Tried It Tuesday {Theme}

Brrr...will this cold ever go away? On a brighter note...
It's Time for Tried It Tuesday! 

What have you tried recently at school or home?

My Tried It:

Theme
I have been busy purchasing more mentor texts for my library this year and these recently arrived in the mail. It is becoming a slight addiction! :) Amazon must love me!

See that tiny book in the middle? Yep, didn't realize this copy of "The Paper Bag Princess" was SO small! Oops!

We studied theme last week and I wanted to share this great lesson I used by the talented Jess at I {Heart} Recess.

I passed out the "Big Ideas-Themes" guide from this packet and we discussed some chapter books we have read with their themes. Students shared with their partners some themes from books they are reading independently and easily discovered that books often have many themes that can be supported with text evidence.

We read "Chicken Sunday" by Patricia Polacco together and discussed the themes with text evidence.

Then, students worked in small groups to read another mentor text and work on the graphic organizer that came with this pack. Many other texts could also be used, but since I already had the titles "The Bad Case of the Stripes," "A Chair for My Mother," and "Chrysanthemum," I just needed "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble" and "Thank You, Mr. Falker." I wanted those books for my growing collection anyway. :)

Here are the students working in small groups and pictures of some graphic organizers.

To read the book and complete the graphic organizers took the groups close to 30 minutes. When they were finished, I heard so many students say, "This was fun!". 

Do you use mentor text in small group work? I have also thought about having some of my struggling students read these mentor texts at a listening station. Many of them are on youtube and students could follow along in the book or just watch the video if you didn't have the book. 

A Chair for My Mother on Youtube

Chicken Sunday on Youtube

A Bad Case of the Stripes on Storyline Online

Chrysanthemum on Youtube

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble video on PBS

Thank You, Mr. Falker on Youtube

I'm looking forward to reading what others have tried recently!

An InLinkz Link-up

Day 6 Giveaway and Tried It Tuesday {Text Structures}!!

Are you ready to win some fabulous prizes??!!!
It's a great day...Tried It Tuesday is back in the second half of this post and I have a SNOW DAY!!    It's super cold and we are supposed to get up to 2 feet of snow, but I don't mind staying in (as long as we don't lose power!).  

Congratulations to Kathryn B.!! She won yesterday's Rafflecopter of products!

Some more fabulous ladies have donated treasures today! Be sure to check out their blogs to read more about how they use these products and follow them for additional ideas, tips, lessons, and freebies!

Bethany from Hunter's Teaching Tales is donating her Informational Writing Unit.
Perfect to teach nonfiction writing to your students!

Jennifer from Mrs. Laffin's Laughings is donating her Reading Genre Challenge-Reading Tags!

Your students will surely be motivated to explore new reading genres!

Mandy from The Fourth Grade Journey is donating her Task Card Bundle! {152 cards!!!}

Soooooo many possibilities!!! Wow!

a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now, Tried It Tuesday is back after a little break over the holidays! :)

My Tried It:

Informational Text Structure 

I could have done a better job teaching this Common Core Standard last year: 

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.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.

It just snuck up on me and then one of the short responses questions on the state test went something like this:  How was this passage organized?  That was it for the question!  Yeah, my students definitely were not very well prepared for a question worded in that manner.  This was the first time a question was being asked in this way on the state test.  It was a tricky question and there was not a very clear text structure that stood out so I am still not sure what the state accepted for responses.  Anyway, I knew I needed to do a better job teaching this skill this year.

I used this chart from Nicole Shelby's 4th Grade Interactive Reading Notebook (aligned to the Common Core).  When I have students record information like this on a graphic organizer, I usually project the sample picture of the completed page for students to use.  It looks like this from the product's file:

This is a picture of one student's journal and their completed notes on text structures. 

I have been copying the standard in different colored papers for students to glue in their notebook.  For more information about how I organize my writer's notebooks, see my posts here and here.  

Here is a link to a free text structures chart from Scholastic (the whole chart is not shown in the picture).  You could print this chart and copy it to have students glue in their notebooks for reference.

I also purchased Rachel Lynette's Informational Text Structure task cards (see more about how I use task cards in the classroom here).

Today, I played a modified version of SCOOT using these task cards.  We were limited on time and I want to keep coming back to this skill over and over.  My students' desks are arranged in groups of fours and I gave each student one card.  We played one round of SCOOT and only rotated four times, moving in a clockwise rotation in each group of desks.  After the group had answered all four cards on their task card answer sheets, I had the group share their responses and discuss discrepancies.  Yes, there were quite a few discrepancies!  It was great for discussion and sometimes it is effective to try a little practice at a time.  

