve this problem while also giving your students’ brains a little break. If you don’t know how to play SCOOT, it is a game that both teachers and students love. Scroll down for instructions.
Want to go beyond the classic “What I Did Over Summer Vacation” essay? Try some of these engaging writing prompts. Who is someone you spent a lot of time with this summer? Describe this person. Where did you go this summer that you have never been before? How did you spend Independence Day? Where did you spend most of your time this summer? Describe
Whether they are about a specific area of study or just for fun, questions are a terrific way to get kids thinking critically and creatively. You probably already use questioning as part of your teaching – the Socratic Method. You probably also use them to generate discussions and as journal prompts. Here are a few other creative ways to use questions. At the Start of
I sell teaching materials that I have created on Teachers Pay Teachers. If you don’t know this site, you owe it to yourself to check it out. There are literally tens of thousands of teacher-created resources there, and many of them are offered for free! My products are all highly rated and very reasonably priced. You can see (and click on) my most recent products
