winter wonderland blog hop

Hello friends! Welcome to BigTime Literacy and the Reading in a Winter Wonderland Hop! I'm so excited to share with you on this annual tradition, and I hope you like what you find here from me!

Before we get to the good stuff, just a little bit of housekeeping for this link up... The Reading Crew and I decided not to present this as a hop, but as a closed link-up. At the bottom of this post, you can find the maps for both the K-2nd and 3rd-5th bloggers who are participating. That way, you can jump around from blog to blog however you'd like to.

We are giving away two collections of books! Each book that is featured on each blog is part of the collection. So, be sure to collect the mystery words that are listed on each bloggers' page in blue, so then you'll have the opportunity to enter to win the collections of books we're giving away!

In addition to featuring a great book for this time of year, we are also sharing freebies to use with it. Please note: my freebies will only be available for a limited time, so make sure to get a copy before they are changed to a paid product!

So without any further ado, let's get to it!

Enjoy the blog hop and have a wonderful holiday season!

The Legend of the Poinsettia

I have to come clean up front - I picked a great book - The Legend of the Poinsettia - a long time ago. I just love Tomie dePaola's books - the stories are great and I love the illustrations. When I was in the classroom, I used her Legend of the Bluebonnet as part of my Traditional Literature unit, which is what led me to her Legend of the Poinsettia. Well, working last minute like I usually do, I wasn't loving the text I chose - but only because the most obvious reason to use it is for teaching about the genre of Traditional Literature. Unfortunately, I waited too long to switch my text, so I'm delivering some great resources, but they are going to be bigger than the theme of this blog hop. I guess that's okay since you might not even teach a unit on Traditional Literature at this time of year, anyways!

About the book

This book tells the story of how the Poinsettia came to be. This Mexican legend explains how we all came to know this beautiful flower that adorns our homes at Christmastime. The main character, Lucida, and her mother are set to make the blanket for the Christ child, but then when Lucida's mother becomes ill, things don't go as planned. Lucida is left without a gift to give to baby Jesus. In a last minute attempt to bring something, anything, she grabs and arm full of weeds growing outside the church. In a Christmas miracle, they are transformed into the brilliant flowers we today call the Poinsettia.

Teaching with this text

This book would best be used as part of a larger unit on Traditional Literature. My idea would be to have groups of students study the various types of traditional literature: Fables, Fairy Tales, Legends, Myths, and Tall Tales. I would start by talking about the characteristics of all Traditional Literature: 

Then, together in groups, students would be given 3-5 books within that subset to read so they can construct their knowledge of TL. I've created this matrix for students to use as they are reading and studying their books:

I think a Matrix is a better version of a Venn Diagram. What's great about it is that kids compare and contrast within different characteristics, in this case, by characters, the setting, problem and solution, and another category that they can develop themselves. Then, after they complete all the similarities and differences (which Marzano cites as a high-yield strategy for learning) they can then think about generalizations they can make about that subset of TL.

I'm guessing that the research wouldn't end there - students could then go on to research online more books that could fit the genre and also check if their predictions about qualities of the genre are correct. Finally, I'm envisioning it ending with the groups teaching the rest of the class about their subset of TL.

My Freebie

You're going to love my freebie! It includes Traditional Literature Posters, a matrix that matches the posters, and also blackline masters of the matrix that are editable so you can modify them to meet your needs. Additionally, I've complied a brief bibliography of books that could be used to support this unit on Traditional Literature. Please note: this freebie will only be available for the weekend of November 27, 2015!

Well, that's all I have for you today! I hope you've found something helpful here at BigTime Literacy, and if you did, be sure to follow my blog! Don't forget about our giveaway! In case you missed it, my mystery word is poinsettia. You can enter it onto your sheet or into the Rafflecopter below. Good luck and happy holidays!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

An InLinkz Link-up

An InLinkz Link-up

sunday letters

Get the details for this challenge here!

Hi friends! Today we're getting together for Sunday Letters. So, compose your letter to a person, place, thing, idea....anything!