I was walking around listening to conversations and verifying correct and incorrect answers with groups.  I had the students put the task card answer sheets in their folders to be used to practice more later.  Hopefully, they will keep improving their understanding of this concept with more practice!

I hope everyone is staying warm and safe wherever you are!  Our pipes to our upstairs bathroom are frozen for the first time ever.  Hubby is trying to fix that and he's sick with Type A flu! Yuck!!

Sparking Student Motivation {Reading Goals}

Can you hear that?  It is the sound of reality settling in!!  This is my last weekend of summer before it is officially back to school time:(  Even with the disappointment of summer coming to an end, this is still my favorite time of the year overall!  I love fall weather, football, the "newness" of a new school year, and I love, LOVE schedules!  I function so much better on a schedule! After about three weeks on summer vacation, I am so ready to be back on a regular routine. :)

Today I am linking up with my dear friend, Joanne, at Head Over Heels for Teaching for her Sparking Student Motivation Saturdays!

Two weeks ago, I blogged about using Accelerated Reader (AR) to track students' points and individual goals to provide motivation for independent reading.  You can see that post here.  There was a lot of great dialogue and I had some amazing pointers from Alison at Rockin' and Lovin' Learnin' and Jennifer at Mrs. Laffin's Laughings especially! Thank you ladies for taking the time to share your thoughts and suggestions.  This is just another example of I love the blogging community!

With my owl theme, I asked readers to comment on some catchy phrases for an owl themed classroom display for AR point goals.  I had some awesome suggestions and have been working in my room this past week getting things ready (students start September 5th!).  I can basically devote my whole room to ELA this year since I am teaching three 80 minute blocks of 4th grade ELA, so I decided to use two areas of the classroom to display independent reading successes for motivation.  The first area is the "owl tree".  I bought this tree online because I just am not crafty enough to make my own tree!  

I cannot draw or create life like displays to save my life.  I do like how it looks in the space though and really adds to the cozy feel of my library.  I took a variation of Stephanie's (from Polka Dot Palace) suggestions for an owl themed title.  Thank you Stephanie!  Here is the tree displayed in my room. :)  The little blue slice at the bottom of the tree is the top of a "husband pillow".  The letters for these displays were cut on my Cricut.  I used the "Ashlyn" cartridge (Base Shadow setting at 3.5"). 

The tree has little owls placed in spaces going up the tree at 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of goal met (each owl is larger than the previous one).  Here is a closeup of the 100% owl:

I am going to use the points goal set by AR for each individual student and place these little owls with student names on them as they reach each percentage of their goal (based on the STAR test) for the quarter.  These little owl tags are just a couple inches high and will be "flying" around the tree in the space for the % of goal met.  I plan to also let students set their own goal (suggested by a reader) because I think most students can exceed the AR goal set by STAR.

Our tech guy set up the individual quarters in AR per my request because last year only the full school year was set.  I am so excited to see how this motivational strategy works out!

I also set up this display as a number of books read "club".  

There is space for 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 books read to start.  If students start to exceed 60 (I will encourage them to do so!), then I will add more "clubs".  I am only allowing chapter books read (at the students' individual levels)  to count toward the totals and will add student names to the papers somehow as they move through the clubs.  Don't you love the title for this area?  This suggestion came from Joanne herself (your host of this linky)!!  I am thinking about using Fridays to update our clubs since they are pretty high up (close to the ceiling) and then have some kind of class celebration complete with "Hoot Hoots" for each new name added!!  Doesn't that sound fun?

I will be updating readers throughout the year about how these areas are working in my classes.  I am optimistic about these motivational displays!  My room isn't quite ready to share completely, but I will be posting more pictures in the next week. :)  Did you see a glimpse of my owl book bin labels?  They are on sale at 20% in my TPT store now through Labor Day for those of you still getting your classroom ready!  I have four other designs available on sale too including Bright Chevron, Bright Polka Dots, Zebra Print, and Superhero theme!  The Owl "CAFE" letters are a freebie in my store.

Check back at Head Over Heels for Teaching for some more motivational strategies!

Also, stop over and checkout the amazing giveaway (Day 1) by Fifth in the Middle and Where the Wild Things Learn!

