Hands-On Main Idea

For whatever reason in LIFE, main idea is one of the most challenging comprehension skills for students to grasp.  This activity can be completed during a guided reading session with a small group.  It can also be placed into a learning center for review.

I begin my lesson with a group of blocks using only two colors.  I ask students to tell what color are most of the blocks.  Next, I connect this to main idea and tell the students that the main idea is what most of the sentences are about.

We analyze each sentence one at a time to determine what the sentence is about and place a block next to it.  If the following sentence tells about the same thing, I place a block of the same color next to it.

This process is continued for every sentence.  When a sentence is about something different, a different color block is used.

The students are then able to visualize what main idea means  Then, we discuss how to create a sentence that explains what most of the sentences are about.  99.9% of all students I have worked with really understand main idea after using this method.

Use Experience Boxes To Build Background Knowledge

Experience Boxes
Experience boxes are hands-on learning centers that students can explore to build background knowledge about specific topics they are learning about.

These are snapshots of experience boxes from my office/classroom.
Each box contains items that go with a particular topic or theme.   The kids enjoy these boxes because it really hands-on.

This box has artifacts that relate to the 1800s. Students complete activity task cards and look at the items inside of the box.

This box is about rocks and minerals.  Students examine rocks and minerals as well as complete task card activities relating to the items in the box.

Teaching Critical Thinking

Hello Everyone,
One of the greatest challenges of any educator is teaching students how to think critically.  This blog is part one of two parts on this topic. 

Critical Thinking Game Chart



I label each critical thinking game based on the type of thinking skill it covers.  I usually provide a few minutes each week for students to play the games.  If they are focusing in on games that teach deductive reasoning, I connect deductive reasoning into the guided reading or shared reading lesson by asking students to apply deductive reasoning to determine the setting, possible answers, or for ruling out answers during test prep.

These are some of my favorite games. 

Excellent Deductive Reasoning Games
Mastermind
Guess Who
Chocolate Fix

Excellent Strategic Thinking Games
Othello
Rush Hour
Battleship

Excellent Inductive Reasoning Game
Mastermind (It requires inductive and deductive reasoning)

Upcoming topics in the next week include:  teaching creative and critical thinking, integrating art with reading, literacy center ideas, and organization strategies.

Author's Purpose, Poetry Ideas, Reader's Theater, and More

More ideas!

Shopping for the Author's Purpose

Okay, I guess you can tell by now that I am a big kid at heart.  Sometimes I wonder who has more fun.  It it the students or me?  The students really love this idea.  Using coupons, articles, and any other type of text you can find, have students shop for the author's purpose of the text.  Students have to "shop" for one item in which the author's purpose is to persuade, inform, etc. (you get the idea).  For extra measure, I have mini shopping carts, a toy cash register, and play money.

Reader's Theater Props

I have an admission to make, I always loved playing with fake food as a child!  Seeing pretend food at Michaels and Toys R Us is always so tempting to me.  By the time that I spotted realistic looking pretend bread at Dollar Tree, I had to buy it!  I keep a picnic basket full of pretend food for classroom simulations and readers theater.

Newspaper Poetry

A unit on poetry would not be complete without this literacy center idea.  For my poetry work station, I add clippings from newspapers.  Students have to create poetry using the clipped pieces.

Organization Ideas

Since I co-teach with students of a variety of levels, I have so many printable books.  Organizing the books in clear document covers and arranging them by grade level and topic helps.