Yesterday in part 1 of my blog series, Guided Reading Survival Guide, I explained how teachers must go beyond the basal to provide several authentic, high-quality supplemental texts ranging in complexity and genre to promote a deeper understanding of content. In […]
Guided reading can be daunting, especially with the new instructional shifts and standards. Teachers are asking themselves such questions as: “What texts do I use?” “What strategies do I teach?” “How do I motivate and engage?” “How do I integrate […]
You know that feeling of excitement you feel when you spot a cute new idea on Pinterest? Those all-too-familiar thoughts run through your mind. “It looks so easy, there aren’t that many materials, how hard could it be?” Yet despite […]
Create an amazing interactive whiteboard table for guided reading groups and math groups in two easy steps! Purchase a roll of self-adhesive dry-erase paper. 1. Measure Table. Use a yardstick or measuring tape to determine dimensions of table. Roll out […]
Yesterday as part of my blog series, Set Up Your Best Classroom Yet, I gave you a sneak peek into my second grade classroom with a focus on my math area. I use the district prescribed curricula along with our reading, […]
Yesterday as part of my blog series, Set Up Your Best Classroom Yet, I gave you a sneak peek into my second grade classroom with a focus on my guided reading area. I use the district prescribed curricula along with our […]
We were very fortunate to receive some sample products from Dowling Magnets. Our wheels are already turning and we’ve come up with some great uses for these resources in our classrooms in upcoming school year. Kids LOVE the Make a Face […]
The Morning Meeting should be the most meaningful 10 minutes of your day. Morning Meetings are at their best when they are the perfect blend of social, emotional, and academic activities. It is a time to reflect on yesterday’s success, set goals and […]
Animal characters are present in children’s lives from the very beginning on toys, books, and cartoons. Children soon learn to associate animals with comfort, play, and safety. When animals are personified, children readily understand and apply the lessons and messages […]
Let’s face it, at this time of year, we all feel like the owl on the right. Keeping students engaged at the end of the […]
By popular demand, we’ve bundled all of our strategy resources into 2 different Site License options to give you the best possible deal! The Astute Hoot Reading Site License contains over 20 complete decoding and comprehension units and the Astute Hoot […]
Teaching opinion and persuasive writing can be difficult, but not any more. Here are 3 secrets for delivering engaging, differentiated writing instruction from our latest strategy-based resource, Cats vs Dogs: A Common Core Research Opinion Writing Unit. Plus, it’s on […]
Retelling is the process in which a child reads or listens to a story and then summarizes it in his own words including the beginning, middle and ending. Retelling helps students develop a sense of story structure and become more […]
“Hello, Ramona the Rereading Raccoon is my name. Using context clues is my favorite game. As you read, ask yourself: Does it look right, does it sound right, and does it make sense? I guarantee my strategy will make you […]
Students love Dr. Seuss books because of their engaging, rhymed text, memorable characters, and whimsical illustrations. But, Dr. Seuss books are so much more. They are the ideal tool for teaching central message because each one focuses on a specific theme or life lesson. Plus, the […]
Since it was President’s Day on Monday and we are reading and writing biographies, my class studied the life of Barack Obama this week. They loved learning about his childhood, interests, schooling and more. This study prompted them to ask […]
Mathematical understanding means that students understand the story problem and follow the problem-solving steps. Understanding story problems can be very challenging because it requires multi-step, higher-level thinking processes. Students are required to process several pieces of information before starting any […]
The Science Fair usually brings a mix of emotions. Students love the hands-on learning but for teachers, the Science Fair can be nightmare. What project(s) should the class do? How can I organize students’ work samples? How do I involve parents? Use […]
Use code Start16 to enjoy up to 28% off all Astute Hoot products January 20-21st on www.teacherspayteachers.com. This Fresh Start sale is the perfect time to purchase our top-selling bundles such as our Reading Intervention Essentials Bundle, Math Intervention Problem-Solving […]
Problem-solving plays an important role in my daily math instruction. Students use pre-made journals to help them complete the problem-solving steps, solve the problem in 2 ways, explain their thinking and rate themselves on a learning scale. These journals track […]
Christmas is right around the corner and as veteran teachers, we know these next few weeks can be extremely busy and exhausting. We are here to help! We’ve created FREE, NO PREP Christmas reading and math activities to keep your students engaged […]
Authors use many different types of characters to tell a story. Characters help us feel like we are a part of the story and give us an opportunity to see into their hearts and examine their motivations. Since characters play such […]
“I’m Chloe the Connecting Coyote, and I make connections. Connections help you understand your reading selections. Link the story to your life or what you’ve read in a book. These text connections are guaranteed to get you hooked.” Chloe the […]
“My name is Dexter the Detecting Deer. Now let me tell you why I’m here. I’ll help you look for picture clues, So you don’t get the reading blues. Look at the pictures to figure out What the words are […]
“Welcome, I’m Peter the Predicting Possum. Making guesses while you read is…oh…so awesome! Use picture and word clues to guess what will happen next. Then read on to find the outcome in the text.” Peter the Predicting Possum is one our […]
