Resources that keep me afloat

These are THE resources that keep me afloat. My favorite bloggers over at Owl-ways Be Inspired are having a fun little linky, called Resources that keep us afloat. Read on to see what resources are keeping my head above water during a week when I have MORE THAN ONE meeting everyday and conferences on Thursday and Friday! Yikes!
So, it is third quarter. Spring break seems like it will never arrive, especially with it being below freezing every day this week. Guided reading and small group reading instruction is getting (dare I say the word?) boring? Redundant? I mustache you a question…does your small group reading instruction need a little dose of razzle dazzle, while still meeting the common core standards?
That is why I really love my mustache themed common core aligned reading file…

After reading our selected book/text for our guided reading group, my students “turned and talked” with their partner.
Each student has their turn to ask a comprehension based question with their partner, which correlated with the common core standard and learning target.
For example, “Excuse me, I ‘mustache’ you  a question. Can you identify two character traits for the main character in this story? Can you use the text to prove your ideas?”

These readers had a “fan-tasche-tic” conversation! I also use this theme for a close reading lesson!

When my students do an exceptional job with their reader’s notebook, our reading conference, or sharing their thinking….I praise them for “blowing” me away

We then end with an adorable bulletin board, which gets all the staff members involved!

Even our principal!

File description:

Guided Reading- I “Mustache” You a Question About Guided Reading

I “mustache” you a question…
Do you need some guided reading inspiration…ASAP???
Do you need COMMON CORE guided reading inspiration!?!?

Are you ready to kick up your guided reading a notch? Are your kids ready for a little extra “pizzazz” to excite them about guided reading?
Enter the idea for guided reading inspiration…mustache style!

The 70 plus page (fan tashe tic) file includes:

*An adorable, interactive, and meaningful bulletin board, titled, “I mustache you a question…” A creative and fun way to practice reading fluency (other staff members will be involved!)

* A creative and cute guided reading group bulletin board display (mustache theme!)

* Invitations for staff members and example projects/letters for the bulletin board project

* Mustache pencil toppers and other printable rewards for you to print for your fan-tache-tic readers.

* Aligned with **common core** standards for grades 1-4

* Learning target bulletin posters

* Unique and exciting strategies and goodies for your students to get pumped about guided reading

* Inspiration for the teacher and the students :)

* Recording sheets for the students reader’s notebooks

* Nonfiction and fiction based comprehension questions for any book

* Are you ready to “shave off your ‘stache?” vocabulary lesson
(shaving cream not included!) :)

* Mustache themed guided reading organization

You can purchase this resource on Teachers Pay Teachers by clicking HERE.

Save 10% by purchasing directly from my website.

One of my GO TO blogger buddies is Stephanie, from Third Grade Thoughts.
I **ADORE** Stephanie’s brain breaks!!!

I keep my brain breaks right next to my fidget bin. My students can use the fidgets anytime they need a break, usually in the hallway.
If only I had a picture of my class doing the plank—hysterical!!!!

For the past week, we have been immersed in a reading workshop study using The Gingerbread Boy Loose in the School as the mentor text.

I LOOOOVE this book- even for my big, mature third graders! I love reading this book as a read- aloud and then referring back to it throughout the next few weeks to teach different reading skills and strategies, such as questioning, cause/effect, character traits, point of view, retelling…and more!

This unit has each lesson laid out by the following: mini-lesson, teaching point/explicit instruction, active engagement/guided practice, linking to their independent daily reading, and finally closing/sharing time.

This layout really helps me target my instruction so that I am sure to meet common core. Also, I have been at so many annual IEP meetings these past two weeks! This layout helps me with my substitute planning because all I need to do is lay out the lesson template and the student reproducible that accompany it.

Another reason I love this resource is because it does not involve any busy work, centers, and cutting/creating.

These are some pictures of our whole group mini lesson about sequencing a story and a interactive anchor chart for point of view. (Both common core!)

If you want to read a more in depth post about reading workshop, please click HERE, and you will find tons of pictures for how to implement it with your kiddos.
More information about my gingerbread themed reading workshop unit is listed below.

File Description:

Do you already have reading workshop up and running in your classroom? Do you have a classroom full of rockin’ readers that are ready to have their reading workshop kicked up a notch…gingerbread style???

If so, this is the unit for you! Grab a copy of The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School, by Laura Murray. This beautiful picture book will serve as the mentor text for this RW unit of study. There are 20 comprehension based mini-lessons that are included in this file. All mini-lessons are written in the reading workshop daily lesson plan template, which will explicitly outline what the teacher is saying. This file will teach you how to set up your mini-lessons and help you keep your reading workshop mini-lessons truly “mini,” which can be challenging to do!

There is an abundance of colorful anchor charts, which will provide you with a powerful way to support what you are teaching during your mini-lessons.

The mini-lessons in this unit are aligned with ELA common core standards, for grades 1-5. (The standards that apply for this unit is listed by grade level in the file!)

If you would like to purchase this resource through Teachers Pay Teachers, click HERE.

Save 10% by purchasing directly from my website.