Reading Topics

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Free Paragraph Posters and Handouts

What is a Good Paragraph?  How do you Teach Students to Write a Good Paragraph?

A paragraph is an organized group of quality sentences that contain "one" main idea, theme, setting. topic, subject and or message. Big topics and ideas are divided into individual paragraphs to help the reader transition from one theme or idea to a new theme or idea.  A paragraph contains "one" theme or "one" main idea.  Paragraphs use supporting "body" sentences to expand, explain and or give examples of the main idea or theme in alternate, cyclical or secondary ways. The main idea of the paragraph is often called the theme. The last sentence in a paragraph summarizes the theme or main idea or transitions and introduces the next paragraphs theme or idea.

The Perfect Paragraph - Teachers
Paragraphs - The Writing Center
WHAT IS A PARAGRAPH? A paragraph is a group of ...
Day 1 What is a Paragraph - Growing with Grammar
Paragraph Structure Coherence - Indiana University
What is a paragraph? - Better writing - Paragraphs
PARAGRAPHS - The University of Sydney
TOPIC SENTENCE/PARAGRAPH
Writing Paragraphs - Reading and Writing ...
Hamburger Paragraph

A paragraph is a group of sentence with "one" topic, idea, setting, theme or subject. A Paragraph contains a topic sentence that introduces the theme or the main idea.

Topic sentences can introduce the exposition of the paragraph or summarize the main idea, subject, theme, facts or  opinions of that paragraph. It is usually the first sentence in a paragraph.  

Review: Start a New Paragraph When There is a Change in: Ideas,Topic, Time, Setting, Place, Speaker, Message, Theme and or Subject.

Review: A sentence is a group of words used to express a statement, question, exclamation, request or command. A sentence contains a subject (noun)and predicate(verb).



Saturday, November 22, 2014

Free Readers Workshop Handouts

Readers Workshop Classroom Lessons, Handouts and Posters

Balanced literacy is implemented through the Reading and Writing Workshop Model. The teacher begins by modeling the reading/writing strategy that is the focus of the workshop. Subsequently, students are engaged in practicing the focal strategy in small groups or independently as the teacher monitors and provides guidance. Selected students share their work. Then, students read leveled texts independently or write independently for an extended period of time as the teacher circulates amongst them to observe, record observations and confer. At the culmination of the workshop session, selected students share their strategies and work with the class.

It is recommended that guided reading be implemented during the extended independent reading period. Based upon assessment, the teacher works with small groups of students (no more than 6 students in each group) on a leveled text (authentic trade book). The teacher models specific strategies before reading and monitors students while they read independently. After reading, the teacher and students engage in activities in word study, fluency, and comprehension. The purpose of Guided Reading is to systematically scaffold the decoding and/or comprehension strategy skills of students who are having similar challenges. Wiki

Readers Workshop Reading Comprehension strategies

Children are taught to use comprehension strategies including:
  • Sequencing
  • Relating background knowledge
  • Making inferences
  • Comparing and contrasting
  • Summarizing
  • Synthesizing
  • Problem-solving
  • Distinguishing between fact and opinion
  • Finding the main idea and supporting details
Readers Workshop Teachers Resources 

Guide to the Reading Workshop - Heinemann
READERS' WORKSHOP
Reading Workshop Handouts - Penny Kittle
]Electronic Reading Workshop: Beyond Books With New ...
Unit 1: What Do Readers and Writers Do? - New York City ...
Suggested Mini-Lessons for Reading Workshop pdf
Overview of Readers Workshop
Reading Workshop Resources for Teachers and Parents
Differentiation in a Reader's Workshop | Scholastic.com
Reading Workshop Article.pdf 
Developing a Successful Year-Long Plan in Reading ...
The effects of implementing a reading workshop in
The Readers' Workshop in the Upper Grades
Lesson 1: What is Reading Workshop in Middle School?
Jen England's Reading Workshop Syllabus.PDF - Students ...
Reading Workshop FAQ for Parents
Literacy Block Schedules and The Reading Workshop
Readers/Writers Workshops, Centers, and Resources ...
Provisioning a Reading Workshop: Overview, Classroom ...






