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Ten Things for Students to do While You're Teaching Reading Groups

One of the toughest things about being a classroom teacher is keeping those other kids engaged and learning, so I can teach reading groups.  


Ten Things for Students to do While You're Teaching Reading Groups: It can be tricky to find activities that will keep them engaged and learning, but not distracting to others. Here are some ideas!

Here are some of the things I have my students work on while I'm teaching groups:


Ten Things for Students to do While You're Teaching Reading Groups: It can be tricky to find activities that will keep them engaged and learning, but not distracting to others. Here are some ideas!

1.  Independent Reading  

This is the most important one! They do need to read daily, and it should be books at their reading level. My students browse for books from our classroom library, and keep books in book bags for independent reading time. I also let them relax with pillows. I try to make Independent Reading the best part of the day... it should be! See this post for more about my Independent Reading: Relax and Read!

2.  Content Reading

This is a great time to read about other topics, like science or social studies topics! I'm sure you'll find plenty of books or resources they'll love!



3. Read With a Partner 

This is very motivational for the children, and I sometimes use it instead of Independent Reading. They do love anything social!

4.  Independent Writing  

We do have Writer's Workshop nearly every day, but some of the children really love some time to get some writing done during reading group time. Since writing is usually at the very end of the day, they tend to be more productive when they get a slot of time for writing in the morning. It's a win-win! Here's a fun resource that mine have always found super motivating: ABC Book.

5.  Word Work 

This is an opportunity to work on those phonics skills! I tend to keep my word work connected to skills and patterns that we are working on in the reading program, but many of my students also need lots of review on short and long vowels, rhyming words, word families, and, of course, sight words.  There are plenty of resources out there, or make your own! My students love to use their whiteboards, letter tiles, and manipulatives for their word work. Click the images below for links to Amazon. (Affiliate links.) 


6.  Literacy Games and activities

Literacy games and activities can include word work, comprehension skills, grammar practice, developing vocabulary, reader's theater, or any combination of these. Again, adding that social component motivates the children. Games are such a great opportunity to practice skills, and they keep the children engaged and happy! Here are a few my students have enjoyed: Word Work Games.



7.  Digital Task Cards  

Any type of task cards are perfect for this time of day, but I happen to be a big fan of Boom Learning Digital Task cards! The cards (digital or other) can practice work work, comprehension skills, grammar skills, thinking skills, or even social studies or science! You can make your own or use task card you've found. Here are some ideas: Combined Review Task Cards.



8. Read with a Teacher Assistant or Parent Volunteer 

I do have a few little ones with very short attention spans or who just need a little more guidance. These children really benefit from reading with an adult. The adults are encouraged to stop and chat about the story and encourage understanding as well as enjoyment.


9. Practice Handwriting Skills 

Sometimes they just have to focus on making the letters touch the lines in the right places! We are lucky enough to have Handwriting workbooks, but any paper will do! They can even practice handwriting skills on whiteboards or chalkboards. Try this self-directed Cursive Writing bundle!


10. STEM Activities

This is a wonderful time for children to focus on a STEM project given at another time of the day or perhaps simply explore some of their STEM materials! 

Here are some ideas on how I organize these activities in the classroom, including a Dollar Deal resource to help you get organized!


What do your students do while you're teaching reading groups?


Ten Things for Students to do While You're Teaching Reading Groups: It can be tricky to find activities that will keep them engaged and learning, but not distracting to others. Here are some ideas!



Ten Favorite Picture Books I Love to Read to My Students


Here is a list of children's books I love to read. This is just a small portion of my favorites, but they're so much fun! Each title is an affiliate link to Amazon.
Ten Favorite Picture Books I Love to Read to My Students: Here are 10 of my favorites. How many do you know? What are your favorites?

1. Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens

I love reading this book in the spring when we're working on our plant unit. Even though it's fiction, it gives the children some information on which vegetables grow above ground, and which vegetables grow below ground. Plus, I've always found some great predicting skills happening as the bear and the rabbit continue their "deals". 

2.  Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes

I always read this book at the beginning of the school year. So many of the kids can connect to the little girl who wants to be good, but can't. I think it shows them it's OK to make a mistake.

3.  Memoirs of a Goldfish by Devin Scillian

If you haven't seen this yet, it's adorable! Buy a copy or two, your students will love it! This book motivates children to write from different points of view!

4.  Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag

This was the book I wanted read to me over and over when I was a child. I think I loved the repetition. My students still chant along with me when I read it.

5. Jubal's Wish by Don and Audrey Wood

This is a heartwarming book about a frog who has a selfless wish for his friends to be happy. His wish doesn't come true at first, but don't worry—there's a happy ending!

6.  Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli

This book is adorable (and perfect for Valentine's Day!) Poor Mr. Hatch lives a lonely life until he thinks someone loves him. Then his whole personality changes.


