Pare, pair, or pear? Learners explore homophones with this dictionary skills instructional activity. They look up definitions to five sets of homophones to see how words can sound the same but have completely different meanings. There...

Metaphors open doors to descriptive language for your poets. They read the poem "What is the Sun" and record all the metaphors they find. Then, scholars change one of them to a simile. After answering two more comprehension...

As early readers begin recognizing simple words, give them practice with exercises like this matching learning exercise. For each word, learners examine three options to determine which is the same. They draw a line from the starting...

Act out the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" rhyme with youngsters. Learners observe visual instructions before completing the corresponding actions, then draw the spider into a scene. Finally, they write down rhyming words that have the ai...

Practice literary analysis with your poetry pupils using the mysterious narrative poem "The Listeners." They examine the archaic language and answer 12 comprehension and analysis prompts. Foster creativity with these referential...

First grade is a great time to build strong reading skills. Here are three short rhyming poems or common nursery rhymes that are intended to help boost reading fluency. Because most children know these rhymes, they will have an easier...

Familiar sing-along rhymes about rain help scholars with phonemic awareness. They read the poems and write rhymes for four words. The clue here? Each of the words is out of one of the sing-along rhymes! Learners read a final poem about...

Shape poems can be fun! Give your writers this example of a poem shaped like a fir tree, then give them the chance to try one of their own. This can be a fun poetry-style exercise to let visual learners experience a new side of poetry.

Thud! Squiff! Create sound effects with words. Introduce your youngsters to onomatopoeia with these fun, rainy-day poems. They write down sound words, discussing rhythm and rhyme. You can also incorporate the author's use of capital...

Provide an opportunity for scholars to play around with words. They start with 12 root words and add prefixes to them to create new ones. There are five prefixes here, and learners list the new words beside each. Consider reviewing the...

Read to understand! Sounds great and your third graders will read to understand several interesting facts about Great Britain. They read, identify key details in the text, and write to answer five comprehension questions. Learning to...

Are we alone in the universe? This brief informational text on extraterrestrial theory has been split into seven sections to help scholars practice note taking. They read the statements, underlining key words. Then, using the graphic...

Learners analyze this letter of complaint to the city council by answering nine short-answer questions. They examine author's purpose, word choice, claims, rhetorical questions, and general observations. There is a focus on constructive...

Get your anthropologists thinking with this aboriginal myth about thunderstorms. They read the brief myth and answer three comprehension questions. The directions indicate two myths, however there is just one here. Consider extending...

Thunder and lightning are so exciting! Your class gets to read all about it. This informational reading passage provides them with a scientific explanation of thunder and lightning. They read the passage, answer comprehension questions,...

Boris is the smartest baby around! Beginning readers can use this short story excerpt to practice reading comprehension and fiction elements. They read the story and then discuss what they think he will do next. Scholars create an...

Whether your first graders can read or not, they will enjoy this comprehension activity. They read or listen to an excerpt from a Winnie-the-Pooh story, they predict what will happen next, then draw Pooh Bear's favorite food. A compare...

Oh, that naughty Peter Rabbit! Youngsters read an excerpt aloud from the classic Beatrix Potter story "The Tale of Peter Rabbit." They retell the story in their own words and discuss the events. Readers make inferences about various...

Some of these words don't rhyme; scholars determine which ones as they examine four sets of images with the vowel sound /e/. For each set, they circle the words that don't rhyme with the first image. Be sure kids know what these images...

Which one rhymes? There are four starting objects here, each heading a row of three objects. Learners identify the objects and their vowel sounds to determine which one rhymes with the first object. All these rhyming words involve the...

Find the rhyming word. All of these rhyming, single-syllable words have the short i sound, but learners have to determine which ones they are. There are four starting objects each heading a row of three objects. They examine the...

What rhymes with the word fox? Actually there are quite a few words that contain the short o vowel sound and rhyme with fox. Pre-readers find, color, and circle the objects in the picture that rhyme with the sly looking fox. They also...

Which of these objects rhymes? There are four starter pictures here, each heading rows of three objects. Learners determine and circle the row object that rhymes with the first one. Then, they connect two of the CVC words with printing...

Focus on the short u sound in this rhyme learning exercise for emergent readers. Learners examine images surrounding a jug, drawing lines to connect it to those that rhyme (bug, rug, mug). Then, they practice their printing by...