Sunday, November 16, 2014

Words Instead of Said Synonyms

Stop using said in your writing, Said is Dead! Help students use said alternates, substitutes, synonyms and or other words instead of said!





Friday, November 7, 2014

Best Topic Sentence Starters Expository Text

The Best Topic Sentence Starters for Emergent Expository Text Writing! 


The topic sentence or focus sentence is a prescriptive grammatical term that describes the sentence in an expository or narrative paragraph which introduces or summarizes the main idea of that paragraph. It is usually the first sentence in emergent writers paragraphs and a difficult concept to master for many young writers. The writers craft is supported with sentence starters that build students confidence, ease writing stress, motivate students and demystify writing.

  • It's interesting to learn that..., 
  • It's an interesting argument...,
  • It's fascinating to justify that..., 
  • It's fascinating to explore...,
  • It's fascinating to illustrate...,
  • It's amazing to think about …,
  • It's amazing to ponder …,
  • It's amazing to learn …,
  • Let me explain in more detail...,
  • Let me expand on one idea...,
  • Let me educate you about...,
  • Let me enlighten you...,
  • Let me expound further..,
  • You’ll be excited to learn that...,




  • You’ll be excited to know...,

    • You’ll be amazed to learn..., 
    • Do you realize that.., 
    • You know that.., 
    • have you ever thought about..., 
    • Have you ever wondered..., 
    • Have you ever discovered...,
    • Let me justify my evidence, reasons or opinion..., 
    • Of course, most/few agree that..., 
    • Of course, no one agrees that...,
      Of course, no one agrees that..., 
    • It's interesting to note that..., 
    • In a unique, parallel or odd way..., 
    • In a fascinating discovery..., 
    • It’s incredible to think..., 
    • It’s incredible to think..., 
    • You’d better believe that …, 
    • You’d understand more.., 
    • You’d interpret less if.., 
    • You’d be fascinated to know more about.., 
    • You’d be intrigued to know that..,
    • You’ll comprehend concisely that …, 
    • You’ll discover new insights…,
    • You’ll be amazed that …, 
    • You’ll apprehend more …, 
    • Don’t you know that..., 
    • You’d agree that..., 
    • You Wouldn't need to justify if …,
    It's interesting to learn that..., It's an interesting argument..., It's fascinating to justify that..., It's fascinating to explore..., It's fascinating to illustrate...,It's amazing to think about …, It's amazing to ponder …, It's amazing to learn …, Let me explain..., Let me expand on..., Let me educate you..., Let me enlighten you..., Let me expound.., You’ll be excited to learn that..., You’ll be excited to know..., You’ll be amazed to learn .., Do you realize that.., Do you know that.., have you ever thought about..., Have you ever wondered..., Have you ever discovered..., Let me justify..., Of course, most agree that..., Of course, a few agree that..., Of course, no one agrees that..., It's interesting to note that..., In a unique way..., In a parallel way..., In a fascinating discovery...,It’s incredible to think..., You’d better believe that …, You’d understand more.., You’d interpret less if.., You’d be fascinated to know more about.., You’d be intrigued to know that..,You’ll comprehend concisely that …, You’ll discover new insights…, You’ll be amazed that …, You’ll apprehend more …, Don’t you know that..., You’d agree that..., Wouldn't need to justify if … (Many, Most, Some) Experts agree that ...Let me enlighten you..., Let me question your thinking..., Let me argue the point that ..., Let me ask you a question, (who, what, where, whom, why or how)...,There are many, some, few or no reasons that..., There are justifications for..., There are/aren't reasons that..., There are many, few, some or no way(s) in which..., Would you believe that...,Can you imagine what..., So, what do we really know about..., So, what do we really understand about..., So, what do you really know about....So, what do you really know about..., Incredibly, no one knows...,Incredibly, new know that..., Incredibly, what is the justification for..., It is true that...It's not common knowledge that... So, you want to understand how...., So, you want to imaging how...., So, you want to believe that...., Most, many, some or no people agree that..., Often times, you will find...., For years...,Historically..., It’s hard to believe, but...., You will find that.... You, will doubt that... You’ll soon observe that..., Many, some, few, or no one will argue that..., Without a doubt, …, In the first, second, third or last place..., Let me tell you..., Let me educate you..., Let me inform you about..., Let me entertain you, Let me stretch your understanding..., In many, some, few or no way(s)...,