Dear Summer Vacation,
You are slipping away much, much to quickly. I need to get off my devices and live in the moment, that's sure to slow it down a bit, right?
Sincerely,
Vacationing Teach

Dear ASU Alumni Association,
Thank you for being in Chicago. I have some of my best friends here because of you and also, I met H because of the alumni club! 
Love,
A grateful Sun Devil

Dear Besties,
So excited that Hektor now knows all six of you! He said to me the other day, "I've finally come full circle!" Makes me happy all my best friends know each other.
Xo,
BFF

Dear Emma,
Thanks for coming this weekend! I'm having so much fun reenacting our memories from years ago, and making new ones. Still need to get sushi and go to the beach. Can't wait!
xo, city cousin

Dear OITNB,
I am officially hooked. This is why I need more days of summer for doing nothing - Need to watch seasons 2 and 3!
Sincerely, Couch Potato

Dear Zen Yoga Garage,
I loved trying out your studio yesterday, but the hot yoga was so so hot. I'm either way out of practice or the room is hotter than what I'm used to. Either way, feels good to get the stretching and sweating on.
Feeling Zen,
Relaxed Teach

Dear TpT Conference,
I had serious FOMO the last few days....totally wish I was able to attend. Next year, I need to put the dates on my calendar so I don't have this double scheduling that I had this year. Can't wait to see all the blogging friends out there. And for now, can't wait to read blogs of everyone who attended!
Best,
BigTime Blogger

An InLinkz Link-up

best / favorite lessons

Hi all! Today we're blogging about our favorite and/or best lessons! I can't wait to read about all of yours! Be sure to link them up below (and if you want to write about something else, do that, too!)

One of my favorite lessons I used to do was an introductory lesson to the Writing Process. In this lesson, each child uses Play-Doh as I walk them through the process of creating a pencil holder, which serves as a metaphor for teaching writing. The kids end up creating all kinds of little sculptures, like these:

During the lesson, they "Rehearse" their piece in the beginning and we talk about not letting the critic's voice come into play - to just go ahead and create without fear of it not being good enough/pretty enough, etc. After a few minutes of working, I tell them to smash it up and start again, so the creator within them can continue to put ideas forward. They continue working, ignoring the critic, on something new. We spend a fair amount of time rehearsing - creating and then beginning again.

As they carry on, I prompt them to think about their purpose - something that looks good and serves the purpose of holding the pencil. We remind them to think about their audience, and so they ask for feedback from a friend about their creation thus far. They ask their partner, "Do you know where the pencil will go?" If so, the piece has unity and a strong message. 

Next, we encourage students to "see their piece again," as writers do in revision. They are asked to look at it from all points of view - from up high, down low, from across the way. Students make adjustments as needed.

They are then told that we also look at the fine details, which writers do as they edit, and so the kids ask their neighbors to exchange pieces of Play Doh to add the finishing touches to the piece with new colors.

Finally, students display their piece of art on an index cards that has a title and their name. Students gallery walk all pieces so all creations can be seen.

This lesson is super engaging for kids and a fantastic metaphor for the work they will do with the writing process all year! Plus, their pencil holders turn out so so cute!

This was just a little overview, but you can find a more detailed lesson plan here. Additionally, I'm discounting my Writing Process Posters - something that you might like to add to your own Writing Workshop! Check those out here. In addition to the process posters, this doc includes ideas to use for teaching the writing process at each of the six stages!

Get the details for this challenge here!

An InLinkz Link-up

dare to dream

This week, we're talking about future dreams on the TpT seller challenge. You know, I've never even had the thought that I could actually make a living from TpT, but if what you're all saying is true, than maybe that is the case! I haven't put too much time into it so far, but as I think of dreams for the future, it gives me so much inspiration to do so! So, what would I dream for?

