Reading Sage

"The Dyslexic Reading Teacher Sean Taylor" Literacy for me was almost an unrealized unattainable dream! As a dyslexic learner I was unable to read, write, or decode words as a child, p,d,b and q were all the same letter. Many classroom teachers assumed I would never read or write due to the severity of my dyslexia and this made me feel worthless. I am a dyslexic reading teacher that has built a reputation for finding innovative ways "FREE" to teach reading to all students!

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Awesome Girls Brain Breaks | Amazing Kids Brain Breaks

Awesome Girls Brain Breaks | Amazing Kids Brain Breaks

Can Girls Thrash, Carve, Ollie, Frontside 540, Mc Twist, Radicle Vert, Get Gnarly, Shred the Clover, Gleam the Cube and Compete with the BOYS?

Dedicated to my All Girl, 1st Place O.M. Stack-able Structure Team!

NJ Ask Reading Test Passages

NJ Ask Reading Test Passages
Grade 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 New Jersey Reading Test Passages | Free Printable NJ ASK Reading Passages PDF

Grade 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 NJ ASK Critical Thinking READING TEST Passages | Inference, Main Idea, Authors Purpose, Sequencing, Summary, Character Traits, Fiction and Non-Fiction (nonfiction) | NJ ASK ONE PAGE Printable CRITICAL THINKING Reading PASSAGES ALIGNED TO the New Jersey Assessments of Knowledge and Skill, and the COMMON CORE ELA Standards from Depaul University http://teacher.depaul.edu More Resources

2nd-3rd Grade NJ ASK Reading Test Practice
NJ ASK Grade Level Fiction Passages

2nd-3rd Grade Reading Level
The Ants and the Grasshopper

A Better Community

The Big Game

The Boy Who Cried "Wolf!"

Changing Our Street (realistic fiction)

How the Firefly Got Its Light

Letter to Grandmother

Little Pink Riding Hood English / Spanish

The Little Red Hen

Making Progress

Mama's Happy Christmas

More Trees

My Community

My First Baseball Game

My Job

My New Brother

My Sister, the Soldier

The Turtle and the Rabbit

The Turtle and the Ducks

Why Did Mamma Change Her Mind?The Ants and the Grasshopper

A Better Community

The Big Game

The Boy Who Cried "Wolf!"

Changing Our Street (realistic fiction)

How the Firefly Got Its Light

Letter to Grandmother

Little Pink Riding Hood English / Spanish

The Little Red Hen

Making Progress

Mama's Happy Christmas

More Trees

My Community

My First Baseball Game

My Job

My New Brother

My Sister, the Soldier

The Turtle and the Rabbit

The Turtle and the Ducks

Why Did Mamma Change Her Mind?

NJ ASK Grade Level Nonfiction Reading Passages

2nd-3rd Grade Reading Level

After the Chicago Fire sequence and summarize

American Explorers evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

Animal Studies infer and support the main idea of a passage

Block Clubs infer and support the main idea of a passage

The Captain's Job infer and support the main idea of a passage

Chicago Changes identify and support the main idea in nonfiction texts

Chicago Fire sequence events, infer motive, and write about nonfiction

Chicago Legacy: Burnham's Plan locate and use information to analyze a situation, write about a topic English / Spanish

Chicago Legacy, DuSable's Choices and Changes locate and use information to analyze a situation, then write about it English / Spanish

Chicago's First Leader infer and support the main idea of a passage

The First Flyers infer and support the main idea of a passage

George Washington Carver

Grant Park write an extended response about a nonfiction reading

Gwendolyn Brooks, An African American Poet

Learn about Ghana infer and support the main idea of a passage

Letter to the Mayor evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

Native American Life--Potawatomi Profile

Native American Life--Potawatomi Profile with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities

Natural Gas: An Energy Resource infer and support the main idea of a passage

A New Park evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

Pigeon Creek infer and support the main idea of a passage

Pioneer Families infer and support the main idea of a passage

Prairie Ecology analyze information in a nonfiction text

Prairie Ecology with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities

Read to Learn about Symbols, Maps, and Art evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

Saving Your Family's Energy Dollar infer and support the main idea of a passage

Settlement infer and support the main idea of a passage

Staying in Phoenix summarize a passage

Transportation Changes infer and support the main idea of a passage

NJ ASK 4th Grade Reading Level Passages

The Astronaut's Diary

The Challenge

Changing Transportation Routes

The Lion and the Spider

A New Day Realistic Fiction about the Election of Barack Obama and Civil Rights

A Proud Flight The story of Icarus

Traveling with Lewis and Clark

Why Did Mamma Change Her Mind?

