Early Reader Books for Older Students

Preview for In the Ocean Early Reader

When I started teaching, I had big dreams of having deep conversations about chapter books like Shiloh, Tuck Everlasting, and The Island of the Blue Dolphin.  I'm lucky enough to have some book clubs and those dreamed of conversations.  My favorite book being Number the Stars, btw.

What I didn't dream about and wasn't prepared for was the number of students who could not read at grade level.  They didn't talk about that in undergrad classes!

This year, I had 4 students who couldn't pass BAS Level A in August. That's the most ever in one class. I struggled to find books that were low level but not insulting to the age of my students.

Finally, I decided on rainy days this summer, I would create my own series of nonfiction early readers with real photographs that would be interesting and more importantly, not insulting, to the nine and ten year old who struggle to read even the most basic sight words.

I finished the first 5 early readers ($1.25 each) and they are available on my TpT page.  For a limited time, you can get all 5 books here for just $4.50 -- I would love some feedback, too.

:) Denise

Positive Office Referrals

I starting using Positive Office Referrals about 2 years ago.  Our school is PBiS and kids can enter weekly drawings to win prizes from the Wildcat Warehouse.  Some students, however, need immediate feedback and praise or honestly, some positive adult attention. 

Available in my TpT Store
Positive Office Referrals

If I see a student go out of their way to be kind to someone they might not usually talk to or working really hard on a challenging assignment, I write up a positive office referral.  Students can then walk on down to the office to share in the good news.  The office staff is really good about making a big deal about the student's efforts and send them back with praise and a treat or pencil. 

My advice is to make the "why" you gave the referral to them clear so that we can expect that behavior to show up again.  If you aren't yet on summer vacation, give it a try today!

Favorite ELA Websites: Part 2

Back again to chat about best ELA websites! We spend a good deal of time teaching nonfiction topics and there are plenty of sites to choose from, some free and some are not.  I tend to stick with free since I am raising two boys with bottomless pits for appetites!

When teaching nonfiction, I use ReadWorks (see Part 1 of this series) as my first "go to".  However, there are times when I really want to dive into current events or what kids are currently talking about. In these cases, I use...

1.  Newsela
There's a free and pro version.  Depends on your need - I use the free version to access articles as needed.  You can get a free trial of the pro version to see what it's all about!

2.  Tween Tribune
This site is part of the Smithsonian.  You can sort by grade level groups and even change the language to Spanish.  Definitely addresses current events but does take age appropriateness into consideration when addressing tragic events.

3.  DOGO News
Super engaging website and articles.  I will caution that this one has videos, book reviews and other things like a comment feature.  For this site, I don't link the kid's Google Classroom account (can't comment without one)!!

4.  Wonderopolis
Do kids every ask you a question like "Why do we procrastinate?" and your answer is "I don't know!" - if you are nodding your head YES than this site is for you.  Kids can type in a specific question or topic and read to find out the answer!!  It's a fun way to read and learn!

Favorite ELA Websites: Part 1

I promised myself when I started blogging, each blog would be short and sweet.  I hate reading someone's life story to simply find the ingredients in salsa!  Just sayin'.  So, this topic may span over a few days to avoid breaking my #1 rule.

I am in a few Facebook groups and there's always a question about what 
online resources members would recommend for reading/ELA time.  
By far, I recommend the free website www.readworks.org and here's why.

1.  I link ReadWorks through Google Classroom (in the About section) so students can simply click on the link and log in with their Google account.  You can import your class list, too!

2.  There are a TON of engaging articles and stories at a variety of lexile levels.  You can add ELL and SPED supports, have articles read to the student(s), and other forms of differentiation that give every kid an access point.

3.   Using the Articles of the Day gives students 4-5 different nonfiction articles about a topic.  Kids have the choice of which articles they read.  It them prompts them to type up information that they learned in the Book of Knowledge.  *The ELL support features gives kids a sentence starter!

Finally, ReadWorks grades the multiple choice and you grade written responses and give feedback (optional).  Then you have the option to reassign part of or have the student redo the entire assignment from scratch.

So easy to use and a great resource to bookmark for the fall!  :) Denise

Teaching Theme

Now that you know a little bit about me, let's get started with the "real" stuff.  I love teaching reading, especially realistic fiction.  Everytime I read a new book it becomes MY FAVORITE.  I am sure that some kid rolls their eyes every time I say, "I'm going to share my favorite book with you today!"  I imagine that one kid, you know the one, mumbling, "She always says that!"