1. Supplement my income
I mean, I've already done this just a little bit, but to make more each month on TpT, that would be awesome. Lots of people talk about wanting to stay home, but what is curriculum design without having kiddos to use it? I actually tried to work from home over one summer, and I went out of my mind - no kids to entertain me, no friends to talk to. Of course, I don't have my own kids yet, so my desires might change, but I love being in a school and being around people. So, to make some extra money doing what I'm already doing, awesome!

2. House in the City
I love Chicago. I mean, it has it's problems, but I would love to live here, given I could afford the kind of house I want. There's a beautiful one down the street from my boyfriend's place: 

Isn't it darling? (I actually took this one day last week just because I love it so!) The front porch is awesome, love the red door and the blue of the house. Plus, it's super close to a really nice restaurants, a Starbucks, the train. Awesome location. Only thing - it probably costs between half a million and a million. So, perhaps TpT can get me to this dream?

3. Pay off Debt
What I should do with any money that I make from TpT would be to pay off debt, mainly the student loan debt. I can't even imagine what that would be like, to not have that hanging over my head. When I consolidated my loans, I figured I'd be paying on them until I was like 65! To pay them off sooner would be great!

4. Travel
Last summer I went to Europe for the first time and I loved it! I would love to go back to Venice and Paris, and see all the other cities everywhere, plus, see the world with my love! Also, I would love to take my whole family somewhere... all of us together, maybe on a beach, sounds like a great way to celebrate hard work!


What about you? Join the #TpTSellerChallenge and share your dreams for your hard work on TpT. Make sure you link up with Amber, Ashley, Emily, and Jen and share with everyone there!

summer blog party!

Hello friends, teachers, and parents! Welcome to BigTime Literacy! The Reading Crew is bringing you a great blog hop today with tons of ideas for supporting our kiddos literacy development during the summer...and freebies! Then, we'll be back on Wednesdays for weekly linky parties to share reading and writing strategies. We hope you'll join us each week for that, but for now, let's get to one way that you can help your child beat the Summer Slide: reading lots of great books!

As a former middle school teacher, you have to know how much I enjoy young adult literature. Getting great books in the hands of my students is obviously one of my biggest drives as a teacher, and as such, I have to stay ahead of them. This summer, I'm starting off with this stack:

I've already finished brown girl dreaming and Out of My Mind. That being said, I have a freebie for you - a recommended reading list for middle school kiddos!

We'll get to the download in a few, but let me share a few of my absolute faves for middle school kids. These are tried and tested with kids and always get a big thumbs-up!

For Rising Sixth Graders: Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

from Amazon:
Stargirl. From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, the hallways hum with the murmur of “Stargirl, Stargirl.” She captures Leo Borlock’s heart with just one smile. She sparks a school-spirit revolution with just one cheer. The students of Mica High are enchanted. At first. 

Then they turn on her. Stargirl is suddenly shunned for everything that makes her different, and Leo, panicked and desperate with love, urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her: normal. In this celebration of nonconformity, Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli weaves a tense, emotional tale about the perils of popularity and the thrill and inspiration of first love.

I always loved reading this book to my middle school kids - the scene on the Hot Seat is awesome and the voice I used for Hillary Kimble makes her sound like the brat of a cheerleader she is. Your kiddo will love this story and hopefully, will walk away from it knowing it's okay to be you, no matter what that means.

Rising Seventh Graders: The Boy Who Couldn't Die by William Sleator

from Amazon:
Sleator, a recognized master of sci-fi and horror and a favorite of reluctant readers, is a paperback powerhouse, with more than 600,000 copies of his novels sold in softcover. Here he gives fans a spin on the classic zombie story, following sixteen-year-old Ken as he bargains with a psychic to gain immortality, only to awaken one night with blood-spattered clothes and the realization that he's sold more than his soul.

I actually haven't read this, but I would always give it to the guys in my class who had a hard time finding something they clicked with, and this book would get them every time. My copy is warn and the cover is ratty, but it will hook anyone - pretty much just on the cover art and title alone. Have your kiddo give it a try!