    TIME AND ORDER SENTENCE TRANSITIONS
    After, At once, Before, During, First . . . second . . . third 
    First . . . next . . . then, If . . . then . . . , In the meantime 
    Meanwhile, Often, Presently, Shortly, Soon after, Still 
    Temporarily, Until, When, While 

    ADDITION SENTENCE TRANSITIONS
    Additionally, Also, As well as, Besides, Furthermore, In addition, Likewise, Moreover, Not only, Similarly 

    CONTRAST SENTENCE TRANSITIONS
    Although, But, Despite, However, In contrast, Instead, On the contrary, On the other hand, Unlike, Yet 

    CONCESSION SENTENCE TRANSITIONS
    Admittedly,,Certainly, Clearly, Evidently, Granted, Naturally, Obviously, Of course, Undeniably, Understandably 

    CAUSE AND EFFECT SENTENCE TRANSITIONS
    As a result, Because, Consequently, Since, So, Therefore 

    EXAMPLES SENTENCE TRANSITIONS
    For example, For instance, In particular, Specifically, Such as, To illustrate 

    CONCLUSIONS SENTENCE TRANSITIONS
    Finally, Generally, In brief, In conclusion, In summary, On the whole 

    Cause & Effect Sentence Transitions
    therefore • consequently • thus • as a result (of) • for this reason • accordingly • so • for since • because • if…then • in order to

    Addition Sentence Transitions
    moreover • furthermore • finally • in addition (to) • besides and • nor • not only…but also • • both…and

    Comparison  Sentence Transitions
    likewise • similarly • in the same way • in the same manner 
    just as…so • the more…the more • whether…or • either…
    or • neither…nor

    ContrasSentence Transitions
    however • nevertheless • in spite of • despite • in contrast • on the other hand • on the contrary  • but • yet • the more…the less
    although • though • even though • unlike • while • whereas • 
    despite • in spite of 

    Time or Sequence Sentence Transitions
    first/second/third • then/next/finally • afterwards • meanwhile • previously • initially • later • subsequently no sooner…than when • whenever • while • until • before • after • as soon as • as long as first/second/third • then/next/finally • afterwards • meanwhile • previously • initially • later • subsequently • no sooner…than when • whenever • while • until • before • after • as soon as • as long as

    Topic Sentence Starters: 
    It is amazing to think about …, Let me explain …. You’ll be excited to learn that …, Do you realize that …, Have you ever thought about …, Have you ever wondered…, Let me tell you about …, It’s incredible that …, There are many reasons that …, There are many ways in which…, So, you want to understand how…, Why do …, How can …, When do …, Where can… It’s hard to believe, but… , You will find that… , You’ll soon discover that… , No one will argue that… , So, why is (are)… , What’s so great about…

    Sentence Starters for Emergent and Advanced Writers 

    Examining Prior Knowledge:
    I understand that…
    This reminds me of…
    This relates to…

    Forming Interpretations:
    What this means to me is…
    I think this represents…
    The idea I’m getting is…
    One question that this text answers is…
    One question that this text addresses is…

    Asking Questions:
    I wonder why…
    What if…
    How come…
    How is it possible that…

    Monitoring:
    I lost track of everything except…
    I need to reread the part where…
    I know I’m on the right track because…
    A term or idea that was unclear to me was…

    Predicting:
    I’ll bet that…
    I think…
    If ____, then …

    Revising Meaning:
    At first I thought _____, but now I…
    My latest thought about this is…
    I’m getting a different picture here because…

    Visualizing:
    I can imagine…
    In my mind I see…
    If this were a movie scene…

    Analyzing the Author’s Craft:
    A golden line for me is…
    This word/phrase stands out for me because…
    I like how the author uses ____ to show…

    Making Connections:
    This reminds me of…
    I experienced this once when…
    I can relate to this to other readings because…
    The argument here is similar to ___ because…
    Another example of ___ is…

    Reflecting and Relating:
    So, the big idea is…
    A conclusion that I’m drawing is…
    This is relevant to my life because…
    This author is trying to make me (see, feel, know,
    do) …
    It makes a difference that this text was written
    because…

    Adopting an Alignment:
    The character I most identify with is…
    The idea I find most provocative is…
    I reject this author’s view because…

    Evaluating:
    I like/don’t like ____ because…
    This could be more effective if…
    The most important message here is…
    One big difference between this and ___ is…











    Sources: New York City Writing Project, “Monitoring Our Reading.” NY: Lehman College, 2000.

