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Why Students Hate Reading Poetry – And How to Make them Love It!
Have you ever announced to your class that you would be working on a poetry unit and all the students cheered? Yeah, me neither. Usually there are a few students that love poetry, but the groans outweigh the enthusiastic cheers. So why do so many students hate reading...
12 Amazing Poets Who Make Kids Love Poetry
Poetry is one of those topics teachers seem to either love or hate. Students seem to feel the same way. However, Common Core and state reading standards are emphasizing figurative language more than ever. Not only do students have to learn how to read poetry, they...
How to Prep for FSA: Valuable Tips for 6th Grade ELA
It is never too soon for language arts teachers and reading coaches to begin planning for the FSA exams! Sixth grade reading standards expect student to go beyond mere comprehension of the reading, but also to understand the craft of writing. Understanding what the...
How to Prep for FSA: Valuable Tips for 5th Grade ELA
Soon testing will be here, and teachers want to make sure they have covered as many of the standards as possible. The 5th grade ELA standards are a pretty big step up in reading expectations. The good news is that teachers and reading coaches can focuses on a few...
How to Prep for FSA: Valuable Tips for 4th Grade ELA
This test prep season, prepare smarter not harder for FSA! In this post, I will unpack the 4th grade FSA English Language Arts (ELA) test specifications and analyze the 4th grade Florida standards. This will help both teachers and parents make sure their students are...
How to Prep for FSA: Valuable Tips for 3rd Grade ELA
As Florida teachers begin prepping for testing season, time is frequently an issue. The Florida Standards Assessments are rigorous tests, and students need be familiar with both the question styles and testing formats. Both teachers and parents can benefit from...
Hidden Gems: A Series of Unfortunate Events & FREEBIE
Now that Netflix has made A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket into a TV series, the books are making a comeback. Of course, they were wildly popular when they were first published! The Bad Beginning, the first book in the series, is one of my very...
How to Teach Close Reading with Logic Puzzles
One of my favorite things in school was logic puzzles. I know many people dislike them, but they are the ultimate close reading activity. I used them all them time with my students to help improve their reading skills. To solve a logic problem, you have to closely...
How to Use Interactive Notebooks as Reading Support
Interactive notebooks seem to be a love/hate issue with teachers. At first, I just thought they would waste a lot of class time. What I didn't realize was how much they would increase student engagement or how I could use them to support the content in...
Over twenty plus years, my educational career has spanned four continents and two states, as well as eight grade levels!