Rising Eighth Graders: A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

from Amazon:

This is the remarkable story of one endearing dog's search for his purpose over the course of several lives. More than just another charming dog story, A Dog's Purpose touches on the universal quest for an answer to life's most basic question: Why are we here?

Surprised to find himself reborn as a rambunctious golden-haired puppy after a tragically short life as a stray mutt, Bailey's search for his new life's meaning leads him into the loving arms of 8-year-old Ethan. During their countless adventures Bailey joyously discovers how to be a good dog.

But this life as a beloved family pet is not the end of Bailey's journey. Reborn as a puppy yet again, Bailey wonders--will he ever find his purpose?

Heartwarming, insightful, and often laugh-out-loud funny, A Dog's Purpose is not only the emotional and hilarious story of a dog's many lives, but also a dog's-eye commentary on human relationships and the unbreakable bonds between man and man's best friend. This moving and beautifully crafted story teaches us that love never dies, that our true friends are always with us, and that every creature on earth is born with a purpose.

I came across this one the last time I had been teaching eighth grade and loved it - and so did my students who were animal lovers! This book follows the soul of a dog who is born, lives a life, and then is reborn to a new body. With each life he lives, he learns new things and impacts the families that love him in different ways. This book is beautiful and I highly recommend it!

and something new for high school readers....

Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

from Amazon:

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he's pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he's never met.

Incredibly funny and poignant, this twenty-first-century coming-of-age, coming out story—wrapped in a geek romance—is a knockout of a debut novel by Becky Albertalli.

This book came to my attention via Twitter, and I think from someone who writes over at Two Writing Teachers. I just started it yesterday and am already halfway through! Simon is the narrator, and in such a hard position because someone read one of his emails and now is asking for a favor in return for keeping his private information confidential. The chapters alternate between Simon narrating and emails between Simon and a secret friend, Blue, who is also gay and hasn't come out yet. The book is peppered with mature language and engaging high school conversation and so cute. Highly recommended for those older readers!

So those are a few I have loved recommending and reading, hopefully one of them will speak to you! If not, please jump over to my Teachers Pay Teachers store for my freebie: a list of recommended reading in the following categories:

• Rising Sixth Graders
• Rising Seventh Graders
• Rising Eighth Graders
• For the Girls
• For the Guys
• Mature Reads

What are your favorite middle-school level books to read? Please leave me a comment below and let me know!

If you like what you've read here, be sure to follow my blog!

You can also find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Let's get connected!

After you grab your freebie, head on over to Growing Little Learners and grab some writing ideas from Pixie Anne!

Happy Summer!

makeover madness!

As school ended this year, I was thinking about all the things I wanted to do this summer, including really working on my Teachers Pay Teachers stuff. Truth be told: I love to write and love to blog. I usually only do TpT stuff when I'm getting ready for a blog hop (side note: there's one this Friday!) and so I don't have lots going on with TpT. But, the #tptsellerchallenge is super motivating and I'm so happy to participate!

I created a Running Record freebie awhile ago and I just uploaded it as is - no cover, no TOU (I didn't even know about any of that stuff until just recently!) So, I've updated the freebie because I'm working on a complete set of running records to put up, too!

My freebie used to be just what you see to the left - just the resources. The thing is, I'm super good with creating quality stuff for TpT, but they don't look cute. So huge shout to Sparkling in Second, Third in Hollywood, Teach, Create, Motivate, and Peppy Zesty Teacherista for hosting!

If you like this freebie, you're going to love the complete collection of Running Records I'm currently working on. I've got the kinder and first grade ones done, and am diligently working on the rest! Stay tuned! And, check out my Running Records Tutorial if you want more information on them!

Have you checked out the #tptsellerchallenge? What are you redesigning this week for Makeover Madness? 

And just a reminder -- The Reading Crew is sponsoring Summer Blog Party beginning this Friday! Seventeen reading specialists share tons of resources for parents and teachers for beating the Summer Slide!

Hope to see you back this weekend!

black friday giveaway!