Grade Level Nonfiction Passages

4th Grade Reading Level

Traveling West evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

What is a Fable? evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

Working at the Hospital evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

Breaking the Food Chain infer and support the main idea of a passage

Chicago Changer, Jane Addams infer and support the main idea of a passage

Chicago High Schools evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

Chicago Legacy: Burnham's Plan locate and use information to analyze a situation, write about a topic English / Spanish

Chicago Legacy, DuSable's Choices and Changes locate and use information to analyze a situation, then write about it English / Spanish

City Government infer and support the main idea of a passage

The Early Chicago Environment and People classify information and summarize a nonfiction topic

Learn about Egypt infer and support the main idea of a passage

The Football Team identify the main idea

A Garden in Lawndale evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea (4th grade reading level)

Gwendolyn Brooks, An African American Poet

Illinois Pioneers and Prairies infer while reading a history

Learning about the Solar System identify the main idea of a passage, write an extended response about a nonfiction passage

Natural Gas: An Energy Resource infer and support the main idea of a passage

Penguins

Pilsen, A Community Changes identify causes and effects

Plants and Places infer and support the main idea of a passage

Prairie Changes identify an author's purpose, write an extended response

Prairie Changing the Ecosystem with Multiple Choice Questions analyze information in a nonfiction text

Seasons on the Prairie infer and support the main idea of a passage

Seasons on the Prairie with Multiple Choice Questions

Settlement infer and support the main idea of a passage

Settlement with Multiple Choice Questions

Space Food infer and support the main idea of a passage

Staying in Phoenix infer and support the main idea of a passage

Today's Telephone infer and support the main idea of a passage

Transportation Workers evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

What is a Fable? evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

Working at the Television Station evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

Working at the Hospital evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

The Working Tools of Insects infer and support the main idea of a passage

5th Grade Reading Level

Barack Obama Makes History

The Cloud

Columbus and the Egg historical fiction

The Difficult Journey

The Elves and the Shoemaker

Flying

The Gulls of Salt Lake

I Like Plants

Making Progress

Mama's Happy Christmas

Nature's Violet Children

Potawatomi Prairie

Soldier's Letter

The Technology Trip

Training for the Presidency

Grade Level Nonfiction Passages

5th Grade Reading Level

American Explorers infer and support the main idea of a passage

Animal Studies infer and support the main idea of a passage

Better Living in Chicago: Jane Addams restate a situation presented in text; write to communicate about a situation (5th grade reading level)

Chicago Changes infer and support the main idea of a passage

Chicago Fire infer and support the main idea of a passage

Chicago Legacy: Burnham's Plan locate and use information to analyze a situation, write about a topic English / Spanish

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I can infer the author's purpose

Election Choices infer and support the main idea of a passage

From Many Places evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

Learn about Ethiopia infer and support the main idea of a passage )

George Washington Carver

Gwendolyn Brooks, An African American Poet

How Did People Solve a Problem?

How Have Students Made Community Progress? analyze a problem and solution in a text, identify and support the main idea

Penguins

Prairie Keepers analyze information in a nonfiction text

Prairie Keepers with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities

Public Transportation evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

Read to Learn about City Systems evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

Read to Learn about Elections evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

The Recycle Center evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

Reversing the Chicago River identify cause-effect relations and infer predictions

Seasons on the Prairie analyze information in a nonfiction text

Seasons on the Prairie with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities

Settlement infer and support the main idea of a passage

Settlement with Multiple Choice Questions

Valley Forge infer and support the main idea of a passage

Who Am I sequence events, infer motive, and write about nonfiction

6th Grade Reading Level

City Mouse--a Fable

Community Progress realistic fiction about a mural

The Elves and the Shoemaker

The First Flag

A Good Student realistic fiction about starting high school

A Great Digger--A North American Fable

His First Dollar historical fiction about Abraham Lincoln

Letter to Grandmother

Grade Level Nonfiction Passages

6th Grade Reading Level

Before Chicago infer and support the main idea of a passage

Chicago's First Leader infer and support the main idea of a passage

The Early Chicago Environment and People classify information and summarize a nonfiction topic

Election Choices infer and support the main idea of a passage

Gwendolyn Brooks, An African American Poet

Inferential Questions: Harold Washington's Acceptance Speech

Labor Day Address--Barack Obama Speech infer and support the main idea of a passage

Learn about Zambia infer and support the main idea of a passage

Nutrition Lesson evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

Plants and Food infer and support the main idea of a passage

Prairie Ecology evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

Prairie Ecology with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities

Settlement analyze information in a nonfiction text

Settlement with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities

Seasons on the Prairie infer and support the main idea of a passage

Seasons on the Prairie with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities

Traveling West infer and support the main idea of a passage

7th Grade Reading Level

Barack Obama Makes History

Columbus and the Egg historical fiction about an event showing Columbus as a smart person