7.  Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

Yes, this is another book with a repetitive phrase. It's also one where the whole class not only chants along but physically becomes part of the story. A book with monkeys... you have to love it!

8.  The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch

Robert Munsch really knows what makes kids laugh. I love all his books, but this is my favorite. It's not a typical fairy tale. It's about a smart princess!

9.  For the Love of Autumn by Patricia Polacco

This book will warm your heart. Autumn is an adorable kitten of a young schoolteacher. Very, very sweet.

10.  Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss

Seriously, this isn't just for kids. I gave this to my daughter when she graduated from high school. But the kids love it, too!

I'd love to hear about your favorite picture books!
Ten Favorite Picture Books I Love to Read to My Students: Here are 10 of my favorites. How many do you know? What are your favorites?

Ten Ways to Motivate Students

Today's post is all about motivating students.

Ten Ways to Motivate Students: ten ideas to get the children to WANT to learn, without having to rob a bank!


These are ten of the ways I motivate students:

Pride!

Ten Ways to Motivate Students: ten ideas to get the children to WANT to learn, without having to rob a bank!

Luckily, there are some students who take pride in themselves and just plain want to do well. They want to make the teacher happy. Don't you love these kids? Don't you wish there were more of these? Unfortunately, there are a lot of kids who don't have pride in themselves, or just don't have enough. (This is something we can work on!) Therefore, we need the other nine.

Stickers! 

Ten Ways to Motivate Students: ten ideas to get the children to WANT to learn, without having to rob a bank!
Children love stickers. A hefty supply is necessary for most teachers of little ones. Personally, I usually only give out stickers for homework, but many teachers give out stickers for daily work. My students work pretty hard for one sticker for homework each day! On special occasions, I'll pull out the scented stickers!

Working with a partner! 

Ten Ways to Motivate Students: ten ideas to get the children to WANT to learn, without having to rob a bank!
Kids are social, and the idea of working with another child is super motivating. Let them choose their own partner, and you'll be their hero! They can read with a partner, write a story with a partner, or practice math facts. There's a whole world of possibilities.

Let them earn an extra recess!
Ten Ways to Motivate Students: ten ideas to get the children to WANT to learn, without having to rob a bank!

I think this is a "win-win". We know that kids need to run and exercise and burn off steam. The promise of being able to do what they need to do is motivating for the kids to work! 

Inspire them!

Ten Ways to Motivate Students: ten ideas to get the children to WANT to learn, without having to rob a bank!
I find if I say a few words about a book, the children all want to read that book. If I show them a sample of my writing, they want to try a similar piece of writing. If I make something look interesting or fun, they want to try it. I could never sell cars, but I sure can sell a book to a kid!

Let them put something cool on their desk for a while!  

Ten Ways to Motivate Students: ten ideas to get the children to WANT to learn, without having to rob a bank!
Personally, I use a collection of beanie babies that I've saved since my daughter was little. They can keep it on their desk for the day. If they do something quite spectacular, I let them keep a little flag on their desk for a week. They are mighty proud of these, and they can tell you what each little trophy is for!

Ten Ways to Motivate Students: ten ideas to get the children to WANT to learn, without having to rob a bank!
A few desk decorations in my classroom!

Play a game!

Ten Ways to Motivate Students: ten ideas to get the children to WANT to learn, without having to rob a bank!
There are so many possibilities for games. There are group games like Around the World, Scoot, and variations of Jeopardy, Hollywood Squares, and Family Feud. Then there are partner games, centers, and activities. Sometimes they have so much fun, they don't even realize they're learning!

Group Projects!

Ten Ways to Motivate Students: ten ideas to get the children to WANT to learn, without having to rob a bank!
When there is a product and a "performance" involved, the kids get moving! Most kids love working in small groups putting together some sort of project, then others are super motivated by the thought of standing in front of their class. They really remember these group projects for years to come.

Have a dance party!

Ten Ways to Motivate Students: ten ideas to get the children to WANT to learn, without having to rob a bank!

This works well for my group. You can work out the details, but if they reach a certain point, just stop for the moment, and turn on the music. My kids love this, as it happens to be a group that really responds to music and movement. It only takes a few minutes of the day, and they've had their exercise and burned off some steam. That makes a dance party another "win-win"! Other forms of this type of group reward can be a pizza party or a make-your-own ice cream party. (The dance party is cheaper, though!)

Special recognition!

Ten Ways to Motivate Students: ten ideas to get the children to WANT to learn, without having to rob a bank!
Single out a student for spectacular work. I often read examples of good work, or hold up examples of good effort on handwriting. I have a Super Improvers Wall, where they get stickers and work their way up the ladder when we notice they have improved at something - it can be anything from remembering to pass in homework, to improvement in behavior, to improvement in knowing math facts. One of my students said moving on the improvement board was even better than earning a flag for a week!  See HERE for more about the Super Improvers Wall!)

