Middle School Reading Strategies Activities (by date, oldest first)

Whether it's in person or online, your students will LOVE this coffee-themed summarizing activity and printables set. Using the SWBST visual prompt strategy, students will learn and practice summarizing a story (ANY story!) by stating the main character, what the character wanted, the problem, the solution, and the resolution. Ideas for differentiation are included to easily meet the needs of all of your students.

THIS IS A PDF FILE

Why teach word meaning through nonsense words?

• Students must use critical thinking to solve
• Students must read the whole passage for context clues
• Students must problem solve to find the best word that makes the most sense.
• They can't find the answer except through problem solving.

All of these are things we want every student to do! This is something that is already adapted for high and low learners.

Starting with three nonsense words gets students going so they can work in groups or independently to decode the meaning of 7 REAL words (selected from the SAT vocabulary list).

This is a perfect activity for group problem solving and critical thinking!

Word Meaning with Nonsense Words

Why teach word meaning through nonsense words (context clues only)?

• Students must use critical thinking to solve
• Students must read the whole passage for context clues
• Students must problem solve to find the best word that makes the most sense.
• They can't find the answer except through problem solving.

All of these are things we want every student to do! This is something that is already adapted for high and low learners.

Starting with three nonsense words gets students going so they can work in groups or independently to decode the meaning of 7 REAL words (selected from the SAT vocabulary list).

This is a perfect activity for group problem solving and critical thinking!

Finding the meaning of words: in context, with a definition and from the Latin or Greek base. Four teaching pages are included for self-guided learning along with 7 student pages for practice with various shortened reading passages.

INCLUDED:

• 3 Self-grading Google Forms
• Editable Word Doc
• PDF
• Reading Passage
• Teaching pages
• Answer Key

BUNDLE & SAVE: ELA Test Prep, Study Guide & Activities Bundle

Word Meaning with Greek & Latin

✔️Need to teach Greek & Latin along with Context Clues?

✔️Looking for way to get your students thinking critically & making connections?

✔️Need to integrate vocabulary in a meaningful way?

This activity includes worksheets, task cards and Google Quizzes for vocab practice

Students will use key words from the definitions in the first activity to determine the meaning of the Greek or Latin prefix. By recognizing the prefixes in words they recognize (and some they won't) students will begin making connections to other words they hear and read. This is a natural way to build in vocabulary to daily instruction that includes context clues and the Greek and Latin.

Included:

• Greek & Latin Roots Exploration: Dive into 45 carefully selected words, each featuring 9 impactful prefixes from the rich realms of Latin and Greek languages.
• Word Definitions: Equip your students with a solid understanding of each word, laying the foundation for deeper language comprehension.
• Fill in the Blank Sentences: Immerse your class in the learning process with cloze sentences that challenge them to apply their newfound knowledge in context.
• Task Cards: Make learning interactive and enjoyable with task cards that encourage independent exploration and reinforce language skills.
• Google Quizzes: Easily accessible quizzes that provide instant feedback, saving you valuable time and promoting a tech-savvy learning environment.

Vocabulary Starter

NEED TO TEACH VOCABULARY IN YOUR MIDDLE OR HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM AND YOU'RE NOT SURE WHERE TO START?

You came to the right place! I have been teaching for 5+ years, I have my Master's in Education with a focus on Literacy and I didn't know where to start.

So, I went back to everything I learned in my graduate program and re-read everything I could find.

I wrote & designed a student-engaging template to help students in my classroom to deeply internalize a word. I gathered key word lists when I didn't have a word from our daily reading, and thought about how to teach vocabulary so my love of etymology and words could be shared with my 10th graders. I've included all that and a guide to help other teachers get started with implementing and teaching vocabulary in THEIR classrooms.

Is this book for me?

• You want to teach vocabulary explicitly
• You want flexibility to choose your words daily based on what you’re reading
• You need versatility to choose your own words from a given list
• You want your students to deeply internalize the vocabulary they learn
• You’re not sure where to start

Then this book is for you!

Adaptable to every classroom in every situation, this is more than a fill-in-the-blank activity. Your students will have a guide to build a vocabulary for a lifetime of learning.

WHY TEACH VOCABULARY EXPLICITLY?

