Reading Archives • Elementary Island

Winter Main Idea & Details Worksheets for the Elementary Classroom

Jordana — Sun, 05 Jan 2025 18:46:14 +0000

I love seeing that moment when the light bulb goes off, and my students start connecting dots in what they’re reading! But let me tell you, helping them get there can be a struggle! Students have a hard time learning to identify the main idea and supporting details in elementary school. When it clicks it is an amazing thing. Over the years I have tried a variety of different activities to help my students master this important skill. One of my favorite, and one of the most effective are main idea and details worksheets. Using short passages, I can provide my students with the targeted practice they need.

When helping my young readers understand how to spot the main idea and pull out those essential details, main idea worksheets have become my go-to tools. I use these fun activities to make it easy to dive into reading passages, break down complex ideas, and really hone in on comprehension. Not only do they boost reading skills, but they also build confidence and critical thinking abilities that support our students across subject areas. Today, I’m sharing with you how I use these winter-themed main idea and details worksheets to teach my students about identifying the main idea of a text and the details that support it.

What is the Main Idea and Details?

When we talk about the main idea and supporting details, we’re really diving into the heart of reading comprehension. The main idea of the passage is like the “big picture” of a text. It’s what the author wants us to understand most from what we’re reading. Think of it as the “why” behind the words, giving meaning and purpose to each passage.

Now, supporting details? They’re like the building blocks that hold up the main idea. These details provide text evidence, examples, and explanations that strengthen the main idea. They make the main idea clear and help readers grasp the full message. Whether through key points, facts, or descriptions, supporting details make reading more meaningful and give our students those “aha!” moments.

Main idea and details worksheets bring all this together in a hands-on way. They guide our students to pick out these elements as they go. These worksheets are my favorite tools for teaching my students how to zoom in on the main message. It also recognizes the clues that bring it all together.

Why Do Our Students Need to Know the Main Idea and Details?

Understanding the main idea and details isn’t just a reading skill. It’s also a life skill! When our students can identify the main idea and see how supporting details tie into it, they learn to analyze informational text and think critically. These skills go beyond the classroom. They help our kiddos become sharp thinkers who can filter out what’s essential in any information they come across. This could be information in a book, a news article, or even a conversation.

The main idea and details worksheets are fantastic because they turn this concept into a practical activity. They help to make students more engaged while strengthening their reading comprehension and retention. By practicing with these reading worksheets, our students learn to summarize, pick out key points, and recognize relevant key details of a text that support a central thought. They also learn how to put the main idea into their own words. These skills build their confidence in reading and understanding content. This sets them up for success in language arts and in subjects like science and social studies as well. Teaching the main idea and details is about giving our students the tools to make sense of what they read and apply those skills across their learning.

How To Use the Main Idea and Details Worksheets

When it comes to the main idea and details worksheets, these winter passages are my go to during the cold winter months. I love how each worksheet engages our students with vivid, winter themed topics. With these main idea and details worksheets, our students have a structured approach to breaking down a short passage. And. . . I love the versatility that comes with having both printable and digital options. In my classroom, students complete the printed passage. I love using the digital passage to project on the board and model my thinking or review the passage as a class. These are also great if you are in a 1:1 classroom or want to add a little technology to your lesson.

Each page has them reading a short, engaging nonfiction passage focused on a main topic like penguins or hot cocoa. After reading, they’re asked to identify the paragraph’s main idea, which is the passage’s central idea. I have found that teaching students to find the topic sentence (usually the first sentence or last sentence) will help to put them on the road toward finding the main idea. With the built-in graphic organizer students are guided through their thinking as they learn to identify the main idea and supporting details.

Once they select the main idea, they move on to the supporting details section. They’re given several statements and have to pick the ones that directly support the main idea. For example, if the passage discusses why winter boots are essential, they might identify details like “boots keep feet warm” and “boots are waterpdearoof” as supporting ideas, reinforcing their comprehension.

This structured breakdown is powerful because it helps our students see the connection between big ideas and the smaller, supporting details that make up the full picture. These worksheets guide them to read carefully, think critically, and organize information. All skills they’ll use across subjects! And. . . unlike other reading comprehension passages, the entire focus is on the skill of identifying the main idea and supporting details. This targeted practice is key to helping students understand the concept.

Who Benefits From Using the Main Idea and Details Worksheets?

Main idea and details worksheets are perfect for second grade, third grade, and fourth grade students to explore comprehension skills while learning fun facts and winter vocabulary! These worksheets fit seamlessly into any part of the day. They offer meaningful practice that you and your students will love. These worksheets build fluency, boost engagement, and support a range of classroom needs:

Individual Practice: When our 2nd grade and 3rd grade students need focused individual work, these worksheets provide a clear structure. This helps them identify the main ideas and essential details.
Centers: These are perfect for centers and small groups where our students can complete independent work while exploring new vocabulary and building confidence in their reading comprehension.
Homework: Send these pages home for extra practice! These worksheets make homework feel like a discovery activity, sparking curiosity about winter items.
Substitutes: With these structured yet fun worksheets, substitutes have a resource that’s both engaging and effective. This keeps our students on track with key reading skills even while we are out of the classroom.
Classroom Helpers: Classroom helpers, like paraprofessionals or parent volunteers, can use these to review the skill of finding the main idea and supporting details.
Fast Finishers: Our fast finishers will love diving into these engaging worksheets. They’ll learn about interesting winter topics while sharpening their comprehension!
Special Education: These winter passages are also great for special education or struggling students in middle school or high school. These high interest passages on a lower reading level can help them practice this key skill.

Additional Resources

Teaching students to identify the main idea and supporting details can feel like a big task, but with the right reading worksheets, we can break this task down into bite-sized pieces that students understand. You can find this Winter Main Idea resource in my TPT Store. It includes 26 different passages that you can use all winter long.

If you are looking for more information on teaching main idea to your students, then make sure to check out the 5 Engaging Ways to Teach Main Idea So That Students Understand blog post.

And. . . if you’d like to try out this style worksheet, try these four free animal main idea and details worksheets! These free educational materials are yours to use any time.

Make Learning Engaging By Using Main Idea and Details Worksheets

I hope you’re as excited as I am to add these winter main idea and details worksheets to your lesson plans! They are a great way to work on this important reading skill while tapping into topics that kids love. These resources are tools that boost reading fluency, critical thinking, and student engagement with every use. Whether you’re using them for centers, test prep, or assigning them as homework, these worksheets fit effortlessly into any part of the day. Plus, with topics covering winter themes and fun facts, our students won’t even realize they’re mastering essential reading comprehension skills. Here’s to making reading a confident and enjoyable experience for our students—one worksheet at a time!

Save for Later

Remember to save this post to your favorite teacher Pinterest board for quick access to these main idea and details worksheets.

The post Winter Main Idea & Details Worksheets for the Elementary Classroom appeared first on Elementary Island.

10 Favorite Halloween Read-Alouds for Elementary Students

Jordana — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 22:45:22 +0000

Spooky season is upon us! The colder temperatures are rolling in, and the leaves are starting to cover the ground. Once fall and October come around, there seems to be a feeling of anticipation hanging in the air as Halloween night creeps closer. I love feeding into the energy this season brings to the classroom! As I plan, I try to incorporate Halloween-themed activities and read-alouds into our days. Today, I’m sharing with you ten of my favorite Halloween read-alouds for elementary students! I know your students will enjoy them and you will see increased engagement during this highly distractable month!

Favorite Halloween Read-Alouds for Elementary Students

1. Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds

Let’s dive into one of my favorite Halloween read-alouds for elementary students – Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds. This book is a fantastic way to bring some spooky fun into your classroom without going over the top. Plus, who doesn’t love a good carrot-themed mystery?

Creepy Carrots Summary

In this story, Jasper Rabbit is obsessed with eating carrots from Crackenhopper Field. One day, he starts to notice something strange. The carrots are following him! Or are they? With each page turn, our kids will be on the edge of their seats. They’ll be wondering if Jasper’s paranoia is justified, or if it’s all in his head. The illustrations by Peter Brown add to the eerie vibe with a shadowy, gray tone that makes those carrots seem even creepier. It’s a perfect blend of suspense and humor, making it a great read for the month of October.

Simple Classroom Activity

After reading Creepy Carrots, you can have your students create their own “creepy carrot” craft. All you need is orange construction paper, googly eyes, and markers. Have the students cut out carrot shapes, decorate them with spooky faces, and then create a little scene where their carrots might hide. This activity lets our kiddos tap into their creativity while tying in the story’s theme of imagination.

For an extra twist, you can also do a “Carrot Hunt” in your classroom. Hide paper carrots around the room and challenge your students to find them all. They’ll feel like Jasper Rabbit trying to keep track of those creepy carrots!

This book and activity combo is such a great way to kick off your collection of favorite Halloween read-alouds for elementary students. The kids will love it. You’ll have a blast watching their imaginations run wild with these creepy, yet fun, carrots!

2. Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman

Next up on my life of favorite Halloween read-alouds for elementary students is Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman. This book is a great mix of humor, teamwork, and a little bit of Halloween magic. It’s a story that kids can’t help but love, and it’s perfect for the spooky season!

Big Pumpkin Summary

Big Pumpkin is a hilarious tale about a witch who wants to make a pumpkin pie for Halloween. There’s just one problem. Her pumpkin is too big to pick! One by one, different Halloween characters like a ghost, a vampire, and a mummy try their luck at pulling the giant pumpkin off the vine. None of them succeed! In the end, it’s the smallest character, a bat, who has the clever idea of working together. With a little teamwork, they finally get that big pumpkin ready for pie. The repetitive text and catchy rhythm make this story an instant hit with younger kids. It’s also a great way to talk about cooperation and problem-solving.

Simple Classroom Activity

After reading Big Pumpkin, a fun and simple activity is to have your students create their own paper pumpkins. Students can cut out and assemble their own pumpkins using basic supplies like orange and green construction paper, scissors, and glue. Then, have them draw or write about what kind of Halloween character might try to pick their pumpkin and how they would work together to get it off the vine.

For a bit of sequencing fun, have your students draw each of the characters from the story on a small piece of paper. Then, using a sentence strip, let them put the events of the story in order.

3. Bone Soup by Cambria Evans

Another one of my favorite Halloween read-alouds for elementary students is Bone Soup by Cambria Evans. This spooky twist on a classic folktale is a perfect way to bring a bit of Halloween magic into your classroom. Your kiddos will love the eerie, yet fun, vibe of the story.

Bone Soup Summary

Bone Soup tells the story of Finnigin, a skeleton with an insatiable appetite. When he arrives in a new town on Halloween, he finds that the townspeople are too stingy to share their food. Finnigin has a clever plan. He pulls out his magical bone and declares he’s making bone soup! Slowly but surely, the curious townspeople begin to contribute ingredients to the pot. Soon enough, they have a bubbling cauldron of delicious soup everyone can enjoy. The story is a great lesson in sharing and community, wrapped up in a spooky package just right for Halloween.

Simple Classroom Activity

After reading Bone Soup, one activity idea is to have your students create their own soup using construction paper and markers. Provide them with a large pot template on paper. Let them cut out and decorate their own ingredients to add to the soup, like bones, eyeballs, worms, or any other spooky items they can imagine. Once they’re done, they can glue their ingredients into the pot and share what they added with the class.

Another option is to make your own edible soup. All you would need is a crockpot, some chicken broth, and a variety of veggies. A simple recipe, like this one, is perfect to make in the classroom. Let the class help measure and pour all of the ingredients together and celebrate with a warm lunch or snack later in the day.

4. The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams

Next on my list of favorite Halloween read-alouds for elementary students is The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams. This tale brings just the right amount of spookiness to your classroom. At the same time, showing our kiddos that sometimes, facing your fears can lead to something pretty awesome.

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything Summary

In this story, a brave little old lady takes a walk in the woods, only to be followed by some very mysterious and very noisy objects. First, she hears “clomp, clomp” behind her, then “wiggle, wiggle” and “clomp, clomp”! As more and more spooky things start following her, the little old lady refuses to be scared. Instead, she finds a clever way to put all those creepy objects to good use. The repetitive and rhythmic text makes this book a fun read-aloud. The suspense builds in a way that keeps kids engaged from start to finish.

Simple Classroom Activity

After reading The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything, you can get your students involved in a fun and interactive retelling of the story. Use classroom supplies like paper, scissors, and markers to create the different spooky objects from the book – shoes, pants, a shirt, gloves, and a pumpkin head. Let your students take turns acting out the story, wearing the different “costumes” they’ve made as the class follows along with the familiar sounds of “clomp, clomp”, “wiggle, wiggle”, and more. This activity reinforces the story and gets your kids moving and collaborating.