This is just a small sampling of the possibilities for motivating students.  

Here are a few other posts that might interest you!

Ten Ways to Motivate Students: ten ideas to get the children to WANT to learn, without having to rob a bank!

Ten Ways to Motivate Students: ten ideas to get the children to WANT to learn, without having to rob a bank!

Ten Ways to Motivate Students: ten ideas to get the children to WANT to learn, without having to rob a bank!

Ten Ways to Motivate Students: ten ideas to get the children to WANT to learn, without having to rob a bank!

How do you motivate your students?

Ten Ways to Motivate Students: ten ideas to get the children to WANT to learn, without having to rob a bank!

Ten Brain Based Learning Strategies

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know that I'm absolutely fascinated by the brain, and am particularly fascinated by the research that's been done to prove the best learning strategies. 
Research on the brain helps us know what helps children remember, and what doesn't. Here are 10 successful strategies for the classroom.


There's some great stuff out there! I read about the brain and learning daily, and just can't get enough. I've taught a few workshops about it, too. Even though I'm a second grade teacher, this stuff applies to all learners, from newborn babies to adult learners.

1.  Talking!  Research has taught us that learners don't learn much from sitting and listening. Sure, they need to listen a bit, but they need the opportunity to talk! The talking internalizes what they've learned. In my classroom, I'll give the children a few tidbits of information, then they have "turn and talk" time, where they discuss what they've learned. They love this, and it works!

2.  Emotions rule!  If you think about the strong memories you have from your past, I'll bet they are closely related to strong emotional experiences, both positive or negative: your wedding, your child being born, a death... strong emotions. This works with children, too! Hopefully, your teaching won't bring out too many negative emotions, but there are ways to get to the positive ones! Kids love games. Some children are very competitive, and thrive on that stuff! Getting up in front of their classmates brings out plenty of emotions. Of course, different kids feel different things, so just be careful about playing with the emotions of children.  What works for one might traumatize another. (Yikes, don't want to go there!)



3.  Visuals!  Vision is the strongest of the senses. Talking alone isn't enough. Make sure the children have plenty to look at in addition to what you say. Use posters, drawings, videos, pictures, and even some guided imagery with the children to help them learn. 



4.  Chunking! The typical attention span is the child's age plus or minus a couple of minutes. That means that many of my second graders can't attend past 5 minutes. Again, proof that typical "lecture" type teaching just doesn't work. That means they need a chunk of information, then an opportunity to process that in some way. Here's where "turn and talk" works, as well as an opportunity to write, draw, or even move. 



5.  Movement! Combining movement with the learning almost guarantees stronger learning. Here are some ideas: Counting by tens while doing jumping jacks, touch three desks while naming the three states of matter, and this one, from a blog post I wrote in the fall.



6.  Shake it up!  If you do exactly the same thing, exactly the same way, it becomes boring and the brain tunes out. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of good things about sticking with a routine, but once in a while you need to shake it up! Have a backwards day, turning the whole schedule around (within reason, of course!)  change the seating arrangement, do one part of the day completely different. We need this in our own lives, too, don't we?



7.  The brain needs oxygen! They say 20% of all the oxygen used in the body is used by the brain. That means we need to get the kids up out of their seats regularly and moving!  I particularly enjoy the Brain Gym exercises. I recommend the book, but there are also plenty of Youtube videos on brain gym that will model the exercises for you and tell how they help learning! Of course, there's nothing better than old fashioned jumping jacks or running in place. And the kids love it!



8.  Make connections! We talk about connections in books a lot, but connections are important for the brain. It can't hold random information, it needs to connect to something else that's already there. Did you ever hear a kid say, "I remember that because I know...." You can make connections through your own experience and stories. I often talk about my daughter, my cat, or some other thing they know of to make something else come true. 


9. Feedback is essential! Practice doesn't make anything better unless the practice is accurate. Students need to hear they are on the right track. I use a color code to let the children know if they are on track, which I described in this blog post from September. It works pretty well for motivation, as well.



10.  Music is magical! Tell the truth, how many of you know all the words to a television commercial?  People my age know all the words to the Gilligan's Island Theme Song and the Brady Bunch Theme Song.  Did we work hard to learn those?  Nope, never even tried!  Because they were put to music, we learned them.  There are many studies on music and learning. One way I use music is that I often play "happy music" first thing in the morning. That way the children enter feeling good. Now this brings us back to #2 emotions!


These are some books I recommend if you're interested in Brain Based Learning:   


                        

       

      

Research on the brain helps us know what helps children remember, and what doesn't. Here are 10 successful strategies for the classroom.

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