Generating curiosity and delight in playing with words supports long-term memory, enhances the connection between orthography and meaning, and develops a disposition which stimulates word consciousness. It also builds vocabulary! All of these are a part of a vocabulary rich classroom environment.

Getting students excited about poetry and figurative language can be difficult. I find that putting it into terms of music often with popular songs makes the process more enjoyable for them and myself. This product contains a powerpoint with links to videos, worksheets which examine both figurative language and poetry, and most of is an interactive lesson that will have your students singing while they're learning.

An interactive flip book/ study guide for William Shakespeare's play "As You Like It". Includes questions for each Act and an answer key.

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You may also like: Shakespeare Comedies

As You Like It Characterization Flip Book

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Archetype Web Quest! Started Web Quests this year and my students love them and so do I. Students must define and find examples for different archetypes. Great release of accountability. Requires students have access to a computer and internet. Includes resources and answer key.

A choice board for final projects. Perfect for ending a novel unit. Works well with any novel.

Teaching The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian? Don't know where to start? This bundle includes many activities to do before, during, and after reading the novel. This is a bundle for the novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. We got you covered!

Covering the As You Like It? Don't know where to get started? This bundle includes everything you need for your students to analyze the text for plot development, characterization, language, and more. Makes learning Shakespeare fun and easy for your students.

Complete Unit.

Covers the entire play of As You Like It !

Great for differentiation.

Shakespeare Ultimate Bundle. Includes resources for the following plays: Hamlet, As You Like It, Julius Caesar, King Lear, Macbeth, A Midsummer's Night Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, Taming of the Shrew, The Tempest, and The Twelfth Night. Great for covering Shakespeare at multiple grade levels or multiple plays. Includes different activities, study guides, games, and more. Works great as a school resource.

In need of engaging activities for a novel study? Teaching Frankenstein but don't know where to get started? We bundled some of our best resources here for Mary Shelley's classic novel Frankenstein (also known as The Modern Prometheus) to help you and your students have a successful novel study.

Frankenstein Introduction Power Point which introduces your students to concepts and themes present within the text.

Frankenstein Flipbook Study Guide ensures your students are keeping track with key ideas and details of the text.

Frankenstein Characterization flipbook ensures your students understand characterization and character development.

Graphic Organizers for ANY Novel! ensures your students are keeping track of the Plot, Vocabulary, Theme, Symbols, and aid in comprehension of the text.

Film Analysis Worksheet for Novels Helps your students analyze one of the many Frankenstein Films.

Covering The Kite Runner? Don't know where to get started? This bundle is just for your! Includes a Introduction Power Point, study guide, graphic organizers, film analysis, novel project choice board, and characterization flip book. Great for differentiation.

Doing a novel unit on The Adventures of Tom Sawyer? Looking for materials to help students comprehend the text? Need some differentiation? Look no further! This bundle includes a study guide, characterization flip book, graphic organizers, film adaption, introduction power point, and novel project choice board.

Doing a novel unit on The Outsiders? Don't know where to get started? This bundle is for you! It includes a flip book study guide, Characterization flip book, and Introduction power point.

Print and go resource.

Do you have literacy buddies with a younger class? Do you sometimes find your students off topic when they should be reading? Want to make life easier for yourself...and your buddy teacher? This package is for you.

This Literacy Buddy Handbook has been classroom tested and worked very well with my grade 6 class, working with a grade 3 class.

Common Core standards listed for grade 4, also meet standards for grades 5 and 6.

Included is:

* expectation sheet,

*questions to for students to ask their buddies,

* graphics reminders,

* reading log.

What others are saying:

• Great Resource! My students found this to be helpful. (Keshana M)
• Easy to use! (Dustin's Delights)

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Beyond the primary grades teachers often seem to forget about checking students reading fluency. This is a simple to use form for students to provide themselves a self-feedback on their read aloud fluency. Teachers can then use the same form to provide their own feedback on the students reading fluency. File states to use Audacity (a free download online) but other recording programs/devices may be used - this is just a personal choice/what is available on our school computers. Included in this package is how I used this program successfully in my classroom. Please don't forget to take a look at the other items I have available in my store!