Another great idea is to have your students draw and write about something they’re not afraid of, just like the little old lady. They can share their creations with the class. You can even display their work in a “We’re Not Afraid” display on a bulletin board or in the hallway. This ties in perfectly with the book’s theme of courage and creativity.

5. Creepy Pair of Underwear by Aaron Reynolds

Continuing with another spooky favorite on my list of favorite Halloween read-alouds for elementary students, let’s talk about Creepy Pair of Underwear by Aaron Reynolds. This book, with its perfect blend of humor and creepiness, is sure to become a hit in your classroom!

Creepy Pair of Underwear Summary

In Creepy Pair of Underwear, Jasper Rabbit is back. This time, he’s convinced he’s a big rabbit who’s not afraid of anything, including a new pair of glow-in-the-dark underwear. When those undies start to glow in the dark, things take a creepy turn. He tries throwing them out, burying them, even mailing them far away. No matter what, the creepy pair of underwear keeps coming back! With a clever and unexpected twist at the end, this story keeps kids laughing while also giving them a little shiver of excitement. The illustrations by Peter Brown perfectly capture the eerie glow of the underwear, adding to the spooky vibes of the book.

Simple Classroom Activity

After reading Creepy Pair of Underwear, an activity idea is to have your students design their own creepy pair of underwear! Students can create their own glow-in-the-dark designs using supplies like white paper and markers. If you want to add an extra touch, you can even use glow-in-the-dark paint or stickers to make their creations shine (literally!). Once everyone is done, let your students share their spooky designs with the class.

If you want to stay away from underwear themed activities, then dive into the glow-in-the-dark theme! Have a glow-in-the-dark day where you leave the classroom lights off and do everything using only the light of glow sticks. Students will love reading in the dark using a glow stick as their flashlight. Grab some glow-in-the-dark stickers and complete a sticker story during writing time. This book will be the perfect read aloud for glow-in-the-dark activities.

6. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Now, let’s dive into a slightly spookier, but still one of my favorite Halloween alouds for elementary students: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. This book is a perfect pick for older elementary students who are ready for a story that’s a bit more mysterious and full of adventure.

The Graveyard Book Summary

The Graveyard Book is a tale about a boy named Nobody Owens, Bod for short. He is raised by ghosts in a graveyard after his family is tragically taken from him. The graveyard becomes his home, and the ghosts and other supernatural creatures become his family. As Bod grows up, he learns life lessons from the dead. He also encounters plenty of eerie adventures along the way, all while trying to avoid the man who wants to finish what he started. Neil Gaiman weaves together a story that is both haunting and heartwarming. It’s filled with suspense, mystery, and just the right amount of spookiness for the Halloween season.

Simple Classroom Activity

Since The Graveyard Book is a bit longer and more complex, it works well as a chapter book read aloud over several days or weeks. After each reading session, you can engage your students with a creative activity that ties into the story. One simple idea is to have the students design their own gravestone for one of the characters in the book. They can create an epitaph and design that reflects the character’s personality or story using paper, markers, and their imaginations. This activity reinforces their understanding of the characters and allows them to explore the book’s unique setting.

Another engaging activity is to create a “Graveyard Map” of Bod’s adventures. As you progress through the story, have students draw and label different parts of the graveyard where key events take place. This can be done on a large poster or individual sheets of paper. By the end of the book, you’ll have a detailed map that helps the students visualize Bod’s world and follow along with his journey.

7. Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper

Let’s move on to another cozy and slightly spooky favorite Halloween read-aloud for elementary students, which is Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper. This story brings a warm, fall feel to your classroom, making it a perfect choice for Halloween.

Pumpkin Soup Summary

Pumpkin Soup tells the tale of three friends, a Cat, a Duck, and a Squirrel, who live together in a little cabin in the woods. Every day, they make the most delicious pumpkin soup. They each have their own special role in the process. But things quickly go awry when Duck decides to switch roles and stir the soup. The friends have a falling out. Duck runs away, leaving Cat and Squirrel to realize just how much they miss him. The story is a heartwarming lesson about friendship, cooperation, and the importance of working together even when things don’t go as planned.

Simple Classroom Activity

After reading Pumpkin Soup, have your students create their own recipe for pumpkin soup. Using construction paper and markers, they can draw a big pot and add their own ingredients, both real and imaginary! Encourage them to think of what they would put in their soup to make it special. Then, have them share their recipes with the class.

Another great idea is to create a “Friendship Recipe” with your class. Have your students brainstorm the key ingredients that make up a good friend (like kindness, sharing, and understanding). Write them down on a large pot drawn on the board or on a poster. This ties in beautifully with the story’s theme and allows you to discuss the importance of teamwork and friendship in your classroom.

8. The Witches by Roald Dahl

Let’s dive into one of the most iconic stories on my list of favorite Halloween read-alouds for elementary students – The Witches by Roald Dahl. This book is perfect for older elementary students. Get ready for a thrilling and slightly sinister tale that still manages to have a touch of Roald Dahl’s signature humor.

The Witches Summary

The Witches tells the story of a little boy who stumbles upon a secret gathering of witches. Real witches, not the kind that wear pointy hats and fly on broomsticks. These are the terrifying kind who are disguised as ordinary women and have a deep hatred for children. When the boy and his grandmother discover the witches’ plan to turn all the children in England into mice, they set out on a daring adventure to stop them. This book is perfect for Halloween with its suspenseful plot, unforgettable characters, and a mix of humor and horror. Quentin Blake’s illustrations add to the quirky and eerie atmosphere.

Simple Classroom Activity

After reading The Witches, you can engage your students in a creative writing activity. Have them imagine they’ve uncovered a group of witches in their own town or school. What would the witches look like? What evil plan would they be hatching? How would the students stop them? This activity encourages imagination and lets your kids put themselves into the story’s spooky world.

For a hands-on project, consider making “witch masks” with basic supplies like paper plates, markers, and yarn. Let the students design their own scary or silly witch faces inspired by the witches in the story. You can even use these masks for a dramatic reading or a mini-play based on a scene from the book. It’s a fun way to bring the story to life and engage the kids in Halloween-themed creativity.

9. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz

Let’s turn up the spookiness with a true classic that belongs on every list of favorite Halloween read-alouds for elementary students. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz was a favorite when I was growing up, and so many of my students love these spooky tales. This collection of short, creepy tales is perfect for those who love a good scare. It’s a great way to introduce your students to the thrill of spooky stories during the Halloween season.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Summary

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a collection of folk tales and urban legends retold by Alvin Schwartz, with spine-chilling illustrations by Stephen Gammell. The book features various eerie stories, from ghostly apparitions to haunted houses and mysterious creatures. Some of the tales are more humorous. Others are downright terrifying, making this book a versatile choice for different age groups and scare levels. What makes this collection especially fun for Halloween is that many of the stories have a “jump-scare” moment. The reader or listener gets a sudden fright, which is perfect for keeping your students on the edge of their seats!

Simple Classroom Activity

After reading a few of the stories from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, you can get your students involved in creating their own spooky tales. It’s the perfect way to explore the mystery genre or focus on word usage and adjectives. Give them some simple prompts, like “a ghost in the attic” or “a strange noise in the dark.” Have them write and illustrate their own scary stories. This activity encourages creative writing and art while allowing students to explore their spooky imaginations.

Another fun activity is to hold a “Scary Story Circle.” Have the students sit in a circle and take turns telling their own scary stories or retelling one from the book. To add an extra element of spookiness, you can dim the lights and use a flashlight to create a campfire-like atmosphere. This activity helps build public speaking skills while allowing everyone to share in the Halloween fun.

10. The Hallo-Weiner by Dav Pilkey

Let’s move on to a fun and lighthearted choice on our list of favorite Halloween read-alouds for elementary students, which is The Hallo-Wiener by Dav Pilkey. This book is perfect for younger students and brings a mix of humor, friendship, and Halloween spirit.

The Hallo-Wiener Summary

The Hallo-Wiener tells the story of Oscar, a lovable dachshund who is often teased by other dogs because of his long, hot-dog-shaped body. Despite the teasing, Oscar remains a kind and good-hearted pup. When Halloween rolls around, Oscar is excited to join in the fun. His mom surprises him with a hot dog costume that is complete with mustard! Embarrassed but determined, Oscar bravely wears the costume, even though it only fuels the other dogs’ teasing. However, when a scary “monster” threatens the other dogs, Oscar’s bravery and unique costume saves the day. This earns him the respect of his peers. This heartwarming tale is a great way to talk about kindness, courage, and being proud of who you are.

Simple Classroom Activity

After reading The Hallo-Wiener, a great hands-on activity is to have your students design their own Halloween costumes, just like Oscar’s hot dog costume. Using supplies like construction paper, markers, scissors, and glue, students can create a drawing or a mini version of a costume they’d love to wear on Halloween. Encourage them to think outside the box and create something unique or funny. Once they’ve finished, have them work on descriptive word usage by writing about their costume.

Another fun and engaging activity is to hold a discussion or writing session about the book’s themes. This book is a great springboard for discussions on bullying, kindness, and accepting differences. You can ask your students to write about a time when they were brave, like Oscar, or a moment when they helped others, even if it was hard. This is a great way to reinforce the story’s message of kindness, courage, and being proud of who you are. No matter what others might say.

Increase Student Engagement With These Amazing Read Alouds for October

As you plan your October activities, these favorite Halloween read-alouds for elementary students are sure to capture your class’s imagination. They will also bring a little spooky fun into your classroom library. From the laugh-out-loud moments to the edge-of-your-seat suspense, each of these stories offers a great way to engage your students and spark their creativity. As you share these stories, you’re not just celebrating Halloween. You’re helping students develop a love of reading, encouraging teamwork, and building an atmosphere where creativity thrives. Whether it’s through drawing, writing, or even a little acting, these simple, budget-friendly activities will make your favorite Halloween books for elementary students even more memorable. Get ready to watch your students’ eyes light up as they embark on these spooky, fun-filled adventures. Happy Halloween, and happy reading!

Looking for More Halloween Activities?

If you’re looking for even more activities to do during this spooky season, explore the following resources!

Save These Favorite Halloween Read-Alouds for Elementary Students

Remember to save this post to your favorite teacher Pinterest board for quick access to these favorite Halloween read-alouds for elementary students!

The post 10 Favorite Halloween Read-Alouds for Elementary Students appeared first on Elementary Island.

4 Fun Ways to Teach Biographies

Jordana — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 18:10:00 +0000

Biographies are fascinating to read at any age, but young children love hearing stories about real people. Learning about the lives of those who lived before them is intriguing. Biographies give kids a peek at what it’s like to be someone else and possibly live in a different time period than they do. Bringing biographies to life for your students can even help spark a love of reading! Are you excited about teaching biographies but feel a bit intimidated? I’ve got four fun, engaging ways for you to teach your students all about biographies!

Why Should You Teach Biographies?

Biographies are a fantastic way to introduce young students to important historical figures and teach them valuable life lessons. Biographies are windows into people’s lives who have made a difference in the world and can inspire kids to dream and reach for their goals. They help kids understand that the world is diverse and that not everyone is just like them.

Students can also learn empathy by reading about people’s experiences and challenges. They may feel really sorry for famous people they learn about. Students will start to understand what these individuals went through or see that they were treated poorly.

Biographies are the perfect complement to any Social Studies Unit or Thematic Unit! Students can relate to history more easily through personal stories because historical events are explained from the perspective of real people who lived through those times. Check out this blog post about how I use biographies to teach about Martin Luther King Jr.!

Now that we know why teaching biographies is important, let’s jump into HOW!

1. Introduce Students to Biographies with Read Alouds

I can’t say enough about how much I love reading a good picture book to my students to stir up excitement for a lesson. Sharing a great biography is no exception! Start with a beautiful book like:

Counting on Katherine by Helaine Becker
Pocket Full of Colors: The Magical World of Mary Blair, Disney Artist Extraordinaire by Amy Guglielmo and Jacqueline Tourville
Who SaysCan’tn Can’t Be Doctors? The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell by Tanya Lee Stone

These books are incredible stories of perseverance and overcoming obstacles. Students see a glimpse of what life was like years before they were born and how things were very different! Did I mention the illustrations? They are gorgeous!

There are a million incredible biographies, so it can be tough to sift through them to find the perfect books for your students. Check out this post I wrote about my six favorite Biography Series! You will find plenty of biographies that fit right in with your next Social Studies Unit or for a Biography Unit!

Once you have finished sharing your biography read-aloud, ask your students to create a timeline of events in the person’s life from the book. In my Biography Student Reports resource, you will find two options for a print-and-go timeline: one with space for five events and one with space for seven events. Your high flyers will get a bit of a challenge identifying seven events, while your struggling students can still do the same activity focusing on five key events.