Hello friends! Happy Black Friday! I am not a fan of waking up in the middle of the night to go shopping, and honestly, it really bothers me that stores are opening up on Thanksgiving to make money. Can't we just have one whole day for family and friends?

I'm here because I'd like to give away a few copies of my new product on TpT! My most recent product on TpT are my Writing Process Posters. I love teaching the wring process to kids and have great ideas to share with you in this product!

So what you get in this product are the posters above for each of the six stages of writing: rehearsal, writing, receive the piece, revision, editing, and publishing. I've also included one page for each of the six stages that explains the stage and gives some suggestions for teaching it.

For example, on the sheet that goes with Rehearsal, I give a few tips for teaching at this stage: writing from literature, heart mapping, writing from a list, and the neighborhood map. Let me share even a bit more on writing from literature...

This is the easiest strategy to get kids to write "seeds" in their writer's notebooks. You read a picture book to students and then have them write from ideas that were built on that story. One book I always use is Fireflies by Brinkloe. I begin my workshop each year with this book - a book about the summertime tradition of catching fireflies. After I read the story to kids, I ask them, "So who catches fireflies in the summer? What other summer activities do you do?" We create a shared list, and then kids can write about any of the ideas from the list (or any other idea they would like to, as long as everyone writes in the genre assigned).

Some other books I use when doing memoir rehearsal with students:

Julius the Baby of the World - Students share stories of their siblings after hearing this story.

Amos and Boris - and stories of friendship with this one!

The Relatives Came - Students share stories of extended family after this story.

Courage - Times of great courage will be written about after this one

Owl Moon - and stories of special traditions will come from Owl Moon

If you're interested in any of these activities to teach the Writing Process, jump in my giveaway - I will select three winners to receive a copy of this product! To enter, you simply need follow me on Facebook - find all those details in the Rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

That's all for me today! Enjoy your time off with family and friends!

reading preferences

Good morning! Another summer morning to be thankful for...easy days of summer let us wake up a little later, sip coffee a little longer, and write a new blog while watching GMA!

Write your post.

Link up with BigTime Literacy!

Remember the Rule of 3!

Today's prompt is about reading preferences - iPad, Kindle, real books? I have had a few eReaders, and have an iPad from school, but I still just prefer old school books. Well, sometimes I prefer my phone, but we'll get to that.

I really thought I would love the eReader - you know, have one and take with me and always have a few books on me. and, I do have a few eBooks from B&N, but I always go back to real books.

And, if the book is a nonfiction book - like a teaching PD book - I always want that in book form. I like to highlight and make notes, and I'm not about to do that on an iPad (even if they do have new technology that allows us to do so!)

Maybe it's because I have an Amazon Prime account, so I can get books so quickly delivered right to school, and then I can put them on my bookshelf at home when I finish them:

I do like the iPad for when I travel, although last trip I took, I bought a book on it and then didn't read on the iPad anymore. I'm kinda noticing a trend here!

I do like to use my phone for Twitter, Facebook, and Bloglovin, though. Usually when I wake up, I stay in bed a little longer and read away. Love to have time to do this during the lazy days of summer!

I guess this is something to take into consideration with our students, too. Just like we have preferences for reading, our students will probably grow to develop those preferences, too. It wouldn't be fair to make them always read real books if they preferred an electronic sources or vice versa.

With that being said, I just updated my reading survey with this question and added it as a freebie to my TpT store, so head on over there for a little somethin-somethin from yours truly as a thank you for stopping by today!

Have a fabulous Monday!

An InLinkz Link-up

running records tutorial

Hey there! Do you use Running Records to inform you instruction with groups of students? If you're not doing so yet, you need to start ASAP! You will glean so much information about your kiddos by listening to them read, recording their miscues, and having a comprehension conversation with them!

I've created a running record using Reading A-Z's benchmark book. The book is a level I fiction book (first grade) and the comprehension conversation is aligned to Fountas and Pinnell's Benchmark Assessment System.

Head on over to my TpT store to download it and then read this blog while you take a look at the form.