One of my favorite books to use for theme is Maribeth Boelt's Those Shoes.  In short, Those Shoes is about a young boy named Jeremy and his quest to obtain the current "in" shoes, the black ones with the white stripes.  His grandma makes it quickly known to Jeremy that those shoes are NOT in the budget.  That's where the story begins...

As an adult, I love responsible, practical Grandma and how she lets Jeremy learn a valuable lesson while showing genuine care.  I read somewhere that the theme can often be found in the advice of wise elders.  This book is perfect for using that tip because honestly, theme isn't the easiest of skills for kids to master.

I've created a resource to support teaching theme or just support using this picture book in your classroom.  It comes with about a week's worth of reading lessons (want/need sort, vocabulary, general comprehension, determining theme, and journal topics).   See, no need to cry!  Denise

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Teaching-Theme-and-More-with-Those-Shoes-3821102

To Cry or Not to Cry?

Picking a name for my business and blog was a real challenge.  By the time I got in the game, all the good names seemed taken.  Not much rhymes with Denise (lease, police, fleece), you see what I am saying.  So, I started googling names of books and movies looking for inspiration and eventually landed on There's No Crying in Teaching.  First of all, who doesn't love Tom Hanks?  Second, I love his whiny voice and can imagine myself shouting, "There's NO crying in fourth grade!"

Originally, I had a tag line:  There's No Crying in Teaching... well, maybe, sometimes.  But, NEVER in front of the class, ever!  But, it was way too long and there are legitimate reasons to shed a tear (like every time I read Faithful Elephants or Hickory Chair).  You get the idea.  Just save those kind of tears for the car ride home.  As a matter of fact, I am going to my car to have a "The school year is almost over and the kids are completely checked out" cry!

Bloglovin'

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I love using Bloglovin' to keep track of all the blogs I follow.  So much better than having a zillion bookmarks!  My personal favorite is Teaching With A Mountain View. Great for upper elementary educators.

Comment letting me know what education/teaching/tech blogs you love (maybe even because they're yours) and I will follow them!

7 Days Until Summer Break!

Well, just a week worth of school days until summer vacation.  I am looking forward to the Colorado sunshine and endless activities Denver has to offer.  But until then, keeping my students engaged and on task is a challenge unlike any other. Luckily,  I use my not-so-secret weapon, Class Dojo.  I love it!  I don't work for them or get any $$ for promoting them, but it's been a lifesaver for monitoring behavior and keeping in contact with parents. Also, Class Dojo offers a toolkit full of functions like:  music, randomizer, auto grouping and more.  

Click on my freebie offer (on the right) to read more about how I use Class Dojo in my classroom.  :) Hang in there.  Summer vacation is just a few sunrays away.

Teachers Pay Teachers is having a store-wide sale!  All the products in my brand new store is 25% off for the next 3 hours!  If you're not in need of any products today, stop by and click "follow me" to keep up-to-date on my newest releases and future sales... and of course, FREEBIE offers. 

Stop the Summer Slide!

There's a lot of buzz around the term "summer slide"!  I can say that I have seen the effects of students losing academic ground from lack of reading during the summer.  I think one of our many jobs as teachers is to help parents realize that regardless of what language they speak at home, students can continue learning all summer long. It doesn't have to be fancy, complicated or expensive... and it can be in whatever language the parent knows best!  

 So, I created a one-page handout (freebie in my TpT store!) to send home at the end of the year.  I was also lucky enough to get a DonorsChoose.org project funded so that all my students can take home a Summer Bridges Activity Book whether they want it or not, ha!  If you are interested in getting started for the first time on DC, leave a comment below!

My First Post!

Let me introduce myself.  I'm Denise, a 4th grade teacher in the beautiful state of Colorado.  I've been in the teaching biz for 21 years, mostly intermediate grades although I have spent 5 years as a literacy teacher leader. I have a Masters in Ed Administration from the University of Denver and a second Masters in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Ed from Regis.  I love reading, writing, and technology (in the classroom and at home) which led me to blogging.

I am a Class Dojo Teacher Mentor as well as one of Colorado's DonorsChoose Ambassadors!  More on these later!

Hope you'll follow me for some honest conversations about teaching and products to make our job less "tearful"!!