2. Conduct an Interview!

Want a fun way to get your students excited about biographies and writing one? Ask them to interview a friend in the class! You can allow students to choose a classmate they would like to interview or assign students to interview each other. Give students a list of questions to ask and 20 minutes or so to conduct their interviews.

Students can ask questions like:

Where were you born?
How many brothers or sisters do you have?
What’s your favorite movie?
What do you want to be when you’re older?

You could allow students to share what they learned in their interviews with the class or take this activity further by writing a biography about their friend!

This type of project can take a bit of preparation on your part to keep it running smoothly. However, with my Biography Student Reports pack, this “interview and write a biography” activity is a breeze to incorporate into your classroom!

Included are 2 Student Interview Pages filled with interesting questions to get your kids talking! Plus, printable pages where students write the information they learned. They then piece the pages together to create a friend’s biography! Your students will love learning about each other and feel accomplished because they wrote a biography!

3. Research a Famous Person and Write About Their Life!

How can you ensure your students understand what biographies are and what information they include? Have them write a biography about a famous person! Yes, writing a biography can seem overwhelming- even for an adult, much less a student! It can definitely be done, but your students will need guidelines and support throughout the process.

Luckily, my Biography Student Reports resource includes Notes Pages that allow your students the freedom of choosing who they learn about while having questions that will guide them during their research! To help students include important information in their biographies, they will be asked questions like:

When was this person born? When did they die?
Describe this person as a child.
Did this person get married or have children?
How did this person contribute to society?

These pages have differentiated versions so students of all ability levels can participate in this activity. Each version has questions, but some are more specific and require more detail. This allows you to easily differentiate for your students and push some to think a little more deeply, while other students can answer the questions more broadly while still experiencing success!

A booklet with labeled pages is included so that students can practice transferring the information from their Notes Pages into an actual biography of their famous person! Your students will feel fulfilled when they finish their biographies and see all the hard work that went into that challenging (but fun!) project!

4. Incorporate Art with Your Biographies!

Now that students have researched their famous person, learned interesting facts, and written those facts into a biography, let them celebrate with a little art project! The art project included in my Biographies Pack is the perfect way to allow students to show what they know in a different and creative way!

Using a piece of large construction paper and the directions in the pack, students will cut the paper in such a way as to create the shape of a body. Students will then fold the paper to make two flaps appear to be clothes, then add arms, hands, feet, and a head to the body shape.

Students will decorate their body shape to look like the famous person they researched (adding as many details as possible). They will take the biography book they wrote and glue it inside the clothes flap, making the cutest display for all of their hard work!

I love displaying these in the hallway for other classes to see. You could even invite other classes to come by and have your students read their information out loud to their audience!

Would you like to try Biographies?

Your students will love learning about famous people from history, but sometimes you have to try things for yourself to see how awesome they are! Dip your toe into biographies with this incredible Biography Templates Freebie!

Use these templates to help your students organize three facts they learned about important historical figures like Benjamin Franklin, Rosa Parks, Henry Ford, and many more! This is a great way to ease your students into learning about biographies.

Let’s Teach Biographies!

Introduce your students to biography research and make learning fun with this Biography Report and Research Activities Unit from my TPT Store!

The set includes templates for biography reports that can be used all year long, catering to the needs of different levels of learners. Differentiated research activities are included, along with anchor chart sets that can be printed in black and white or color for student reference during the unit. A classmate research activity is also included, fostering community building within the classroom. Engage your students in the excitement of learning from history through biographies!

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4 Ways to Use Challenge Phonics to Teach Digraphs

Jordana — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 01:07:00 +0000

As ELA teachers, we all want our students to become confident and proficient in reading and spelling English. But English can be a tricky language! If only learning to read English was as easy as learning the letters and their sounds. The next step is introducing digraphs, which can be a tricky concept for many students. But don’t worry, having a structured approach to teaching phonics can help your students become great readers and spellers. And that’s where Challenge Phonics comes in! Keep reading to find out how Challenge Phonics can help your students master digraphs.

What are digraphs and why are they important?

Digraphs can be challenging for younger readers because they represent sounds that don’t match up with the basic phonics rules they have learned. Just when students learn each individual sound, we start changing the rules. Students learn early on what sound the letters “c” and “h” say on their own, but Challenge Phonics teaches students that “ch” says a completely different sound when they are placed together. By using Challenge Phonics, students will learn to recognize those tricky digraphs, making them more confident readers!

Teaching phonics is important because it:

Improves reading fluency. Students can begin tackling more difficult words because they know diagraphs make a new sound together. They don’t have to struggle to sound out each individual letter.

Enhances spelling ability. Knowing advanced phonics skills helps students spell words containing digraphs because they recognize which letter combinations work together to make those sounds and will use the correct digraphs when spelling. 

Makes reading easier and more enjoyable. When our students understand complex phonics rules and patterns, they are more likely to enjoy reading and writing because reading isn’t a struggle for them.

So how do you help your students get all of these benefits? Challenge Phonics to the rescue! This done-for-you phonics resource has everything you need to help your students master digraphs and other important phonics concepts while saving you time.

Challenge Phonics is designed to provide higher-level phonics activities to help you challenge all of the students in your class. Many students will be challenged working on digraphs with one syllable words, but others will need more of a challenge. Challenge Phonics allows all of your students to work on the same skill but at their just-right level!

1. Start With Hands-On Activities!

As teachers, we know that hands-on activities are an important part of the learning process. When teaching phonics, it’s important to use a multisensory approach that engages all of the senses! This is something I incorporate from the beginning as I am introducing a new concept.

Here are a few fun and easy hands-on activities you can use to teach and practice digraphs.

Have students work with letter tiles or magnetic letters to create digraphs and repeat the sound it makes. You can extend this by adding some picture cards and having students say the word, listen for the digraph sound, and then build the proper digraph.
Spray foam shaving cream on students’ desks and have students write the digraph after listening to you say the sound. Then have them repeat the sound.
Allow students to dig through a sensory bin to find hidden letter tiles. Then let them work together to make a digraph. Once they find a match they can say the sound the digraph makes.
Have students string letter beads onto pipe cleaners to make a digraph and repeat the sound it makes as they slide the beads toward each other.

When you allow your students to use their hands and bodies to explore new ideas, their brains make connections quicker and the information is less likely to be forgotten. By starting off with hands-on activities, you are explicitly teaching the concept of digraphs and can now move on to practice!

2. Give students lots of isolated practice with specific digraphs

Like with any skill, repetition, and practice are key to mastering digraphs. Once students have learned that the letters ‘c’ and ‘h’ together say “ch”, give them practice seeing this “ch” digraph in action!

I love using the digraph practice pages from my Challenge Phonics resource! These pages work perfectly for small group instruction, independent practice, or as a center activity.

My students love these pages because they never get bored. There are several activities to complete, on each page which keeps them engaged. I love that each activity gets them thinking and working with the target digraph in a different way.

Activities on each page include:

repeated reading of words
sorting based on beginning/ending digraph sounds
unscrambling words
completing sentences with the correct word

and more! They are also a great activity for building vocabulary, which is an added bonus!

This practice page gives students lots of interaction with how to say the digraph, what it looks like in actual words, as well as how to write it. Once students have practiced this digraph in isolated words, it’s time to help them easily recognize digraphs as quickly as possible.

3. Build automaticity of digraphs

In the beginning, you want students to be able to find digraphs in words when they look for them. But eventually, you want students to know digraphs so well, that it becomes automatic for them. Students no longer have to think about digraphs, they just know them!

Repetition of skills is the best way to build automaticity, so I give my students fun word sorts and word searches for this very reason! Using the word sort in my Challenge Phonics pack, students get to highlight the digraph in each word, cut out the word list, and sort the words based on where the digraph falls in the word. They get really good at identifying whether the digraph sound is at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of the word. Students then glue the words into the proper columns.

I also love using word searches! These puzzles require kids to visually scan through all those letters to find the words that contain the specific digraph we’re studying. Word searches help develop students’ visual recognition skills, which are essential for building automaticity with digraphs.

This continued repetition helps to reinforce learning and makes these digraphs stick in students’ long-term memory. When kids are repeatedly exposed to digraphs, they are more likely to remember the sounds associated with those letter combinations. Using these worksheets as morning work or centers are a great way to make repetition more fun!

Now that students have had several different activities working with the same digraph, it’s time to move on to giving students the opportunity to recognize these digraphs in longer text!

4. Put students’ knowledge to the test

Your students are feeling confident about what they have learned about the digraph they have been working on, but how do you know they really “get it”?

Students who understand digraphs should be able to read words containing those letter combinations with accuracy and fluency. Asking students to read words on flashcards is one way of doing this, but I also want to see that my students can read these words in actual text rather than just in isolation.

One of my favorite pages in my Challenge Phonics resource is the reading comprehension page! Students are challenged to read a paragraph that uses as many words containing the digraph we are focusing on as possible. Students will read this story a total of 3 times to practice those digraph words and help build their fluency.

To be sure students understand what they read in the story, there are 3 reading comprehension questions that students must answer as well. Using these questions to check student comprehension of the text can tell you whether they truly understand the digraphs in context.

Want to give Challenge Phonics a try in your classroom?

I know just how helpful and effective Challenge Phonics has been in my classroom. That’s why I want you to try it out in your classroom! I truly believe that it won’t take you long to see how valuable Challenge Phonics is for your students.

Grab this FREE 4-week pack of Challenge Phonics activities. In this free set, I have included 4 different phonics skills or concepts. That way, no matter what time of year you grab this, there is something you can use right away! This free Challenge Phonics pack includes activities for teaching and practicing digraphs, diphthongs, long vowels, and -or words.

Are you ready to challenge your students?

When it comes to our students, we want to give them every opportunity to grow their reading skills as much as we can throughout the year. If you have students who are ready to move beyond basic phonics, then my Challenge Phonics Digraphs Worksheet resource is just the thing you need! It’s the perfect way for all your students to work on the same skill but at different levels. Challenge Phonics works well with advanced 2nd grade students and 3rd graders.

This resource includes the activities mentioned in this post for the digraphs: ch, sh, th, wh, ph, ck, kn, wr, and qu! Head on over to my TPT Store to grab this pack and get this digraph party started!

And. . . if you are ready to add Challenge Phonics to your classroom all year long, then check out the Challenge Phonics Bundle. This bundle includes everything you need for teaching and practicing digraphs, diphthongs, long vowels, r-controlled vowels, and three letter blends! And. . . all for less than a fast-food meal for your family.

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4 Fun Ways to Teach Prefixes

Jordana — Mon, 13 Feb 2023 20:23:00 +0000

Many important language arts standards must be taught for students to be successful readers and writers. Oftentimes, those standards can be a bit dry for students to learn. And by that, I mean boring! So, as teachers, it’s our job to come up with creative ways to make learning more engaging for our students. If you need some new ideas for teaching prefixes, you’ve come to the right place! I have 4 activities to show how to teach prefixes in a fun way that both you and your students will enjoy!

Why is Teaching Prefixes Important?

Before I jump into the fun and engaging ways to teach prefixes, you’ve got to understand why it’s important! Students can improve their reading, vocabulary, spelling, and writing skills simply by studying prefixes. When you explicitly teach your students the concept of prefixes, they build their vocabulary and begin to understand new words and what they mean. When students understand the meanings of words with prefixes, their reading comprehension begins to improve. They can move on to more complex thinking while reading such as noticing character traits and making predictions.

Not only does their reading improve, but students’ spelling and writing skills improve as well! Knowing prefixes allows students to spell correctly because they understand the spelling patterns of those prefixes. Building students’ vocabulary through prefixes also helps students write more descriptively and express their ideas more easily.

So let’s talk about how to teach prefixes in a fun way!

Use Interactive Notebooks for Teaching Prefixes

I absolutely love using Interactive Notebooks in my classroom, and my students love them too! If you haven’t heard of Interactive Notebooks before, then simply imagine each of your students having their own hand-made learning journal. The notebook is filled with anchor charts that use foldable pieces and paper pockets that contain learning manipulatives. Students can use each page to review the information and activities inside any time they need a refresher on a standard. That’s an Interactive Notebook, my friend – and they are amazing!

Every year when I begin teaching prefixes, I always start by using Interactive Notebook activities. They are the perfect way to directly instruct my students about what each prefix means. I also like to share examples of words that use each prefix so that students can recognize that words they already know contain prefixes! We also complete a hands-on activity to help students understand how to correctly use each prefix.

