*FREE* Teacher Appreciation Gift Tags

Heyyyy guys! I'm just popping in to share some gift tags I made to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week. In case you missed it, that's next week, May 6th - 10th! 

Here's what I plan to give to my daughter's teacher to celebrate her:

Monday: Thank you for being so sweet: Reese's & a Dr. Pepper

Tuesday: You are Moo-ch appreciated: $5 Chick-Fil-A gift card

Wednesday: I donut think I could have gotten a better teacher: donuts

Thursday: I won the teacher lotto with you: scratch off tickets

Friday: I'm so glad I have an amazing teacher: $25 Amazon gift card

If you'd like to use these, too, click here to download them! 

Also, feel free to pin the images to save for later! 

Guided Reading Tracking Tool {Freebie Included!}

Let's chat about guided reading for a quick second. More specifically, tracking student growth during guided reading. I've got a super easy-to-implement idea WITH a free resource to make it!

You can choose to glue on the leveling cards and laminate!

This idea that I'm sharing today isn't a new idea, but it's a "new to me" idea and I think it's brilliant, and more importantly, easy to implement.

I saw this guided reading reading folder in use by my daughter's current teacher. Here's how it works:

She assess her 1st graders at the beginning of the school year to determine their reading level. (She uses DRA [meaning she uses numbers to track with] but any system you use will work.)

Once her students are assessed, she writes their names on a small post-it such as these (aff. link) and also records their assessed level in parenthesis next to their name. Why, you might ask? Here's the genius part--by recording the level they started the year at, she's able to see how much they've grown throughout the year, and especially at the end of the year.

For example, my daughter started at level 8 (DRA). She was recently re-assessed and is now at a level 18. This means her teacher will move Lilly's post-it underneath the 18 card, but she's still able to see where Lilly started the year. This is a great tool during parent conferences as well to show student growth (or a lack of).

All you need to create this guided reading tracking tool is a folder, the post-its, and the leveling cards. I've created those for you for using both numbers and letters in 4 different colors so you have options.  They'll work for DRA or Fountas & Pinnell leveling!

A quick note about the downloads--I've included a PDF file as well as a PPT file. The PDF file you will keep as is, meaning you can't edit it. It's a print-and-go kind of thing. The PPT file can be edited, but keep in the mind that the font may look a little wonky if you don't have the same font I used on my computer. You can select the font and change it to whatever you'd like, as well as add your own text boxes if you need something I haven't included in one of the boxes.

To download the PDF (cannot be edited) file, click here.
To download the PPT (CAN be edited) file, click here.
To hear me talk about these folders in my Instgram Stories, find me at the4thgrade_journey on IG.

Feel free to pin the image below on Pinterest to save for later! Thanks for stopping by and reading!

Best of luck in growing those readers!

Happy New Year!

It's almost that time--the time for "Happy New Year!" and reflection and setting new goals. I just posted a new resource your students are sure to love, perfect for the new year. 

You'll only need 2 paper bags for each student, and you can choose between black and white or colored copies. 

There are 2 options for the cover to choose from, as well as...

-Looking Back... 2018 Facts

-My School Goals (students can set either 3 or 4 goals)

-What I can do differently or improve upon this year to help meet my goals...

-Snapshots of what I'm looking forward to in 2019

-My one little word

-Personal goals (with either 3 or 4 goals to write)

This paper bag book activity will be updated each year at no additional charge to you! You'll simply need to download again and use year after year. Enjoy!

Would you like to win a free copy? Pin any (or all!) of the pictures above and then copy the link into the comment section along with your email address. That's all! If you want to check out this resource on TPT, you can do that here. 

Alphabet Charts--Freebie!

Hello, everyone! I'm just popping in real quick to share a free resource I made that I thought some of you might need, too!

As pictured, there's a colored and black/white version. 

If you need other ELA resources, click here or on any of the links below!

Partner Up Cards (A Freebie!)

Have you ever told your students to "find a partner," and 10 minutes later, after chaos and bickering, you regret that decision? Yeah, we've all been there. 

A quick solution to that is to print these free partner cards.

