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Speakers in Action
Tune into C-Span and tape politicians delivering testimony before congress. Class members view these tapes, formulate a rubric for rating the effectiveness of such a speech, and then emulate best practices and include them in their own...
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Dictionary Detective
Build your class's dictionary skills with this fun game. The activity allows learners to better understand dictionary usage, spelling, and vocabulary. By the end of this activity, they should be skilled word finders.
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"Swamp Monsters" by Mary Blount Christian
Using the book Swamp Monsters by Mary Blount Christian, young readers discuss key vocabulary terms and make predictions about swamp monsters. They complete a Cloze activity, explore past-tense verbs, and categorize vocabulary words.
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Compounding the Problem
Pupils sharpen their dictionary skills and their understanding of compound words in this plan. Tailor it to the grade level you teach by honing in on specific skills. For older learners, the plan suggests providing a word and having them...
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Pair Editing
Practice thinking critically and editing by finding basic errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Partners read the stories What's Up? and Cold Water Clean. They look for and edit any mistakes they find. Worksheets are available...
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ICT/Literacy
Deepen understanding of email correspondence. Begin by tapping into prior experience with email and word processing. Learners then send emails to one another, practicing attaching images and copying and pasting their work into a word...
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On Your Mark, Get Set, Read!
Are your beginning readers trying to build fluency? Use this activity to teach them how to monitor their reading fluency. First they get a sentence to practice with, reading it to their partner once and rereading it silently five times....
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Say it with FEELING!
Why should we read with expression when we read? Engage your learners in this discussion and teach them the easiest way to gauge expression: the end mark! Is it a question mark? An exclamation point? This helps you determine how to...
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Be Expressive!
First through third graders explore reading with fluency and expression. They examine how to read with expression, changing the speed, volume, and pitch of their voices while reading. Learners listen to a story that is read with...
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Reading With Expression
Reading with fluency and expression is an important skill for beginning readers to develop. They discuss what it means to read with expression and observe the teacher reading Goldilocks and the Three Bears without any interest...
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Informative Essay Writing
High schoolers start by drawing Mr. Essay Man, who is supposed to illustrate the different parts of an essay. After discussing what each component should contain, writers start their essay, guided by the teacher and class discussion....
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Scarf Juggling
Students participate in an activity that promotes self-confidence, concentration and improves hand-eye coordination. They choose a scarf to throw up into the air and catch with one hand and then the other hand. Stimulation of the brain...
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Capturing the Reader with Vivid Images
In this using vivid images worksheet, young scholars identify vivid images and analyze their effectiveness in John Deever's "Mr. John and the Day of Knowledge." Students then write rich images for their classmates to imagine.
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Past Tense Irregular Verbs
With this worksheet, youngsters review past tense irregular words and predict the spelling of these words. They complete a worksheet where they fill in the missing letters of irregular verbs. The sheet provides the exact number of spaces...
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How to Research and Write an Essay
Research and write a 500-word essay. Pupils research a topic and write an essay based on their research. They use the given directions and examples to help them research, organize, format, and write their essay. There's a short chart...
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Poe's Poetry and Prosody
Motivate your class with this lesson! Learners use passages from Edgar Allan Poe's poetry to practice reading fluency. They read "The Raven" as a rap song to better understand the rhyming patterns and pauses.
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Introduce /a/
Start your alphabet study strong using these strategies combining pronunciation, recognition, letter sound, and word examples focused on the letter a. Scholars examine the letter shape and listen to you pronounce the /aaa/ sound. As you...
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Reintroduce /a/
What does the letter a sound like? Scholars practice with letter sound correspondence by honing their pronunciation of the /aaa/ sound. Use these helpful tips to explain how to make this sound if needed. Then, they brainstorm...
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Introduce /r/
Use these inventive strategies to focus on the letter r, forming sound associations along with letter recognition. Explain the tongue movement in making the /r/ sound, asking learners to try it. Draw the r on the board and give...
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Using Transitions
Young scholars explore the importance of using transitional phrases in their writing. They discuss why transitions are important to their writing and various types of transitions that they can use. Students practice using transitions in...
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Definition Poems
“Hope is a tissue, wiping away your problems and fears.” Use a Definition Poem Web worksheet to model for your class how to craft a free verse poem based on an emotion. After brainstorming topics, groups use the sheet to make comparisons...
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Developing Listening Skills With Folktales
Students answer questions about a folktale that is read to them. In this listening skills activity, students practice listening to folktales and answering questions about what they hear. They listen to repetitive readings of the same...
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Speak Up
Bring back some of your favorite kids for this lesson. Emerging speakers observe older learners making effective and ineffective oral presentations. They discuss each presentation and then prepare a speech of their own to deliver to the...
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Ray Bradbury Short Stories - Independent Reading Activity
A straightforward lesson about the themes in Ray Bradbury's short stories, this activity allows learners to first work independently and then share their analyses with the class. They read "The Other Foot" as well as another story from...