In my Prefixes Interactive Notebook resource, you will find engaging activities that help your students better understand prefixes! Activities such as:

foldables to brainstorm prefix word lists
pockets with prefix word sorting cards
liftable flaps for word definitions
cut and paste cards with example sentences
liftable flaps for sentence examples
puzzle piece sorting activity

You will not regret using Interactive Notebooks to teach prefixes to your students! Not only will your students be engaged by the cutting and gluing aspects of these activities, but keeping all the information in one place means that students can review this information any time they need to.

Utilize Posters When Teaching Prefixes

Once you have explicitly taught each prefix, you need to keep those prefixes front and center so your students won’t forget them! The easiest way to do this? Display your prefixes for all to see!

Create a bulletin board or dedicate some wall space to hanging mini-posters for each prefix. The posters I use are printer paper sized, so they are small enough to fit several in one area but large enough to be seen from anywhere in my classroom. These posters are perfect as they each focus on one prefix, and contain the prefix meaning, example words, a picture of the word’s meaning and an example of the word in a sentence.

Not only do I display these premade posters, but I have my students make a “fill-in” poster to supplement each premade poster! To make these fill-in posters, students simply:

write as many words as they can think of that use this prefix
write the definition of the prefix
choose one of the brainstormed words to write in a sentence
give the definition of the word from your sentence

These fill-in posters could be created by individual students as seat work or you could allow students to make one with a partner or in a small group. They are an excellent way to help cement the meaning and usage of prefixes and engage your students at the same time! And. . . students can glue them into their interactive notebooks too!

If this activity sounds right up your alley, check out the exact resource I use with my students! My Prefix Posters with Prefix Fill-Ins resource is available in my TPT store!

Prefix Centers are a Great “Next Step”

Students have been explicitly taught prefixes and have reviewed them with posters, so… now what? Well, in my classroom, “now what” means practice. Lots and lots of practice! I love allowing students time in centers to practice the skills I have taught them.

One great way to easily incorporate centers into your day is to use my Re, Un, Pre, Dis, Mis Prefix Centers resource! This all-in-one, print-and-go pack has everything you need to set up a prefix center without any stress. You’ll find premade word cards, sorting pages, fill-in-the-blank sentences, a deconstructing words activity, and color by code pictures.

You could choose to complete a few examples together as a whole group before moving on to centers or just jump right into centers. No matter how you choose to use it, this Prefix Centers resource is exactly what your students need for a fun way to practice prefixes. Check it out here in my TPT store!

Games Make a Great Prefix Assessment

Alright, you amazing teacher, you! All of your hard teaching work has been worth it! You’re confident that your students “get” prefixes, so let’s see what they can do! A test, you say? Not necessarily. Sure you could give a test, but you could also assess what your students know with a fun cut-and-glue game!

I love using alternative ways to assess my students and this Skills Swirl Cut and Paste Prefix Activity totally fits the bill!

Students are given a “game board” with arrows for the spaces as well as a page with words and definitions (or sentences). Students must match the definition to the correct word (for grade level students) or sentence that matches the word (for above grade level students). They will cut out that game piece and glue it to the game board.

The game works like dominoes where each piece connects to the piece before it. When students glue game pieces to the board, it makes a “swirl” on the paper until they get to the center of the page.

My kids love this game, and yours will too! It’s perfect for an assessment, but definitely could be used in centers, partners, or small learning groups. A different activity like this makes learning fun for your students and teaching prefixes so much more fun for you!

Wow! Teaching Prefixes Can Be Fun!

See there? I told you teaching prefixes wasn’t so bad! If you’re ready to have some “Prefix Fun” in the classroom, be sure to head on over to my TPT store where you will find each of the resources from this post.

In fact, I have an incredible money-saving Prefix BUNDLE that has all 4 resources together in one place! Be sure to check it out for the best deal possible!

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10 Creative and Fun Ways to Celebrate Read Across America Day

Jordana — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 18:35:00 +0000

Every year, I look forward to a special day on my calendar – Read Across America Day! This is a day where my students and I celebrate the joy of books and our love of reading! I like to make this day a little “extra” by planning creative reading activities for my students to enjoy! Here are 10 of my favorite ways to make Read Across America Day fun for your students… and honestly, fun for you too!

1. Invite Guest Readers

Having fresh faces coming into my classroom to read to my students is a really easy way to celebrate this day! Since Read Across America Day is on March 2nd, I always start scouting around in mid-February to find people who would love to read to my students.

Who could you invite to come read?

Your Principal or Vice Principal
Other teachers such as Music or Art
Bus Drivers or Cafeteria Staff
Parents of your students
Other community members

Pretty much anyone your students would be excited to see in your room would be perfect! Special Guest Readers could bring their own favorite book to read, but also have a basket of books handy just in case they don’t.

Want to work in some real-life writing experience as well? After your Guest Reader has left, ask students to draw a picture or write a letter as a “Thank You” to your Special Guest!

2. Have a Picture Book Scavenger Hunt

Get your students excited about reading lots of books on this day by having a Picture Book Scavenger Hunt! Give students access to a large number of picture books (organized in baskets, on tops of tables, etc…) and a Scavenger Hunt Recording Page.

On the Recording Page, students are given items to find in the books. For example, students might be asked to “Find a book with an animal”. Students would look through books trying to find a page that contains an animal. If they find an animal, write the name of the book on their Recording Page. If they don’t, put that book down and try another!

Students will continue working through the page until they have found a book for each item. Grab my free Recording Page to help you easily implement this fun activity!

This Picture Book Scavenger Hunt is a great way to get kids looking at books they might not normally choose to read themselves! In fact, they might be surprised to find a new favorite during all that searching!

3. Track Books Read with a Sticker Chart

Keeping kids motivated to do something is often as simple as a sticker! Show students how they can keep track of how many books they have read with a cute sticker chart!

Let your students know that this will be a whole class chart where everyone works together as a team to achieve the goal of reading 120 books! Students will feel so much pride as they get to “help the class” by putting up one sticker for each book they read (books read by you to the whole class count too)!

4. Hold a Book Character Dress Up Day

Ok, I have to admit… Dressing up as a book character I love is definitely my favorite activity for Read Across America Day! What could infuse more fun into your school day than dressing up?!

I always give my students a heads up the week before to give them time to choose a character and plan their outfits. Remind your students that their outfit doesn’t need to require money, just some creativity, and imagination!

Encourage students to bring an actual copy of the book in which their character appears. If they can bring the book, allow students to read it to the class (for short picture books) or simply read their favorite page or two (for longer chapter books).

And don’t forget your outfit! It’s more fun when the teacher dresses up too!

5. Play Book Bingo

Since the purpose of Read Across America Day is to celebrate reading, it makes sense to read as many amazing books as possible that day! One easy way to do that is with a little game of Book Bingo.

Make up your own Bingo card by using an empty template and adding different genres of books or certain characteristics in each square. Ideas could include:

talking animals
mystery
nonfiction
fairy tale
funny book

If you are pressed for time and can’t make your own, grab the free Bingo Card I use in my classroom and get started!

Students will read and mark the coordinating space as they finish each book. Students who complete BINGO could get a prize like a pencil, bookmark, or a little extra recess time.

6. Have a Bookmark-Making Contest

Read Across America Day should definitely have reading activities, but also consider ideas that don’t involve reading but still relate to your theme. A great way to let your students be creative without text is to hold a Bookmark-making contest!

Give students strips of cardstock/construction paper, crayons, and stickers, and let them create reading/book-inspired bookmarks! They can draw and color pictures about reading or write fun sayings to inspire others to read more. It’s totally up to your students how they want to design their bookmarks.

When finished, laminate the bookmarks (packing tape also works) and allow students to vote on which one is their favorite!

Think students creating from scratch may take a little too much time? Print out these adorable bookmarks and have a coloring contest instead!

7. Hold a Book Tournament

For those who are fans of college basketball, the beginning of March is synonymous with March Madness, so why not hold a Book Tournament for your students?

Choose 12 picture books to read to your class. Ask students to fill out their brackets to see which book they think will win the title of “Book of the Year”. Then get to reading!

After reading each set of 2 books, have the class vote on which book they liked better. The book with the most votes moves on to the next bracket. Continue reading until you have finished all 12 books, but feel free to take breaks in between sets of books so students don’t sit for too long.

Once all the books have been read and a winner picked, have students share their brackets with the class. Choose a fun prize for any student who had the winner picked on their bracket!

8. Make a Book Buddies Date

Reading isn’t just a silent activity. Books are better with a buddy! Schedule time with a teacher in another grade level to read to their students.

Allow your students to choose a picture book they want to read to their Book Buddy. Give them a few minutes to practice and even come up with a few questions to ask their buddy while reading.

Older students benefit from reading to younger students as they get the chance to show off their reading skills and help mentor them. Younger students benefit as they want to work hard to do their best reading and listening to their older “cool” Book Buddy.

It truly is a win/win situation and the sweet way your students treat their Book Buddy is worth the effort in getting them together!

9. Use Special Reading Accessories

A little something out of the ordinary is just the ticket for making Read Across America Day a special memory for your students! So why not give your students the chance to read in a different way?

Let your students bring items from home (or you could provide them) and read around the classroom! Items could include:

flashlight and a pillow (with the lights turned down!)
a favorite stuffed animal to read to
a fun pair of silly sunglasses
a magnifying glass

Curling up with a good book instead of sitting at a desk is a simple way to show students that reading can be an enjoyable experience!

10. Create Interest in Reading with a Book Tasting

With a few red tablecloths from the Dollar Store and a stack of amazing books, students can participate in a Book Tasting that just may lead them to discover their next favorite book!

Set up your desks/tables to resemble a table at a nice restaurant. Have different books out on each table and encourage students to “taste” each one by looking at the front cover, reading the back cover, and reading the first few pages of the book. Students can move to different tables to get exposure to as many books as possible.

Students should write down the book’s title and a few notes about how they feel about the book. Feelings like:

Does this book interest me?
Would I be able to read this on my own and understand it?
Did the first few pages “hook” me?
Is this a book I would normally read or am I trying something new?

If you would like the actual Tasting Menu that I use with my students, you can grab this amazing freebie here!

Once students have “tasted” several books, ask them to choose 3 books they want to put on their “Reading Wish List” and allow them time to share with friends the books they are excited to read in the future!

Are You Ready for Read Across America Day?

I hope these ideas have gotten your wheels spinning for all the fun ways you can celebrate reading in your classroom! If you feel a bit overwhelmed, grab your Free packet that contains the printables I mentioned in this post to help you implement these ideas! I want you to enjoy Read Across America Day without the planning stress!

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7 Engaging and Fun St. Patrick’s Day Books For The Elementary Classroom

Jordana — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 18:33:00 +0000

If you love celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in your classroom, then this is your lucky today – pun intended! While I love incorporating shamrocks and little green leprechauns into my school day, the thing I love most is reading St. Patrick’s Day books to my students! With a few pages of fantasy, my students easily get their imaginations going and excitedly jump into the creative activities I have planned to go along with each book! Here are my (lucky number) 7 favorite St. Patrick’s Day books to read in the classroom!

1. The Night Before St. Patrick’s Day

The first book I have for you today can actually be read a day or so before St. Patrick’s Day to set up the accompanying activity to complete after reading. The Night Before St. Patrick’s Day by Natasha Wing is an adorable rhyming story about a brother and sister who set up a variety of leprechaun traps around their house in order to catch a “wee Irishman”! The children do in fact catch a leprechaun, and your students will love seeing what happens when they do!

The illustrations of the children’s traps are a perfect springboard for your students to envision their own leprechaun trap! Gather old cereal boxes, oatmeal containers, construction paper, scissors, and glue, then let those kids build the trap of their dreams! When they are finished, allow students to present their traps to the class and then display them around the room (to see if they catch anything…).

Whether you choose to complete this project in your classroom or send it home as a parent project, your students will love constructing their own leprechaun traps! And if you aren’t able to create an actual trap, students can design/draw a trap, color it, and label the important pieces. Mess-free!

2. Lucky Tucker

In the book Lucky Tucker by Leslie McGuirk, Lucky Tucker is a funny little dog who runs away from the unlucky things in his life. When a leprechaun suggests he roll around in a patch of four-leaf clovers, Tucker’s day changes, and everything good (and super lucky!) begins to happen to him!

For a quick and simple after-reading activity, give each student a large four-leaf clover. On each leaf of the clover, students must write one thing that would make their day the luckiest day ever! Hang these cute clovers in the hallway or (if you want to extend the activity further) use it as a brainstorming sheet for a writing activity with the prompt “My Luckiest Day!”

3. Ten Lucky Leprechauns

If you want to add a bit of counting to your story time, try the book 10 Lucky Leprechauns by Kathryn Heling and Deborah Hembrook. The book is similar in style to songs such as “The Ants Go Marching” where the story starts out with one character and (through rhyming patterns) picks up another character on each page until they get to 10. Your students will enjoy the cute illustrations and catching the rhyming words on each page!