This ELA reading comprehension activity is the perfect tool to use in your classroom all year long. These 15 cover-up boards work for any book or story and have questions that encourage metacognition and increase reading comprehension skills! Perfect for early finishers, reading centers, test-prep, tutorials, small group work and more!

✨ELA Bundle!✨

What's Included

• 15 different Cover-Up boards with 4 questions on each

Directions

• With Cover Ups, the comprehension questions can be answered using any book or story.

• When students are done with their reading, they can grab a Cover Up board (consider having them laminated and printed on colored paper) and use the book that they are reading to answer the questions.

• Then students will use sticky notes to write out their answers and place them directly on top of the question on the Cover Up board.

Other resources you may like...

Roll a Story Bundle

Pathos, Ethos, and Logos Stand Up Sit Down

Word Work

Retro Coloring Pages

Leap Year 2024 | Leap Day Activity | Do We Need Leap Year Socratic Seminar: In this Mini Socratic Seminar and Lesson students will mark the text of an article about Leap Year and why we have them. Then they will have a Socratic Seminar in small groups in order to discuss the essential question, “What is a leap year and is it a necessity?”

By the end of this Socratic Seminar, your students will have a deep understanding of what a Leap Year is and how to mark a text to prepare for a successful Socratic Seminar. Use this AVID Mini Socratic Seminar Lesson to increase dialogue and engagement in your classroom!

✨AVID bundle✨

What's Included:

• Lesson Plan with a walkthrough of all the slides and a video overview and explanation.
• What is a Leap Year Article- google doc which includes a transcript for students to mark their text and come up with questions in the margins for the Seminar. They will also add an essential question at the top, asummary at the bottom, and fill out the embedded vocabulary chart.
• Google slides- go over the lesson and discuss the process of a Socratic Seminar. The slides include embedded links for students to follow along and access required documents.
• Participant Reflection- a digital Google Sheets document for students to summarize and reflect what they learned through the Seminar.

Directions:

• Students will discuss prior knowledge they share about leap years
• Students will read the provided article and follow directions in the slides to mark the text
• Students will highlight unknown words and add these words and their definitions to their embedded vocabulary chart in the article text
• Students will come up with questions for the Socratic Seminar using Costa's Level of Thinking.
• Students will meet with a partner to clarify any confusion.
• Students will summarize the text by answering the EQ in 3-5 sentences.
• Students will review the protocol for Socratic Seminars.
• Students will use their questions and provided sentence stems to have dialogue in the Seminar.
• Students will complete a participant checklist to reflect on the seminar.

More AVID Resources

Scythe Book 1 Quickwrite Journal Prompts for Chapters 1-5: These quickwrite prompts will unleash the literary genius in your class. Great for journal writing, class discussions, small group dialogue, debates, and more. With five stimulating questions for each chapter, your students will stretch their brains in new ways. Prepare for lively discussions and engaged learners!

✨Scythe Book 1 Chapters 1-5 Exit Tickets✨

What's Included:

• 25 Google Slide Quickwrite Prompts
• 5 prompts for each chapter 1-5
• Embedded 2 minute silent timers per prompts

Directions:

• Display the prompt for students
• Read the prompt aloud
• Start the silent 2-minute timer
• Discuss student responses at the end through whole group dialogue, group discussions, debates etc.
• Choose just one prompt per chapter, or choose multiple for further discussions.

More Scythe Resources

*Available for usage on virtual systems like Outschool without the need to purchase extra licenses

Scythe Book 1 Exit Ticket Worksheets and Answer Keys for Chapters 1-5: Elevate your Scythe novel study with these exit ticket worksheets and answer keys for chapters 1-5! Designed for no prep assessment, each ticket features 6 thought-provoking questions aligned with key curriculum standards.

Empower your students' comprehension and critical thinking skills with this comprehensive resource, complete with a time-saving answer key for quick and efficient grading!

✨Scythe Book 1 Chapters 1-5 Quickwrite Prompts✨

Directions:

• Students will respond to an exit ticket following the reading of each chapter.

• Use the answer keys to grade their responses.

What's Included:

• 5 exit tickets (one for each chapter 1-5)
• Answer keys for each exit ticket

More Scythe Resources

*Available for usage on virtual systems like Outschool without the need to purchase extra licenses