    Thursday, November 6, 2014

    Mentor Text to Teach Writing!

    Why Use Mentor Text to Teach Writing! Mentor Text Will Teach Readers and Writers to Analyze and Deepen Understanding of All Aspects of Written Communication. 

    "Nobody but a reader ever became a writer."

    What are Mentor Texts? A mentor text is a quality piece of writing that is used to teach students writing structures and reading/writing strategies. Mentor text gives exemplars of writing with engaging ideas, proper conventions, varied structures and types, rhetorical modes, organization, combining styles of writing or any aspect or domain of writing.
    Mentor Text to Teach Writing

    Teachers that need students to meet or exceed on state writing test must use mentor text with targeted and rigorous graphic organizers that spiral throughout the year to prepare students for ever more difficult State writing assessments. 

    Mentor Text List By Grade Level


    Teaching Skills with Children's Literature as Mentor Text
    Teaching Leads With Mentor Texts: - Curriculum
    Social Issues Book List - The Reading & Writing Project
    Mentor Texts: - Michigan District, LCMS
    Follett Webinar Event | Follett Learning
    First Grade Mentor Text List 2014-2015
    Unit of Study: Informational Writing and Research for 3 -5 ...
    Second Grade Mentor Text List 2014-2015
    Appendix B.indd - Common Core State Standards
    Mentor Texts - Niskayuna School District
    Grade 5 Writing Units of Study - Portland Public Schools
    Books to Support Readers' and Writers' Workshop - Hillside ...
    LANGUAGE ARTS GRADES K-8 THE EWING PUBLIC ...
    Genre Study - Heinemann

    Teacher made mentor text to motivate boys to write!
    1. Title: Dragons Through History
    2. A Short History of the Dagger
    3. A Short History of the Battle Axe
    4. A Short History of the English Longbow 
    5. A Short History of the Cross Bow
    6. Acquaint Yourself With The Medieval Weapons And Medieval Swords
    7. A History of the Hanseatic League
    8. The History Of The Army Green Berets
    9. The Days of the Phalanx – Ancient Greece weapons
    10. Myth or Fact the Abominable Snowman
    11. Myth or Fact the Voodoo Zombies
    12. Myth or Fact the Roswell Aliens
    13. Myth or Fact Ancient Aliens Created the Nazca Lines
    14. Title: The Gladiators – From History To Movies
    15. Title: The Philosophy of Samurai Swords
    16. Child Slavery and Your Chocolate Bar
    17. Child Labor and Your Jeans, Electronics, and Games
    18. Neil Aden Armstrong 1969: First Human on the Moon
    19. The Sonoran Desert Flora and Fauna
    20. Crocodile & Alligator Divergences

    Writing With Mentor Texts Webinar
    Mentor Texts: The 7 Elements of a Differentiated Writing Lesson
    20 Strategies to Teach Text Structure
    Show Me How! Using Mentor Test to Guild Readers and Writers

    SENTENCE TRANSITIONS Samples

    STUDENT SENTENCE TRANSITIONS | Writing Samples Cause & Effect, Compare Contrast, Addition and Time or Sequence Sentence Transitions Examples 


    Help students learn how to connect ideas in a text by using example sentence starters, transitions and conclusions, addition sentence transitions, contrast sentence transitions, and concession sentence transitions

    ADDITION SENTENCE TRANSITIONS
    Additionally, Also, As well as, Besides, Furthermore, In addition, Likewise, Moreover, Not only, Similarly 

    CONTRAST SENTENCE TRANSITIONS
    Although, But, Despite, However, In contrast, Instead, On the contrary, On the other hand, Unlike, Yet 