And speaking of rhyming words, this book is the perfect partner for a Rhyming Rainbow activity! Give students a black-and-white rainbow template. On each of the colors of the rainbow, students will write two words that rhyme. Once the rainbow has two rhyming words in each space, color the rainbow!

4. How To Catch A Leprechaun

If your students love a good, silly trick, then you have to read How To Catch A Leprechaun by Adam Wallace! Students are treated to a story about a very sneaky leprechaun who brags about not being caught by a variety of traps that have been laid out for him! He boasts that each trap is not enough to catch him because he is too smart to be ensnared by such contraptions.

This book is not only very clever with the way it uses words, but the illustrations play a very important role in the story as well! While you are reading to your students, be sure to ask questions like:

What is wrong with the bathroom? Do you want your bathroom to look like that? Why not?
Why did the leprechaun say the first trap was “a snap”?
What did the leprechaun mean when he said he “fixed their shoes”?
Why was the man so dizzy? What could have happened to him?
Do you think the leprechaun will ever be caught? Why or Why not?

Students should use their prior knowledge and the pictures as clues to better understand the text and make inferences about what is happening.

A fun post-story activity would be to write a class letter to the leprechaun in the book either inviting him to visit your room or asking him not to visit (depending on the consensus of your students). Allow students to give you the words to say while you write them down on a large poster or chart paper. Hang the letter in the hallway or on the outside of your classroom door. Students could even draw mini-posters that echo the sentiments in the class letter!

5. St. Patrick’s Day

There are so many silly and funny leprechaun books, but there are also excellent books that teach true facts about the history of St. Patrick’s Day. In the book St. Patrick’s Day by Gail Gibbons, students learn about the real Saint Patrick, his life, how the holiday came to be, and how the holiday is celebrated. This book is so jam-packed with interesting, new information that it may be difficult for students to remember it all!

Create a “clover patch” of St. Patrick facts by giving students 3 paper clovers. Ask them to write one fact in a complete sentence on each clover. After they are finished, students should choose their favorite fact and teach it to at least three other students in the class. When everyone has finished “teaching”, allow students to add their clovers to the patch (on a bulletin board or taped to an area on the wall) where everyone can be reminded of the cool facts they learned about St. Patrick!

6. The Leprechaun’s Gold

A less-silly, but very engaging St. Patrick’s Day book is The Leprechaun’s Gold by Pamela Duncan Edwards. In this Irish legend, two men, Pat and Tom, are heading to compete against each other in a contest to be named the best harpist in the land. The two men show their true selves to the reader as Tom purposely ruins Pat’s harp and Pat helps a leprechaun when he’s in trouble. Pat’s good deed does not go unrewarded, and students will love that Tom gets his comeuppance at the end of the story!

This book is perfect for reviewing character traits! Simply take a blank piece of white paper and fold it in half (like a greeting card). Open the “card” and have students draw a picture of Old Pat on the left-hand side of the paper. Students will write one adjective that describes his character (helpful, kind, caring, etc…) and an example of something he did or said in the book that proves this is true about him. On the right side of the paper, follow the same directions for Young Tom.

Once finished, have your students fold their paper closed and use the “front” to recreate a brand new book cover complete with a new title as well!

7. The Luckiest Leprechaun

This sweet story shares the tale of a grumpy leprechaun finding a friend! In The Luckiest Leprechaun by Justine Korman, MacKenzie O’Shamrock doesn’t believe he needs friends and spends his days living a quiet life in the park. One day, a digging dog accidentally destroys his home and she promises to fix her mistake by taking care of MacKenzie. Throughout the story, you see the two slowly become friends as Lucky the dog refuses to give up on grumpy MacKenzie.

The happy ending will warm your students’ hearts, but the whole story just might inspire them to imagine themselves as a leprechaun! As a class, brainstorm ideas of what leprechauns do all day! Where do they sleep? What do they eat? What do they do for fun?

When students have really given leprechauns a lot of thought, tell them that they will become a leprechaun! Allow students to draw themselves as a leprechaun and write a story about a day in their leprechaun life! The book you read and the class brainstorming session will help even the most reluctant writers come up with a fun story! Once everyone is finished with drawing and writing, allow them to read their stories to the class. Leprechaun accents can be optional!

So Many Fun St. Patrick’s Day Books!

I just knew that 7 was your lucky number! I hope you found a few new favorites to share in your classroom this year! With a little luck, these books and activities will keep your students engaged and learning through all of the excitement of St. Patrick’s Day!

Pin These St. Patrick’s Day Books for Later

If these books and activities have gotten you excited to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with your students, then make sure you Pin this post to your favorite Teaching Pinterest Board!

The post 7 Engaging and Fun St. Patrick’s Day Books For The Elementary Classroom appeared first on Elementary Island.

8 Awesome Martin Luther King Jr Activities and Videos for your Classroom

Jordana — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 22:01:00 +0000

It is so important that we teach our students about the brave men and women who helped shape the history of our nation. Men and women who overcame incredible obstacles to accomplish things that made our country a better place! One such man is Martin Luther King Jr. His huge leading role in fighting for equality for all is not only inspiring but he quite literally changed people’s lives. Read on to see how I use 8 awesome activities and videos to teach my students about Martin Luther King Jr. in ways they will never forget!

Teaching our young students about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. can be tricky. The themes associated with his life can be hard to put into words and activities that our kids can not only understand, but grasp the seriousness of. Whether you are teaching this for the first time or looking for some new MLK Day activities, you’ve come to the right place.

If you find yourself asking questions like “How do I celebrate MLK Day at school?” or “What are some kid appropriate activities for MLK Day?” then you keep reading. These 8 activities are just what you need for teaching your students about Dr. King and all he stood for.

MLK Day Activities for Kids

These 8 activities have been used again and again in my classroom with great success. They take some deep concepts and teach them in a way that kids can understand.

If you are looking for a great way to introduce Martin Luther King Jr. to your kids – why not let another kid do it. Kid President has this great video about Dr. King and his life. It’s a great way to set the stage for the learning to come.

Once you introduce Dr. King you are ready to dive into these fun and engaging MLK Day activities for kids.

1. Read Inspirational Books

I love a great picture book to introduce my kids to any topic I’m teaching. Books are a great way to build interest and share background knowledge for students to connect to as I teach. So of course, I have my three favorite picture books on Martin Luther King Jr. to help you get started.

National Geographic Readers: Martin Luther King Jr.

National Geographic Readers: Martin Luther King Jr. by Kitson Jazynka is an in-depth, but not intimidating, biography of Dr. King.

It shares difficult-to-understand historical information in such a way that kids can easily comprehend. Brightly colored photographs and illustrations will draw in your students and bring to life the interesting facts on each page.

I also love the book’s use of Text Features such as timetables, captions, sidebars, and fact boxes. They organize information and serve as an excellent real-world example to show your students why text features are important in non-fiction texts.

Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by Doreen Rappaport takes a different approach as it tells the story of things that happened in Dr. King Jr.’s life as a story rather than a grouping of facts. Throughout the story, students get to hear firsthand the actual words of Martin Luther King Jr. as he spoke them! Combine that with gorgeous illustrations, and your students will be spellbound by the emotional depth of this story!

The Story of Martin Luther King Jr.: A Biography Book for New Readers

The Story of Martin Luther King Jr.: A Biography Book for New Readers by Christine Platt is another excellent biographical offering that includes a wealth of information in short, easy-to-read chapters.

Black text on a white background with simple (yet effective) illustrations, makes the pages just right for readers who don’t like busy backgrounds.

The use of bold text on vocabulary words helps students to zero in on important facts. This book also does an excellent job of showing the effects of certain events in Dr. King’s life, while a visual timeline helps students to understand the sequence of events and cause-and-effect relationships.

If building interest in Martin Luther King Jr.’s life is your goal, you truly can’t go wrong with any of these 3 books!

2. Listen to Martin Luther King Jr. Speak

After reading a book or two to your class, let your students witness Martin Luther King Jr.’s life for themselves! In this video Meet the Civil Rights Leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., students get to see a collection of pictures that show Dr. King’s early life, historic moments in his later years, and what life in America was like for African Americans before and during the Civil Rights Movement.

Students even get to experience Martin Luther King Jr. with their very own ears as they hear snippets of his famous “I Have a Dream” speech spoken straight from his lips. This audio combined with beautiful photography makes everything you have already discussed come to life for your students!

When the video is over, ask your students to share what stood out to them as they watched.

Did they learn anything new from what they saw?
Did the pictures give them any new ideas or help them better understand Dr. King’s life?
Did they connect any information from the video to the books you read?

As students become more excited about what they are learning about the life of Martin Luther King Jr., now is the time to let them continue their research on their own!

3. Martin Luther King Jr. Biography Research Project

Now armed with so much prior knowledge about Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, students will excitedly start coming up with their own questions about him! Let your students create a project based on information they have learned from class and researched through books or the internet!

Students can create posters about Dr. King by writing interesting facts about his life, making a timeline of important events, and even drawing a picture of Martin Luther King Jr.!

If the idea of a Research Project appeals to you but want a little more guidance on how to make one work for your students, check out my Biography Report Templates and Research Activities!

This resource gives you 3 different leveled templates for students of all abilities to complete, 3 different print-and-go timelines, an adorable craftivity, writing pages, and more! Research reports have never been easier (or more fun!) than with this pack! Your students will love writing about and illustrating the information they have learned about Dr. King and you will love that all the resources you needed to complete the activities were right at your fingertips!

And the best part is, that when you are finished creating biographies for Martin Luther King Jr., you can use these same resources again and again to research and create biographies for other important people!

4. Fair or Unfair Discussion

Kids can often learn new facts, but it may take a while before they start to “see” what they’ve learned. Help your students connect what they learned about Martin Luther King Jr. to their daily lives by playing Fair or Unfair.

Give your students a series of real-life scenarios. Students are to give a thumbs up if they think the situation is “Fair” and a thumbs down if they think it’s “Unfair”.

Some scenarios could include:

A student gets in trouble because they couldn’t afford school supplies.
The principal gives prizes to students for getting all A’s on their Report Card.
The basketball coach only plays the kids on the team if he’s friends with their parents.
A student yells at the teacher and has to go to the Principal’s Office.
The teacher gives snacks to students who don’t bring one to school but doesn’t give one to the students who bring one from home.
A student wins an Art contest and gets their picture in the newspaper.
Two students get caught cheating on a test. One gets a zero because it’s her third time being caught cheating, while the other gets to retake the test because it’s her first offense.

Some of these situations might seem pretty straightforward, but some may require thinking from a different perspective! It’s definitely important for students to be able to explain why things are fair or not, but also to see that some situations may seem fair until they look at it from the other person’s point of view!

5. On the Inside, We’re All the Same

Dr. King always shared the message that no matter what your skin color is, we are all the same!

One way for students to realize this for themselves is to show students a physical example of this. All you need for this simple yet effective visual aid is to grab two eggs- one brown and one white!

First, ask students to describe the two eggs. Students will probably notice they are the same shape. When they touch the eggs, both the brown and white eggs even feel the same. But very obviously, their colors are different.

Now crack the brown egg into a bowl, then crack the white egg into the same bowl right next to the brown egg.

Ask your students what they see, and they will tell you that once the shell was cracked and thrown away, they can’t tell the difference between the two.

Ask students if it matters that they had different colored shells and see what they say. Then ask them several questions:

What will happen if you drop a brown egg? What will happen if you drop a white egg?
How would cookies taste if I use brown eggs in the recipe? Would the cookies taste the same if I use white eggs? Why?
If I leave a brown egg out of the refrigerator for several days, what will happen? If I do the same thing to a white egg, what will happen?

Once students have discussed these questions and answers, explain to your class that people are just like these eggs! Their outside “shell” (skin color) has nothing to do with who they are as a person on the inside.

People of different skin colors have the same fears and the same dreams, and we shouldn’t treat people differently because they don’t look like us. Then allow time for students to add their thoughts and feelings about how this activity connects to what they have learned about Martin Luther King Jr.

6. Peace Circle Whole Group Activity

Once students realize that all skin colors are amazing and should be celebrated, use this idea to bring your students together to create a display for your classroom or hallway! Give students construction paper (or some other type of craft paper) in colors that replicate various skin tones. If you do not have colored paper, students can use white paper.

Ask students to trace their handprints several times on the paper and cut out each handprint. If using white paper, ask students to color their handprints to replicate various skin tones or let them make handprints using paint. Once you have a fairly large quantity of different colored handprints, give students a large piece of butcher paper or an area on the wall in which must work together as a team to create a peace sign out of their handprints.

If using butcher paper or a paper-covered bulletin board, you may want to draw an outline of a peace sign so that students can tape or glue their hands inside the outline.