Spark Motivation Saturdays (AR Tracking)!!

Happy Saturday everyone!  I am linking up with my beautiful friend, Joanne, at Head Over Heels for Teaching for her Spark Student Motivation Saturdays linky! 

 My post today is about a strategy I just learned about when using the Accelerated Reader program.  I read this post by the fabulous Jennifer at Mrs. Laffin's Laughings where she blogged about how she uses AR and the STAR assessment (my school also uses both of these) to give each student a point goal for each quarter based on their ability (determined by the STAR reading test).  She has a super cute race car chart where they move their car up as they earn more of a percentage of their goal.  This idea really started me thinking about my reading goals for next year.

For the past two years, our 4th grade team had switched groups for ELA and we grouped them by ability.  There were three groups (high/average, average/below average, and well below average).  We really liked how this worked for the lowest and highest groups especially.  We kept the low group numbers as small as possible (10-13 in a class) with a reading specialist who pushed in for additional support and the top group was really challenged to move at a faster pace.  We never had a reading specialist push in during the 4th grade ELA block when we didn't switch groups and the admin told us that we could have support if the struggling students were in one class.  So, we changed that (I don't know if they thought we would do it!).  When you have a class of 20 and there are at least four students reading at a 1st grade level with no extra reading specialist support (or teacher assistant...anything!), those students suffer, or on the flip side, you focus much of your energies on the low and the top don't get the attention they deserve.  You know the story...all teachers can relate to that cycle!

So, I taught the top group for two years and my reading requirement for these students was to read four books a month.  I had 23 students in my class last year (some were truly "high" but most were closer to "average") and in September about half the class is always really overwhelmed by this FOUR book requirement! You want us to do what??  After reading the Book Whisperer last summer, it verified that this was not too lofty of a goal, especially for the top readers. 

 I always start the year letting them choose just about any chapter books they want to read even though they are all technically reading at the 4th grade level.  If they WANT to read Junie B. Jones, Magic Tree House, Nate the Great, etc., I don't care!  As long as they are reading, it can be a chapter book of their choice.  Once December rolls around (we start school in September), the students have to read AT LEAST 3.5 AR level books for their 4 books a month and in March it is bumped up to at least a 4.0 level to count.  I conference throughout the year with students and encourage some to challenge themselves if they are "stuck" on a certain level and are more capable.  They get a printed AR report each month with their top four scores circled for the month.  It is important to provide some type of tracking system to keep students motivated.  Most of them love getting these reports to take home and show their parents!  Within a few months, the students are always amazed that most of them are reading MORE than four books a month!  Also, for those students who read larger chapter books, I always counted books that were more than about 250 pages as "TWO" books for the month but they never counted for more than two, no matter how long they were.  

With that being said, now we are changing our 4th grade schedule and moving to departmentalization.   I will be teaching ALL the ELA and keep wondering if the four book a month goal is too much to ask for all my struggling readers?  Then, I saw how Jennifer uses AR to customize their goal by points and thought, "Bingo!".  She sent me a link to this 148 page document with a TON of useful information about using AR in the classroom.  Um, why haven't I ever seen this before?  We have used AR at my school as long as I have been teaching there (14 years this fall!).  Even if you don't use AR, you should check out this document because it has many useful tips for any classroom!

Since I had never used AR to set a "goal" for points for the year, I was curious if my top readers met what would have been their goal last year.  Indulge me for a minute while I brag about my wonderful class last year! :)  Here are two screenshots (they wouldn't all fit on one screen) of their points and percentage of goal reached for the year:

As you can see, everyone except one student (94.3%) surpassed the goal AR set for them based on the STAR test.  The one student who didn't meet their goal also didn't pass the state exam.  It just goes to show you how important independent reading is!  I think it is the most important part of my program.

I also didn't know that students can check their progress toward their goal at anytime when they login.  It helps them take responsibility for their progress and is a great reinforcer of accomplishments!

Since I am seriously thinking about switching my student goal of four books a month to an AR points goal based on their STAR assessment, I would like to create an owl themed display to show their progress by percentage of the goal reached.  Jennifer used a race car theme and this is the picture of one that is suggested in the AR manual:

Do you have any thoughts on using a number of books per month goal (at student's reading level) versus an AR points goal per quarter (also based on student's level).  Also, I would like to use these cute owl mini cutouts (3" x 3") that I found on Amazon for $2.99 on a tracking display in the classroom for student motivation.  