    CONCESSION SENTENCE TRANSITIONS
    Admittedly,,Certainly, Clearly, Evidently, Granted, Naturally, Obviously, Of course, Undeniably, Understandably 

    CAUSE AND EFFECT SENTENCE TRANSITIONS
    As a result, Because, Consequently, Since, So, Therefore 

    EXAMPLES SENTENCE TRANSITIONS
    For example, For instance, In particular, Specifically, Such as, To illustrate 

    CONCLUSIONS SENTENCE TRANSITIONS
    Finally, Generally, In brief, In conclusion, In summary, On the whole 

    TIME AND ORDER SENTENCE TRANSITIONS
    After, At once, Before, During, First . . . second . . . third 
    First . . . next . . . then, If . . . then . . . , In the meantime 
    Meanwhile, Often, Presently, Shortly, Soon after, Still 
    Temporarily, Until, When, While 

    Cause & Effect Sentence Transitions
    therefore • consequently • thus • as a result (of) • for this reason • accordingly • so • for since • because • if…then • in order to

    Addition Sentence Transitions
    moreover • furthermore • finally • in addition (to) • besides and • nor • not only…but also • • both…and

    Comparison  Sentence Transitions
    likewise • similarly • in the same way • in the same manner 
    just as…so • the more…the more • whether…or • either…
    or • neither…nor

    ContrasSentence Transitions
    however • nevertheless • in spite of • despite • in contrast • on the other hand • on the contrary  • but • yet • the more…the less
    although • though • even though • unlike • while • whereas • 
    despite • in spite of 

    Time or Sequence Sentence Transitions
    first/second/third • then/next/finally • afterwards • meanwhile • previously • initially • later • subsequently no sooner…than when • whenever • while • until • before • after • as soon as • as long as first/second/third • then/next/finally • afterwards • meanwhile • previously • initially • later • subsequently • no sooner…than when • whenever • while • until • before • after • as soon as • as long as

    Topic Sentence Starters: 
    It is amazing to think about …, Let me explain …. You’ll be excited to learn that …, Do you realize that …, Have you ever thought about …, Have you ever wondered…, Let me tell you about …, It’s incredible that …, There are many reasons that …, There are many ways in which…, So, you want to understand how…, Why do …, How can …, When do …, Where can… It’s hard to believe, but… , You will find that… , You’ll soon discover that… , No one will argue that… , So, why is (are)… , What’s so great about…

    Sentence Starters for Emergent and Advanced Writers 

    Examining Prior Knowledge:
    I understand that…
    This reminds me of…
    This relates to…

    Forming Interpretations:
    What this means to me is…
    I think this represents…
    The idea I’m getting is…
    One question that this text answers is…
    One question that this text addresses is…

    Asking Questions:
    I wonder why…
    What if…
    How come…
    How is it possible that…

    Monitoring:
    I lost track of everything except…
    I need to reread the part where…
    I know I’m on the right track because…
    A term or idea that was unclear to me was…

    Predicting:
    I’ll bet that…
    I think…
    If ____, then …

    Revising Meaning:
    At first I thought _____, but now I…
    My latest thought about this is…
    I’m getting a different picture here because…

    Visualizing:
    I can imagine…
    In my mind I see…
    If this were a movie scene…

    Analyzing the Author’s Craft:
    A golden line for me is…
    This word/phrase stands out for me because…
    I like how the author uses ____ to show…

    Making Connections:
    This reminds me of…
    I experienced this once when…
    I can relate to this to other readings because…
    The argument here is similar to ___ because…
    Another example of ___ is…

    Reflecting and Relating:
    So, the big idea is…
    A conclusion that I’m drawing is…
    This is relevant to my life because…
    This author is trying to make me (see, feel, know,
    do) …
    It makes a difference that this text was written
    because…

    Adopting an Alignment:
    The character I most identify with is…
    The idea I find most provocative is…
    I reject this author’s view because…

    Evaluating:
    I like/don’t like ____ because…
    This could be more effective if…
    The most important message here is…
    One big difference between this and ___ is…

    Sources: New York City Writing Project, “Monitoring Our Reading.” NY: Lehman College, 2000.