Add a quote from Dr. King to go along with your peace sign and have students write about what that quote means to them or what it means to “live in peace”.

7. Peace and Love Craft

Art is the perfect way for students to get creative after such an emotionally powerful activity! This simple Peace and Love Craft only takes black, white, and red construction paper to make a visual to help students remember the lessons they are learning.

Have each student trace their handprint on a piece of black paper using a white crayon and again on a white paper using a black crayon. Place each paper touching end to end and glue a red paper heart directly in the middle of the two papers. Write the phrase “peace and love” on the red heart.

8. Share Kindness to Everyone Around You

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an inspiration to others! He used peaceful ways to get his message across and helped as many people as he could to have a better life. What better way for students to show what they have learned than to put it into practice in their daily lives?

Tell your students a few days ahead of time that you will hold a Day of Service in order to do kind things for people! Brainstorm a list of “act of kindness” ideas as a class and type up that list to send home with your students or message to their parents.

Acts of Kindness do not need to be big or cost money, they just simply need to be ways to help those around you! Ideas could include, but are not limited to:

smile and say “Hi!” to everyone you see today
holding doors for other people
writing a note of thanks to your bus driver or the cafeteria staff
picking up trash off the playground or in a park
baking cookies for your principal and school secretary
sweeping the classroom floor so the janitor doesn’t have to
telling 5 other students a kind compliment

On your Day of Service, have precut construction paper hearts set out where students can access them. Ask students to write each kind deed on a heart throughout the day and tape it to a specific area on the wall where everyone can see all the kindness being spread around the school!

Pin These MLK Day Activities for Kids!

I hope this post has inspired you to teach about Martin Luther King Jr. to your students! If you found some awesome ideas that you would like to use, then Pin this post to your favorite classroom Pinterest Board so you will always have them when you need them!

The post 8 Awesome Martin Luther King Jr Activities and Videos for your Classroom appeared first on Elementary Island.

6 Amazing Biography Book Series Teachers and Students will Love

Jordana — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 19:34:00 +0000

I love having my students read biographies. Not only does this expose them to a new genre of writing, but there is quite often a great social studies or history connection too! And . . . if that wasn’t enough, there are so many amazing people that can inspire our students to do anything, go anywhere, be all they can dream of being! I’m excited to share some of my favorite biographies for elementary students and activities we use when studying this genre.

Amazing Biographies for Kids

Over the years I’ve seen lots and lots of biographies. Here are my absolute favorites that are not only well written but have been loved by elementary students too!

1. Ordinary People Change the World by Brad Meltzer

Brad Meltzer is a biography genius when it comes to writing for kids! Not only are his books great for learning about the lives of some amazing people, but his format is so engaging. This biography series, Ordinary People Change the World, is top-notch! Using great images and a combination of traditional text and comic book style formatting, even the most reluctant of readers love these books.

Just look at those inviting books and amazing real-life stories. Each book is filled with facts about the lives of these great people. The images really draw the students into the books too! Check out these pages from the Leonardo DaVinci book:

It’s a masterful way to connect real photos with illustrations and traditional text with graphic novels.

2. You Should Meet . . . by Ready to Read

Another great biography series for elementary students is the You Should Meet series published by the team at Ready to Read. These guys have been publishing high-quality readers for a variety of skill levels that are perfect for our young students.

These short chapter books are a great option for students who love picture books and aren’t quite ready for a longer, more traditional chapter book. Ready to Read has a great combination of text and images in these Level 3 biographies.

Take a peek inside the book about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg:

With biographies from a variety of people around the world, you are sure to find the perfect book to connect to your lessons or your students’ interests.

3. Step into Reading Biographies

Another great publisher that has been filling the shelves of classroom libraries for many years is Step into Reading. What started as fiction books has expanded into a very nice selection of non-fiction books as well. Their biographies are a fantastic option for elementary students of all ages.

With biography options from Level 2 to Level 5 these books are great for 1st grade readers and up!

4. The Story Of . . . A Biography Series for New Readers

Another great biography series for elementary students is The Story Of . . . series. Designed for kids ages six to nine, these books have pulled out all stops when it comes to helping students read and understand.

Each biography book includes short chapters that won’t intimidate your students. Throughout the text, important words are highlighted and even there’s even a glossary to help students as they are reading! A great learning tool that will help students increase their comprehension as they read these inspiring stories.

One of my favorite features is the Think Tank questions that are built into the book’s page layout. A great way to get kids thinking about what they are reading without having a teacher right there!

Take a peek into The Story of Helen Keller:

5. Easy Reader Biographies by Scholastic

I don’t know about you, but Scholastic is a trusted book provider in my classroom. For decades they have been providing teachers and students with quality books for reading instruction and reading pleasure. These Easy Reader Biographies are a great option for younger students or lower-level reading students.

This series has 12 books, each written for Guided Reading Levels I – J. That makes these books perfect for your 1st and 2nd graders or struggling readers. Non-fiction can be accessible to all our readers!

6. National Geographic Kids Biographies

Another trusted source in non-fiction texts is National Geographic. With access to some of the best photos and archives of people and events, National Geographic is the creator of some of the best non-fiction books around, including biographies. One of my favorite things in these readers is the use of real photos. There’s something about a photograph that helps students connect this to real life. They also take students back in time giving them a view of history that many other publishers can’t provide.

These National Geographic Kids biographies come in a variety of levels, making them a great option for many elementary students.

Take a peek inside this Rosa Parks biography and check out all the amazing photos and features that make these books so engaging for our young readers:

You Can’t Go Wrong with Biographies

If you are teaching in an elementary classroom you can’t go wrong with any of the biography series listed above. Just like we all have personal preferences for books and movies, your students will also likely be drawn to different biography books.

All of the series are just a little different and I think that helps students to develop a well-rounded view of this genre. I think it also helps them to learn some valuable lessons about books too!

Not all books with illustrations are fiction
Real-life events and people can be engaging and entertaining like a story
Books can help us learn and inspire us

In my classroom, I love to make books for a variety of sources available in our classroom library. This is something that I have built up little by little over the years I’ve been teaching. But if you don’t have a classroom library don’t worry! Use your school library and community library to provide your students with a variety of options.

Biography Activities

1. Fact and Opinion

As a non-fiction text source, biographies give us many different connections we can make to other reading skills. One of my favorites is fact and opinion. Learning to recognize fact from opinion is an important skill our students will use throughout their lives. It will help them determine important information, give weight to different things they read or hear, and help them determine the author or speaker’s purpose. As we strive to train our students to become thinkers and able to process information in order to draw their own conclusions, differentiating facts from opinions is a valuable tool.

2. Non-Fiction Text Features

Many of these biographies series I love to use are written with a variety of non-fiction text features. This is a great way to teach students about how these text features can help them improve their understanding of the non-fiction books they read.

I introduce text features with these posters and activities and keep in them in the room where we can easily refer to them all.year.long! Each time we talk about a new non-fiction text feature we add the coordinating poster to the wall. They are perfect for these biographies or any non-fiction text you use in class.

Some of the non-fiction text features I teach my students from these biographies are:

Headings & Sub-Headings
Bold Print
Photos & Captions
Timelines
Table of Contents
Glossary
Index

I love talking about these features as we read biographies together. We focus on what each text feature does and how it can help us better understand what we are reading. It’s so fun to watch them as they find these helpful text features on their own during independent reading.

3. Introductory Research and Note Taking

I also love to use biographies as a great introduction to research for my students. Once students can identify facts, they are ready to dig into some basic research skills like finding facts and documenting them. This introduction to research and note-taking is at the most basic of levels, but we are laying the foundation for the research projects and college thesis papers of the future.

Grab These Free Biography Note Taking Templates

These biography note taking templates are a great way for your elementary students to work on basic note-taking skills. As students are reading a biography, have them find and write down three facts about the person. These can be used as a stand-alone activity, a biography reading response activity, or as the first step in a research project.

Grab your free biography templates today!

Biography Research Project

If your students are ready to take their research to the next level, then you will love this ready-to-use Biography Research Project packet. Designed for younger students, this research project kit will guide your students from start to finish.

All of the templates in this biography research packet can be used with any person or biography book. There are differentiated options so you can choose the level of note-taking and reporting that works best for your students. Students will also learn about creating a timeline as a method of ordering events in time.

I love to use this at the end of the year as a culminating social studies, reading and writing activity. Students will choose person and read a biography about that person. As they read, students will take notes about the person.

Then students will create a timeline and final project about the biography they read. This can be presented to the class or displayed on a bulletin board. Not only do the students love sharing all they learned but they enjoy learning from their peers too!

You can find all of these Biography Student Report templates and activities in this Biography Packet on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Save these Biography Books and Teaching Ideas

Don’t waste time searching the internet when I’ve already done that for you! Just pin this to your favorite classroom Pinterest board so you can quickly come back here when you are ready to teach biographies. All these book ideas and teaching resources will be right here!

The post 6 Amazing Biography Book Series Teachers and Students will Love appeared first on Elementary Island.

15 Insanely Easy Valentine’s Day Activities

Jordana — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 01:16:00 +0000

Holidays are always an exciting time in the classroom and Valentine’s Day is no exception! With their minds focused on all things hearts, candy and cards, it can be hard to keep them focused in the classroom. I love incorporating Valentine’s Day activities with my students, but sometimes I think it takes more work to prep than it does for the students to actually do the activities and crafts. I’m sure you can relate! This year, I am determined to use cute crafts and activities that are insanely easy! Here are 15 insanely easy Valentine’s day activities to try this year.

Build Classroom Community With Easy Valentine’s Day Activities

This special holiday is a favorite in my classroom, mainly because of candy and crafts. But, it’s also a time I like to focus heavily on kindness and building classroom community. And by this time in the year, we could definitely use a renewed sense of community.

Use the Valentine holiday to engage and teach students with fun, themed activities plus spread some love and kindness at the same time. Valentine’s can make students feel so special especially when they are giving and receiving from the heart.

These 15 insanely easy Valentine’s day activities will keep your kids engaged and full of love this Valentine’s season.

1. Handwritten Notes

Have your students write handwritten notes of kindness on heart-shaped paper. Not only is this a great way to get in some writing practice, but it is a great way to help students notice the kindness and generosity of others.

All you need to complete this activity is some heart-shaped paper. Have your students cut their own hearts or ask a parent volunteer to spend a few minutes in the workroom at the die-cut machine. It’s simple and easy to do!

I like to ask my students to create a rough draft of their handwritten notes for some peer or teacher review before creating their final draft. That way students know that their final note is the best they can do! It’s an easy way to add a Valentine’s theme to your daily writing practice or center activities.

These handwritten notes can be given to friends, family, or even a member of our school staff. Nothing is quite as special as receiving a handwritten Valentine from a child!

2. Read and Write Poems

I don’t need a Valentine’s treat

My students are already too sweet

Full of kindness and love

Each one I will hug

They make my world complete.

Valentine’s day wouldn’t be complete without some poetry. It’s a wonderful time to jump into a poetry unit with your class. With so many different styles of poetry the activities are endless!

Some easy Valentine’s Day activities could include writing poetry on your classroom or school windows with window paint or chalk markers. You could even hold a poetry jam for your class or grade level for younger students or parents to attend.

But one of my favorite is using the traditional “Roses are red, Violets are blue . . . ” poems. Students love to write these poems to their family as cards for the holiday. They are also great to share with friends too!

Check out this fun poetry freebie for students to write out their own “Roses are red, Violets are blue” poems. Use this as a writing center activity, morning work or even put out as an early finisher activity. However you use it, this is one of those easy Valentine’s Day activities that’s sure to bring out your student’s creativity.

3. Valentine STEM challenges

No matter what time of year, STEM challenges are always a fun and exciting way to teach in the classroom!

With simple items like cardstock, construction paper, tape, straws, and popsicle sticks, your students can create a candy box large enough to hold their Valentine’s Day cards and candy. It’s a great way to connect some critical and creative thinking with a usable project like a Valentine’s Day box.

To turn these easy Valentine’s boxes into a STEM challenge, present your students with a problem they have to solve by creating their box. Better yet, grab these already planned out Valentine STEM activities.

All you need to do is grab some commonly found items, copy the pages, and let your students get busy. STEM is always a great way to get students engaged and learning and using these challenges near Valentine’s Day is a no-brainer! These easy Valentine’s day activities are low-prep, teacher-friendly, and easy to put together.

4. 10 Random Acts of Kindness

Valentine’s Day is about love and friendship which is the perfect time to incorporate random acts of kindness into your classroom activities.

Take some time to talk with your class about what a random act of kindness is, and why it is important to spread kindness. Then, challenge your students to complete 10 random acts of kindness before Valentine’s Day.