I will write their names on the books.  

Also, do you have any suggestions for a cute "owl" themed title for the AR points display?

Thanks, friends!!

Be sure to check out the other link ups at Head Over Heels for Teaching today!  

Joanne has some super cute Welcome Back to School Coupons that she posted about!

Also, don't forget about the Back to School Sale at TPT starting tomorrow!  Yay!!  

You can check out ideas for wish listed items at this link up here or link up if you are a blogger!!

Tune Into Technology Linky (Reading)!!

Kristin at iTeach 1:1 and Aylin at Learning to the Core are hosting this fabulous new linky called "Tune Into Technology" on Thursdays!
This week's theme is "Integrating Technology into Reading."

Here are a few ways I use technology during my reading block that I have previously blogged about...

Work On Writing:

My favorite activity (and the students' favorite also!) to use that incorporates technology for work on writing time is Kidblog.  I blogged about using Kidblog in depth here and here.

Read to Self:

I am slowly building my classroom library and tweaking my system for keeping track of my supply of books.  The last couple months of the year I started using Classroom Booksource.  I really like it so far and am looking forward to using this technology from the start of the school year next year.  You can read more about my experience with Classroom Booksource here.

Word Work:

I have maintained a Quia website for about ten years now.  I keep a link of many websites where the students investigate a topic that correlates to our reading material.  I feel it is important for students to learn how to navigate websites to find the information they need.  This is one of my word work centers even though it may not technically be "word work" but they usually do learn new vocabulary!  I wrote a post with a sample page of an investigation I use with the mentor text "The Raft" here.

I have so many other ideas for iPad apps that I want to try next year!  They are sitting waiting in my pins to be explored:)

Don't forget to check out this awesome giveaway linky for Bloglovin' followers!

Thank you to Collaboration Cuties for organizing and the cute button!!

I have a favor to ask!  Please, please make sure you are following with Bloglovin' (if you want to follow me! :)  I think something got messed up because I accidentally had TWO Bloglovin accounts!  Two people have already contacted me that they followed me on Google but it didn't transfer to Bloglovin!  

Hit the button for Bloglovin' on the top of the right sidebar right under the social media buttons to double check if you follow.  Thank you fabulous followers!!!

Five for Friday...the longest shortest week!

This was the longest shortest week!  

I am finding it difficult to come up with five notable happenings to blog about for Doodle Bugs Teaching Five For Friday linky but I will give it a go:)  

Read at your own risk...notable?  not so much.

Although...I can't resist!  

It is wonderful reading what everyone else has been up to and 

reading comments from you guys! (a little New Yorker accent there). 

1.  Natural Disasters Projects:  My students began working on a "Natural Disaster" project at the end of last week and were assigned writing the rough draft for the essay on Tuesday night for homework.  They are working in pairs on this project and the room has been a buzz of excitement!  They have to write a 5 paragraph essay (intro., 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion) and have a visual aid.  

Many students went home over the weekend and worked hard on their project.  I can't wait to see the presentations next week and I am so proud that they have worked with their partners so well.  It is a great way to also get some much needed practice reading informational text since the Common Core emphasizes a 50/50 split for fiction and nonfiction reading.  I know they have been introduced to a lot of new vocabulary while working on the project.  

I tried importing the directions and rubric I made for the project, but of course it didn't turn out the right way.  If you would like a copy of these, write a comment with your email and I will send them to you.  If there is a lot of interest, I may upload this on TPT.  This has been revamped with 10 pages total for the project and is uploaded on TP here! 

Check back next week and I will blog about some of the presentations with pictures of the final products:)

2.  MOST Unexpected Snow Day on Wednesday!  

There was no school on Monday (President's Day), back to school on Tuesday and then a phone call at 5:45 am Wednesday morning.  

The forecast called for 2-4" overnight (which is nothing!). 

Well, the weatherman had it wrong again....

My district got over a foot overnight and with the 50 mph winds at just the right time, it was that magical combination!  Wahoo!!

3.  Stayed home sick Thursday!  I told you it was the longest shortest week ever, right?  

My husband and I both started to feel sick on the snow day (he had to work though!).  I laid down during the kids' naps (loved spending extra time with them:).

I did not get up the entire nap time!  Body aches, feverish, dizziness, and no appetite.

Well, I was bound and determined to get back to work on Thursday.

I just had a snow day, right?

