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  • EASY to Use Main Idea Anchor Chart and FREE Printable

    Finding the main idea of a passage is critical for upper elementary. My third grade students and I have been hard at work using a reusable anchor chart to help us decide the main idea of a passage. Create a Reusable Anchor Chart I created this anchor chart (which isn’t something I enjoy 😬…I hate […]

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  • How to Quickly Assess a Student’s Present Level of Performance

    Let me set the stage for you, it’s high stakes testing time. You have four evaluation conferences coming up, yet you have NO time to work because, well, testing. You get an email from your secretary. New kid. Has IEP. No records from previous school. UGH! How will you ever assess your students who are […]

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  • How to Quickly Organize Progress Monitoring for Special Education

    Progress monitoring can seriously be an overwhelming task. Many special education teachers are overwhelmed at even the thought of assessing their students two to three times per nine weeks. I am one of the oddballs. I love to assess my kids on meaningful goals and use that data to make decisions about interventions they receive, […]

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  • Silly, Funny, and Ridiculous Picture Books for Reading Mentor Texts

    One of the reasons that I love picture books is that they are often humorous and appeal to the sense of humor of our upper elementary students. The following books are perfect for teaching theme, plot, sequence, making connections, and more! They are fun and will serve a purpose in your classroom. If you see […]

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  • 4 of My Favorite Picture Books for Teaching Main Idea & Theme

    I teach theme, and I teach main idea. But, I also spend a week teaching them TOGETHER. While they are very, very similar, there is also a bit of a difference. I think having students see the difference is critical. I do this as part of my theme unit, so my primary focus is theme.  […]

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  • 5 Reasons I LOVE Using Picture Books for Teaching Theme

    I love to use picture books to teach theme. To be perfectly honest, I love to use picture books for teaching EVERY reading skill. They are often the foundation of what I do when teaching theme for my students. They are memorable, easy to digest in one sitting, funny, easily accessible, and suitable for all […]

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