Before we begin I love to do a class brainstorming session. We talk about random acts of kindness we can do at school, home or in the community. This really helps to get the class thinking of a variety of ideas.

Your students can plan out and start completing their random acts of kindness over a couple days, or done one a day for the 10 days leading up to Valentine’s Day. It is such a great group activity for the entire class to participate in!

My absolute favorite thing about this activity is that the students learn that they are not too young to make a difference or be kind. That’s a lesson that I love teaching them! You can teach this lesson too by grabbing this Random Acts of Kindness freebie!

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5. Candy Heart Estimation Activity

It’s easier than you think to incorporate some math into your easy Valentine’s Day activities. With a jar and some candy hearts, your students will be using their estimating skills to try to figure out how many candy hearts are in the jar.

Each day I change the number of hearts in the jar. While students are truly taking a guess those first few days, it’s not too long before they start using what they learned on previous days to make educated guesses. I love incorporating this into our morning routine or as a math warm-up activity.

It’s a really fun, hands-on way to practice estimating. Every few days I ask my students to reflect on the activity and what they’ve learned. This reflection time really pays off as their guesses get closer and closer.

6. I Love… Valentine’s Day Self-Esteem Activity

Valentine’s Day is the holiday of love and that means loving yourself too, right? I love this Valentine’s Day I Love that I… activity so much. Because students are taking time to think about things they are good at, and what they like about themselves, they are going to get a nice confidence boost.

In the past, I have laminated these and made a super cute display for my students to see as we prepare for state testing. It’s a great reminder of their strengths, abilities and attributes. It’s also great way to visually remind them how amazing they are. Once we are done having them on display, they can be sent home for parents to treasure.

You can grab this self-reflection resource for free. But don’t let the hearts fool you, it’s a good thing to do any time of the year!

7. Color By Codes

This Valentine Day color by code activity is so much fun. It’s also a great way to engage your students in practicing their math skills the weeks and days leading up to Valentine’s Day!

Students will use 3-digit addition to solve the problems for each space on the picture. Then they will color in the picture using the code at the top of each page.

These bright, beautiful pictures are perfect for hanging up in your classroom or hallway to add a little Valentine’s decor to your space and show off some amazing math skills at the same time!

I really love this math activity because it’s engaging while also bringing in the fun of the holiday. I love to use these activities in a math center and as morning work. But they are so versatile and can be used in many ways.

This set includes 6 Valentine-themed coloring pictures to choose from! There is also a Place Value color by codes activity and subtraction activity as well!

8. Read Valentine Themed Books

Reading is such an important part of our day-to-day life in the classroom. I love to incorporate holiday reading all year long. It is a fun change of pace for the students and brings joy and excitement. There are lots of fun, Valentine-themed books options for the holiday! Use them as a mentor text or just as a read aloud. And . . . for a fun change of pace throw in an audio book or a book video.

We love the “Love Monster” books by Rachel Bright! It is an adorable and witty book that you are sure to enjoy just as much as your students.

After reading a Love Monster book to my class, it’s time for a Love Monster craft. This easy activity is also super cute.

This simple craft uses easy to find supplies including:

Construction paper
Stickers (optional)
Crayons/Markers
Scissors
Glue

The students love the connection to the book and it makes a great way to add in discussion about the story elements, sequencing or retelling too!

This cute love monster can be added to a bulletin board, glued to the front of a paper bag or box and used as a cardholder, or incorporated into the class Valentine’s Day party.

One of my favorite Valentine’s Day party activities is doing activity stations. With a few parent volunteers we can fill the afternoon with some fun Valentine’s Day fun. This craft is perfect for these types of stations.

9. Valentine’s Day Bookmarks

A simple, yet fun craft for students is making their very own bookmarks! This activity can be as simple or complex as you like. It can be as easy as some pre-cut cardstock and markers or you can add embellishments like stickers, stamps, ribbon, glitter and anything else you can think of!

You could ask your students to write a quote from their favorite book, write a positive message, or even design a bookmark to be used in a bookmark swap during your Valentine’s Day party.

I have had my students create their bookmarks a week or two in advance so I could laminate them all. Then I punched a hole in the top and add a piece of ribbon. It makes an easy activity that students love.

I’ve even had students come back years later and show me that they are still using their bookmark.

10. Valentine’s Day Math Mystery

What’s more mysterious than a secret admirer? This Valentines Day math mystery is a “crack the code” type game your students won’t be able to get enough of! Your students will be challenged to use their problem-solving skills to find clues to figure out “who done it”.

The case of the secret admirer is about a girl, Lucy, who is receiving Valentine’s gifts from a secret admirer. Lucy wants to thank the person, but first, she must figure out who it is! Your students will love finding clues and narrow down her admirer in this adorable, fun Valentine game!

I love using these NO PREP Valentine’s day math mystery activities during the week of or the week before Valentine’s day. The students are so engaged and they are easy to use in an already hectic week.

11. Heart Collage

During this holiday focused on love, creating a heart collage is a great way for students to think about those things that are important to them. Using heart cut-outs, students write the name of a variety of things that they “love.” Then we glue them on a sheet of paper to create a heart collage.

In addition to writing on the hearts, students can draw pictures or find pictures in magazines of different things they love. I also tell students that they can bring in a picture of important people in their life too! They love seeing all those special people, places and things in one picture!

12. Heart Hunt Game

When you have the opportunity to combine math with a game, you are sure to get your students’ attention and focus. I’m still surprised sometimes when I tell my class we are going to play a math game and I’m met with cheers instead of groans.

For Valentine’s day, I mix things up a little by making our game Valentine-themed. This simple game gets your students to practice their addition skills in a fun competition. I have done this activity with students individually, in small groups, and even as a center activity during our Valentine’s day party.

I grabbed some cheap foam heart stickers from the dollar store and wrote values on all of them. Then I hid them around the room. When it was time for the game, my students would walk around the room searching for the hearts adding up the values as they went. It’s a great way to review the commutative property of addition too!

The winner is the first student to find all the hearts and also have the correct answer. It is a simple, engaging game that students enjoy! And with a few number changes, you have a whole new game!

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13. Valentine’s Day Bingo

This is one of my student’s favorite games and always an easy Valentine’s Day activity! Bingo is always a huge hit in my classroom for both me and my students, but with a Valentine’s day theme, it’s even sweeter.

This ready-to-use game just needs to be printed out. I suggest laminating the cards so they can be used year after year. Playing bingo is a great class reward or addition to the class Valentine’s Day party.

This awesome activity comes with everything you need including calling cards and 20 original Valentine’s day themed Bingo cards.

With adorable pictures like candies, hearts, and flowers, your students will have a great time finding the images as you or a student helper call them out. I love to use candy hearts for students to mark their Bingo cards.

14. Candy Hearts Writing

Okay, this is such a fun and silly Valentine’s day activity that will have everyone cracking up. Using candy hearts, students write out a story and use the phrases or words on the candy hearts to take the place of some of the words in the story.

It’s easy to differentiate this activity for lower or higher-level grade levels. For younger students, sort through the hearts ahead of time to find words or phrases you are sure they will know. For older students, I ask them to randomly select a specific number of candy hearts and then use whatever words or phrases they get to write their story.

Asking for student volunteers to read their stories is one of my favorite activities. I’m always amazed at their cleverness when it comes to writing a story using candy hearts.

This Valentine’s activity helps with important writing skills and lets your students utilize their creativity by finding words to fit their narrative. It is a really fun, engaging activity that your students will love!

15. I Love You to Pieces Activity

Looking for easy Valentine’s Day gifts students can make? This “I Love You to Pieces” freebie is your answer! It’s a great card for parents, grandparents and other special people in your students’ lives.

I create a station filled with all the supplies students need, including: big cut-out hearts in pink, red, and white. Each heart says “I love you to pieces”. Students can color, decorate and write a message inside. At the station, students can use a variety of materials like stickers, glitter, markers, crayons, and puzzle pieces to decorate their paper heart. Alternatively, they can use Reeses Pieces too!

Students will love creating this for their family and I love being part of teaching them importance of giving to others!

Valentine’s Day Made Easy

If you are like most teachers, holidays can be a little stressful and chaotic. Students can get easily distracted by all the fun and excitement surrounding each holiday. Having engaging, fun, and easy Valentine’s day activities on hand can help students stay on task while also hitting important learning targets. These are some of my favorite games, activities, and craft to excite and engage students during the month of February with a fun Valentine theme they will love.

Be sure to grab your Valentine’s day FREEBIE pack today for all of the free resources from this post! You can also find more easy-to-use, fun Valentine’s Day activities in my store at Teachers Pay Teachers.

I know you and your students love all of these easy Valentine’s day activities as much as we do!

Pin it!

Be sure to save these 15 insanely easy Valentine’s day activities to your favorite Pinterest teacher board so you can come back anytime for fun and engaging Valentine’s day activities your students will love!

The post 15 Insanely Easy Valentine’s Day Activities appeared first on Elementary Island.

5 Engaging Ways to Teach Main Idea so that Students Understand {freebie}

Jordana — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 13:35:00 +0000

Teaching main idea to your students doesn’t have to be a challenging or frustrating experience. With a little creative thinking and a few fun activities, your students will be on their way to mastering this important reading comprehension skill. We all know that learning to find the main idea is a concept that can be difficult for students to grasp. Over the years I’ve found some activities that have really helped my students and I’m excited to share those with you. Here’s 5 of my favorite engaging activities for teaching main idea.

5 Engaging Ways To Teach Main Idea

Over the years I’ve tried a lot of different activities and resources for teaching main idea. Some worked well and some . . . well, not so much. So I thought I’d share with you my favorite activities so you can focus your time and energy there and hopefully avoid the activities that didn’t work.

Like most concepts for our young students, it is important to begin with concrete activities that students can connect to in order to learn these important thinking skills.

Teaching a thinking process can be difficult and abstract. So start with the concrete and slowly move to more abstract activities. And make sure to build in lots of practice time. After all, repetition is the key to learning.

1. Main Idea Bag

This is such a fun hands-on activity and a really great way to introduce the concept of main idea to students. The first time we do the main idea bags, I prepare the bags. In each bag I put three items that are related by their theme or activity. There is nothing on the bag to indicate what is inside or how the contents of the bag relate. That’s up to the students to figure out.

We start by grabbing the first bag and pulling the items out one at a time. Each time I pull out an item, the students tell me what it is. Then I set the item up at the front of the room so everyone can see. We do this for each of the items. Once all three items I have been pulled out I ask the students some questions:

What do these items have in common?
What activity could I do with all of these items?
What do you think the Main Idea of this bag is?

Those guiding questions are really important because they teach the students some of the thinking steps that will lead them to the main idea. We repeat this activity with another bag and the kids can’t wait to find out what is inside.

Once I feel like the students have a good grasp on the activity, we divide up into small groups and each group gets a bag. I usually prepare 6-8 bags total for this activity. That gives us 1-2 bags to do together as a class and the remaining bags to use as guided practice.

Each small group will go through the same process on their own. After they are done they put everything back in the bag and the group gets a new bag. The students love trying to figure out the main idea of each bag and they get really quiet and secretive so they don’t give away answers to other groups.

Then I issue the BIG ASSIGNMENT and the kids usually cheer! Each student is tasked with creating their own main idea bag at home. They creating their own bags and sharing them with the class. Having students create their own main idea bag is a great way for students to connect objects together using critical thinking strategies to determine how they are related.

This activity is loved so much that I’ve been known to repeat it at different times in the year. Depending on when we are doing this activity, I like to make the items in the bag correlate to a holiday, season, or classroom theme. If I am doing this activity in the spring, I may fill my bag with items such as flowers, a trowel, flower seeds, or a plastic baggie of soil.

2. The Main Idea Hand

Once students have an understanding of how to determine the main idea, it is time to add in the concept of supporting details. There are many different visuals you can use for this. One of my favorite is the Main Idea Hand. The Main Idea Hand is a graphic organizer that stays with students forever!

I start the activity by asking students to trace their hands on a colorful piece of construction paper and cut them out. Many times I don’t even tell them why we are doing this. This gets them really curious and they can’t wait to find out what the hand is for.

I let the students know that the hand, be it on paper or the one attached to their body, can be a great help when determining the main idea and supporting details.

I have all the students look at their hand – the physical one. I have them draw a circle on their palm and I tell them that this is the main idea. It’s the part that holds the rest of the hand together. Everything that connects to the palm of the hand has to relate to the hand.

To make my point, I get a little silly. I ask my students, “Who has a toe connected to their hand? What about an eyeball or an ear?” Nope! That’s because those things don’t relate to the palm of the hand. I like to remind them about the main idea bags and how each item related to each other.