This form goes with the Reading A-Z Benchmark book, On Vacation. It's Level I which correlates approximately to March or April of 1st grade.

Okay so let's start with the front of the doc. When you sit down with a child to give them a running record, you'll need a copy of the book, a copy of this form, a pen or pencil, a timer, and a calculator (or you can use this calculator by FnP!)

Make sure you read the whole book first, as the child will only read part of it aloud to you. You will place the book in front of the child and read them the prompt from the form, "Read this story about a girl who visits her grammy. You'll read pages 3 through 8 aloud to me and then finish in your head before we talk about the book together."

The child will begin reading and you'll start the timer. Record the miscues the child makes on your recording sheet. If you have the FnP calculator, you can keep the timer going until the child finishes page 8, but if you don't, pay attention to the 1 minute mark and mark spot where the child finishes a minute's worth of reading. After the child finishes reading reading page 8, have them finish in their head while you work on some data points.

Record the time right away in the box below. Record the number of errors the child made in the time read aloud - but note: if the child self-corrects, it's as if they didn't make an error, so don't count that. Record the number of self corrections. If you're using a regular stopwatch and marked the words read in one minute, record the total words read correctly (subtract the errors). I usually did it like this:

Next, you're going to find the accuracy. To calculate this, follow this formula:

(Total words read - Total errors) / Total words read x 100 = Accuracy Rate

In this case we'd have the following formula:

(98-3) / 98 x 100 = 96.9%

Go ahead and record the accuracy percentage. At this time, the child should have finished reading the text and you'll be ready to flip the recording sheet over and have a conversation about the book.

(If you have a FnP calculator, follow the directions for collecting all the data. You'll get a larger sample so your data will be just a little bit more accurate!)

The Comprehension Conversation will always include three questions from three different categories: Within the Text, Beyond the Text, and About the Text. Let me give you a brief explanation of these three kinds of questions before I discuss the ratings.

Within the Text - This question deals with what is right there for the kids to read, and I always make this question a retell question. In addition to retelling, the evaluator could make notes of how the child solves words, monitors their reading, searches for and uses information, maintains their fluency, and adjusts their reading when they are trying to problem solve.

Beyond the Text - These questions are inferential in nature and require the reader to think with their own background knowledge and experiences added to what the text said. These questions will require children to predict, make connection, synthesize, and infer.

About the Text - These types of questions will ask the child to comment on the author's craft and structure or ask the child to critique the text.

So now we're ready for page 2:

Update: I've done a little bit of revision to this, including the type of question for each category. In this case, the Within the Text question is Summarizing, Beyond the Text is Inferring, and About the text is Analyzing. I've also added suggested answers to make your note-taking on the text easier!

There is plenty of space for recording the child's answers. These are great forms because as you save them, you have lots of information to inform your instruction in guided reading and also share with parents at conferences or if a parent requests information on their child's progress!

Let's discuss ratings for the Comprehension Conversation:

In all cases, a 0 score would indicate the child did not answer at all. A 3 would indicate that the child gave an excellent answer, sequenced correctly (if applicable) and with multiple responses (if applicable). Additionally, a 3 would also be for an answer that had to be justified with evidence from the text or background knowledge, which the child could provide. When a child attempt an answer, but does so incorrectly, I score them at a 1.

Within the Text - For a child to score three points, they have to tell you a really good summary, sequenced correctly, when you ask them about the book. For me, I score down to a two if I have to prompt them lots (feel free to prompt the child with more questions!) but in our district we've had many conversations about this. Some people believe that if you prompt the child with 10 questions and they get them all right, that is still a three. It's my personal opinion that a child earns a three only if they retell flawlessly and talk easily about the book without being prompted. I mean, isn't that what we're striving for, anyways?

Like I said in a post the other day - this is messy work! Don't beat yourself up when you begin this kind of assessment - as you learn, you will refine your procedures and knowledge of the assessments and books!

