learning during read-alouds: making back-to-school connections
Today I sent the big O-man off to Kindergarten and Maddy off to second grade, and I absolutely cannot believe it.
If I think about it too much, I …
comprehension
learning during read-alouds: making predictions
When my family visited our local butterfly garden a few weeks ago, none of us could have predicted that one of the beautiful creatures would have …
learning during read-alouds: making connections and questioning (with siblings!)
We have been putting in a lot of pool time lately, but we’ve also been spending a boatload of time indoors–staying cool in …
playing with money: counting, wrapping, estimating coins
This week our Smart Summer Challenge theme is Government–and what better way to start the week off than by playing with money? Okay, so we …
questioning and connecting during read-alouds
I’m not going to lie–some summer days, I really think that if it weren’t for the 15 minutes of Adult Swim, my kids …
cars 2: what you should do before you see the movie
Ka-CHOW!
Have plans to see Cars 2 anytime this summer? Want to know how you can throw in a little bit of learning–and I mean a little …
learning during read-alouds: 5 things never to say to emerging readers
Sometimes it’s very easy for teachers and parents to feel impatient with emerging readers.
It’s hard to listen to kids sound out every …
learning during read-alouds: activating schema
According to Rachel and Mary Gabriel, the “schema theory tells us that prior knowledge is essential for comprehension of new knowledge and that …
learning during read-alouds: making connections
My kiddos are huge fans of popping pop beads, stringing beads, connecting nuts and bolts, and just sticking things together.
Not only are these great …
making connections with nonfiction texts (and our new turtle friend)
Between the insane weather we’ve been experiencing over here (tornadoes! wind gusts! rain, rain, and more rain–and then the next …
learning during read-alouds: visualizing
Many of us have taken a moment now and again to encourage our children to find pictures in the sky on a cloudy day, right? No matter if it’s a …
pow! bam! wow! print referencing and onomatopoeia
I’ve said time and time again that read-alouds are an absolutely perfect time for sneaking in some learning with our kiddos, I believe there the …
celebrate Read Across America Day (with a free book from Readeo!)
Happy Read Across America Day!
Hopefully you’ll take some time out of the day to share a book (or two) with a loved one, but why not step out of …
quick, sneaky questioning to improve reading comprehension
It seems that Maddy’s leveled out a bit with her reading this year.
She’s doing great with her spelling, she’s …
target’s read with me (with iPad and children’s books giveaway!)
Many thanks for the enthusiastic response to this giveaway.
The contest is now closed, and random.org #105 was chosen, notified, and …
new for us friday: magnetic poetry (and giveaway!)
I have been a huge fan of magnetic poetry, ever since my college pals and I had a set on the fridge of our off-campus house a lifetime ago. Our poetry …
super-important inferring during read-alouds
Read-alouds are the perfect time to sneak in a little bit of learning, whether you’re talking simple reading comprehension …
international literacy day: cora cooks pancit
September 8th is International Literacy Day (hooray!), and although we’ve been busy re-arranging our house (believe it) and …
telling stories with norman rockwell paintings
I have always been intrigued by Norman Rockwell’s artwork.
When I was young, his Girl at Mirror (1954) spoke to me so personally about the …
non-fiction reading and real-life learning with fish
We’re pet sitting for the next few days, and Maddy, Owen and Cora are loving it. Nothing cuddly or furry, but these little guys …