Then we talk about how it is the details that actually lead to the main idea. I tell the students that each finger is a detail. To check the main idea we look at the details to see if they support the main idea. As we walk through some examples in class I like to hold my hand out to the class and touch each finger while saying the detail. Then I ask the students if it relates to or supports the main idea. If the answer is yes, I fold that finger in towards my palm. By doing this I create a thumbs up visual at the end that students can use as a check. No thumbs up? Not the main idea. Fingers still sticking out? Not supporting details.

What has been great about this activity is that I have seen students use it again and again as they work independently on reading comprehension activities. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing a student touch their palm and fold their fingers in while doing a reading passage. What that tells me is that I’ve taught them a strategy that they remember and can use. I’ve even had a teacher from a higher grade level come and ask me about the hand after having some of my old students use it in her class.

Once we have learned about the main idea hand, we use that construction paper hand to create a visual reminder. Students will label the palm of the hand (main idea) and the fingers (supporting details). When we are done we add them to our reading notebooks.

This visual also goes up in our classroom on our reading strategies wall. It’s a constant reminder of tools students have learned to help them be successful with reading comprehension.

3. Main Idea and Mentor Texts

Even BEFORE I introduce main idea into the classroom, like many skills, I love using mentor texts. Not only do students get engrossed in read alouds, but it offers multiple opportunities to model reading and thinking skills. Here are some of my favorite books to use as mentor texts for teaching main idea.

Each of these books provides not only a great story, but also a unique opportunity to talk about main idea in a longer text. This is a great way to introduce main idea early in the year before you even begin studying it because then they will be familiar with the language.

For older students, the main idea is often the title of the chapters. So read a few chapters out loud and see if your students can come up with the main idea of each part!

4. Practice, Practice, Practice

By now, students are generally ready to start applying the idea of main idea and supporting details to text. Like any skill, we always start together and I model the thinking and actions as we complete an activity. Sometimes this takes 1 passage on 1 day, and other times it takes a week of guided practice. It’s really important to trust your teacher gut and do what your students need. Don’t rush the process of moving them to independence too quickly. It will pay off in the long run.

If most of your class is ready to work independently, then I add this skill to my small group reading instruction. This way I can continue to work with those students that need a little extra guided practice without holding up the entire class.

Here’s some of my favorite main idea and supporting detail practice activities. All of these have been used and approved by students!

A-Z Animals: Reading Passages For Main Idea And Supporting Details

If there is one thing that kids everywhere love it is animals. So it seemed like a no-brainer to use animals to engage students in this important skills practice. These non-fiction passages are designed to be used specifically for finding the main idea and supporting details. So often this skill gets lumped in with a large reading passage and one question on main idea. In my experience this is just not enough. These skill-specific passages really help students master identifying the main idea and supporting details.

After reading the short passage, students are guided through the thinking process by first starting with the topic. This is the easiest thing for students to identify. Next, we talk about what the passage is mostly about. Before we write anything down, we look to see if we can find details in the passage to support our main idea hypothesis. I like to have students underline or highlight their passages so they can visually see the key sentences in the passage.

Once identifying those details, we add them into the boxes at the bottom of the page. Then we go back to our main idea hypothesis so we can check it. During guided practice I will often hold my hand as we check our idea. If we end up with a thumbs up, we write our main idea into the box.

Over the next few days we will do more daily practice with main idea and supporting details. Once I feel like students are doing well with the concept, we continue to practice, but the activities are moved into centers, morning work and homework.

Finding the main idea while learning fun facts about some of our favorite animals is a great way to engage students in this skill. Each A-Z Animal Reading Passage includes two options for completing the activity. One option includes a multiple choice question and answers section for students to choose the main idea and supporting details. The second option includes the passage and sections for students to write the topic, main idea, and three supporting details from the passage. This makes scaffolding instruction and differentiating quick and easy.

Get DIGITAL with Main Idea and Supporting Details Boom Cards

Another class favorite activity that my students absolutely love is Main Idea and Supporting Details Boom Cards! Boom Cards are interactive and self-checking digital task cards that can be used on computers, laptops, and tablets. This NO PREP activity is a fantastic resource for me to use with my students because I can assign them a deck to use during independent learning time or literacy centers.

I use the Main Idea and Supporting Details Boom Cards to give some differentiated practice to my students. I love that these main idea activities continue to build student thinking skills for this reading concept. These Boom Card activities have students finding the main idea and supporting details in different ways. One variation asks students to read a paragraph and choose the correct sentence for the topic sentence from a list below the passage. The second variation asks students to read a paragraph and choose which sentence does NOT belong in the paragraph as a supporting detail. This is a great way for students to think about the paragraph as a whole and not in isolation.

The Main Idea and Supporting Details Boom Cards are a great way to help students review what they have learned or give extra practice to those students who need it. They make a great reading center and a great way to engage students with technology.

5. Connecting Main Idea to Writing

The final step in our main idea journey is connecting the idea of main idea and supporting details to writing. Once students have a good understanding of this concept they are then able to begin applying it in their writing. By the time we get to this point it’s like we’ve come full circle!

The Hamburger Paragraph Model is my absolute favorite and most effective way to teach paragraph writing! It is such a wonderful visual way to teach students how the pieces make the whole and it connects very easily to the idea of main idea and supporting details. It’s easy for students to see how everything will come together in the end to make the most effective paragraph possible.

When we use the parts of a hamburger to visualize the main idea, supporting details, and concluding sentences, our students are able to visually see how it all makes sense. Guiding my students through the process of creating the Hamburger Model has been a super successful approach to connecting main idea to writing.

You can find out more about how I teach paragraph writing using a hamburger in this blog post.

Try It Out For Free

Ready to get started? I have put together some of these activities so that you can try them with your class. Grab this Free Main Idea packet and get everything you need to create the Main Idea Bag, the Main Idea Hand Visual and some A-Z Animals Main Idea Reading Passages to try out with your students. I know you and your students will love these activities as much as my students and I do!

Click the image below to get your Main Idea Resource Freebie.

If you are ready to jump in and use these resources with your students you can find the complete resource in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Just click on the image below for each of these engaging main idea activities.

Save these Main Idea Teaching Ideas

Whether you need them now or for the future – save these fun and engaging activities for teaching main idea. Pin this to your favorite classroom Pinterest board so you can quickly come back when it is time to teach main idea to your students.

The post 5 Engaging Ways to Teach Main Idea so that Students Understand {freebie} appeared first on Elementary Island.

7 standards-based Christmas activities students will enjoy

Jordana — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 16:33:00 +0000

I counted the squares on the calendar…15 days ’til Christmas break. How was I going to actually get my crazy excited students to learn something (all.those.standards), without feeling like pulling my hair out? Take this as a great opportunity to connect learning to this magical time of year.

I love to plan fun activities and projects surrounding holidays and new seasons throughout the year. This helps students stay engaged, learn and have so much fun at the same time. Celebrating Christmas is an extra special time for children. Make learning memorable by incorporating all the fun and magic of Christmas into the classroom. Planning for Christmas learning in the classroom doesn’t have to be overwhelming, expensive, or an all-day meeting time sucker. These are some of my favorite activities for the holiday season. Literally, smack a reindeer or Santa onto anything and the students are excited to work!

Get the Class into the Christmas Spirit

The very first thing I do is create Elf Names for all my students! This kicks off the joy of the season in such a fun way. Elf names are generated by their own name and birth date. Then we add new name tags to our desk with our Elf name and students are able to color and personalize them! If you only do one thing, grab my Elf Name freebie because it is always a crowd-pleaser. I remember one of my students saying, “I’m going to have my family call me this all month!” (I’m sure they enjoyed that

Fun Christmas Activities

Color by Codes

There is no shortage of ideas when it comes to hands-on, engaging Christmas activities for your classroom. I like to incorporate worksheets and STEM activities into my lessons during the holiday season. The students absolutely love learning with fun holiday themes! These color-by-code worksheets are a great way to practice math skills with the magic of Christmas mixed in. Students will solve the math problems and fill in each corresponding area with its proper color. They will end up with a cool Christmas-themed picture like an elf, Santa, or Christmas tree! You can use it to practice differentiated addition, subtraction, or place value! There are multiple sheets so you won’t run out of ideas throughout the season! My students always enjoy these and YES, make them show their work on the picture or another piece of paper.

A customer said: “These are always so much fun for all of the students to work on and get us into the holiday spirit!”

STEM Projects

If you are not incorporating STEM activities in the classroom, you are truly missing out. I l-o-v-e to hear my students work together and problem solve. Their minds just kick into high gear! I often ask myself “Where is this child usually?” So yes, STEM projects are another way to add excitement and energy into the classroom. These Christmas STEM activities combine holiday fun with hands-on STEM challenges that don’t require a ton of prep. Design Santa’s chimney with straws and popsicle sticks, create a Christmas tree with toothpicks and playdoh or construct a bridge for the elves! Each activity comes with helpful guides, printouts, and worksheets to go along with it. Students will love these awesome STEM activities to get them in the holiday spirit and learn at the same time!

One person stated: This was a great resource to use during the Christmastime period. It kept my students engaged and learning even with Christmastime lingering on their minds.

Christmas Crafts

Remember when we were little and THESE were the days we were most excited about at school? This is something students STILL love and can easily double as a Christmas gift to take home to mom and dad (we all have those homemade ornaments on our trees don’t we?). Christmas crafts bring the spirit of the holidays into the classroom while letting students’ creativity shine! I love using supplies I can gather easily or having children bring in things like toilet rolls and popsicle sticks leftover from home. That makes crafting so much easier during the holidays! This adorable reindeer craft features students’ handprints! Then you can hang it in your room for fun holiday decor!

Other favorites are snowmen toilet paper rolls. They are so simple to create and each student ends up with a unique snowman. Just use toilet paper rolls, white paint, and snowmen accessories to glue on the roll. A Santa Plate with cotton balls will give you a cute Santa with a beard full of cotton. Or you can simply make a Christmas tree ornament using popsicle sticks, green paint, and glitter! The possibilities are endless when it comes to crafting in the classroom throughout the holidays!

The best part??? You can EASILY incorporate your writing standards into these crafts. Simply have them write a how-to post about their crafts or descriptive writing about what they look like. These crafts can also become a character in one of their writings! This will surely get students’ creative writing juices flowing.

Christmas Games

Who Done It? Cases

Bring the fun into the classroom during Christmastime with games. There are so many fun and engaging games you can play during downtime or even as a lesson to get students’ brains going. The Case of the Captured Elf is one of our classroom favorites! It combines fun and logic to solve the case of the missing head elf, Elvis. There are clues left around the scene that students will have to follow to figure out which elf captured Elvis! Then cross out the suspects as they complete the clues. Students will use skills like math, shapes, counting money, and more to solve this puzzle..all while having a blast! Extend this the entire week by assigning them individually or complete in a few days in partners. This activity is easy to incorporate into your lessons and students will show up each day with their eyes wide, on their knees, literally begging, “Can we do our mystery today?”, “Please can we finish our math mystery?” and as a teacher you will smile and think, “I’ve got them!”

A person said: “Thank you for this activity. My students enjoyed it and were fully engaged the entire time. It was a great educational filler for the end of the year. I can’t wait to purchase more.”

Classic Games

You can also take classic games and give them a holiday twist! Try pin the nose on the snowman, candy cane hunt, Christmas musical chairs, or jingle bell tossing! There are endless fun and games around the holidays so make sure you bring them into your classroom!

Christmas Books

When it is time for reading, there are a ton of incredible Christmas books to choose from. Reading Christmas books aloud in class is a fun activity for everyone. Afterward, you can ask students questions about the book and also let them share their favorite parts of the holiday season. You can also create a Christmas reading space with an assortment of holiday-themed books to choose from. That way when it is time for individual quiet time or reading, students have awesome Christmas choices! You can stick with some classics like How the Grinch Stole Christmas or The Night Before Christmas, add in some fun, new books like Llama Llama, Jingle Bells and Pete the Cat Saves Christmas..or mix it up and do both! We also love Polar Express which goes along with the movie and can be paired with hot chocolate and pajamas for a great holiday classroom treat before break starts!

Happy Classroom Holidays!

As you can see, there are so many holiday possibilities to bring magic to your classroom during the Christmas season. These activities will easily become Christmas traditions in your classroom and fill your students with joy each year to come. The best part is, they are super simple and won’t overwhelm you during an already chaotic time of year! If you are looking for EVEN more activities to do over the Holidays, you’ll want to check out this post HERE.

Save These Christmas Activities for Later!

Save these fun, engaging Christmas activities and ideas to your favorite classroom board on Pinterest so you can quickly and easily find them later!

The post 7 standards-based Christmas activities students will enjoy appeared first on Elementary Island.