A Good Student realistic fiction about starting high school

I Like Plants

John's Bright Idea

Making a Difference

My First Baseball Game

My Summer

Potawatomi Prairie

The Red Apples

Gwendolyn Brooks, An African American Poet

Grade Level Nonfiction Passages

7th Grade Reading Level

Honest Abe infer and support the main idea of a passage

Inaugural Address by John F. Kennedy evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

Labor Day Address--Barack Obama Speech infer and support the main idea of a passage

Learn about Kenya infer and support the main idea of a passage

Learning about the Solar System infer and support the main idea of a passage

Pilsen--A Community Changes identify causes and effects

Prairie Keepers infer and support the main idea of a passage

Prairie Keepers with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities

Settlement infer and support the main idea of a passage

Settlement with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities

Today's Telephone infer and support the main idea of a passage

8th-10th Grade Reading Level

The Difficult Journey

The Gulls of Salt Lake

Lexington

My Job

My New President

My Sister, the Soldier

Potawatomi Prairie

See Our Progress

Training for the Presidency

Grade Level Nonfiction Passages

8th-10th Grade Reading Level

An African Heritage in Chicago identify and support the main idea in a nonfiction passage

Bold Plans, Big Dreams, City Progress identify and support the theme of a text

Changing the Ecosystem infer and support the main idea of a passage

Changing the Ecosystem with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities

Chicago is a City of Possibilities: Deval Patrick, Leader for Chicago analyze a text and write an extended response based on it

Deval Patrick's Acceptance Speech infer and support the main idea of a passage

George Washington Carver

Gwendolyn Brooks, An African American Poet

Honest Abe infer and support the main idea of a passage

Inaugural Address by John F. Kennedy evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

Inferential Questions: Harold Washington's Acceptance Speech

Labor Day Address--Barack Obama Speech infer and support the main idea of a passage

Learn about Physical Therapists evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

Learn about South Africa evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

Maintaining Cultural Continuity infer and support the main idea of a passage

New Leadership analyze a speech

Settlement infer and support the main idea of a passage

Settlement with Multiple Choice Questions and Activities

Transportation Changes infer and support the main idea of a passage

What is Your Own Big Plan? (Barack Obama speech) analyze a text and respond to the issues it presents, write an extended response to a persuasive text

What Values Have Shaped Chicago? identify the main idea of a passage

Why is Community Service Important? identify the main idea and supporting information

Chicago High Schools infer predictions

Chicago Legacy: DuSable's Choices and Changes infer and support the main idea of a passage

Deval Patrick's Acceptance Speech infer and support the main idea of a passage

Harold Washington's Acceptance Speech

Frederick Douglass Speech on Women's Suffrage

John F. Kennedy's Remarks in the Rudolph Wilde Platz, Berlin

Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

President Barack Obama's Speech to Students

President Franklin D. Roosevelt's First Inaugural Address

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Drawing Conclusion Test Questions

Drawing Conclusion Test Questions | Grade 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Drawing Conclusion Test Questions and Worksheets | Free Drawing Conclusion and Making Inference worksheets.

Making Inference: an idea that is suggested by the facts or details in a passage

Drawing Conclusion: a decision about what may happen or about the result an event may have

Drawing Conclusion Test Questions | Informational Text and Literature
[PDF]Drawing ConclusionsText Clues ... draw conclusions about it by deciding for yourself what the information means. Directions: ... answer the questions that follow. ... Research and Study Skills: Evaluate Information/Draw Conclusions ... Elementary Test Prep Center.

Drawing Conclusion Online Quiz

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Thinking, Fast and Slow in Your Classroom!

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman | "System 1 Thinking" is fast, reactionary, impassioned, emotional thinking that qualitatively is prone to errors and biases. A stab in the dark or blind guessing (Dionysian); "System 2 Thinking" is a slower, more deliberative, deductive, logical, reasoned, and analytical approach (Apollonian). The Apollonian and the Dionysian are philosophical concepts represented by a dichotomy, or dialectic, between the greek figure of Apollo who is ruled by logic and the mind, and Dionysus who is ruled by the heart and passion. Why does it matter? Inspector Clouseau vs. Sherlock Holmes, who is running the learning, thinking, and problem-solving in your classroom?