There are 22 cards total. Simple print (in color or B/W), cut, and place in a basket of sorts. For a quick routine, I have students move around the room to find their partners once the music starts, then stand by their partner with their cards facing me once they've found each other.

Have more than 22 students? No worries! Simply print duplicate sets of these cards.

I hope these cards are something you can easily implement in your classrooms! You can click the link here to download this free resource. 

Animal Comprehension Practice

If we're being honest, practicing reading comprehension isn't always the most fun thing to do for students. It's a necessary thing, though, with state testing and just life, since we need kiddos to be able to read and understand. One way to check their understanding, as well as their ability to find text evidence and make inferences, is through reading and responding.

My favorite way to have students practice this is through using engaging texts. I haven't met a student yet who didn't enjoy reading and learning about animals, so I created informational texts about 18 different animals.

These are created in two different formats: half-page task cards and full-page printables. Both contain the same text and same 3 questions. The teacher gets to choose the format that works best for their needs. The task cards can be responded to on notebook paper or in a station journal, whereas the full-page printables have build in lines for students to answer on. Also, the full-pages are completely in black and white, while the task cards are in color. **Note--these print perfectly in black/white as well!

These were created with grades 3-5 in mind, and include both “right there” questions where students have to go back in the text for evidence, as well as inferential questions. These questions spiral many non-fiction reading comprehension skills and standards, including:

•Using context clues to determine word meaning

•Comparing/contrasting

•Text structure

•Author’s POV

•Inferencing

•Main idea/supporting details

•Text features

•Text structure

Would this resource be something you could use in your classroom? Would you like to win a set?! If so, pin any of the pictures on this blogpost and copy/paste the link into the comments. Please include your email address, too! You can also check out this resource on TPT!

My favorite ELA Resources

Hey guys! I'm often asked what my favorite resources to use in terms of ELA are, so I'm here today to share those with you--and the fact that I've bundled these resources with a deeply discounted price!

First up: Reading Comprehension Strategies Posters + Mini Posters

I always, always, always have reading strategies posters up for my students to reference. I never just throw them up on a wall or they become colorful displays that mainly I look at. They go up as we discuss these throughout the year. Reading skills and strategies spiral, so we reference them often. I also find that some students benefit from having these same posters in a smaller, hand-held version, which is why I created just that. I hole punch these, and just like I add the larger posters to my focus wall throughout the year, students add the mini versions to their rings. The rings stay in their table group bin, safe and sound, for easy reference on the daily.

These are available in the Mega Bundle of course, but also as just the posters, just the mini posters, or also these 2 products bundled. 

Next: ELA Stations for Bigger Kids

 There are 2 sets of stations included in this Mega Bundle: ELA Stations for Bigger Kids & ELA Stations for Bigger Kids Part 2.

What's included?

In Part 1-- there is hands-on practice with ABC order, guide words, homophones, antonyms, and synonyms. Each station has something to be manipulated (AKA not with worksheets!), whether it's literally putting file folders in ABC order, or cutting out antonyms and synonyms and using context clues to figure out where they belong. This blog post shares more about this best selling pack!

In Part 2--there are 5 stations as well. Two of the stations are the same as in part one (synonym and antonym match-up) but with completely different practice pages! If your folders are already make from the first station pack, you simply print the new pages for students to manipulate and you're done--easy peasy! Also included is a context clues vocabulary match up station, informational text station and inference station. All of these stations are text heavy, meaning they're perfect for the rigor needed in grades 3-5.

Feel free to check these out more using the links below:

ELA Stations for Bigger Kids

ELA Station for Bigger Kids Part 2

The Bundle

Also: Task Card Bundle

I love, love, love some good task cards for students to practice reading skills and then spiral them throughout the year. Each set of task cards contain a game board, which creates instant engagement and buy-in. I mostly use task cards as a station (in groups of 2-3) or at my small group table. Either way, we use them in a game format, but that isn't necessary if it doesn't work for your needs. Each set also has recording sheets, answer keys, and anchor charts.

I hope your school year is blessed, and you remember to focus on relationships above all else!