Got up at 5:20...took my shower, and I was exhausted!

My temperature was 101.5 and there was no way I could make it...

4.  Several students were quite naughty for the sub!

with a pile of papers waiting from being out one day sick...

some naughtiness to attend to...

summaries on a nonfiction piece written that didn't even make sense by my top writers...

today was quite exhausting!

I mean some of those summaries were like they did not even read the story and there were run-ons, incomplete sentences, and some incoherent writing!  I am telling myself that it is because there was a sub but I am not so sure...starting to panic a little.  Our state test is mid-April but we have a 2 week spring break before it....FOUR weeks of school left until spring break...yikes!

5.  Added to Danielson APPR binder organizers:  With the little bit of down time I had resting Wednesday and Thursday, I was [slightly] productive.  I updated the APPR binder organizers that follow the Danielson rubric for teacher evaluations on TPT.  Included now are checklists for each domain and examples of four artifacts that can be used.  

I am actually looking forward to a five day {slightly normal} week next week!  I think the five day weeks are easier somehow.  Anyone with me on that?  

Have a great weekend:)

Have you used this website? (ReadWorks.org)

Hi everyone!  I just recently found out about this website, ReadWorks.org, and I had to spread the word!  

I'm sure many of you already use this FREE site but I would love for you to comment on how it 

has helped you or provide a tip for me since I have just started navigating it.  

Here is a snapshot of the homepage:

 

This is what ReadWorks is all about:

ReadWorks gives you a proven, research-based program for teaching reading comprehension.

• ReadWorks’ lessons focus on the essential skills and strategies your students must master to become successful readers.
   
• The lessons are FREE. ReadWorks is a non-profit organization of educators with the mission to help students excel at reading comprehension.

If you like ReadWorks and our lessons, you can help us advance reading comprehension by sharing ReadWorks with your colleagues and school leaders. 

1,000 Non-fiction Passages!

- Aligned to the Common Core and State Standards

- Research-based question sets

- Lexile Leveled

GO NOW

Common Core Aligned

- Meets ELA Standards for All 50 States

- Complements Core Reading Programs

- Based on Leading Research

- Free, to be shared broadly

Teachers Rave!

"I just want to say thank you for providing excellent worksheets and ideas to use.

I'm a 3rd grade teacher and have used these worksheets to push my students to higher thinking skills."

- 3rd Grade Teacher, Arizona

 

You can search for lessons by Common Core Standards and enter your state as well.  Here is an example of the lessons that correlate to just one standard ( 4.RL.1):

NY.CC.4.RL.			Reading Standards for Literature
			Key Ideas and Details
		4.RL.1.	Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. Urban Education Exchange Author's Purpose 4th Grade Unit: Lesson 1: Identifying Author's Purpose in a Newspaper Author's Purpose 4th Grade Unit: Lesson 2: Categorizing Texts According to Author's Purpose Cause and Effect 4th Grade Unit: Lesson 2: Cause and Effect Relationships in Historical Fiction Cause and Effect 4th Grade Unit: Lesson 3: Cause and Effect Relationships in Myths Drawing Conclusions 4th Grade Unit: Lesson 1: Explicit Information versus Drawing Conclusions Figurative Language 4th Grade Unit: Lesson 2: Interpretation of Similes and Metaphors Figurative Language 4th Grade Unit: Lesson 3: Puns Genre 4th Grade Unit: Lesson 1: Historical Fiction Plot 4th Grade Unit: Lesson 1: Climax of a Story Plot 4th Grade Unit: Lesson 2: Making Predictions about the Climax Plot 4th Grade Unit: Lesson 3: Making Predictions about Resolution Point of View 4th Grade Unit: Lesson 1: Third Person Limited and Omniscient Points of View Predicting 4th Grade Unit: Lesson 1: Cliffhangers Predicting 4th Grade Unit: Lesson 2: Historical Events Sequence 4th Grade Unit: Lesson 1: Sequence of a Story within a Story Sequence 4th Grade Unit: Lesson 2: Chronological Order of Events in a Story with a Flashback Sequence 4th Grade Unit: Lesson 3: Exception Questions on Stories with a Flashback Setting 4th Grade Unit: Lesson 1: Setting Impact on the Plot

You can also search by topic.  Here is an example of a 4th grade passage with questions (multiple choice and short responses) on Colonization and the Revolutionary War.

What do you think?  I would love to hear your comments!