Is unexamined untrained fast-thinking part of a systemic problem in classrooms today? Students may make "System 1" fast automatic (Hurestical) responses that can and are often wrong, or biased, yet never engage "System 2" slow thinking processes due to a lack of instructional structures, tactics, and strategies (Practiced and Logically Trained Heuristics). Classroom teachers may give priority to fast thinking processes over slow thinking processes because of a lack of instructional time or understanding of the Socratic, Heuristic, and/or the Praxis processes. Understanding the thinking process and Hurestics is the first step in monitoring students thinking and seeking a greater depth of knowledge. Understanding Heuristics and new developments in the neurosciences and brain research will improve teacher performance and student outcomes. System 2 or slow thinking models need to be built into classroom lessons and curriculum (Socratic Seminars). The fast-thinking systems should be examined, tested, improved, and implemented in many academic areas including math (Singapore Math Method. 13 Heuristic in mathematics)

Using Mortimer Adler treatise on How to Read a Book as a foundation for incorporating System 2 (slow) thinking is one key to developing higher-order thinking in students. Using the latest brain research to develop curriculum and instructional strategies with a focus on developing higher orders of analytical reading and Syntopical reading will help students prepare for college and career-ready goals. Sean

The Levels of Reading | How to Read a Book by Mortimer Alder
A. Elementary: "What does the sentence/book say?"
B. Inspectional: "What is the book about? What kind of book is it?"
C. Analytical: "What does the book mean?"
D. Syntopical: "How does it compare with other books?"

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Nobel Memorial Prize winner in Economics Daniel Kahneman which summarizes research that he conducted over decades, often in collaboration with Amos Tversky In the book's first section, Kahneman describes the two different ways the brain forms thoughts:
System 1: Fast, automatic, frequent, emotional, stereotypical, subconscious
System 2: Slow, effortful, infrequent, logical, calculating, conscious

The Video below gives a quick overview of fast and slow thinking, and should give all teachers something to think about. Sean

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Common Core Math Word Problems Test Practice

Grade 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 CCSS Math Word Problems Test Practice

Grade 1| 1st grade common core math word problems

Word Problem Strategy Cards!

CCSS Math Story Problems | The Game Cards are designed to make learning to read and understanding the different and difficult types of story problems FUN! The cards have trick questions with no correct answers and cards with both answers correct. The cards can be used with Hot Dots as a learning center and formative self correcting activity.

CCSS MATH Word Problem Resources

Strategies for Solving word problems PDF PPT

Schema-based Strategies for Solving Math Word Problems

INTRODUCTION TO SINGAPORE MATH

100s of FREE CCSS MATH Word Problems in PDF

Glencoe Word Problem Practice Workbook

Pre-Algebra Proportion Word Problems

Decimal Word Problems

Key Words for Solving Word Problems

Story|Word Problems Chart

Multiple Step Word Problems

Fraction Word Problems

Problem Type
Joining Problems Word Problem		Result Unknown Mr. Taylor had 5 board games. Jesus gave him 8 more board games. How many board games does Mr. Taylor have all together?		Change Unknown Mr. Taylor has 5 board games. How many more board games does he need to have 13 board games all together?			Start Unknown Mr. Taylor had some classroom board games. Anthony donated 5 more board games. Now he has 21 board games. How many board games did Mr. Taylor have to start with?
Separating Problems Word Problem	Result Unknown Basic Mr. Taylor had 13 board games. He gave 5 to Ryan. How many board games does Mr. Taylor have left? Advanced Mr. Taylor had 41 probability board games and 67 stratagem board games. He gave 7 stratagem board games to Ryan. How many board games does Mr. Taylor have left all together?		Change Unknown Mr. Taylor had 13 board games. He gave some to Danna. Now he has 5 board games left. How may board games did Mr. Taylor give to Danna?			Start Unknown Mr. Taylor had some board games. He gave 5 to Henny. Now he has 8 board games left. How many board games did Mr. Taylor have to start with?
Part-Part-Whole Word Problem	Whole Unknown Mr. Taylor has 5 strategy board games and 8 chance board games. How many board games does he have?				Part Unknown Mr. Taylor has 14 board games. ¼ are strategy board games and the rest are chance board games. How many strategy board games does Mr. Taylor have?
Comparing Word Problem	Difference Unknown Mr. Taylor has 13 board games. Alex has 5 board games. How many more board games does Mr. Taylor have than Alex?		Compare Quantity Unknown Roxanne has 10 board games. Mr. Taylor has 50% more than Roxanne. How many board games does Mr. Taylor have?			Reference Unknown Mr. Taylor has 24 board games. He has 75% more board games than Jason. How many board games does Jason have?

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Grade 4 Nonfiction Close Reading Question Stems

Grade 4 Nonfiction Close Reading Test Questions Stems | Grade 4 Close Reading Task Cards Question Stems

Grade 4 Common Core Close Reading Steps | Socratic Seminar Close Reading Task Cards

The Grade 4 Close Reading Task Cards are compiled from the Denver Public Schools CCSS-ELA 4th Grade Scope and Sequence.

Use short passages that inspire deep thinking
Have a question or questions in mind when reading
Rereading and questioning during
Read and take notes while reading and rereading
Examine and discuss text that is confusing
Discussing the text and questions with peers
Responding with open ended text-dependent questions

Close reading describes, in literary criticism, the careful, sustained interpretation of a brief passage of text. Such a reading places great emphasis on the single particular over the general, paying close attention to individual words, syntax, and the order in which sentences and ideas unfold as they are read. Wiki