Beyond and About the Text - Again, scoring is a matter of hearing various children read the same text and answer the same questions before you can really hear who has the 3 answer, the 2 answer, and the 1 answer. Just keep in mind that a 3 is Excellent, a 2 is satisfactory, a 1 limited, and a 0 unsatisfactory.

Tip: Rate the child right away! Do not save the scoring of the 0-1-2-3 until the child walks back to their seat. You'll do a better job if you just make a snap decision in that moment based on what you heard and the notes you wrote.

Once you have finished scoring the child's conversation, determine the amount of points they get, with 9 being the max. There is an option to give an additional point, but I use that very sparingly - you'll know it when you hear the conversation. There will be a kid at one point or another who blows you away with the connections or inferences they make - usually just as you begin the retell - that is the time to give the extra point!

Here are the scores and ratings for the Comprehension Conversation:

Once you list this information on the front page in the boxes to the bottom of the text of the story, you can then determine if the level of the book the child is reading is Independent, Instructional, or Hard. Here are the qualifiers to make that decision:

As the reading levels go up past level K, there are different qualifiers. So, make sure (if you use this sample running record) you are looking at the A-K qualifiers, since this running record is for level I.

Remember, the independent level is the level at which the child can read the book on their own with no support - this should be where they read for their Just Right books. The Instructional level will challenge them just a little - this is the level you'll want to use in guided reading. Finally, the hard level is just so you know when they frustrate. Sometimes students can be independent and instructional at a range, so keep testing up in the beginning of the year until you have their hard level!

Well, I'm tired of writing this novel of a blog. I'm sure I've forgotten things and I can always go back and add a follow up, so no worries. What I want to know from my readers is if this kind of doc is something you'd like to have and that you'd use in your classroom? Thoughts? How can I make it better? Please share what is confusing, too, and I can elaborate!

By the way...the book below is one you need to own. I used it as I created the comprehension questions and it's super helpful for instruction!

That's all for today! Happy Wednesday!

An InLinkz Link-up

Spring has Sprung...A Poetry Blog Hop!

Hello blog hoppers! So glad you could stop by my blog for the poetry blog hop! First of all, a huge thank you to Rebecca over at Line upon Line Learning for setting up this blog hop! You'll want to make sure that you head over there so you don't miss any of the bloggers, their great ideas, and their freebies for stopping by!

So poetry...funny that we should be doing a hop centered around poetry because a week ago, and the Illinois Reading Council Conference, I heard Nancie Atwell speak. She's one amazing teacher researcher, and she told us that she always started her year with poetry. I had never considered doing this, but now, I think it's such a great idea.

For upper elementary and middle school students, reading, analyzing, and learning about free-verse poetry opens up doors to writing that are kind of limitless. Poetry defies the rules of prose writing, making it more accessible to students. They don't have to feel like they are confined to all the rules of writing and they can be free to express their thoughts and ideas. Starting the year with poetry also is a way for new classes of students to get to know one another, as I'm sure that many students will be writing about personal interests and sharing with a group.

Now, you may be thinking, "Okay, sure, Michelle. My students are just going to write free-verse poetry?" To this I share my first teaching tool:

If you haven't read this book, right now, go to amazon and order it. It's that good for teaching students to be open to writing poetry! (Well, wait, because you'll want to order a few other books, too!)

This book is about Jack, a third or fourth grader, who thinks writing poetry is for girls. The book is written in kind of a diary form, but all the entries are Jack's writing and all in poetry. Over the course of the year, the teacher shows Jack that anyone can write poetry, including himself, who goes on to write about his beloved dog, Sky. I would love to tell you the whole story, but it will be better if you read it on your own. You could probably read it in one sitting - it's super quick!

One other cool thing about Love That Dog is that in the back of the book are the poems that Miss Stretchberry, his teacher, has shared with the class. So, you can see how Jack's poems take on the qualities of the poems Miss Stretchberry shares.

Once your students see how writing poetry is just putting words on paper but

in

short

lines,

your students will be more open to trying this on their own.

