Tools to Help You Teach Middle School ELA
Ready to host a reading challenge with your class? Whether you want your students to read 4 or 40 books this year, here are some ideas that will help you be successful. The Problem with a Reading Challenge It’s no secret that middle school students aren’t spending as much time reading as they are on […] Read more…
If you want your students to read – or read more, check out these suggestions for making independent reading more successful. First: get to know your students as readers Ask students to complete a short survey. My favorite questions are: You might want to share your own answers to these questions with your class before […] Read more…
Teach characterization using short films that will keep your students engaged in learning! Short films like Pixar shorts are perfect for this lesson — and students love them! Students get hooked into the lesson right away! How do you teach it? Let’s dive in: But first… What is characterization? Characterization refers to the way a […] Read more…
Wondering how to teach poetry? Not quite sure how to start? These tips will help you get started. How to engage your students Often, our students complain that they don’t like poetry — it’s boring or they don’t get it. Combat that by choosing poems that YOU love. You do love poetry, don’t you? Maybe […] Read more…
Looking for teaching strategies as you begin a poetry unit? Teaching poetry can be intimidating — for both students and teachers. But it doesn’t have to be! This post dives into ways you can teach poetry in fun and effective ways. Read on! Why should I teach poetry? By the time your students reach middle […] Read more…
Teaching vocabulary can be a real challenge. Looking for some extra help? Here are vocabulary teaching strategies that with help you and your students in your word study. Why is vocabulary important? We know that vocabulary instruction is important. When our students can understand, decode, and determine the meaning of new words, their reading comprehension […] Read more…
Teaching students how to summarize a text is important… So important that it is part of the CCSS reading standards for literature and informational texts beginning in grade 4 and continuing (with greater rigor) through grade 12. As educators, we know why summarizing will help students: But what are ways to actually teach summarizing? You’ll […] Read more…
What is fact checking and how do you teach it? This post will help you share this essential skill with your students. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…” Those opening lines of A Tale of Two Cities seem […] Read more…
Wondering how to include book clubs or literature circles into your distance learning? This post includes tips, suggestions, and ways to create digital book clubs that will engage your students — even when they aren’t in your classroom. Let’s get started! Your distance learning platform First, look at what your distance learning platform can do. […] Read more…
Memoirs mentor texts are perfect for teaching students this genre. The perfect place to start when you want them to write their own memoirs. What is a memoir? It’s important to understand the definition of a memoir. The root of the word sounds like “memory,” and that helps students understand what it is: The personal […] Read more…