Decodable texts are a valuable tool for students still learning to decode in English. Decodable texts give students the tools that they need to be successful when they are reading. A connected theme allows students to build background knowledge as they read. They will be exposed to similar vocabulary words and be able to use their background knowledge to determine the meaning of new words. Here is a list of fall decodable texts. What makes a text decodable? A student…
Here is a collection of books for read-alouds and mentor texts during the fall season. These books feature diverse characters and have vivid illustrations. Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click on an Amazon link and make a purchase. This does not cost you any extra money. Autumn Story Books Hiking Day– Follow a family as they hike up Hickory Hill and reach the summit. They see colorful fall leaves and…
Using sentence starters and sentence frames is one strategy to support students in speaking, reading, and writing. A sentence starter is when you give students the beginning part of a sentence and they fill in the rest. A sentence frame is when there are blanks inside a sentence that students fill in. Here are some ways to use sentence stems and frames as a scaffold to support your multilingual learners (MLs). Sentence stems are helpful for getting students started with…
Encourage students to continue learning throughout the summer. Here are some summer learning ideas to help kids have fun and keep learning to share with parents or use in a summer school program. Practice Native Language It might seem counterintuitive, but the summertime is a great opportunity for ELLs to practice their home language. International trips this year might still be postponed. Students can practice speaking their native language at home, reading books in their native language, or learning how…
Sometimes at the end of the school year, teachers have a little more flexibility with lessons. It is easier to spend time on projects. At the same time, students are often full of energy and need highly engaging activities. Here are some activities for ELLs to try at the end of the school year. Play Board Games Many board games are great on their own as end of the year fun activities. If you still need to tie in more…
Multilingual Learners often read text without fully comprehending all of the words that they are reading. Using context clues are one way to help MLs increase their overall comprehension of the text that they are reading. Many of the strategies for teaching context clues to MLs are similar to when a native English speaker learns this strategy. There are some differences though. Search the Text for Clues There are many vocabulary words where the text has clues to the words…
The four language domains of reading, speaking, listening, and writing are all important components of learning a new language. The domains often overlap. One area can benefit from practice on the same topic in a different language domain. A student’s background knowledge plays an important role in how quickly they progress in these domains during a particular unit. Whenever possible, create lessons that give students practice in multiple language domains. Reading Learning how to read is complex and made up…
Teaching author’s purpose help to understand why a text was created. There are three main categories, to inform, to persuade, and to entertain. Sometimes additional categories are added, including to explain and to describe. Sorting Activities A simple way to introduce author’s purpose is to have students sort books, sentences, and short reading passages. Sort picture books- First, review fiction and nonfiction. Pull a selection of picture books and have students sort them into fiction (to entertain) and nonfiction (to…
Cause and effect is a reading comprehension skill where students identify why something happened (the cause) and what happened next (the effect). Very young children experiment with the concept of cause and effect (such as when a baby dumps over a plate to see what will happen next.) This concept is more formally taught in reading during upper elementary. In a story or nonfiction text, students must first identify the important details. Then they have to decide if those events…
Integrating the themes of gratitude and being thankful is a common practice around Thanksgiving. These themes are great to teach about throughout the year as well. Here are some thankful activities to use with your students, including a FREE writing activity. I am Thankful Writing Vocabulary This set comes with vocabulary words to help students tell what they are thankful for. This is a great opportunity to integrate basic vocabulary into a lesson for all students. The vocabulary words…