    Monday, November 3, 2014

    AZMerit Test Grade 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9

    AzMERIT Reading and Math Test Grade 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9

    AzMERIT Reading and Math Sample Test

    PARCC test are good practice for the AZMerit  Reading ELA Reading Test  

    Grade 3 English-language Arts (PDF)

    English Language Arts
    Mathematics

    English/Language Arts
    3rd Grade Literary Analysis – Student Version
    3rd Grade Literary Analysis – Teacher Version

    4th Grade ELA Informational Text – Student Version
    4th Grade ELA Informational Text – Teacher Version

    5th Grade ELA Informational Text – Student Version
    5th Grade ELA Informational Text – Teacher Version

    6th Grade ELA Informational Text – Student Version
    6th Grade ELA Informational Text – Teacher Version

    7th Grade ELA Narrative Text – Student Version
    7th Grade ELA Narrative Text – Teacher Version

    8th Grade ELA Informational Text – Student Version
    8th Grade ELA Informational Text – Teacher Version

    9th Grade Research Simulation Task (Social Studies) – Student Version
    9th Grade Research Simulation Task (Social Studies) – Teacher Version

    10th Grade ELA Informational Text – Student Version
    10th Grade ELA Informational Text – Teacher Version

    11th Grade Literary Analysis – Student Version
    11th Grade Literary Analysis – Teacher Version

    AzMERIT
    Arizona’s Measurement of Educational Readiness to Inform Teaching
    In November 2014, the Arizona State Board of Education adopted a new statewide achievement test, AzMERIT, for Arizona students. In order to help communicate the purpose of the new test and several important aspects of the upcoming implementation process, the Arizona Department of Education has created a series of helpful resources to guide all stakeholders. Please check this page often as we will regularly be adding new resources including vendor-specific documents.


    Letter to Parents NEW 11/3/14
    Letter to Teachers and Education Community NEW 11/3/14
    Letter to School Administrators NEW 11/3/14
    State Board Q and A Specific to AIR Award NEW 11/3/14 For more information regarding the selection and RFP process, please visit the State Board of Education’s website.



    The following series of documents (The Basics) is designed to give educators, students, parents, and members of the public more information about what a new statewide assessment means for Arizona. Materials will be updated regularly.

    Overview (English)

    Overview (Español)

    The Selection Process (English)

    The Selection Process (Español)

    Computer-Based Assessment (English)

    Computer-Based Assessment (Español)

    End-of-Course (EOC) Testing (English)

    End-of-Course (EOC) Testing (Español)

    Scoring (English)

    Scoring (Español)

    Accountability (English)

    Accountability (Español)
    Additional Resources

    Arizona’s Assessment Support Materials

    Sunday, November 2, 2014

    MODES OF RHETORIC WRITING CCSS

    MODES OF RHETORIC WRITING CCSS ELA Writing Lessons

    Opinion Writing Primary Grades Common Core
    The Author’s Purpose and the Rhetorical Modes Lessons 
    Persuasive Writing lessons Ebook
    Teaching Persuasive Reading and Writing
    MODES OF RHETORIC
    Rhetorical Appeals Lesson
    Fourth Grade – Writing Persuasive Writing

    Rhetorical modes | Rhetorical modes (also known as modes of discourse) describe the variety, conventions, and purposes of the major kinds of writing. Four of the most common rhetorical modes and their purpose are exposition, argumentation, description and narration.

    Expository
    Business letters
    How-to essays, such as recipes and other instructions
    News stories
    Personal letters
    Press releases
    Reports
    Scientific reports
    Term papers
    Textbooks
    Wills
    Encyclopedia articles

    Argumentation
    Advertising copy
    Critical review
    Editorials
    Job evaluation
    Job application letter
    Letter of recommendation
    Letters to the editor
    Résumés
    Another form of persuasive rhetoric is satirical rhetoric, or using humor in order to make a point about some aspect of life or society. Perhaps the most famous example is Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal".

    Description
    Journal writing
    Poetry

    Narration
    Anecdotes
    Autobiography
    Biography
    Novels
    Oral history
    Short story