Another idea would be a poem a day with your class. Pick poems you love and then share the content of it, and also the craft and structure that the author employs. Here are a few of my favorite collections, and a poem from each. Enjoy!

First - 

From this collection by Gary Soto, my favorite poem is Eating Mexican Food:

Eating Mexican Food
Rule #1
Don't pick up the tortilla
With your fork.

Rule #2
Salsa - red ants
Marching on your tongue

It's okay to scream into your napkin.

Rule #3
Keep things clean - 
Wipe the plate's face with a napkin of tortilla.

Rule #4
With posole soup,
The corn arrives smiling.
By the end ot he meal,
It's toothless as an old man

As for you, roll your tongue across your own teeth
Like a wiper blade pushing down dead
Yellow insects.

Rule #5
It's okay to prop your elbows on the table.
And if an ant comes to see,
Show kindness -
A single grain of rice will do.

Rule #6
The menu's in Spanish?
Nothing wrong with pointing.

Rule #7
You're friendlier than you think.
A fly, mostly eyes circles your plate.

When the fly sets down,
He scrubs his hands for dinner.

Offer this uninvited guest a chip.
A little kick-butt salsa will open his eyes even wider.

So good, right? My favorite part is the metaphor in rule #2!

Another great collection:

There are so many great poems in this book, about identity, and students who move to a new country where culture is different. As a middle-class, white teacher, it's easy to forget that many of my students didn't have the same background as I did, and poems like Why Am I Dumb? remind me that our backgrounds can be very different.

Why Am I Dumb?
Why am I dumb?
In my country
I was smart.
All tens!
Never even and eight!

Now I'm here.
They give me C's or D's or F's
- like fives
or fours. . .
or ones.
I feel like I'm turning into Kiko
from my old class.
Kiko's dumb
in any country.

Well, I'm still smart
in math.
Maybe dumb in reading.
But math - 
- all tens,
I mean
A's.


Another favorite collection of poems is Ralph Fletcher's A Writing Kind of Day: Poems for Young Poets:

So many great ones in this book, my favorite though? Poetry Stands.

Poetry Stands

They wanted to level

our favorite forest.

Our class sent the mayor

a swarm of angry verse;

we pelted the newspaper

with a blizzard of poems.

At my cousin's funeral

her family stood up

armed with nothing

but tears and poetry.

Poetry must wound

or heal those wounds.

When everyone else sits,

poetry stands.

Are the nouns and verbs in that one just right on point or what? A *swarm* of angry verse? A *blizzard* of poems? My family stood up *armed* with tears and poetry? OMG! LOVE!

In addition to sharing great poems with students, a final recommendation for your poetry unit is a book I love that teaches kids about poetry and gives them tips for writing it: Poetry Matters: Writing a Poem from the Inside Out.

This little gem, also by Ralph Fletcher (one of my faves!) is a little how-to for writing poetry, but for kids. This book covers the qualities of great poetry: emotions, imagery, and rhythm. Not only does it describe what each of those are, it also offers up lots of examples of each. Additionally, it has interviews with a few different writers who share their ideas about writing poetry.

When working on poetry with students, I would have them do these readings from Fletcher's book at home and then come back to school to discuss. I'd probably want my students reading and analyzing a poem a day, and then set off to write during workshop. We would end the session with a share time. At the end of our poetry unit, students would perhaps publish a set of five or six poems, employing poetry techniques that great poetry writers use.

Before you go, I wanted to thank you for stopping by! I've compiled a list of most of the books in my poetry collection at school and got that all ready to share with you! Stop by my Teachers Pay Teachers store to download it!

hahhahhaa :-)

After you've done that, you're ready to head over to Kristin's blog at Ms. Jordan Reads for her post on poetry and another freebie! But, before you go, don't forget to follow me and connect with lots of great ideas here at BigTime Literacy!

One more thing before you go: Do you have a favorite collection of poetry to use with your elementary school students? Please share in the comments if you do! I'm always looking to grow my collection even more!

Have a great weekend!